How much for a valve clearance check

[007brendan]

I originally meant to do this myself, but I've been pretty busy lately, and I'm thinking about just taking it to a shop.  How much should I be paying for a valve clearance check/adjustment?

[joshr08]

dont take it to a shop because most likely you will be told they did it and everything was good.  because they really didnt do it.  I have been temped to mark my shims and then take it in for a checkup to bust them for charging and not doing it. 

[gs500e]

Fire it up with the engine really cold.

Strange tick noises?

No?

Your valves are good.

Yes?
Your valves are out of adjustment (I had the shop guys put it back together and did not take measurements to order new parts... we can't have your bike taking up valuable space in our shop) (oh yeah... so you can pay to have it checked again if ya want us to).

You can send me $422.89

How did we bring the bike in, AND check it cold ya ask?  Oh we have special dry ice we run over your engine to dynamically cool it to the required temperatures.

Cost breakdown:
Shop fees: $65.88
2 Hours at hourly rate: $160.00
Coffee and pastry fee: $8.00
New valve cover gasket: $84.00 (Sorry, our fine writing said that we would replace parts if we deem necessary).
2 New vavle cover bolts (special order): $22.00
Shipping and handling fees: $33.00
Additional Fees and Taxes: $50.01  (HAHAHA you initialed the check box that allows us to bill up to double the initial estimate, GOTCHA!)

[p.s.: yeah, i am that bored.]

[reload]

  lol thats so true. sure ill do that for ya in a couple of hours....on a hot engine. then you've really been taken for a ride.

[noworries]

You know, I recon with most dealers, that unless we actually stand around and watch the mechanic do the job, the valve check/adjustment won't get done. It's likely too much of a temptation to the average dealership shop manager not to pick up 2 or 3 hundred for nowt. And the big danger being, no noise=tight valve=burnt valve. It's a bit of a pain with these shim in bucket valve arrangements but we've really just got to cope with doing it ourselves...and then having a good Friday night out on the savings.
'Course if we can find a good toolperson we can trust, life might be different.

[ben2go]

Fire it up with the engine really cold.

Strange tick noises?

No?

Your valves are good.

Yes?
Your valves are out of adjustment (I had the shop guys put it back together and did not take measurements to order new parts... we can't have your bike taking up valuable space in our shop) (oh yeah... so you can pay to have it checked again if ya want us to).

You can send me $422.89

How did we bring the bike in, AND check it cold ya ask?  Oh we have special dry ice we run over your engine to dynamically cool it to the required temperatures.

Cost breakdown:
Shop fees: $65.88
2 Hours at hourly rate: $160.00
Coffee and pastry fee: $8.00
New valve cover gasket: $84.00 (Sorry, our fine writing said that we would replace parts if we deem necessary).
2 New vavle cover bolts (special order): $22.00
Shipping and handling fees: $33.00
Additional Fees and Taxes: $50.01  (HAHAHA you initialed the check box that allows us to bill up to double the initial estimate, GOTCHA!)

[p.s.: yeah, i am that bored.]

Well this is a little bit off.The shim to cam tolerances on the GS engine tighten up over time, due to the valves receding into their seats from heat and beat cycles.This actually causes valve tick to go away.I have four GS500s and I have yet to see the valves loosen up between clearance checks.

[gs500e]

Well this is a little bit off.The shim to cam tolerances on the GS engine tighten up over time, due to the valves receding into their seats from heat and beat cycles.This actually causes valve tick to go away.I have four GS500s and I have yet to see the valves loosen up between clearance checks.

And they won't put an invoice line item for 'coffee and pastry fees' either.

[The Buddha]

Ticking get louder ? valves getting loose, but dont worry loose isn't much of an issue.
If the bike starts up on choke fine, but in 5 seconds wants to die ,and it will if you dont rev the throttle to 5K to keep it going, that = tight valves, they are just startting to get tight, adjust em now.
Else ride it till symptom #2 occours.

That of course assumes you bike normally doesn't want to stall ...

Cool.
Buddha.

[twocool]

Ticking get louder ? valves getting loose, but dont worry loose isn't much of an issue.
If the bike starts up on choke fine, but in 5 seconds wants to die ,and it will if you dont rev the throttle to 5K to keep it going, that = tight valves, they are just startting to get tight, adjust em now.
Else ride it till symptom #2 occours.

That of course assumes you bike normally doesn't want to stall ...

Cool.
Buddha.

