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What is the Ideal Interval to Adjust Tappets on 8-Valve Motors

  • Thread starter Thread starter Suzuki_Don
  • Start date Start date
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Suzuki_Don

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The above title says it all. In various owners manuals I have seen 3000, 3500 and 4000 stated.

Which is best and what can we get away with without causing any damage to our trusty motors?

I have just done mine at 3,500 and the greatest variation from what they were was only .02mm.
 
Check them when you buy a bike, of course. With a newer engine, check them more often. With 20,000 or 50,000 miles, they usually don't change much, you can let it go longer.
 
I check mine every 4,000 miles, every other oil change. That seems to be fairly safe -- I end up changing one or two shims about every other check.
 
I run synthetic oil and only check them every 6-8,000 miles when the oil gets changed.
Usually only one or two could use an adjustment.
And when I first get a new basket case running. ;)

Daniel
 
7981GS said:
I run synthetic oil and only check them every 6-8,000 miles when the oil gets changed.
Usually only one or two could use an adjustment.
And when I first get a new basket case running. ;)

Daniel
Click to expand...

Daniel, how often do you check a new basketcase after you get it running? Thanks.
 
Hi Don,

I run my clearances on the loose end of the spec, even a little looser. I'll go 6000 miles between checks and replace shims about as often as Brian does, maybe less. My factory manual does say every 4000 miles.

Take care,

Cliff
 
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Suzuki_Don said:
Daniel, how often do you check a new basketcase after you get it running? Thanks.
Click to expand...

ASAP.
When I get a new acquisition, I treat it like nothing has EVER been done to it.
After I know it has potential by getting it running, it gets an oil and filter change with dino diesel oil.
Then after a few hundred miles, to help flush the engine, it gets valves adjusted and synthetic oil and a new filter.
Every "new to you" vehicle should be treated like a blank chalkboard.
Nothing has been done before. ;)
 
Suzuki_Don said:
What is the Ideal Interval to Adjust Tappets on 8-Valve Motors
Click to expand...
Like you, I have seen various numbers.

One of the reasons I developed my spreadsheet was to have quick access to what was changed on previous services. Since many of us get our bikes in unknown running condition, it only makes sense to check them more often at first. You should find that they "settle in" and don't require adjustment as often, so you can feel more comfortable about stretching out the interval for that bike.

Mrs. Steve's bike is the only GS in our stable that has had enough miles to warrant more than a couple of adjustments. It has "settled in" to the point that it went over 15,000 miles without needing any changes until last spring, when I needed to change ONE shim. :dancing:

.
 
Do them right away, then check them pretty soon after (first oil change max 2-3k miles). Once you are confident they aren't changing a lot you can set them on the loose end of spec & leave them alone for at least 7-8k in my own opinion.

I would personally be happy leaving them 12k miles or more from a top tolerance setup.

My GS1000G need 1 shim change in 15k miles.
My skunk I changed them only because now we can get every size custom from GhostGS & I had the engine open anyway.... They had changed very little in 10k.

The manual does say every 4k though so you make your own choice! I think a lot of it depends on how you can get them set. Without custom sized shims it's very difficult to set them all on top tolerance.

The smaller engines probably warrant checking more often as they turn more revs than the bigger ones (or at least they do when I'm in charge of the throttle)... :D
 
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