Newbie about to tackle valve clearances..have questions :)

[motokid837]

So I it's a very cold winter here in Michigan, and I have neglected to do a valve clearance check until now because it seemed daunting as I have no experience, but after some research it doesn't seem too difficult, and since it is winter and I have time anyways, I might as well.

Here is what I believe I need:

-Motion Pro Shim tool
-Head Gasket (from where?)
-Breather Gasket (from where?)
-feeler gauge set
-new shims (if anything is out of spec.)

Here are the questions I have..

1. Besides the shim club, where is the best place to get the replacement shims?
2. Where should I get my gaskets from?
3. Will doing this in the cold (20 degrees today) affect my measurements?
4. Where do I find the spec. sheet for my bike? (1980 GS1000G)
5. Where do I get replacement half moons?
6. Since things might expand in the warm weather, I should lean towards larger end of spec. right?
7. Should I use a micrometer to measure real shim size? (if I am using used shims)

Thank you all!

 

[Brendan W]

So I it's a very cold winter here in Michigan, and I have neglected to do a valve clearance check until now because it seemed daunting as I have no experience, but after some research it doesn't seem too difficult, and since it is winter and I have time anyways, I might as well.

Here is what I believe I need:

-Motion Pro Shim tool
-Head Gasket (from where?)
-Breather Gasket (from where?)
-feeler gauge set
-new shims (if anything is out of spec.)

Here are the questions I have..

1. Besides the shim club, where is the best place to get the replacement shims? Your could try Suzuki or Z1 enterprises although the shims they supplied me are not oem
2. Where should I get my gaskets from? As above. You won't need a head gasket. Depending on the condition of what comes off you may not need any. Good idea to have the valve cover gasket and breather gasket to hand just in case. Coating them with a thin film of grease will help them release the next time.
3. Will doing this in the cold (20 degrees today) affect my measurements? No, apart from making your fingers numb.
4. Where do I find the spec. sheet for my bike? (1980 GS1000G) http://members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/ should be in the service manuals for the 1000 motors. The G is not listed but I doubt very much that the valve clearances are different.
5. Where do I get replacement half moons? Again try Suzuki or somewhere like Z1. You could get away with a thin film of rtv on the old ones.
6. Since things might expand in the warm weather, I should lean towards larger end of spec. right? Go loose on the clearances if in doubt or your feelers force you. Tight is bad and a little looseness never hurt anyone.
7. Should I use a micrometer to measure real shim size? (if I am using used shims) Definitely. Between normal wear and the practice of grinding shims you should always double check that the number on the shim is real. After you measure the gaps measure all the shims to see if some clearances can be set to rights by simply swapping shims around

Thank you all!

You will probably find that the available feeler gauge sets will not have a blade thin enough for the lower clearance limit. This is how people end up going loose by a small amount.

 

[JTGS850GL]

You can pick up the metric feeler gauges on ebay. They're very inexpensive and work well. You can get shims from Z1Enterprises.com. Gaskets can be found at any online Suzuki dealer, Z1 or again on ebay. Valve cover and breather gaskets can be OEM or aftermarket. Both will work well in that application. You can get half moons from the same suppliers. If you have a micrometer then use it to verify. If you don't have one then a digital caliper can be used and can be found cheap at Harbor Freight.

 

[blowerbike]

be aware that if your tight valve(s)(smallest feeler gauge won't go)
if the bucket will spin easily then you still have clearance and may only need to go 1 or 2 shim sizes thinner.
i also recommenced only OEM valve cover gaskets unless you find a nice thick type like the factory used.
turn your new half moon can plugs plugs around backwards when installing them..trust me.

 

[motokid837]

So is "tappet clearance" what I am looking for? Service Manual says 0.03-0.08 mm or 0.001-0.003 in.?

That sounds insanely small!

 

[blowerbike]

i don't use metric measurements..have to wait for one of those guys...sorry
ahh,
0.001 is tiny....003-.005 would work for me.
and yes "tappet clearance"

 

[motokid837]

be aware that if your tight valve(s)(smallest feeler gauge won't go)
if the bucket will spin easily then you still have clearance and may only need to go 1 or 2 shim sizes thinner.
i also recommenced only OEM valve cover gaskets unless you find a nice thick type like the factory used.
turn your new half moon can plugs plugs around backwards when installing them..trust me.

So I pulled the head, and the .003mm gauge did not fit in any of the clearances! I have the shim tool on order so I cannot pull any of the shims yet to see what I am working with, so where should I go from here? It'd be nice to have a whole shim kit in front of me so I could pop some in and out to see where I should be, but they're expensive and I don't have one.

 

[blowerbike]

can you spin the buckets?
if so you have some clearance.
if i was doing it...if a .002 would go and a .006 wouldn't then i would call it good...that's just me.
so you have all 8 to do...bummer but maybe you can find a shop that will swap you shims for a little money difference.
again if the buckets will spin without much effort maybe things won't be so bad.

