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Valve adjustment?

berniematic

New member
I don't have one but can someone tell me the procedure for adjusting the valves on the new engine? A condensed version would be fine. Just wondering and haven't seen it published. Thanks much.
 
:dunno

I think you have to remove the cams to get at the shims (adjusting plates according to the parts breakdown), but that is guesswork from looking at the engine pics.
 
Valve checks q 12k mi.

Valve checks are every 12,000 mi. Here's a link to a google doc from advrider.com to the service schedule

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9DhjaoI_8SXVkF1M01zZWZLc3M/edit

I'm not sure whether non-google users can access this though.

Valves may well never have to be adjusted though because of the new design. The same seems to be true of the camhead GSs (08-12).

And because it's fly by wire, there's no more throttle body adjustments!
 
Thanks and its great if it never had to be done - but - what if it did? Remove head covers, cams and insert shims???
 
Remove valve cover. Measure. If out of spec calculate the needed change(s). Remove cam (that part is a guess) and remove current shim(s). Measure the shim(s) (maybe it's the marked size, maybe not -- assuming the shim is marked). Add in the calculated adjustment. Match that to the nearest standard size replacement shim. Buy (order) needed shims from your dealer. Replace old shim with new. Restore cam (assuming it was removed). Measure again to make sure you didn't screw up a calculation. Restore valve cover.

Easy. :laugh
 
So the question remains unanswered. I've asked a few people, including a new owner, and nobody seems to really know "fer sure" yet...

Shims? And what style? Setscrew & locknut? Slide the fingers over?

Whoever gets inside - post a picture!!!

"Never" is a pretty long time, very hard to accept... even hydraulic lifters may need a check once in awhile, especially if the oil is low-grade or not changed often enough...
 
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So the question remains unanswered. I've asked a few people, including a new owner, and nobody seems to really know "fer sure" yet...

Shims? And what style? Setscrew & locknut? Slide the fingers over?

Whoever gets inside - post a picture!!!

"Never" is a pretty long time, very hard to accept... even hydraulic lifters may need a check once in awhile, especially if the oil is low-grade or not changed often enough...


From pictures, it looks a lot like a camhead. It has overhead cams with rockers and I imagine it uses shims.

I've never had to check hydraulic lifters, not without having to replace them.
 
Agreed, hydraulics are typically super-reliable and people take them for granted (in cars) and mostly ignore them.
Their installation usually requires a specific "preload", maybe two turns of "compression" after the initial touch of the mating parts. If this isn't done correctly (and it's really not so very critical in a non-racing engine), it may wear faster or cause faster wear of the cam or followers, especially if the case-hardening was thin to begin with.
Stock Harley hydraulic lifters got a bad rap for a long time because they'd collapse and spew bearing needles through the engine - very expensive if not caught immediately. ("What's that awful racket? I'll just spin it more and see if it quits.") Valve control improved when solid rods were installed, since they didn't need to spin up too high; occasional lash checks were accepted as the trade-off.
Honda's Hawk 750 needed high-quality oil & frequent oil changes to keep the lifters reliable; otherwise it was a great motor.
 
The Vulcan 1500/1600/1700/2000 have hydraulic lash and without drama.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Good examples of how to do it, though they certainly don't spin like our engines.
I haven't kept up with Kawi's developments; do their hydraulic valve trains live a long time?
I've also expected Suzuki to come out with a good system, since they have a reputation of their bikes absorbing a beating and keeps on ticking.
What do the big Yamaha Vees use?
 
Quinton Grubbs did 260k miles on his 1500 nomad and I know another guy with a 2009 1700 voyager that has 175k miles. Lots of folks go over 100k miles with 1500/1600 nomads.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks, Kent! Now, do the followers slide sideways or does the cam have to be pulled...
 
Usually the only time cams have to be removed is when it's a shim under bucket arrangement. My GPz750 had that. Pain in the ass. This setup doesn't look like shim under bucket.
 
Curious about this also. I just bought one yesterday. Looking at the parts diagram, the followers ride on a pin rather that the tube from 2010 systems. Also the shims are not hemispherical but flat and seem to fit into a recess just above the valve keeper in the top of the valve retainer. They are several dollars cheaper than the previous shims and come in interesting sizes not even numbers. When I take delivery of the bike, I'll know more. I suspect the DVD is not out yet for service, that will be the go to place for information. The manager at my dealer shop has 53K miles on his and no valve adjustment has been needed yet. He said the adjustment was the same basic process as the cam head engine but his failure to know the shims were different leaves things open. Seems pretty stable though.
http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=55471&rnd=04302013
 
Checking is easy, just get top dead center:
02ValvePhotos201copy.jpg


Insert the feeler gauge between the valve shim and the follower and check for spec.

Adjusting is a bit more complicated as the shims need to come out. So do that the cams need to come out.

Remove the cam cage:
02ValvePhotos6copy.jpg

02ValvePhotos50.jpg


The cams literally fall out.

Lift the follower:
02ValvePhotos52.jpg


Use a magnet to pull out the shim.

Reverse to put back together.

It is a little more complicated than that, but easily doable by the home tech with standard tools.

By the way, some info you might find useful:

LINK TO WETHEAD SERVICE SCHEDULE!

Link to Tool Lists Download in Word Format!

Link to Valve Chart!

Link to Torque Values!

Jim :brow
 
Thanks for taking the time to document this Jim and answering this question. I had wondered what lay waiting beneath that valve cover as compared to the screw tappers of my 1150.
 
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