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Getting ready to adjust valves

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fefrank
  • Start date Start date
F

Fefrank

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I am doing a total tune up on my GS1000GL this saturday. I bought the following.

Breather Gasket x1
Valve cover Gasket x1
Carburetor/Engine head Manifolds x4
O-rings x4
New Oil

I am getting this bike road ready again, it will be my daily rider. I've already rebuilt the carbs they are just sitting there waiting to be put back in place. I just needed new manifolds since mine were cracked and nasty. Is there anything else I should do while I am doing all this? I am also grilling a couple of steaks:rolleyes: and some chicken quarters :lol: lol at the end of my endeavor. I am also a little confused about adjusting the valves. I know that there is a tutorial in basscliff website, but I am too dumb for some of the explanations given there. I think I understand how to do it, but it would be nice if someone could probably give me extra advice on do's and don't's. Thanks in advance for helping me get shadow (the bike) on the road.
 
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Fefrank said:
I am doing a total tune up on my GS1000GL this saturday. I bought the following.

Breather Gasket x1
Valve cover Gasket x1
Carburetor/Engine head Manifolds x4
O-rings x4
New Oil

I am getting this bike road ready again, it will be my daily rider. I've already rebuilt the carbs they are just sitting there waiting to be put back in place. I just needed new manifolds since mine were cracked and nasty. Is there anything else I should do while I am doing all this? I am also grilling a couple of steaks:rolleyes: and some chicken quarters :lol: lol at the end of my endeavor. I am also a little confused about adjusting the valves. I know that there is a tutorial in basscliff website, but I am too dumb for some of the explanations given there. I think I understand how to do it, but it would be nice if someone could probably give me extra advice on do's and don't's. Thanks in advance for helping me get shadow (the bike) on the road.
Click to expand...

See if the cam chain tensioner is leaking, it's easier to rebuild it when the carburetors are out of the way.

If you do pull the tensioner out do not rotate the engine at all with it missing.

Also don't rotate the engine at all with any shims missing.
 
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Fefrank said:
I am doing a total tune up on my GS1000GL this saturday. I bought the following.

Breather Gasket x1
Valve cover Gasket x1
Carburetor/Engine head Manifolds x4
O-rings x4
New Oil

I am getting this bike road ready again, it will be my daily rider. I've already rebuilt the carbs they are just sitting there waiting to be put back in place. I just needed new manifolds since mine were cracked and nasty. Is there anything else I should do while I am doing all this? I am also grilling a couple of steaks:rolleyes: and some chicken quarters :lol: lol at the end of my endeavor. I am also a little confused about adjusting the valves. I know that there is a tutorial in basscliff website, but I am too dumb for some of the explanations given there. I think I understand how to do it, but it would be nice if someone could probably give me extra advice on do's and don't's. Thanks in advance for helping me get shadow (the bike) on the road.
Click to expand...

I just did the valves for the first time last week so I can help with some info.

1. Make a template of the valve cover out of cardboard and put all the bolts through it in the corresponding places. I do this whenever I take anything apart, it makes your life a lot easier.

2. Check clearances on all shims. The lobes MUST be positioned correctly. For cylinder 1&2, lobe 1 must be facing forward, and 2 is facing straight up. If you don't do this you won't get a correct reading. For cylinder 3&4, same deal, one forward one up (I dont remember if its 3 or 4 that faces forward).

2. Rotate engine so cam lobe is fully depressing the shim (on the cylinder you will be checking), then take a zip tie, fold it in half and slide it under the valve. I put another tie through the hole at the top so it wouldn't be able to fall into the engine.

3. Rotate the engine so cylinder 1 exhaust (with zip tie holding valve open) lobe is facing forward. Replace shim. Rotate engine until its depressing the shim again, remove zip tie, then rotate cams to the correct positions. Check clearance.

4. Do the same with cylinder 2-4 exhaust.

5. Same process with the intake cam, except the lobes need to be facing backward and up.
 
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There are at least two methods of removing the shims. One requires a "special" tool which is available for about $15, the other involves folding a heavy-duty zip-tie. There are ardent users of both methods here. I have "the tool", but have yet to use it successfully, so I prefer the zip-tie. Instructions for both methods are on Basscliff's site.

Also very handy to have digital calipers on-hand. Some of the shims will probably have their size indication worn off, you will need to measure them.

Do a (short) search for a guy named "Steve" on the board. He has a handy Excel spreadsheet that will help you determine what size shims you will need, after measuring your clearances and inventorying your shim sizes. It is also handy for keeping track of other maintenance you do to your bike.
There is information how to get that spreadsheet in his sig.
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Thanks for all your responses so far. You have given me wonderful input. Question-
Do you have to replace shims every time you adjust valves? Because if that is the case I am not ready to do it because I don't have any shims in hand. Maybe I can do 2 day shipping and they'll come in time?
 
No, there should be .04 - .08mm (.10 is okay too) clearance for each shim. You're supposed to check every 3,000 miles but you shouldn't have to replace any for a while. My bike has 21,000 miles and never had the valves checked, but only 4 were out of spec (3 were right at .03, 1 was way off I'm glad I checked).
 
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Fefrank said:
Do you have to replace shims every time you adjust valves? Because if that is the case I am not ready to do it because I don't have any shims in hand. Maybe I can do 2 day shipping and they'll come in time?
Click to expand...

I recently adjusted my valve clearances and botched it the first time. Take a look here www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=192499 and learn from my mistake. By the way, the zip tie you see in the picture is not the "zip tie method", that was me trying to dig myself out of a crappy situation.

All of my clearances were out of spec, but I only needed to order 4 shims since I was able to swap some around. What I would do is.

1. Check all of the clearances and write them down somewhere
2. Check existing shims, ONE AT A TIME! That is, using the "zip tie method", pull the shim out, write down the size, put the shim back, then move to next one.
3. Input data into Steve's spreadsheet
4. Order needed shims and change one at a time
5. Recheck all clearances, hopefully everything is within spec.

Hope this helps.

-Daniel
 
Thanks for all of your input. I've decided to take a look at the shims on saturday to see which ones I have to change out. So I will probably get to do the changing next monday and hopefully the bike will be ready to ride again by the end of next week. Thank you all for the help you have given me and for the council. Wish me luck, because I will need it. I will post a picture of the running bike as soon as she is.
 
A quick word on the shim deal, first off, never ever never turn over the engine (by hand or with the starter) with a shim out of place.

Second, for many, a valve adjustment on a shim-type bike is typically a two-step process. The first step involves checking clearances and measureing shims, and then once you have the all the shims you need in hand, you replace the shim as needed.

The most important part is the record keeping during the first step. You need to know the clearances to know which direction you need to go, and you need to know the shim sizes so you know what to order/trade. A good idea is to make up a form with 8 spaces (one for each valve) and write everything down that way.

Finally, shoot for the looser end of the adjustment range. The valves will only tighten up with use, so if you start toward the looser end, you'll make it further before you need to adjust them again. You still want to check them every couple thousand miles or so, but they should be within spec for awhile.
 
Hi,

There's a valve adjustment worksheet on my website that makes it easy to keep track of your work while in the garage. Then you can transfer that information to Mr. Steve's spreadsheet on your computer.

Valve Shim Worksheet

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Thank you all again for the great information it is greatly appreciated. Just one more question, In the shims worksheet that basscliff just gave me a link to, there is a space to put the compression of the cylinder. Do I have to know the compression of the cylinders to do this? If yes, (I know this is a noob question) what do I need to check those?
 
Hi,

To test the compression you need, um, a compression tester. ;)

It is not necessary to know the compression just to adjust the valves.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
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