Valve clearances ? how easy / difficult??

Santa-2512 · Mar 9, 2017

I've noticed as i've been riding the bike for about a week now, i have a pronounced tapping noise

from the RH cylinder head.

My first thought is tappets, may need adjusting?

Question, how easy / difficult a job is it, (for a ham fisted baboon),

or is it worth farming out to a good indy? (any ideas of cost??)

My only concern about DIY, ( apart from the ham fisted babboonery) is my nearest dealer is about a

2hr round trip so i don't want to be fannying around for too long if i need parts etc.

Mart

Greenman14 · Mar 9, 2017

Bike is? Single and twin cam are quite different. Does the rattle disappear as the engine warms up? Could be the cam chain tensioner.

adventuredon · Mar 9, 2017

If you have the right thickness feeler guages and a good printout its ok for an amateur. Just do it with a clear head...

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Stevie4scoops · Mar 9, 2017

Valve clearances need to be checked cold so would have to be left overnight with the dealer. I've done my own on GSLC and various KTMs and didn't have a problem even though I had to change several shims.

Santa-2512 · Mar 9, 2017

Single cam 2006 GS

noise evident from start up, but gets louder as the bike warms up

Mart

DervMan · Mar 9, 2017

I can check and adjust the valve clearances on my 2007 comforatbly in an hour, given your bike is a 2006 I'll assume you have the screw & locknut adjusters. If not it's still easy to check the clearances.

KP100 · Mar 10, 2017

I did mine for the first time last weekend.
Its easy to do. My bike still clicks away. I think they are just like that.

Here is the instructions If you are hamfisted as you said, get a small 3/8 torque wrench on flee bay for 30 quid. 10Nm for the cover bolts and adjuster nuts. And double check everything before screwing back together. Your factory tool kit will have a plug spanner.
..
http://www.jimvonbaden.com/r1200_24k.html

Sgt.Cupid · Mar 10, 2017

Just doing mine for the first time too. Make sure you have something to catch the oil when you take the covers off and make sure you retrieve the seal for the spark plug aperture and reseat it on cover before refitting.
The adjustment itself is very easy, check out YouTube for some tutorials.
BTW, does anyone bother to check the endplay on the rocker arms after valves have been adjusted?

Oneplus 2 = my phone

sparky56 · Mar 10, 2017

I always do the end float before the tappet clearance.

Sgt.Cupid · Mar 10, 2017

Yeah, spotted that on the JVB link, but the Haynes manual says check after clearances are set.... anyway they were in tolerance, so all good

Oneplus 2 = my phone

Jersey_GS · Mar 10, 2017

How easy or difficult depends on your mechanical prowess, and your ability to follow a how to guide.
If your handy with spanners (and have all the correct tools) and confident then its pretty straight forward.

I did mine from following the JVB Productions video (similar to the link in previous thread) and also a few YouTube videos too, like these https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut3lSfZWJ3s and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj8ADjrs2qQ

Be very methodical and you cant go wrong :thumby:

UturnTony · Mar 10, 2017

sparky56 said:
I always do the end float before the tappet clearance.

Yes and set them near the minimum clearance for a nice quiet engine.

jwpzx9r · Mar 11, 2017

UturnTony said:
Yes and set them near the minimum clearance for a nice quiet engine.

Don't want to be picky but how do you do that? If you do it right with the correct gap feeler gauge then you get the correct gap :nenau

the only way to get the incorrect gap is to do it wrong and use the wrong gap feeler gauge... or are you just suggesting you fiddle about with the setting until you get a gap that is at the minimum end of the tolerance scale?

g.s.john · Mar 11, 2017

jwpzx9r said:
Don't want to be picky but how do you do that? If you do it right with the correct gap feeler gauge then you get the correct gap the only way to get the incorrect gap is to do it wrong and use the wrong gap feeler gauge... or are you just suggesting you fiddle about with the setting until you get a gap that is at the minimum end of the tolerance scale?

Take look at the Wurth feeler gauges they do single units @ .15, .30 mm. and i use .05 mm for the rocker shaft end float jobs a good un.

jwpzx9r · Mar 11, 2017

g.s.john said:
Take look at the Wurth feeler gauges they do single units @ .15, .30 mm. and i use .05 mm for the rocker shaft end float jobs a good un.

Yes no doubt but that does not answer my question does it? If you are setting the valve clearances with the correct gauges and doing the job properly... how do you set them near the minimum end of the tolerance for the gaps... unless you are doing it wrong and /or using the wrong gauge ?

Bendy toy · Mar 11, 2017

With screw & locknut adjusters there is no tolerance as such. The clearance is correct when the feeler gauge blade is lightly gripped so it can slip smoothly. (inlets - 0.15mm; exhausts - 0.30mm)
Shims (as on the TC) are ground to specific sizes so clearances have to be set within a max & min range. This doesn't apply with screw & locknut adjusters.

Sent somehow.

jwpzx9r · Mar 11, 2017

Bendy toy said:
With screw & locknut adjusters there is no tolerance as such. The clearance is correct when the feeler gauge blade is lightly gripped so it can slip smoothly. (inlets - 0.15mm; exhausts - 0.30mm)
Shims (as on the TC) are ground to specific sizes so clearances have to be set within a max & min range. This doesn't apply with screw & locknut adjusters.

Sent somehow.

Yes I agree ... so how the F do you set a gap erring toward the minimum BMW tolerance for gap while using the correct gauge as advocated by uturntony ????????????? I am being pedantic I know but the idea is nonsensical. You either do the job right and get the correct gap or do it wrong and get a bad setting... you cannot set something tight if you have a gauge jammed across between the two valves and the actuators

Bendy toy · Mar 11, 2017

Basically the shims are a digital system. Settings change in steps so there is a tolerance. The screw & locknut is analogue so infinitely variable.
Tolerance is irrelevant on the screw & locknut system.

Sent somehow.

Slipperyeel · Mar 12, 2017

jwpzx9r said:
Yes I agree ... so how the F do you set a gap erring toward the minimum BMW tolerance for gap while using the correct gauge as advocated by uturntony ????????????? I am being pedantic I know but the idea is nonsensical. You either do the job right and get the correct gap or do it wrong and get a bad setting... you cannot set something tight if you have a gauge jammed across between the two valves and the actuators

Quite how tight/loose the feeler gauge is when the lock & nut arrangements is tightened will vary from person to person. Then you turn the motor around a couple of turns, just to double check your work and guess what, there's a slight difference

. So you make a small adjustment again, check again. Eventually you get somewhere that's working. But the result is, minute variations.

It's gets easier with practice and as mentioned, that practice allows you to get things get things a little 'tighter' if you want.

But be warned, a loose valve is a happy valve. At least that what I was always taught. Too tight and trouble will come later

Santa-2512 · Mar 12, 2017

Slipperyeel said:
It's gets easier with practice and as mentioned, that practice allows you to get things get things a little 'tighter' if you want.

But be warned, a loose valve is a happy valve. At least that what I was always taught. Too tight and trouble will come later

I know where your comming from, ok battering the case hardening on a rocker isnt best practice lol,

But battering a partially compressed valve into a piston is far worse

When i get some feelers sorted, i might give it a go

Mart

Valve clearances ? how easy / difficult??

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