Posted by I_am_Tosk on June 6, 2011, 9:38 am
So, I opened up my valve covers on the four stroke RMZ250 Suzuki (09)
and found first that my feeler guages aren't going to work unless I bend
them? Is this right? I think I have seen offset guages at the store but
I am not sure...
Secondly, once I measure the gap between the buckets and cam, how do I
know what size shim is already in there? Do I mic them up (need to buy a
mic) or are they somehow marked?
Any other suggestions will be appreciated, thanks, RMR
--
Team Rowdy Mouse, Banned from the Mall for life!
Posted by Tiago on June 6, 2011, 10:14 am
> So, I opened up my valve covers on the four stroke RMZ250 Suzuki (09)
> and found first that my feeler guages aren't going to work unless I bend
> them? Is this right? I think I have seen offset guages at the store but
> I am not sure...
> Secondly, once I measure the gap between the buckets and cam, how do I
> know what size shim is already in there? Do I mic them up (need to buy a
> mic) or are they somehow marked?
> Any other suggestions will be appreciated, thanks, RMR
> --
> Team Rowdy Mouse, Banned from the Mall for life!
My bike is like that (XR250, but not the XR250 engine you may know).
The shims are marked, but the mark may wear and you will have to use a
caliper (digital makes life easier). Also, the valve head will - in
the long run - put a "dent" in the shim, if you measure the valve with
the caliper, you are measuring the outer edges and the measure you
want is the recession that the valve head made on the shim. You will
need a micrometer thin enough to completely fit into the recession.
I've been told multiple times *not* to sand the shim down, but I've
been using a 10mm thick sheet of tempered glass and never had a
problem. As I don't have a micrometer and don't plan on buying one
thin enough, I sand the shim down, reinstall, measure clearance and
measure the shim with the digital caliper and get the correct shims I
need. New shims will be marked, remember to install them with the mark
facing up (mean, don't let the mark in contact with the valve head),
so the marking won't wear up so fast.
First time I did valve clearance job I cursed the nth generation of
the bastard who invented this valve adjustment method. After the fifth
(or so...) time, I learned to appreciate the design, but I still think
the old screw and nut method better, at least for me, who know how to
turn a wrench. The shim and bucket advantage is that adjustments are
not needed so often, but when you do have to adjust it, it is much
more work and there is the shim cost. Also, I can't do the adjust
sunday morning, I have to start check on friday evening and finish
saturday afternoon, because if shims are needed, I have to get them
saturday morning.... On my old bike, I could wake up sunday early
morning, go adjust valve and when my friends arrived to go trail
riding I already had the bike ready to go.
I can't comment on the feeler gauge bending issue, I don't have to do
that on my bike.
good luck!
-- Tiago
Posted by I_am_Tosk on June 6, 2011, 11:25 am
In article <0ace6f2b-58bb-423b-b4bb-
70243679e73a@v10g2000yqn.googlegroups.com>, diariodastrilhas@gmail.com
says...
>
> > So, I opened up my valve covers on the four stroke RMZ250 Suzuki (09)
> > and found first that my feeler guages aren't going to work unless I bend
> > them? Is this right? I think I have seen offset guages at the store but
> > I am not sure...
> >
> > Secondly, once I measure the gap between the buckets and cam, how do I
> > know what size shim is already in there? Do I mic them up (need to buy a
> > mic) or are they somehow marked?
> >
> > Any other suggestions will be appreciated, thanks, RMR
> >
> > --
> > Team Rowdy Mouse, Banned from the Mall for life!
>
> My bike is like that (XR250, but not the XR250 engine you may know).
> The shims are marked, but the mark may wear and you will have to use a
> caliper (digital makes life easier). Also, the valve head will - in
> the long run - put a "dent" in the shim, if you measure the valve with
> the caliper, you are measuring the outer edges and the measure you
> want is the recession that the valve head made on the shim. You will
> need a micrometer thin enough to completely fit into the recession.
