inspired to fabricate

[X-ray]

Sledge has inspired me after my last post.  I'm going to try and fabricate my own tool.  Can someone give me the approximate diameter or radius of the valve bucket tool. I haven't had much success with screwdrivers yet and I have some 1/8th inch aluminum sheet to play with.  I understand that there's a taper between the inner and outer curves but a have been laying things out on paper and have a plan in advance. I just have never seen one of these items in person.

Thanks
    E

[dgyver]

Aluminum will not survive as a valve bucket tool. Plain steel will not either unless hardened some.
I have manufactured tool, not sure by whom, I can get the info needed.

[Blueknyt]

i think i made such a tool by grinding on an extra el cheapo 11/16 open end wrench i had laying around till everything fit to my likeing. it worked wel enough to hold the buckets down while using a pick to get the shims out.

[X-ray]

I thought that the tools were cast aluminum from the pics I've seen. I presumed this because I figured that material wouldn't score the steel parts of the engine. My bad I guess, but how hardened are the engine parts vs the tools? Are they different enough that one shouldn't have to care about the cam or shim surface? In the case of a slip that is, I have no intention of levering on those smoother than ice surfaces.

[adidasguy]

MotionPro makes them - about $10-$15.

I recall somewhere in the WIKI is how to make a valve tool. Saw that somewhere years ago.

Oh, and the tool presses on the rim of the bucket, not the shims. The shims have to be free to remove.

[X-ray]

Thanks I'll check the wiki. I've seen those in a catalog mailed to me but the satisfaction of doing it myself or worth it.  Not t mention that with one kid and another due in 8 days , saving pennies is a priority.

[adidasguy]

One member donated a bunch of shims and a couple tools to the West Seattle Bike Cave.
Shoot me $3 postage and I'll mail you one.

[weedahoe]

I have a valve shim tool in the tool box collecting dust if you want it for a few bucks

[007brendan]

Thanks I'll check the wiki. I've seen those in a catalog mailed to me but the satisfaction of doing it myself or worth it.  Not t mention that with one kid and another due in 8 days , saving pennies is a priority.

Considering the tools you would need and the time it takes to machine it, I highly doubt you are saving any money by making the tool.

[X-ray]

We'll having time to burn I decided to give it a go with the Al.  Dgyver is correct from a durability stand point.  Having said that the one I made worked well. I couldn't find a wrench to modify.  Please tell me if what I did was a bad idea.  I took all my measurments with my newly purcased feeler gauges.  I then rotated the engine with the 19mm bolt to depress the bucket. As the lobe came back up I put in the tool in to line up with the bucket edge until it was pinched and then had the clearance I needed.  I took out the shim, measured it with calipers, recorded the numbers, replaced the shim, and rotated the engine to relive the tension on the tool. Repeated for the other 3.

[gsJack]

Kudos X-ray, it works for you and that's what matters.  I still find it easier to use 2 screwdrivers or 1 screwdriver and a Honda wedge to change shims, even easier than the Motion Pro tool I bought and tried once and gave to my son.   

I've already done 22 GS500 valve checks with 12 shim changes but now that the exhaust valve shim changes have become as rare as intake shim changes I doubt I'll have to do another.  With the revised .003-.005" (.08-.13 mm) exhaust valve gap setting they are now holding up as well as the intakes always have.   

http://www.gs500.net/gallery/data/500/GSvalvelogs.jpg

[dgyver]

Here are a few quick dimensions for the Motion Pro tool.
The graph paper is 1/4" for reference.

[tmbr_wulf]

I think in the Clymers manual there's an image of a shop/home made tool for depressing the shim buckets.

[adidasguy]

(My spare tool being passed on to another member so no longer available.)

[Janx101]

Sledge inspires me too some days..... Mainly to put a metal bucket on my head and hit the bucket with a wrench ...   

[X-ray]

To those interested:

This was the piece or aluminum on found, use to be an old play ground sign I think. It is approx 1/8th of and in thick.



This is the tool I ended up with. The inside diameter is about 24 or 25 mm. I measred the diameter on the cam where to tool would contact and gave my self a little extra.  On dgyver's image this is the 22mm area (thanks btw).  The tip is about 3mm wide and the max lift I shot for was about 6 to 7 mm giving to outside diameter approx 26mm. 






Major cutting was done with a hack saw and the curves were done with a belt sander. 

[fetor56]

After u use the tool let us know how it worked out....impossible dream but if only we could make our own shims.

[X-ray]

I posted earlier that I have already used it to take my initial measurements in order to determine the shims i will need.  The aluminum is a soft metal so i did not lever on it to move the bucket. Rather I rotated the engine and let the cam do the work of pushing down the valve. When the valve was on its way up I just lined up the tool carefully to be pinched between the cam and the edge of the bucket.

[Blueknyt]

i know at one time Kerry had a valve shim kit floating around to the different GStwins members, IF i recall, it was, the person pays postage from previous user, use a shim, leave a shim, the kit had used shims,feeler gauges of correct sizes for intake and exhaust, and a shim bucket tool. it was setup as a community kinda thing.   Kerry, chime in if im wrong     hell, i think there was 2 kits roaming around for a little while

[The Buddha]

MotionPro makes them - about $10-$15.

I recall somewhere in the WIKI is how to make a valve tool. Saw that somewhere years ago.

Oh, and the tool presses on the rim of the bucket, not the shims. The shims have to be free to remove.

Yes motion pro makes it, and davipu on gstwin made one years ago ... motion pro worked a lot better. I used both.
Cool.
Buddha.