Need help with valve clearances

[BA80]

Sorry I'm so far away or I would be happy to give you a hand.

[jrm000kc]

Greg, you don't know how tempted I am to burn a few days vacation and ride down to Okie...that'd go over real well with my wife.

[mack]

Gaskets

Next time you have to remove a cover, spray the gasket with "BBQ pam" both sides. Then if you ever have to remove the cover again it will come off in one piece intact and can be re-used several times over.

[BA80]

Greg, you don't know how tempted I am to burn a few days vacation and ride down to Okie...that'd go over real well with my wife.

Engine has to be perfectly cold to get accurate clearance measurements. Has to sit overnight. Should have gotten ahold of us when we were there in Shawnee working on The Navy Bike at Russ'.

[trbig]

Greg, you don't know how tempted I am to burn a few days vacation and ride down to Okie...that'd go over real well with my wife.

Burn a few days? Why? To get over the case of beer drank? KC to Tulsa only 4 hrs. Leave early morning, get there, stick a fan on high on the motor a couple hrs, do the shimming, slap it together and ride home that evening. I'd come help (Drink the beer anyway) but I'll be gone the next two weekends.

[jrm000kc]

How's it going trbig? You'd be more than welcome to the beer-I've pretty well quit, so more for you if you like lol.

I'm sure I could get them myself. I just need to order the right motion pro tool and do it on a Saturday when I could go buy them at the Yamaha dealer here in Gladstone. I've noticed my battery is shooting craps. After tuning the bike Sunday I went back out for a test run and it was deader than a doornail. The lights wouldn't even come on until I revved it up. Hope it's the battery and not the stator going weak. (The battery was new in '09 so pretty sure it's done for.)

[jrm000kc]

How's it going trbig? You'd be more than welcome to the beer-I've pretty well quit, so more for you if you like lol.

I'm sure I could get them myself. I just need to order the right motion pro tool and do it on a Saturday when I could go buy shims at the Yamaha dealer here in Gladstone. I've noticed my battery is shooting craps. After tuning the bike Sunday I went back out for a test run and it was deader than a doornail-sitting there idling apparently killed it.) The lights wouldn't even come on until I revved it up after using the kickstarter. Hope it's the battery and not the stator going weak. (The battery was new in '09 so pretty sure it's done for.) Hope to find one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

[BA80]

You got a charger James?

Fill the cells with distilled water and put it on a 2 amp charge for 6 - 8 hrs and see how it does.

However, if you got 5 years out of a battery you've done good.

[trbig]

Somebody needs to show up... Greg can't be trusted to do things like these shims with a case of beer all to himself..

Especially if you bring actual beer... not this Oklahoma 3.2 stuff he's used to. lol

Looking at the calendar, I've actually got the next 5 weekends called for. But 1st weekend in November, if the snow hasn't flew up there and you can wait that long, it might be possible to take a trip up to KC to see friends. We'd need to check with our buddy up there though. It'd be nice if we could squeeze in one more get-together for the year. He's got everything there we'd need, but I would suggest leaving that afternoon after the bike is shimmed. No way should anyone be subjected to the likes of this group if they don't drink.. . We've got a pretty good record of the cops showing up at some point during the evening. lol. Besides.. new people we bring over that stay the night turn out to be machete murderers.. Long story.. but needless to say, it's all Greg's fault.

[jrm000kc]

Cops and machete murderers...

Speaking of near beer, one of my Dad's friends in Stillwater brought up a case of 'Pig's Ear' beer and some of his Okie moonshine. The moonshine was way smoother...

I'm gonna give the battery another shot with my charger. It did the same thing last time I did a sync/tune. Filled the cells and charged overnight and seemed to hold. When I bought the bike over two years ago the owner gave me $50 back to buy another battery and it's held so far.

Not sure how winter will be here this year. Thinking of keeping my bike at a friend's who has a garage. Even with a tarp strapped over it I still feel bad for leaving it outside when the snow/ice flies or when it's 0 degrees out. It's really taking a toll on my tires...and not doing any seals justice.

Sounds like you guys were having a good time if the cops showed up. I wanted to come out to Shawnee a couple of months ago but my Dad had me baling hay that weekend.

[jrm000kc]

Shim sizes

I've been doing a little ciphering which in itself is a miracle because math is my VERY WORST subject...I'm trying to figure out what shims I'll need based on my measurements. However, I don't know what is currently in my bike. I thought I could figure it out but without those numbers it looks like I won't be able to order anything to have on hand Sunday when I plan on doing this.

Looks like I'll order the correct valve compression tool because this hook tool I have doesn't look promising. I'd rather have the one you actually bolt to the cylinder head. I took out the battery and have it on the charger. Topped off the cells and to my surprise my charger isn't throwing a 'bad cell' alarm. None of the cells look swelled so it looks good. I'm definitely making a note of the manufacturer because it's 5 years old and still has some life left in it.

[BA80]

James, wait until I can help. Some of the things your posting scares me a little.

I can use the Motion Pro tool just fine and it DOES bolt to the head. Tod prefers to lift the cams to do it but you have to be careful not to get them out of time or pull the threads on a cam cap stud.

Yes, you have to get the shim out and see what number it is to calculate what size you need to correct the measurement.