checking valves

[Liquidkool]

Hello guys, so I decided to check my clearances today and I cannot get my .0015mm feeler gauge (the smallest one) in between any of the lobes and the shim. But yet I can spin the bucket and shim freely by finger. so I know there's some clearance there. Is this unusual and what size/sizes should I pick up to get her within spec? Bike has 10600mi and has never been opened up before and the PO had no clue what I was talking about when I asked.

I just ordered the valve tool to get the old ones out and measure them. Once I do, do they need to be thicker? (Duh) or thinner? I guess there worn but wouldn't thicker give me less clearance then I already have?

Yes the bike runs and I do have an occasional backfire (happened twice in 700mi)

Thanks for any and all imput!

 

[Agemax]

you will need thinner shims to give you a larger clearance. remove each shim, one at a time, record its thickness and write it down, once you know the thicknesses of the shims you can work out the thickness to obtain the correct clearance tolerance.
usually swapping shims around from valve to valve can sort out most clearance issues so you will not need to buy a new shim for each valve.

DO NOT rotate the engine without a shim present as you will cause damage

 

[Liquidkool]

Thank u sir!

Would .05 intake and .1 exhaust be acceptable for a 450 or something different?

 

[Agemax]

Thank u sir!

Would .05 intake and .1 exhaust be acceptable for a 450 or something different?

that sounds a bit wide, i think they should be 0.03 and 0.08 ideally but i am not 100% sure for a 450. someone will be along soon to give you the correct answer you are looking for

 

[Nessism]

Going to .1 mm is fine.

 

[cowboyup3371]

.0015 is not mm but inches.

 

[Liquidkool]

Where's the best place to buy new shims?

 

[Agemax]

Where's the best place to buy new shims?

there is a shim "club" on the site somewhereconfused.
simply an exchange service.

or some suzuki dealers will swap yours for a correct size you need, maybe with just a token minimal fee to do so,

or you can buy them from a dealer or from ebay

 

[eil]

Z1 enterprises sells aftermarket shims at around $6 a pop. I would not buy them from a dealer, my local dealer quoted me $16 each!

 

[DanTheMan]

Look up ghostgs1, he does the shim service, he has a good variety. I think he's also listed on BassCliff's bikecliff site you in your welcome pkg from him.

 

[alke46]

Hello guys, so I decided to check my clearances today and I cannot get my .0015mm feeler gauge (the smallest one) in between any of the lobes and the shim. But yet I can spin the bucket and shim freely by finger. so I know there's some clearance there. Is this unusual and what size/sizes should I pick up to get her within spec? Bike has 10600mi and has never been opened up before and the PO had no clue what I was talking about when I asked.

I just ordered the valve tool to get the old ones out and measure them. Once I do, do they need to be thicker? (Duh) or thinner? I guess there worn but wouldn't thicker give me less clearance then I already have?

Yes the bike runs and I do have an occasional backfire (happened twice in 700mi)

Thanks for any and all imput!

are you sure you have the lobes in the proper position? also, are you using a metric set of feeler gauges or sae? big difference between mm and inches.

 

[Liquidkool]

are you sure you have the lobes in the proper position? also, are you using a metric set of feeler gauges or sae? big difference between mm and inches.

Yes and there sae and metric my .0015" or .038mm feeler would not pass by any lobes in there proper position. I have measured all existing shims and have smaller ones on order from z1 thanks for all the assistance

 

[Steve]

Yes and there sae and metric my .0015" or .038mm feeler would not pass by any lobes in there proper position. I have measured all existing shims and have smaller ones on order from z1 thanks for all the assistance

They may have inch and metric markings, but they are NOT "sae and metric".

Those are INCH feelers that have metric approximations on them.

No problem, you can use them just fine. Just realize that the maximum size of (approx.) 0.003" looks a lot like the minimum size of 0.03mm and don't get them confused.

"Proper lobe position" has been mentioned above, but it's not as critical on the twins as it is on the fours. Simply point the lobe away from the valve, check your clearance.
And I would be totally remiss in my duties if I did not point out the offer in my sig.

.

 

[eil]

Consider getting a set of metric feeler gauges. Go on eBay, search for "Metric feeler gauge", find the one that goes from 0.02mm to 1mm and costs $4 shipped from China. At that price, buy two.

They start at 0.02mm and go up to 0.10mm in 0.01mm increments, so they're ideal for checking GS valves. I own a set myself, and they're accurate.