• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

Where to buy Valve shims

  • Thread starter Thread starter se3388
  • Start date Start date
S

se3388

Guest
I am in need of some valve shims for my 1980 GS550E, where is the best place to get them (besides the Stealer)? Thanks for any info.

Steve E............
 
There is a shim club on this forum. Try doing a search for shim club.

z1 enterprises sells shims if you'd rather buy them.
 
shims

shims

Guys,
I did a resto on my old GS a few years back, after being in storage for about 5 or 6 years. It became apparent it was in need of a full service....I set about rounding up all of my tools,parts and set up some time to get into my "Old Guys Garage" to do the job. All valves checked, found some way out some not too far off and drug out my shim box to find I was short several I needed.
Out of desperation I went to the local shop to find they had none in stock or in the shop at all! Imagine that I thought...I checked the next friendly independent shop tofind he had sold off all of his "old stock",the last local shop had one but that wasn't quite enough and I ended up traveling a 60 mile round trip to acquire the last one I needed...well it was not quite the ordeal I got to check out a few new bikes I've read about in person so it was OK....
later onm after the job was complete I found this link to bags of shims ...they are feom K&L and are of high quality most don't have the little extra angle cut on the edge like they used to but are of the correct diameter.....take a look if you like ...here is the link

http://www.procycle.us/hotcams/shim_refills.htm

Good luck
Rodm850:)g
 
Not too bad if you need five of the same size shim. Price works out to $4.99 per shim for the group.

If you only need one or two of a particular size (like most of us), Z1 has them for $5.28 each.

.
 
Z1 Also sells a big shim kit with a whole lot of sizes included. It is a bit spendy but back when I had more disposable income I picked it up. Its kind of nice knowing that I have any shim I could possibly need. No waiting for shims, or hunting them down. It make a valve adjustment into a 45 minute job :D
 
My dealer just raised prices and I didn't want to wait for them to be shipped. So I forked out $32 for the two I needed :eek:. I found a guy parting out a gs650 and picked up 8 shims for $1,0 shipped. Don't really care that I don't need them right now. I hope never to by a shim from a dealer again.
 
I just picked up a couple for my 550, checked all the oem parts places, Z1 had easily the best prices on shims like Steve said. about 5 bucks each, reasonable shipping, and they get them out right away.

and you get a cool little sticker to put on your tool box! :cool:
 
Some Suzuki shops still swap them for free, any bike wrecker will have them. They show up on Ebay sometimes. It's nice to have a big stack of them.
 
I say go for a trad-in at a local shop. I've had the best luck at "mom and pop" motorcycle shops, and they've generally just let me trade them shims.

Be careful doing this, though, and use a micrometer to measure the shims (I've gotten screwed by receiving a polished-down shim with the wrong label).

As another option, join the GS Shim Club. GhostGS (I think is his name on here) runs it, and is great to work with. I'm semi-local to him, and he drove an hour to help make sure I got the right shims for my valve job...

One thing I've realized is that you should always have at least one extra shim that's thinner than what's needed. It will work wonders as a place-holder during valve adjustments...
 
I went to the local dealer. I needed 2 shims. $20. I feel like I got ripped off, but I needed to ride, so what is a GS owner to do?
 
The Shim Club by Ghostgs1...it should be in the services section here and really really reasonable rates
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top