Good deal

[craigs449]

I am in the process of getting my "new to me" 01 GS 500 running well.  Pulled the valve cover the other day and found that all four valves were less than .04mm (My feeler guages don't go any lower!)  I know there is/was a valve shim kit floating around on here, but I like to have my own tools for all my bikes.  I looked all over the place and found this good deal on the valve shim kit for the GS500.  Everywhere else they were $120-$130 + shipping.  I paid $107.95 with free shipping from Phat Performance Parts.  Figured I would pass the info on to everyone else

http://www.phatperformanceparts.com/K_L_MX_29_5mm_Valve_Adjustment_Shim_Kit_for_Suzuki_p/29-2642.htm

[steezin_and_wheezin]

great deal! have been watching the kit on ebay, but this one's $10+ cheaper. was just down wrenching and realized i've got my feeler gauges, but no shims. placed order! 'preciate the heads up!

[craigs449]

And it was here in like 3 days....fast, free shipping    The sizes indicated on the box don't actually coincide with the actual shim thickness.....I have no idea why, but the shims themselves are stamped with the size that they are.  I also picked up the Motion Pro valve tool off E-bay for $17 shipped

[BaltimoreGS]

What sizes were included and how many of each?

[craigs449]

What sizes were included and how many of each?

Includes 2 each of the following sizes and a shim box: 2.30, 2.40, 2.50, 2.55, 2.60, 2.70, 2.80, 2.85, 2.90, 3.0

[steezin_and_wheezin]

oh i was confused as well. so shim thickness is as stated on the site, but the thickness stamped on box is off. can see it in the photo now haha

[twocool]

What sizes were included and how many of each?

Includes 2 each of the following sizes and a shim box: 2.30, 2.40, 2.50, 2.55, 2.60, 2.70, 2.80, 2.85, 2.90, 3.0

Good deal???   Well maybe.....Yeah it's nice to have all those sizes right there in front of you when you're doing the valves........


On the surface it is a good deal, as you paid just over $5 per shim...

Suzuki gets $15 per shim for OEM and my delaer get $10 ea. for "used" shims! .......K&L gets about $7 per shim if you buy 5 at a time.....

But here's the problem.....

The "kit" has many sizes you probably won't use, and is missing many sizes (and quantities) you probably will use!!


For the GS you need to go in .05 increments  so the kit is missing 235   245  265   275

Also, in my case anyway....my OEM shims were 272 and all 4 were too tight after 20,000 miles.

So I needed 4 each of 265.....

The kit has only 2 of each size, and none of 265....

I will never need 275 and up....

See the problems???

What I did was to first measure what I had...then calculated what I needed...and then bought the "refills" (5 packs) for $35 each....Knowing my 272 's were too tight I bought 265 and 260.....Cost me $70 and should last another 20000 miles...probably the life of the bike....

It's a freakin pain in the butt however  you do it....but figuring that the dealer is going to rip you off for $300 or more for each valve adjust, and you can't trust that they will do it right, your still way ahead by doing it yourself!

Cookie

[sledge]

A good deal??

Yep.........In the same way those 250 piece socket sets are that contain 240 things you will never use.

Not the way I would have gone, I would have thrown the cash at something that I know with 100% certainty will get used at some stage but hey....if it makes feel you all warm and fuzzy, fair play 

[craigs449]

A good deal??

Yep.........In the same way those 250 piece socket sets are that contain 240 things you will never use.

Not the way I would have gone, I would have thrown the cash at something that I know with 100% certainty will get used at some stage but hey....if it makes feel you all warm and fuzzy, fair play 

To each his/her own.  I do all my own maintenance on all my bikes.  If I do need additional shims in the same sizes, I will just order them individually.  The shops around me suck pretty bad and they never have anything in stock.  For me it's also somewhat of a selling point when I do decide to sell my toys, the new owner gets very descriptive maintenance records as well as shop manuals, specific tools, and things like the shim kit. 

[steezin_and_wheezin]

damn, they're on back order for 2-3 weeks. not feeling waiting that long, going to piece a kit together myself

for those of you with knowledge on what shims would be good to make a kit for the gs.. what would you stock up on?

[twocool]

damn, they're on back order for 2-3 weeks. not feeling waiting that long, going to piece a kit together myself

for those of you with knowledge on what shims would be good to make a kit for the gs.. what would you stock up on?

I can only go by what the deal was on my bike....all 4 original shims were 272......

Most say they only get tighter with age when the valves pound down into the seats so you're only gonna need smaller shims....(this is what mine did)   so..

270...265...260 seems logical.....

But some say the gaps actually get larger!!!   if so you're gonna need 275 and 280....

But I don't know if all gs 500 come with 272 to begin with...if figure they have to custom fit them at the factory, no?

So you really have to measure what you got...and maybe go a size smaller, and two smaller...


Cookie

[gsJack]

My 97 GS came with 265 and 262 size exhaust shims and I never measured or changed the intake shims in over 80k miles, changed a bunch of exhaust shims always smaller and one got down to a 215 minimum.

My 02 GS came with two 265 shims and two 258 shims, running wider gaps for last 50k miles they are now at 250 and 260 size exhaust shims at over 91k miles and I expect them to go to over 100k miles on present shims.  Have original intake shims in it.  The whole record:

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

[burning1]

$100 isn't bad, especially when I calculate the cost of my time to go find the correct shims. Figure the hour I spend going to the store costs a load more than the price of the shims themselves.

[steezin_and_wheezin]

great info twocool and gsJack.

i'll report back after i build my kit

[Dr.McNinja]

A good deal??

Yep.........In the same way those 250 piece socket sets are that contain 240 things you will never use.