> I've been told multiple times *not* to sand the shim down, but I've
> been using a 10mm thick sheet of tempered glass and never had a
> problem. As I don't have a micrometer and don't plan on buying one
> thin enough, I sand the shim down, reinstall, measure clearance and
> measure the shim with the digital caliper and get the correct shims I
> need. New shims will be marked, remember to install them with the mark
> facing up (mean, don't let the mark in contact with the valve head),
> so the marking won't wear up so fast.
>
> First time I did valve clearance job I cursed the nth generation of
> the bastard who invented this valve adjustment method. After the fifth
> (or so...) time, I learned to appreciate the design, but I still think
> the old screw and nut method better, at least for me, who know how to
> turn a wrench. The shim and bucket advantage is that adjustments are
> not needed so often, but when you do have to adjust it, it is much
> more work and there is the shim cost. Also, I can't do the adjust
> sunday morning, I have to start check on friday evening and finish
> saturday afternoon, because if shims are needed, I have to get them
> saturday morning.... On my old bike, I could wake up sunday early
> morning, go adjust valve and when my friends arrived to go trail
> riding I already had the bike ready to go.
>
> I can't comment on the feeler gauge bending issue, I don't have to do
> that on my bike.
>
> good luck!
>
> -- Tiago
Thanks.. I think I get it now. I found a better picture of it on the net
and now it makes sense. I have the charts for the new shims and
hopefully the ones I have now are marked (or the mark hasn't worn off),
but if I need a micrometer I can get one.
--
Team Rowdy Mouse, Banned from the Mall for life!
Posted by Volker Bartheld on June 6, 2011, 2:22 pm
Hi!
On Mon, 6 Jun 2011 11:25:32 -0400, I_am_Tosk wrote:
> Thanks.. I think I get it now. I found a better picture of it on the net
> and now it makes sense. I have the charts for the new shims and
> hopefully the ones I have now are marked (or the mark hasn't worn off),
> but if I need a micrometer I can get one.
Try to find out if you can swap shims around, this will avoid having to buy
several of them and having no use for the old ones.
Creating some kind of diagram with the specs associated to intake and
exhaust valves as well as the currently mounted shim thicknesses will help
you next time. You can just measure the freeplay (gauges usually come in
metric sizes .05, .10, .15, .20, ... and you'll soon be able to
distinguish a "loose .20" = .17-.18 from a "tight .15" = .16-.17 to
interpolate a perfect match) and know which shim(s) to get.
Good luck!
Volker
--
@: I N F O at B A R T H E L D dot N E T
3W: www.bartheld.net
Posted by Volker Bartheld on June 6, 2011, 2:22 pm
Hi!
> I've been told multiple times *not* to sand the shim down, but I've
> been using a 10mm thick sheet of tempered glass and never had a
> problem. As I don't have a micrometer and don't plan on buying one
> thin enough, I sand the shim down, reinstall, measure clearance and
> measure the shim with the digital caliper and get the correct shims I
> need.
Old story: You either have the money/logistics - or time. Shims here in
Germany cost about 5¤ each, availability in Brazil may vary. I save myself
the hassle and just mount the correct spec.
> New shims will be marked, remember to install them with the mark
> facing up (mean, don't let the mark in contact with the valve head),
> so the marking won't wear up so fast.
I was told that the mark should face towards the bucket (i. e. _not_ be
readable from outside) because the cam will eventually wear the mark.
> First time I did valve clearance job I cursed the nth generation of
> the bastard who invented this valve adjustment method.
Pffft. I prefer adjusting every 30-40'000km (recent WR250X and R have
_inspection_ intervals of 40k) instead of every 5k and having to replace
gaskets, dealing with cam followers and the adjustment
screw/counternut-lottery.
Cheers,
Volker
--
@: I N F O at B A R T H E L D dot N E T
3W: www.bartheld.net
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> and found first that my feeler guages aren't going to work unless I bend
> them? Is this right? I think I have seen offset guages at the store but
> I am not sure...
> Secondly, once I measure the gap between the buckets and cam, how do I
> know what size shim is already in there? Do I mic them up (need to buy a
> mic) or are they somehow marked?
> Any other suggestions will be appreciated, thanks, RMR
> --
> Team Rowdy Mouse, Banned from the Mall for life!