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Valve clearance

  • Thread starter Thread starter JATO
  • Start date Start date
I'm doing other work to the bike right now and it is no where near running at the moment, so the valves can wait. Thanks bwringer for the idea of finding a baseline with a 2.15 shim. I'm not surprised I didn't think about that, I currently have three of my own vehicles in my shop right now that I'm working on and my brain and patience are stretched thin between them.
 
CRC2 stocks Suzuki shims down to 2.30mm for $4.95 each, or you can order Gin-yoo-wine Suzuki shims from your favorite Suzuki parts source down to 2.15mm for about twice as much. Part number 12892-45000-215.


Scrounge around at your local fleabag independent cycle shoppe -- very few Suzuki dealers keep shims around any more, but the old-timers usually do.

Purely for static testing purposes, you could also temporarily fit a 29mm diameter shim (as used on Kawasaki/BMW/Yamaha) bikes if that's easier to get. As long as you don't run the engine with it in place, it could be helpful.

The Suzuki shims are 29.5mm diameter, so you'll definitely want the correct shim in place before you try to start it, or all sorts of expensive hell could break loose.
 
I ordered a 2.15 shim from MR Cycles and once it gets here I'll start from square one.
 
Possible easy fix

Possible easy fix

Probably not going to be the case but I had the same situation where I couldn't get my smallest feeler guage between any of my shims and cams. Using Steve's super easy spreadsheet I was sure I could move shims around and only ordered two new ones. Imagine my surprise when I still couldn't get the feeler guage in after changing the first shim....or the second....or (well, you see where this is going). That's when I discovered that two of the blades of my feeler guage were stuck together and I was really trying to fit a .089mm blade in, not an .038 like I thought (.038+.051=.089). I wound up using the new shims and moving someothers around but still came up one short. Had to wait another 3 days to get one but then was able to finish up.
I felt kind of stupid so I didn't post anything about it but when I read your post I had to throw it out there.
 
I wouldn't go all the way down to 2.15 for a checking shim, too far away from where you are going to wind up. A 2.4 you will get more consistent readings.

BTW, most likely you have a burned valve, or at least one that's getting pretty crunchy. That's what happens when maintainance is neglected; the valve is left slightly open which in turn leads to rapid deterioration. You would most likely only have to go down one or two sizes, instead of four, if the valves were properly taken care of. Something to keep in mind for those that put off things like checking the valves.
 
i gotta say... i didnt get the whole shim checking thing at all until i read basscliffs write up ... now i feel confident in checking my own and doing it myself!!!!!
 
I have good compression and leak-down test is good also. I took a look into my ports and they're good too. I doubt I have a burnt valve.
 
so, a question for the experts: how do you know if you have a burnt valve? compression test?
 
JATO said:
I have good compression and leak-down test is good also. I took a look into my ports and they're good too. I doubt I have a burnt valve.
Click to expand...

Hopefully you don't. Seems strange that the valve would still be sealing properly with the clearance more than four steps out of adjustment.
 
Only slightly off topic, I can't find the valve shim trade thread... I know there is one. I have some 2.65, 2.60X and 2.60 I'd like to trade for 2.55 and 2.50
 
The 2.15 did the trick. I was able to get a good measurement on all 8 valves, and was able to move 3 shims around to get them in spec. I did have to order 5, one 2.60, 3 2.55s, and one 2.50. The old GS should be back on the road by the end of the month.

Thanks for all the help.
 
bwringer said:
Purely for static testing purposes, you could also temporarily fit a 29mm diameter shim (as used on Kawasaki/BMW/Yamaha) bikes if that's easier to get. As long as you don't run the engine with it in place, it could be helpful.

The Suzuki shims are 29.5mm diameter, so you'll definitely want the correct shim in place before you try to start it, or all sorts of expensive hell could break loose.
Click to expand...

The single time I had less than perfect service from CRC2, it was when I wanted a shim thickness that *no one* had last summer. To reward me for my patience, they threw in a 2.45 mm shim for just such a test, and did it in the Kawasaki diameter, so it's easy to identify.
 
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