valve clearances

[scrapper]

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if I leave a clearance of .102 on 1 of my valves is that way to much? I used steves spreadsheet and it shows a .05 in the green. I have read some people like to run their valves a little loose but I am not sure if this is to loose? It shows I need to put in a 2.75 shim and it has a 2.70 now. I was trying to get it back together but do not want to hurt anything. I am not going riding for awhile anyway, its about 8 degrees right now. I am trying to understand the cut off for too loose I guess. I am also wondering if there is a good way to guess the shims needed at the next valve check. I am guessing they will all change or at least most of them or would that be wrong. I had to change all but 2 this time.I now have 4 shims that are at 2.75, 3 at 2.70, and 1 at 2.60. I am thinking that the 3 2.70 would cover three of the 2.75, leaving me needing 3- 2.65, 1 -2.55 and 1- 2.70 then I should be covered at the next valve shiming. I have never done this but it seemed to go alot better than I thought it would. This would be because of this forum and bikeclifs website.

 

[doctorgonzo]

That's really pushing it. That being said I have run one that loose before for the same reason, all I could do with the shims I had. If it's cold there, just order the shim, and wait to put it back together. If it's too cold to ride anyway.

 

[Nessism]

I wouldn't worry about one valve like that. It will be fine. .102 mm is only the thickness of two human hairs.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

+1

I've read reports of people here running .11 and .12 without any apparent ill effects - if anything should just make it "tick" a bit more.

 

[doctorgonzo]

Misread, it registered in my addled brain as .12, not .102. No worries at .102. I have always been with these other guys on the "slappy valve is a happy valve" thinking. Recently however I have come around to thinking, yeah, but only up to a point. It's highly unlikely you are going to spit a shim even at .13 or .14, BUT what you are doing when you go crazy loose is decreasing the effective lift of your cams. When I assembled my motor I had to set several in the .12 to .13 range because of my selection of shims. I rode it a few hundred miles, and then adjusted back to within spec (having gotten the right shims in the meantime). It SEEMED to run a little better. A LOT of factors could have effected that (correlation <> causation), but I'm done setting at over .100 except in an emergency.

 

[scrapper]

Thanks that makes me feel a little bit better. I got shims and the plug wire ends and the sync tubes from z-1 on Saturday. I really have alot to do to it still. I really didn't want to wait for more parts. After all that I will start checking out the electrical suff, and some more bearings, front wheel and swing arm and steering head. I am hoping to ride a lot more this year.
The things I go though just to save gas money. :-s