Not the way I would have gone, I would have thrown the cash at something that I know with 100% certainty will get used at some stage but hey....if it makes feel you all warm and fuzzy, fair play 

To each his/her own.  I do all my own maintenance on all my bikes.  If I do need additional shims in the same sizes, I will just order them individually.  The shops around me suck pretty bad and they never have anything in stock.  For me it's also somewhat of a selling point when I do decide to sell my toys, the new owner gets very descriptive maintenance records as well as shop manuals, specific tools, and things like the shim kit.

He's the forum @$$hole, don't take anything he says seriously. Once in a blue moon he'll contribute, but usually he talks himself up as the forum BS detector, but he's really just a bad troll.

The shims you don't need can be traded/sold to people who need them, especially on this forum. There are quite a few people here who would want to buy your shims so they don't have to buy a set themselves. If you figured out how to price out shims individually or in packs you could probably make your money back on your kit and then some.

[craigs449]

Just to follow up:

I got the shim kit the other day and finally got back around to fixing the clearance...here are/were the specs

Right intake: factory shim was 260, replaced with a 250 and now have a clearance of .08mm
Left intake: factory shim was 260, replaced with 250 and now have a clearance of .08mm
Right exhast: factory shim was 278, replaced with 275 (from left ex) and now have a clearance of .09mm
Left exhaust: factory shim was 275, replaced with 260 and now have a clearance of .13mm

I have to add, my feeler guages only go down to .04mm, and the only valve that would let me barely squeeze that one in there was the right exhaust......And according to info on this site, it's better to run the ex valves at .08-.13mm for cooler operating temps and longer life.  Each of the valves that were too tight, I fitted them with the next increment size of shim until I got the right spec.  (i.e.  the right intake valve was a 260, I swapped it with a 255, spun the motor around a few times, then rechecked the clearance which was still too tight, then I fitted the 250 size, spun the motor around a few times, rrechecked and it was within spec.)

-Now to add a few inline fuel filters to the gas supply lines, put the carbs and airbox back on, and fire it up

[craigs449]

damn, they're on back order for 2-3 weeks. not feeling waiting that long, going to piece a kit together myself

for those of you with knowledge on what shims would be good to make a kit for the gs.. what would you stock up on?

Damn, I must have snagged the last one....I just looked on the website and noticed they are on back order.  I would just check the valves and see where they are at.  Hopefully they are not nearly as out of spec as mine were.  If you are not having any cold starting problems, they are probably still in pretty good shape.

[steezin_and_wheezin]

thanks for the update on yer old and new shims craigs! got more than enough info to piece a kit of my own together. good ol' Chi Chi has been getting more and more fussy in the cold mornings. doubt the PO ever checked the valves..

oh and no worries on snoitching the last kit, i'll build my own. like burning said, better to have the kit then run around swapping shims

He's the forum @$$hole, don't take anything he says seriously. Once in a blue moon he'll contribute, but usually he talks himself up as the forum BS detector, but he's really just a bad troll.

The shims you don't need can be traded/sold to people who need them, especially on this forum. There are quite a few people here who would want to buy your shims so they don't have to buy a set themselves. If you figured out how to price out shims individually or in packs you could probably make your money back on your kit and then some.

bahaha, nice name calling.. i think its funny that he contributed just as much to this thread as you did.

if you buy a shim kit for the GS, and the kit includes 2 of 2.80, 2.85, 2.90, 3.0 which are useless to the gs. that's 8 shims not needed right there.. plus as stated in this thread already, the GS loves the .05 increments so that more shims(on top the kit) you May need to buy

trading shims that are useless to the gs500, to other gs twinners?? am i'm missing something here?

[sledge]

A good deal??

Yep.........In the same way those 250 piece socket sets are that contain 240 things you will never use.

Not the way I would have gone, I would have thrown the cash at something that I know with 100% certainty will get used at some stage but hey....if it makes feel you all warm and fuzzy, fair play 

To each his/her own.  I do all my own maintenance on all my bikes.  If I do need additional shims in the same sizes, I will just order them individually.  The shops around me suck pretty bad and they never have anything in stock.  For me it's also somewhat of a selling point when I do decide to sell my toys, the new owner gets very descriptive maintenance records as well as shop manuals, specific tools, and things like the shim kit.

He's the forum @$$hole, don't take anything he says seriously. Once in a blue moon he'll contribute, but usually he talks himself up as the forum BS detector, but he's really just a bad troll.

Well by the very virtue of the comment you have made.....what does it make you apart from a hypocrit??

As for being a BS detector I believe I have nailed you down once or twice in the past for making ridiculous comments and passing on misleading info so I understand your motivation for suggesting so.

I like to think I take the more pragmatic approach to some of the comments in here. Believe me, many peopleare thinking it, but instead I choose to say it.

One other thing.........You still have alooooongggg way to go sonny, come back to me when you know a fraction of what I do or have anything approaching the experience I do and I might start taking you seriously.

[steezin_and_wheezin]

One other thing.........You still have alooooongggg way to go sonny, come back to me when you know a fraction of what I do or have anything approaching the experience I do and I might start taking you seriously.

pretty lame reply sledge.. i feel dumb for half way stickin up for ya haha

....back on topic?

found a couple ebay distributors, but prices are too steep to buy 2 of each in a few increments

found a seller on amazon, they had some great prices on 5 packs of shims. I started at 2.65's(since 2.70 were $30 and wouldn't likely be used) and went down to 2.30 in .05 increments. they don't have 2.35's for some reason . with the cost of the sorting box and 2.35 shims, i will end up spending ~$150 for 5 shims in most all needed increments(for now, i'm sure i'll buy some smaller as the miles climb.)

think i might try to use this kit to revive the east coast kerry valve kit, since the beast coast's original has gone MIA