EAST coast-who has kerry's valve adjusting kit?

[ohgood]

Correction to above post:  Bedford Hills

I also did find a cell phone number for our guy, but it is not in service.

'Dad' seemed a little irritated that some guy from Georgia was calling him at home and accusing him of having a valve cover gasket problem... I didn't realize I was talking to the father and that they have the same name until I mentioned GS500 and he says "oh that's my son Eric Ryan".  So maybe someone else can call dad and ask more politely if he can get a message passed on.  PM me for the number if you want.

lets just drop the whole harrassing thing and start up a new kit. donate your shims, buy a few yourself, and lets inact the deposit system talked about waaaaaay up thar ^^ from a while back.

i have the shim tool, a couple of shims, and can add whatever machine tools we need. i'd really like to see this kit circulating again.

hello gstwins ?

[Tang]

i am down w/ another kit circulation how much are shims?

[ohgood]

i am down w/ another kit circulation how much are shims?

depends. the stealerships want $5-15 each in my experience. i put a call out on most of the boards i frequent looking for shims, very few responses.

[Paulcet]

I've gone to my local dealership to see if they had shims.  He thought they did, but checked and found that they had none.  I think the 29.5mm diameter is not very common.  Anyway, he ordered a kit for the shop, and will sell me what I need for about $9/ea.  So I'll buy a 215 and whatever I need.  The 215 and whatever comes out of my bike will go toward the new kit.

[GI_JO_NATHAN]

Hell, there was probably enough money in that kit to start a pretty good second one.

[psyber_0ptix]

i'll contribute my old ones but wont know which shim's i need till a kit is circulated (feeler gauges and the such). I havent done this before so i'm not sure what the protocol is

[Paulcet]

Well, a little frustration at the dealer yesterday.  He didn't order the kit, so I can't just walk in and get what I need.  Will have to take the bike apart, swap/measure/guess/scratch-head/cuss, then order and wait. 

I'm trying to give this guy whatever business I can give him without having him work on my bike.  But if I have to pay full price for shims and wait for them to come in, I may as well look for them online.  Anyone here know the best place to buy them?

[psyber_0ptix]

maybe someone should just 'facebook'  eric ryan wiltse

[dwkfym]

If you guys make a new kit, have you thought about making obligations binding? Not even slipping in a couple of bucks, but I am talking about being responsible for not losing it. I am only a student so I can't warrant this piece of advice, and it shouldn't be taken as legal advice, but I think we can run a simple website that you register at and checkboxes, and request the kit from the last person who has it.. email notifications can work.. I'm sure there is a practicing lawyer on this forum that can help.

[ohgood]

If you guys make a new kit, have you thought about making obligations binding? Not even slipping in a couple of bucks, but I am talking about being responsible for not losing it. I am only a student so I can't warrant this piece of advice, and it shouldn't be taken as legal advice, but I think we can run a simple website that you register at and checkboxes, and request the kit from the last person who has it.. email notifications can work.. I'm sure there is a practicing lawyer on this forum that can help.

this is precisely why the paypal deposit was suggested. no forms, no lawyers, no bs. you plunk down $100 in a paypal account, use the kit, and when it arrives at the next persons home, you get your money back.

a (semi) neutral party would have control of the paypal account in question.

i'm more than willing to start a new kit, but not without safeguards. gstwins users benefit from it, and twinners rock !

[psyber_0ptix]

it would be difficult for me to set aside 100 ... but i really do need to do this. i may just buy a set of feeler gauges and suck it up and do it.

i'm running on 17k and i doubt the bike has had valve clearance checked....at least i wasnt told when i bought the bike.

[intergalactic]

psyber-

I need to do mine soon, so maybe we can work something out. I might have shims you need, vice versa. I am gonna check this weekend. Bike runs like crap. 17,500miles on the clock.

-ig

it would be difficult for me to set aside 100 ... but i really do need to do this. i may just buy a set of feeler gauges and suck it up and do it.

i'm running on 17k and i doubt the bike has had valve clearance checked....at least i wasnt told when i bought the bike.

