Valve shim questions

[lawman]

I pulled the valve cover off and was checking my shims.  The intake ones are juuuust barely in spec, the exhaust ones have almost no clearance at all.  When I took the cover off, I noticed some gasket seal, and in trying to get the shims out, I'm having some trouble.  I have a few questions:

is there a trick to using the shim bucket tool?  I just can't seem to get it to push the bucket down.

What sort of gasket sealant should I be using between the cover and the gasket and/or the gasket and the head, if any?  Any advice on removing the old sealant from the old gasket, or should I just get  new one (would prefer not to)?

Any idea why there would be NO clearance on the exhaust valves?

If the intake clearance is EXACTLY .03mm, should I change the shims anyway?

Thanks for any help you can give.

[fred]

I pulled the valve cover off and was checking my shims.  The intake ones are juuuust barely in spec, the exhaust ones have almost no clearance at all.  When I took the cover off, I noticed some gasket seal, and in trying to get the shims out, I'm having some trouble.  I have a few questions:

is there a trick to using the shim bucket tool?  I just can't seem to get it to push the bucket down.

What sort of gasket sealant should I be using between the cover and the gasket and/or the gasket and the head, if any?  Any advice on removing the old sealant from the old gasket, or should I just get  new one (would prefer not to)?

Any idea why there would be NO clearance on the exhaust valves?

If the intake clearance is EXACTLY .03mm, should I change the shims anyway?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Your valve clearance will decrease as your valve seats wear, that's the whole point of changing the shims. As I understand, the valve clearances will pretty much always decrease, and never increase. For your intake valve, I personally would leave it alone, but it is up to you, I'm lazy... The shims only come in .05mm increments, so if you are at minimum clearance, you can go to maximum clearance if you want to... It might mean you don't have to change that shim next time you do clearances...

As for using the tool, if you haven't already, search for and watch Kerry's valve adjustment video. That's what I used to learn how to do it...

[ntouran]

I had tons of trouble getting that stupid bucket tool in there. I finally found a little sub-trick that seems to help. Maybe it's obvious. Rather than putting the tip of the tool in and smoothly moving the lever down (while grinding your teeth for that horrible pop as it slips out), try moving the lever up and down quickly until it really creeps in there. This lets it get a better grip on the bucket before putting any serious force on it. I've also noticed differences in quality of various tools. If yours is too worn on the edges, get a new one!

[jp]

I took a file to the end 1/4" of the center ridge of the valve shim tool to make it a little easier to get it started. Between that and a dab of axle grease to lube the surfaces, it's noticeably easier to use.

[centuryghost]

Between that and a dab of axle grease to lube the surfaces, it's noticeably easier to use.

Eeeww, I wouldn't put anything but oil in my motor. But that's me  

Easy trick: Spin your cam lobe till it pushes the bucket down, take whatever tool you are using and place it between the bucket and camshaft while it is already depressed, then slowly turn the cam again till the lobe is out of the way and the tool is successfully keeping the bucket down. Now you can get that shim out  

I just bought a new gasket, mine was in bad shape. I think if you feel the need to put sealant on, then you actually need a new one.

Also, there is 2 schools of thought when it comes to actually measuring the clearance. I prefer the cam notch mark method. Kerry's video shows the other method.

Oh, and if you can spin the bucket with your finger on the tight valves, then you have some clearance. If you can not, re-shim immediately! 

[Gary856]

Dumb questions:

1. Are there "driveability symptoms" that tell you the valve clearance is out of specs? If so, what are the tell-tale characteristics?

2. What happens if the valve clearnace go out of specs and not get fixed?

I've ridden my '01 GS for about 5k miles (odometer at about 13.5k miles now) since Jan 09 and haven't had the valve clearance checked. Seems to run fine but is there a time bomb waiting to go off with the valves?

[centuryghost]

If they are too tight, you will toast a valve. Time to check 'em!

[BaltimoreGS]

centuryghost- A little grease won't hurt anything.  It is common practice in engine rebuilding to use a little grease to hold parts in place on re-assembly.  There is also "assembly lube" (fancy word for grease) used when installing new rotating parts like camshafts and cranks.  Vaseline is used in transmission rebuilds to hold check balls in place.  It will melt and mix in with the oil when the engine is run.

Gary856- Do yourself a favor and make time to check your valves before a problem occurs.  My first GS was an '01 and it burnt a valve at 12k due to my lack of maintenance.  It was my first air cooled street bike, didn't realize they had such a short service interval.  That mistake cost me a lot of time and money to correct.

-Jessie

[black and silver twin]

to remove/install my shims i just turned the engine until the cam lobe was pushing down the shim i wanted to change, then i stuck a flat blade screw driver sideways under the camshaft (not the lobe) to hold the bucket down at the edge. then rotated the engine so the lobe left the shim, the shim and bucket are still held down so the shim came out easily. it took me 30 min to remove the tank and valve cover, < 5 min to measure clearance, and 15-20 min to remove the shims. it then took 6 days for the new shims to come in and 2 hours for reassembly.

[centuryghost]

BaltimoreGS - Yeah, it's personal preference. My main point is the lube or in fact the special tool are not necessary. The procedure that I explained above, and black and silver twin agrees, is incredibly easy and saves much time and frustration.