Valve Adjustment Pictorial

[kboehringer]

MP Tool Modification Needed - But worked GREAT

There could be quality control issues (inconsistency) with the tool. Or, it could be that I'm just a putz. Either way, the MP tool works for me and it works well.

I found and read almost this entire thread before trying to use the MP tool today. I had played with it last week a little bit but thought there was something I was doing wrong. My MP tool WOULD contact the cam and would not engage properly until I ground a bit off of it with a die grinder as others had to do and mentioned earlier in this thread. Once I had the proper clearance on the MP tool I was able to change shims in all eight valves and double-check everything in about two hours.

I think there must be some inconsistency in the tools manufacture but it's still a indispensable tool to have.

Sincerely,
Kurt

[DELL82]

Thanks for your Service Kat. I was also Army, missiles. Interesting discussion. My bike is at 58,000 miles and I need to check the valve clearance again and this was a good reminder. I also need the second gear fix and I am also immune.

[Wildkat]

I use the word 'markers' out of respect for Wildkat..... I don't want to offend any XSettes. Or is there only the one?

Aren't you considerate? and thank you... no worries here though. Between being in the Army and having a job as a bartender for a number of years... I'm not easily offended.
and yes, we have a few "XSettes" here now. From what I've seen of their posts though, I don't think they are easily offended either.


Back to your regularly scheduled post
Keep calm and carry on

[bikerphil]

One complete rotation of the crankshaft (19MM plate) equals 1/2 turn of the camshafts, so that would bring the two dots down to the bottom.

[Bartman]

I like the pictorial but do have a question?
I rotated the 19mm timing plate bolt until the T was at the arrow and the dimples on the crank are on top at the notch and the sprocket bolts are high on the backside.
Now your instructions say to rotate the crank so that the dimples are not showing.
Do I rotate the 19mm timing plate one rotation (360 degrees) or do I only watch the crank and only turn the 19mm timing plate enough to rotate the crank 180 degrees?

[Rasputin]

Now, if I only had a shim library!

What size do you need Marty? I have about 40 shims here, many of the same sizes though. Will swap straight across for what you need, if I have them.
Oops sorry, did not mean to hijack the thread. Pm me Marty!

[jetmechmarty]

I don't understand the grinding part. If it's mounted right and the bolt in the correct VC bolt hole there shouldn't be an issue.

Mine doesn't even touch the cam.

I didn't have an issue. It worked great. There could be quality control issues (inconsistency) with the tool. Or, it could be that I'm just a putz. Either way, the MP tool works for me and it works well.

[BA80]

I don't understand the grinding part. If it's mounted right and the bolt in the correct VC bolt hole there shouldn't be an issue.

Mine doesn't even touch the cam.

[jetmechmarty]

Good points! I didn't grind my tool as so many others have, but I had to get it tight against the cam. The 4 oz. brass hammer gets me there with a gentle tap. I stress, gentle.

[BA80]

I never had to "nudge" it but what I did figure out after many failures and expletives was that you have to "feel" for the edge of the shim bucket with that little point. If you do that and just catch the lip of the bucket your golden.

Also........make sure the notch in the bucket is where you can get to it BEFORE you tighten the bolt on the tool.

[jetmechmarty]

It's easy once you figure out how to use it. Isn't it?

Yes! Exactly. Once I discovered the tool needed a little nudge with a small brass hammer, it couldn't be easier. Now, if I only had a shim library!

[BA80]

It's easy once you figure out how to use it. Isn't it?

[jetmechmarty]

I just did it with the MP tool for the first time. It was a piece of cake. Only two shims require replacing, so it's much easier to replace two this way than remove camshafts. To replace all of them? I might pull the cams.

[TailspinTommy]

My valve shim experience

I thought I'd pass along my experience changing valve shims. This thread was very helpful for me deciding how to adjust the valves on my bike. The engine hadn’t been run in probably 20 years or more. The initial valve clearances were tight with only one exhaust valve within, but at the tight end of spec;all intakes were slightly more than ~.004” and exhausts were all ~.007-.008”.

After I initially got the engine running (new coils, oil, plugs, cleaning carbs, etc.) I had maybe 10 to 15 minutes of running time when I checked the clearances again. All the valves had tightened up even more. Anyway, changing the shims was in order. I have the Motion Pro tool and considered trying it but from a logistics standpoint, especially not knowing what shims were in the engine to begin with and needing all shims changed, I decided to remove the cams to give me access to all the shims at one time.

I used Crazy Steve’s pictorial (thank you!) from this thread as a guide but modified the procedure and did not remove the sprockets from the cams. Just removing the caps off the cams and taking out the CCT and top chain guide allowed me enough room to get out all the shims.

I was careful loosening the cam caps evenly because some of the cam lobes were holding valves open. All the cam caps came off easily except the ones closest to the sprockets because the back side of the bolts that hold the sprockets to the cams interfered with those caps being removed. I didn’t try very hard to remove these caps completely off the studs because I didn’t find it necessary.

One thing I noticed about the shims that I removed was that they were scored where the cam lobes made contact, perhaps due to dirty oil (???) (from the PO, of course!). The cam lobes themselves looked ok to me from my uneducated eyes.



I got the new shims installed, everything buttoned back up and as James E. might say, “Bob’s your Uncle.”

I’m no mechanical wiz and this operation was not without a little mental trauma for me. In fact, right out of the gate, just after I loosened the 1st nut a quarter turn on the intake cam cap nearest the sprocket, the ¼” drive 10mm socket I was using came off the extension as I pulled it away (the socket had caught a corner on the wiring harness). I heard a “tink” as it landed “somewhere.” I spent 20 minutes searching for the socket to no avail. I looked around the carb boots, top of the engine, around the sprocket and using a flashlight, looked down into the cam chain abyss, on the floor, etc. etc. Nothing!

I decided to deal with the search later and went on removing the caps (with a box end wrench this time instead of a socket). I was on the right side of the bike when I FINALLY SAW IT! That little socket had fallen onto the head outside the valve cover area and ended up in a little tunnel of the casting between the #3 spark plug and the carbs. Whew, I must be living right.

Even before dropping the socket I was nervous about dropping a cam cap nut or washer down into the engine. I “restuffed” paper towels in around the cam chain. Even with this done, I was careful but still a bit nervous.

So it looks like things ended up ok but I felt that there was a thin margin for me between success and things going south. I’m glad I did it this way this time but I'm not recommending anybody else do it this way (YMMV, etc.). Next time, since I know what shims are installed now and hopefully will only need to change one or two of them at a time, I’ll give the MP tool (or maybe the zip-ties-under-the-valve method!) more consideration.


TT

[Tenorman]

I finally got it...

It turns out that I left some slack on the intake side of the chain...

I used a bungee cord around the top frame to hold the chain up and removed the bolts from the cam sprockets along with the tensioner. I didn't loosen the camshafts...it was tight but I was able to spin the sprockets to their correct position. I had to make sure the chain was on the crank sprocket as once the tensioner is removed, the chain has a mind of its own.

Everything lines up correctly...I just hope all is OK inside...

Many thanks,

Tenorman