[psyber_0ptix]

indeed. we can have a valve shim check party with part's install, maintenance, bbq and drinks

get more NE GS'ers to join in on the fun

[ohgood]

ok, gave up on any action with a  new kit. guess the forum has degraded too much.

[Paulcet]

*sigh*

I bought a 215 shim when I was in Minnesota a couple of weeks ago....  They had a well-used kit (some new, many used shims).  Then last weekend I checked my valve clearance and found one tight one (intake).  So I ordered a 260 and a 265 from my local dealer.  That was on Tuesday.  They were supposed to come in by Friday.  Nope, not here yet---Now I have to call again on Tuesday.

So, I'm still willing to contribute a 215, (260 or 265) and a 270.  And would deposit $100 in a paypal account when I need the kit next.

[cboling]

What about this:

Instead of putting money into a single account, someone puts a kit together with Valve Bucket Tool, Feeler Gauges, Dial Caliper, Small Screwdriver and a Magnetic Wand. (All of these would run less than $30 at the Harbor Freight. except the valve bucket tool. Shoot, I already have most of it.)

You would need to average the cost of 4 shims to start the kit which would be included with the price of replacing the tools.

Then, when say Joe Smith needs it, he simply sends the amount of $XX.XX dollars to the person before him. Then when Joe is done with it, the next person in line, (Jim) sends the money that Joe spent ($XX.XX) and joe sends the kit to Jim. (Of course each person would have to add say $5 for Priority Flat rate shipping in a USPS box. You could even use the same box until a new one was needed.)

Keep in mind, to build this kit up, each person "should" add whatever shims they believe they can spare to the kit so that it would indeed grow.

As the kit is passed along, the person with the kit essentially is "buying" the kit for use. If a tool is lost during their usage / handling of it, they would be responsible to buy the new tool for the kit before passing it along.

I may be babbling on about something that has already been discussed but essentially, there is no way to know when a person is going to decide to turn into a thief. So the main value that will be lost is going to be the shims that are added as the kit makes it's way around. Heck, if each person only added 2 shims and shims cost between $5 and $10, that is only $10 to $20 in total cost loss to the previous person but in reality, they are donating the shims anyway. If a person does not pass it along and they are paid through paypal, the person that is expecting the kit can file a claim with paypal to get their money back and the person that decides to be the thief, simply gets away with a bunch of shims because they really bought the tools.

just my 2 pennies. I will contribute my tools and whatever shims I have after I get mine done in the next few weeks to get this started.

Just let me know.
CB

[psyber_0ptix]

it's like an offset-cost/tool loan from parts stores.

just put a couple bux down, and have it returned  (by another user) when you're done with it
i'd be in

[cboling]

Pretty much. After reading some  of the other posts, it looks like the delay is having enough variety of shims to make a kit worth while so that ultimately may be the big problem but, at one time I had seen where someone posted a link to a place that sells shims of different sizes for around $5 each? I will see if I can dig it up. If so, they may have a sparse selection but might be a better cost to get them from there.

Let's say, I need 2 shims. I order from the place that I think I can get them for $5 each and replace mine. Then, I add my 2 to the kit. Send it to you. You pay me $50 or $60 for the tools. Then you replace yours. You need 3 so you donate your 3. Then you send it on and get your $50-$60 back from the next person. Simple.

My thought would be somewhere around the $50-60 range to rent the tools and you also get a selection of shims. (If we are donating them we're not losing any money if they are stolen, just the last person who pays for the kit and doesn't get one has to file the claim with paypal against the other party. Then it would be a matter of starting the cycle again. I think too, the cost of shipping should be around $5 if we use one of those Flat Rate Priority boxes. Everything should fit in there well. (except if you are talking about having a spring compressor, then it would have to be larger.)

[richbomb]

So this whole public kit thing looks dead as hell but if anybody has and is willing to loan me the tools for a temporary paypal deposit, I'd really like to do my valves.  Or do I just need to get a feeler gauge and do some arithmetic with the shim sizes?

[psyber_0ptix]

i have to do this too 

i'm just about to digress and get some feelers and order my shims as needed....