Intro/Did I break something?

[h1721]

Hey all,

Just wanted to introduce myself to the board as a new owner of a '97 GS500. It's my first bike, and it's been a lot of fun so far aside from some minor issues. Thanks to this board (a GREAT resource as I'm sure everyone already knows) and the search function I've been able to diagnose and fix the common fuel petcock problem, as well as take apart my carbs with confidence.

Unfortunately, my impatience got the best of me when I decided to do a valve adjustment. My bike was already taken apart for an attempt at a rejet, and I figured I might as well do a valve adjustment while I'm in there. I wanted to finish the bike before the labor day weekend so I could ride, so my plan was to check the valves, and take out the shims and replace if necessary. I didn't have any shims, so I was going to take them all out and go to the dealer to get them. I didn't have the valve shim tool, and I really wanted to get these things out so I could go get the new shims. I searched the board quickly, and saw something about using a screwdriver to hold the bucket down so the shim could be removed, and I decided to try this. My reading comprehension must be really poor though, as I didn't see the note about NOT turning the engine all the way around to release the screwdriver. So, I'm worried if I did something like this owner: http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=13248.0

What is the likelihood that I bent a valve? I am going to check this as soon as possible (fingertip compression test I guess?), and I know there's no way to know for sure until I do, but I thought I would vent and maybe prevent someone from doing something similar in the future. My knowledge of engines is fairly limited, but depending on the clearance, wouldn't both intake and exhaust valves need to be compressed by a healthy amount to touch? I guess what I'm asking is, even if you turn the engine forward to release the intake valve from the jammed screwdriver, as soon as you get enough clearance, it would release and the valve would pop back into place -- and this would happen before the exhaust valve was fully compressed. Thus, wouldn't you need to turn the engine over twice w/ the intake bucket compressed in order to bend a valve? If I'm wrong please educate me.

In any case, I'm going to get a shim tool for the future, and hopefully a valve replacement is NOT in my future. I've learned a valuable lesson though about impatience and always using the proper tools.

[The Buddha]

You turn the motor over without a shim in the bucket, more than likely you put a small scratch on your cam.
If you have a screwdriver in there while turning it, OK what did the screwdriver feel like as you took it out. Bending a valve is easy from the chamber, it it hits anythign when its open - piston, valve, rock ... it can bend, but its very very hard from the cam side, cos the springs and buckets are all perfectly fitted into that precsion bore. You prolly scratched the heck out of shim, cam, and bucket (all of which are of little consequence).
I ran a scratched cam for 40K miles and sold it with the scratch not even 1/2 worn ... scratched take in oil and hold them, so they wear slower and dont tear up neighboring parts except if they had very sharp points ... which in a few 100 miles will get knocked down.
Cool.
Buddha.

[h1721]

Thanks.. I did turn it over at least once without shims for 3 of the valves, depending on the order in which they were removed i guess? I did check the cam lobes and there didn't seem to be any noticeable scratches, but it seems like that's not a huge concern in any case.

When I pulled the shims, I placed the screwdriver with the blade vertical on the edge of the bucket to hold it open after it was compressed with the cam, so it was resting on the shaft and the bucket but not the shim itself. I guess we'll find out what kind of damage there is when I put in the new shims and test it out.

[The Buddha]

Yea big deal, You cant bend these ... simple reason, no space for them to go anywhere. You're OK.
Cool.
Buddha.