Is this possible?

[ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdea]

My GS is of dubious lineage, so while I was doing some other work, I decided to check the valve clearences, as I had no idea if it had ever been done in the bike's 11000 miles.  With the .03 blade, I found all of the valves to be too tight.    That is the thinnest blade on my set, so I have no idea what they really are.  My questions are?

1.  Is it possible that a prior owner gooned up a valve adjustment and made them all too tight?

2.  Do you normally find valves tighten with age on this bike?

3.  Is my technique off?  If I understand correctly, the feeler blade should slide smoothly, with a little resistance past the cam and shim if the adjustment is correct, for as far as I care to slide it.

I know there is a search feature to the board, but after looking through a few pages of results, I could not find what I was looking for.  Thanks in advance.

[cernunos]

I think either Kerry or Srinath (don't quote moo on that ) said that the GS500 valve clearances tighten with age due to the valves seating deeper into the head. Someone correct me if I am wrong. You love that little bike don't you...and you love this forum too...don't you.

Cernunos

[ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdea]

I do like the forum, but based on # of posts, I would say you love it more than me.  As for the bike, it wasn't my first choice, but like the song says, "If you can be with the one you love, love the one you're with".  It has grown on me.  The valves seating deeper sounds logical.  Now for the tough part...

[cernunos]

Well actually my first choice would have been an FLH but don't tell the White Owl that. Seriously I really do love the GS500 and this forum. No kidding.

C.......

[The Buddha]

Valves.. .OK mine are always getting loose, and if you can rotate the bucket freely even when a .0015 guage (mine is worn to .001) wont fit they were not tight.
Cool.
Srinath.

[ItSeemedLikeAGoodIdea]

Thanks srinath, that is a very easy method to use.  C, I guess I have to admit that I love my bike too, no matter what its past.  Once I get it put back together, I will have to take some pictures of it.

[Kerry]

I think either Kerry or Srinath (don't quote moo on that ) said that the GS500 valve clearances tighten with age due to the valves seating deeper into the head. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Like Srinath said, his valves seem to loosen with age.  At 30,000 miles only 2 of my valves were out of spec - 1 thickness too tight each.  I think it's more common for them to get tighter than looser, but I haven't done a scientific poll or anything....

[500rider]

Yeah it was me I think that said they might get tighter because the valve sinks into the head.  It may be different for differnent bikes.  My buddy that told me this works mainly on Nortons.

I have checked mine twice now and it has not changed within the limits that I can measure after 9000 miles.  .002" fits and .003" does not.  

This is just semantics but maybe it's just a difference in interpretation.  Obviously the shims/cams have to wear a little.  This would tend to open up the valve clearance.  You might find that if you replaced the shims with new ones of the same size that your valve clearance would have theoretically decreased.  That's why you have to actually measure the shims with a micrometer to get the correct size of new shim.

[The Buddha]

They will wear tight if you have some soft material in the valves or seats... like the damn eli 9 I opened up. The cams and shims and valve tops wear under loooong consistent high rev riding like my old commute. In Kerry's case... Ok I think he has wear on all... and its just about compensated itself out... actually a very very good thing. Mine might be needing cams before the head is done...
Cool.
Srinath.