 

[blowerbike]

steve on this site is a big shim head guy...find his post/spread sheet/zip tie method(i have never tried it) as i have the tools.

 

[TeamDar]

So I pulled the head, and the .003mm gauge did not fit in any of the clearances! I have the shim tool on order so I cannot pull any of the shims yet to see what I am working with, so where should I go from here? It'd be nice to have a whole shim kit in front of me so I could pop some in and out to see where I should be, but they're expensive and I don't have one.

First of all, you didn't pull the head.....maybe the valve/cam cover but not the head. Second, the .003mm gauge you used is either a .03mm gauge or a .003" gauge. I don't think you will ever find a .003mm gauge because it would be one ten thousandth of an inch or .0001". I'm not trying to bust your chops, but you need to understand what you are doing. I would urge you to NOT use the zip tie method since you are inexperienced at this and it could lead to a large broken piece of plastic breaking off in your cylinder....then you will be pulling the head.

 

[motokid837]

can you spin the buckets?
if so you have some clearance.
if i was doing it...if a .002 would go and a .006 wouldn't then i would call it good...that's just me.
so you have all 8 to do...bummer but maybe you can find a shop that will swap you shims for a little money difference.
again if the buckets will spin without much effort maybe things won't be so bad.

I'm not entirely sure what spin the buckets means.... I will also just wait for the tool to come in, I have heard the zip tie method is a little more risky so I'll play it safe.

The gauge should be able to slip right through the clearance with minimal effort right? Since I can't slip the .03mm through, how many sizes down should I go with the replacement shims?

 

[motokid837]

First of all, you didn't pull the head.....maybe the valve/cam cover but not the head. Second, the .003mm gauge you used is either a .03mm gauge or a .003" gauge. I don't think you will ever find a .003mm gauge because it would be one ten thousandth of an inch or .0001". I'm not trying to bust your chops, but you need to understand what you are doing. I would urge you to NOT use the zip tie method since you are inexperienced at this and it could lead to a large broken piece of plastic breaking off in your cylinder....then you will be pulling the head.

My bad Dar, the .003 was a mistype, I know I used a .03mm gauge. I also have read that the zip tie method is risky so I will wait for the tool, and yes, my vocabulary for all the different parts of the engine is a little lacking but I know for the most part what I am doing and I feel confident I can figure it out. The pictures on the BikeCliff page are very helpful and after all, this is a fun learning experience

 

[blowerbike]

with the cam in the position for x valve to be checked take a small screw driver and see if the bucket that holds the shim(there is a notch) will spin and the amount of effort to make it spin.

 

[crankshaft]

You would think that the nose of the cam should be exactly parallel to the valve when checking valve clearance, but the book shows that the nose has to be exactly vertical or exactly horizontal when checking clearance. Also, I have a couple shims that fit perfectly in an old Kodak film canister. When you shuffle or insert new shims, put the side with the dimensions of the shim facing the valve.

 

[motokid837]

with the cam in the position for x valve to be checked take a small screw driver and see if the bucket that holds the shim(there is a notch) will spin and the amount of effort to make it spin.

Just checked them all blower and with a little bit of applied force the did move around, exhaust number 2 was a little tighter it seemed. Not sure how else to describe it other than i was able to move all of them with a bit of applied force just from my wrist and a small metal pick..

 

[Steve]

So I pulled the head, and the .003mm gauge did not fit in any of the clearances!

You have already been informed about the difference of vocabulary here, so this is just a reminder to watch your measurement system and the number of zeros that you use. This is important because there is a "3" in both sets of specifications and can get confusing. The specs for valve clearance are 0.03-0.08mm or 0.001-0.003", so you can see how it's easy to relay the wrong information.

steve on this site is a big shim head guy...find his post/spread sheet/zip tie method(i have never tried it) as i have the tools.

Yeah, I'm the guy with "the spreadsheet". It is a tool that will help you keep track of what you have in your engine and will help you determine what shims you might need. Look in my sig for information.

Oh, I have "the tool", too, but have never had any success using it, so I prefer the "zip-tie method".

You would think that the nose of the cam should be exactly parallel to the valve when checking valve clearance, but the book shows that the nose has to be exactly vertical or exactly horizontal when checking clearance.

Almost true, but not complete. Yes, there is a specific position, but when the cam is in that position, you measure TWO clearances. The position is outlined rather clearly in the Suzuki manual, but not even mentioned in the Haynes or Clymer versions.

.

 

[blowerbike]

snap!
snap!
snap!
i'm about 50/50 with the shim tools.
the stand seems to fall over half the time and snap!
i have a wedge with a knob to depress between the lobe and shim and a thin stand to catch the side of the bucket.
i also have a kawi tool that scoops the side of the bucket to depress it.
anyways i have NEVER broken a shim with all my fumble farking...NEVER.