Buddha,

So you're saying no symptoms = no need to check valves?

I have 15K miles.....checked valves at like 11,000...intakes were within spec but to tight side...exhausts were about middle of spec......

I hear a slight ticking sometimes...but how do I know they are all ticking and not some tight and not ticking??

Seemed like the check was a big waste of time.....P,I,T,A, and worried about making leaking valve cover...etc.

Plus if I need new shims do I have to fork out $120 for the "starter kit" or do I have to measure and order individual shims and have the bike laid upfor a week waiting for delivery??  I will check to see if my local bike shop has any shims available in 29.5...

When I drove VW's I checked the valves all the time.....

I have never checked the clearances on any other "normal" car...never...and most cars went to 150,000 to 190,000

If I checked the GS valves as per the manual I would have to do that 3 to 4 times a year!!!!   Imagine paying a dealer for that???


Cookie

[Allen]

DIY, its only 2 exhaust valves, ride it til thanksgiving then do the service.

[burning1]

Cookie, I personally recommend opening the exhaust clearance up a little from factory spec. If I recall correctly, spec is .04mm-.08mm... I'd set em to .12mm, and inspect every 12K instead of every 8K. Experience is showing that is a pretty safe interval.

[twocool]

DIY, its only 2 exhaust valves, ride it til thanksgiving then do the service.

That is what I did last year....wait till too cold weather to ride then do valves...

Still a pain to get to the valves...not easy like VW bug...


Cookie

[twocool]

Cookie, I personally recommend opening the exhaust clearance up a little from factory spec. If I recall correctly, spec is .04mm-.08mm... I'd set em to .12mm, and inspect every 12K instead of every 8K. Experience is showing that is a pretty safe interval.

My manual says inspect valve clearances every 3500 miles....


Cookie

[Twism86]

If the bike starts up on choke fine, but in 5 seconds wants to die ,and it will if you dont rev the throttle to 5K to keep it going, that = tight valves, they are just startting to get tight, adjust em now.
Else ride it till symptom #2 occours.

That of course assumes you bike normally doesn't want to stall ...

Cool.
Buddha.

My bike does EXACTLY that.... Start fine on choke, then i gotta hold it at 5k for a while before it will idle (at like 3k for a min or so) to warm up. So im guessing I need to adjust my valves... 

[gsJack]

My bike does EXACTLY that.... Start fine on choke, then i gotta hold it at 5k for a while before it will idle (at like 3k for a min or so) to warm up. So im guessing I need to adjust my valves... 

Sounds like it, easily and quickly confirmed with cold/hot compression checks, finger in hole method will do, no guage necessary.

[gsJack]

So you're saying no symptoms = no need to check valves?
I have 15K miles.....checked valves at like 11,000...intakes were within spec but to tight side...exhausts were about middle of spec...........................If I checked the GS valves as per the manual I would have to do that 3 to 4 times a year!!!!   Imagine paying a dealer for that???

Will seem easy to check valves after you have done it yourself once.  I checked twice a year on my 97 GS when I was going 15-20k miles a year, about every 8k miles or so.  One exhaust valve was down to a 215 minimum shim before 80k miles because I ran it on the tight side of the Suzuki clearances.  Still didn't change 1st exhaust valve shim until about 40k miles.

My 02 went the same way but I was only checking valves about once a year with my annual milage down to 10k or so.  After changing 2 exhaust shims at 30-40k miles I bumped the exhaust valve clearance up to .005" and went another 40k miles without changing shims.

Just checked my 02 valves at about 86k miles and expect to go to 100k miles now without further checks.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GSvalvelogs.jpg

[Twism86]

My bike does EXACTLY that.... Start fine on choke, then i gotta hold it at 5k for a while before it will idle (at like 3k for a min or so) to warm up. So im guessing I need to adjust my valves... 

Sounds like it, easily and quickly confirmed with cold/hot compression checks, finger in hole method will do, no guage necessary.

Not familiar with that method if you could indulge us 

[gsJack]

Remove plugs.  I tie the clutch lever to the grip with my hanky to close the switch and then hold open the throttle with one hand while cranking the engine with that thumb after placing a finger/thumb of the other hand tightly over a plug hole.  Compression will blow your finger away from the plug hole with a loud pop as you crank engine if you have compression.  Wear a glove if doing a hot check.   

If you have compression hot after no compression cold you most likely have a tight valve.  Valve clearance increases as the engine warms restoring compression and that only takes a minute or so of warming.