OMG: It's like a new bike! Check those valves!

[Anonymous]

Well, as some of you may know, I got SS's valve kit and found that I had 3 tight valves.  Two were so tight that I couldn't get the "tool" in to remove the shim.  After watching Kerrys video again, and with some suggestions from others, I finally loosened the cam shaft and replaced the shims.  All I had to do was loosen the 4 bolts holding the cam shaft about 1/16 of an inch and then wedge the tool in.  It lifted the cam slightly and also pushed down the bucket enough to get the shim out.  Yes, a very small jewelers screwdriver and the tweezers in the kit made it VERY east to get the shim out.  Anyway, I replaced a 258 with a 250, and a 275 with a 260 and a 270 with a 258.  They MAY still be a LITTLE tight but the smallest feeler was the 0378 and these were the smallest shims I had.  Luckilly, I could use one of my shims in a different spot.  Overall I'd recommend that everyone doing this loosen the cam shaft ever so slightly.

Now, what did this accomplish for me?

Replacing the shims helped my idle immensely.  I used to have no choke.  What I mean is, when I started the bike I used full choke and it would barely idle.  It would sit at 1000-1100 RPM forever and never move.  Many times it would stall.  When I would ride it felt "bogged" and when slowing I would have to constantly blip the throttle to keep it from stalling.  When slowing to a stop it would usually stall.  After replacing the shims I suddenly "had a choke".  It would begin to rev up as it warmed and I had to turn the idle adjustment back down 15-20 little twists.  I previously had turned the idle up about 2-3 full turns to get ANY idle at all.  So, idle is back to normal.  When I slow, no stalling.  People who THINK they're having carb problems, CHECK YOUR VALVES!

What else?  MORE POWER!  I mean a LOT more power.  Climbing hills used to feel "boggy" and sometimes it couldn't get past 4,000 RPM in 6th gear.  Roll-on acceleration sucked.  Now it pulls away nicely (for 40 HP anyway).  It feels like I doubled my HP.  It definately has enough power now to get in trouble.

And, I'll bet my gas mileage will increase dramatically.  When I got the bike with 3500 miles on it, I was getting close to 60 MPG.  Lately I've been getting in the high 40s.  With the 2 full turns back out on the idle I should be running a lot leaner now.

Bottom line:  Check those valves!  It's NOT hard (if you loosen the cam shaft a bit) and it will solve/prevent a LOT of problems.

Again, a BIG thank you to Kerry and SS for supplying us with these kits.  Also a thank you to everyone who gave their ideas on how to actually get the tool to work.  And, thanks for convincing me that I DIDN'T want to take it to the shop.

Just finished a 100 mile "test run".  Seems like a whole new bike!

[Kerry]

Score!  

Joe didn't come right out and say, "If I can do this job ANYONE can."  But it's true, with a good set of tools and a pinch of patience.

Joe, you've got me motivated to try and "put this DVD to bed".  Hopefully this weekend....

One more time: CONGRATS for hanging in there and trying yet again.    Happy New Year!  Enjoy your "new" bike, along with the money and time you saved by doing it yourself.

[Anonymous]

Kerry:

The video was great.  I didn't notice anything about loosening the cam shaft but I'd think it would make it MUCH easier for anyone doing this.  And, it's SO easy to do.  Just loosening all four bolts 1-2 full turns made it VERY easy to get the tool in.  I'll tell you, even on the one where I could turn the bucket it took me only like 3 tries to get the tool in with a loosened cam shaft.

And yes, ANYONE can check/re-shim their valves.  And you wouldn't believe how important it is.  I sure didn't.  I figured, "yea right... more money for the dealer".  I've had cars with 180,000 miles and never checked the valves, they ran great.  But these bikes...  Check those valves!

[Kerry]

You're right - I didn't show loosening the camshaft bolts.  I didn't need to do it while I was shooting the video.  At one point, just after I show the valve tool, I say something like "If you don't have the tool, there are other ways.  Maybe we'll talk about them as we go along...."

Later on I mention "my friend Manjul" and his "Indian engineering" which included loosening the camshaft bolts and prying the camshaft up with a large screwdriver.  

One reason (besides not needing to do it) that I hesitated to show the bolt-loosening route was that not everyone has a torque wrench.  Those bolts would be good items to torque down correctly.

Anyway ... I'm glad it all worked out OK.  

[dolepineapple]

Kerry:  it's great to see that your dvd is working great . . .would it be possible to get the dvd and would the instructions work the same for my gs500f?

i just figured out how to take off my fairings completely
and the engine is entirely accessible now. . .

please let me know and how much i'm going to owe you for the dvd with shipping. . .
(by the way, i live in toronto, ontario, canada)

thanks so much
and congrats to joerocker on the successful valve clearance!

cheers,
joel

[Kerry]

would it be possible to get the dvd and would the instructions work the same for my gs500f?

Possible?  Yep.  I've sent 3 "Rough Edit" CDs to Canada already.

The instructions will be the same except for what it takes to remove the fuel tank.  On the '01+ bikes you don't need to remove the side plastics to get to the tank mounting bolts -- only the seat.

please let me know and how much i'm going to owe you for the dvd with shipping. . .

See this post.  But don't send ME anything (except your address) until I send YOU something!

[Blueknyt]

plz include the use of EYE saftey devices, Battery removal, and chalking wheels is always a good one.

[danci1973]

Hey, nice to hear Kerry's efforts are 'paying up'!

But, guys, where do you get those shims? Or other small parts that are usually replaced by the dealer?

I don't know why, but here in Slovenia, whenever I ask the dealer about a part that is not a 'regular maintanence' item (like oil/air filter, chain, ...) they don't seem to know what I want.

I couldn't get different size jets, for example. They could order some based on my bikes frame number, but I guess I would just get what I already have.

I have a different problem with shims - I don't know how these are called in Slovene - so I described them as 'flat round objects - like coins - that go between the valve thing and the cam' - but that description didn't work.

Maybe people in Slovenia don't work on their bikes that much. :dunno:

D.

[The Buddha]

I have been cannibalising motors at wreckers for shims ... I also used to buy them off machanic shops ... cost about $2 ... but there isn't any around here that got em ...
Cool.
Srinath.