I would like some confirmation to make sure I am understanding this. Measurements are
RH exhaust .004
LH exhaust .005
RH Intake   .002
LH intake Could not get my smallest feeler to fit .0015

My next step would be to pull all the shims and measure their thickness correct? The exhaust valves are in spec right? But since I'm here should I go ahead and change them?

Looks like you are using inch size feelers?

it is easier to use millimeters.

so the spec is .0012 inches to .003 inches

so your exhausts are a bit "over"...some would say this in OK....I say maybe the .004  but I think the .005 is way too big.

That intake might be in spec...your feeler just doesn't go down that far.

You have to measure the actual size of the shims you have...and figure what size to change out in order to get them in spec.

Sometimes you can just re-position what you have...you may have to order one or two..or maybe all 4..it depends.

Once you do the math, and change out the shim(s) be sure to measure again...sometimes the gap comes out different than you might at first have calculated

Hope this helps...maybe just confused you more?


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Quote from: expo1 on October 16, 2016, 03:21:03 PM
I would like some confirmation to make sure I am understanding this. Measurements are
RH exhaust .004
LH exhaust .005
RH Intake   .002
LH intake Could not get my smallest feeler to fit .0015

My next step would be to pull all the shims and measure their thickness correct? The exhaust valves are in spec right? But since I'm here should I go ahead and change them?

Quote from: expo1 on October 16, 2016, 03:21:03 PM
I would like some confirmation to make sure I am understanding this. Measurements are
RH exhaust .004
LH exhaust .005
RH Intake   .002
LH intake Could not get my smallest feeler to fit .0015

My next step would be to pull all the shims and measure their thickness correct? The exhaust valves are in spec right? But since I'm here should I go ahead and change them?

Can you confirm if you are using feeler gauges in inches or if you just added an extra 0 to the numbers?

I  still remember my high school physics teacher..."You must always state the units".



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Quote from: Bluesmudge on October 16, 2016, 04:47:46 PM
Can you confirm if you are using feeler gauges in inches or if you just added an extra 0 to the numbers?

Yes, I was using a set of feelers that displays the MM and inches.
In the Clymer manual it states .03-.08MM or .001-.003 in.
I was using the .in measurements since those were nice round numbers on my feelers. I must be over thinking this, or under thinking it, which ever.
Measurements are
RH exhaust .004  (.102)mm
LH exhaust .005  (.127)mm
RH Intake   .002  (.051)mm
LH intake Could not get my smallest feeler to fit .0015 (.038)mm

Ok..... it's definitely a good idea to pull each shim and measure them (and write them down for the next valve check). But I would swap your RH intake shim to the next size, and double check the clearance afterwards. The LH intake obviously needs swapped as well, but you might need 1 or possibly 2 sizes smaller (depending on what the clearance is).

Remember: don't rotate the cams without a shim underneath. You can scratch the cam lobes.

Thanks for the tips. I'll get the shims out tomorrow and report back. This is a pretty critical item, so I want to make sure I get it right. Thanks again.

The RH intake at .002" is right in the middle of the Suzuki .001-.003" spec and should be left as is.  I've had intakes with .002" clearance go 100k miles without a shim change.

If you can turn the bucket with your finger with cam lobe away on the LH intake it has about .001" clearance and could take a one size .05mm (.002") smaller shim to .003"

I found Suzuki .001-.003" spec too tight for exhaust valves, after 80k miles one was down to a min 215 shim with no where to go on my 97 GS.  I went to a .003-.005" exhaust spec on my 02 GS and after 100k miles it had a 245 min exhaust shim.  Your exhausts would be just right as is for me, your bike, your choice on that.

My valve log:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/GSvalvelogs_zpscvcef42y.jpg

Hey guys, thanks for the tips. I got the shims measured this evening



      Space checked with feeler.                                     Shim size                                                                             
RH exhaust .004  (.102)mm............................... 2.65mm                                                             
LH exhaust .005  (.127)mm................................2.65mm
RH Intake   .002  (.051)mm................................2.70mm
LH intake  coul not get .0015 (.038)mm.................2.65mm

So RH exhaust...leave alone at .10mm  (over spec but considered OK)

LH exhaust change out for 2.70 shim, makes .08mm  (top of the spec range...bigger is too big...smaller is in spec but too small)

RH intake leave alone at .05mm  (in spec)
LH intake change out for 2.60 shim, makes .08 mm (or maybe a tad less) 9it may be technically in spec...once you put in the smaller shim,..you will actually know the score

So it looks like you only need to get two shims...save all the old ones for future..
once you change them out, be sure to re measure the gaps...it may not work out exactly as the math would suggest...

Also, when measuring something which has a given range of tolerance for the spec..you don't try to measure the exact gap...you want to determine, using your gauges, the "go" and "no go"

So I would just use , say a .04mm feeler and a .09mm feeler....the .04 should always "go"...the .09 should "not go"...

some would suggest going bigger on exhaust...so say .06 is  "go" and .12 is "no go"

Going to the third decimal place in millimeters is sort of meaningless...(one thousandth of a millimeter? really?)

FWI...the original stock shims on these bikes are typically not in even numbered thicknesses...they are like 2.73 or 2.68, etc.  If you have these, they can be very helpful if you find yourself very near the top or bottom of the spec range, and want to get more in the middle..

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       size                                                                             
RH exhaust   .10 mm  2.65mm                                                             
LH exhaust   .13mm   2.65mm
RH Intake     .05mm  2.70mm
LH intake  could not get .0015 (.03)mm2.65mm
[/quote]

I would leave the left exhaust as-is (I like gsJack's larger exhaust spec) and just go down one size shim on the LH intake (replace 2.65 with 2.60)

Expo, did you get the measurements of the shims, or did you actually measure them yourself? I ask because the numbers printed on the shims are sometimes just a "ballpark" number. For example: a shim labeled 2.65 will sometimes be from 2.68 to 2.62...... So it's another good reason to measure the shims, and measure the clearance after swapping for a smaller one.

Yes, I took the shims out and measured them with a state of the art Harbor freight caliper.  I'll start with just getting the the LH intake shim, I'll get a 2.60. Thanks for the help guys. Once I get that shim in, I'll go ahead and strip the engine down so I can replace the leaky head gaskets.