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How to check your valves!

61K views 49 replies 42 participants last post by  apa 
#1 ·
#8 ·
nice video...makes it look quick and easy. (even though 7 minute video will take the average guy 4-5 hours to accomplish)

wopachop...that tool is refered to as a valve lapper...you stick it to the valve face and spin it in your hands to mate the valve face and valve seat when grinding/resurfacing the valves....should cost about 5 bucks and is available at any decent auto parts store.

SDMOTARD
 
#13 ·
I use magnets, don't see the advantages of nice suction thingy...

and also note that he should say, not all motors are the same, the C-rings on a RMZ are the same, and goes under the cam, It looks on the video that they are placed above

but besides that detail, pretty good video!but make shure you have the manual near you...
you also need to line up the markers of the intake cam with the cilinderhead...

adjusting valves on twincam bikes is so much fun :D
 
#20 ·
so about the ticking...its only slight and doesnt sound bad it just sounds a little ticky but some people have told me most single cylinder have a little tick and people say i was just comparing to previous r6 (4cyl) and 250r (v twin). so is it normal for the engine to have a slight tick sound even when the valves dont need adjusting?
 
#22 ·
Shouldn't be ticking...may be cam chain. Whatever it is you need to check it.
Actually the valve and the seat wears down, the cam and the bucket doesn't. Normally the valve clearances get tighter, not looser.

I'm new here and I don't intend to sound like a smart a??. It's best to use the suction cup. A magnet can magnetize the bucket, which would attract metal particles from the oil and cause cam/bucket issues (technically).

Who mentioned lapping valves? Another good point.
A properly cut valve seat doesn't need lapping. That's just causing premature wear.
I color the valve faces and the seats with a Magic Marker and smack the valve into the head. Under close inspection I can see if there is any missed contact areas and the width of the contact patch.

I love my older Hondas. I can check and adjust the valves on my 600 in less than 20 minutes....and that's not rushing it. Not to blow smoke... but setting up a 16 valve Toyota head makes a 4 valve bike head seem easy. The best I've seen is the 5 valve heads that Yamaha used on the FZRs (20 valves). The Honda CBX has 24...have to check, spec, and adjust 12 at a time.

Cool post by the way. He's a good instructor and I always enjoy his vids.

Gene.
 
#23 ·
Im new here too, and don't want to sound like a smart a@@!

Good video, always out to get new tips! Good info on the Ti valves! Most makes differ in one way or another, never used the lap stick to remove buckets but why not.. good point with the magnetic pick up, I do use one all the time, but never realy thought about the iron fileings! Its a good point! :) My tips, the shims nearly always stick to the bucket, so use a rag to block the plug hole (or put the plug in half turn) and keep the cam chain tunnel covered or they may fall in! Then your trying to fish them out! Don't over tighten the cam covers, most are around 10nm, thats not FT..
I too love the older rockers, easy to do and no shims to get. "A tappy tappet is a happy tappet!"
 
#25 ·
the instructors @ mmi say to use that tool beacuse they claim that if you use a magnet that you will magnatize your bucket and shit and then shit will start to float around or stick to the lobe of the cam and thats no good but they Never ever have i seen that happen i think maybe if you left the mag on there for like a week.... maybe

btw when the valves move as pingking said they get tighter and that is cuz the valve gets pushed into the valve seat and make an indent in the valve face that call "tuliping" (yes like the flower) the tapping or ticking my be the play in your cam chain tensioner plunger moving in and out drz's have a bad problem with that and updated their cam chain tensioner three times
 
#26 ·
I have many specialties besides servicing/building bikes. Using a magnet on anything during an auto trans rebuild is a no-no, expecially on the metal control valves.
I worked in a shop where one rebuilder used a magnet to remove the stuck valves from a valve body, that's something I never would do. He's the one that always seemed to have issues w/his units.

One or two specs of grit floating around on the top of a bucket would eventually get washed/flung off during high revs, so I don't see an actual issue. Though, it's detrimental in the tranny world.
 
#30 ·
Regarding the supermoto milkshake, I have decided the water is from condensation (commuting in 17 degree weather). I drained the oil, and there was really no water present, so I'm feeling OK that the water pump seal is good and coolant is otherwise not getting in. Now that the weather is 65 degrees, I need to put it back together!
 
#32 ·
Had to drop in and add my two cents.

1: Screw tappets are the bomb! Adjusting the valves on my XR takes all of 20-30 minutes with a beer in one hand, whereas my DRZ took me about an hour. Most of the work on the XR is removing the fuel tank.

2: I would stick with the lapping tool to remove the buckets. I'm not crazy about using magnets in an engine for the magnetization issue. If you're worried about dropping the shims in the motor, stand on the side of the engine opposite the cam chain to avoid dropping them in the chain void. Any oil galleys should be plugged with a small piece of rag anyways.

3: For holding the cam chain out of the way, I find it best to use a long zip tie and run it between the cam chain and either the exhaust header or the intake boot. Pretty much guarantees that it won't fall back into the motor (which would make for a bad day).

4: Lastly, sometimes the crank does not seem very happy hanging out at TDC and when you go to put the cams back in it may try to take a hike. Triple-check that the timing is correct BEFORE putting the cam cover back on. Also, coat the buckets, cam lobes and cam journals with a light coat of oil before putting them back in. It'll help prevent extra wear that might occur when you start the engine for the first time.
 
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