Author Topic: VAlve Adjustment (Read 10775 times)

timsatx · « **Reply #20 on:** May 29, 2012, 10:29:38 AM »

Man, I thought my old gasket was good but I did see something that made me wonder. I pulled the new one and realized I have to change it. Somehow the previous owner must have got the gasket caught when they put it in. The pic shows what I mean.

snarf · « **Reply #21 on:** May 29, 2012, 10:38:12 AM »

I'm surprised that it wasnt leaking. I bet the PO got part of the radiator edging caught when he tightened it down.

Jet86 · « **Reply #22 on:** May 29, 2012, 01:21:34 PM »

I will tell what i did to hold the valve cover gasket in place, I flipped over the valve cover and cleaned it real good then went all the way around the grooves with black RTV then put the gasket on, the rtv will squish out around the sides so have plenty of paper towls to clean up what ever squishes out cause you don't want that stuff mixing with the oil and plugging up oil passages.
Let dry real good before putting the cover back on maybe 24 hours, Be as careful as you can when putting the cover back on not to bump it or scrap the gasket across anything that will pull the gasket out.

This worked for me three times but on my fourth time while taking the cover off the gasket had come loose and was a real pain to put back on and keep it in line without rtv or something to hold it in place. looks like i need to buy more rtv next time around or try something else.

timsatx · « **Reply #23 on:** May 29, 2012, 10:28:18 PM »

That is exactly the strategy I plan on using. I am going to completely clean the valve cover and then put the gasket on the cover with RTV and let it set. Now getting it on the bike without knocking it off is going to be tough.

Mettler1 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 30, 2012, 07:14:19 AM »

Quote from: timsatx on May 29, 2012, 10:28:18 PM

. Now getting it on the bike without knocking it off is going to be tough.

Yes, it is. Just look all the way around and especially the front with a flashlight to make sure it is seated correctly before bolting down. The bolts holding the valve cover have a shoulder on them that acts as a stop. Just snug the bolts down. Too much torque and you will break them off in the head.

Outback_Jon · « **Reply #25 on:** May 30, 2012, 07:58:41 PM »

I just got done doing a long overdue valve adjust on my 06. (52k miles, I should have been overdue for my 8th adjust - it was my third) I was pleasantly surprised to find that while some of the valves had gotten a bit tighter, they were all still within spec. So I set them all to the high end of the spec, and I figure I'm good for another 25k at least.

I really don't mind doing the valve adjustment. It's just all the work getting all the plastic and tip-over bars off that makes it a chore.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see that my camshafts don't seem to have developed any more pitting than the last time I had the engine open. (at 35k) There are a couple of spots on a couple of lobes, but none in the contact areas. A few of the lobes are starting to show a little wear, but oddly on the back (closing) side of the lobes. And though it is visible, I couldn't feel any imperfection in the surface.

timsatx · « **Reply #26 on:** May 31, 2012, 02:12:12 PM »

I will look my camshafts over too. I did look at them when I was checking the valve clearance and didn't see any really noticeable pitting, maybe just a tad. I will go over it on Sunday probably to try and get it back together.

snarf · « **Reply #27 on:** May 31, 2012, 03:09:16 PM »

Quote from: Outback_Jon on May 30, 2012, 07:58:41 PM

I just got done doing a long overdue valve adjust on my 06. (52k miles, I should have been overdue for my 8th adjust - it was my third) I was pleasantly surprised to find that while some of the valves had gotten a bit tighter, they were all still within spec. So I set them all to the high end of the spec, and I figure I'm good for another 25k at least.

I really don't mind doing the valve adjustment. It's just all the work getting all the plastic and tip-over bars off that makes it a chore.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see that my camshafts don't seem to have developed any more pitting than the last time I had the engine open. (at 35k) There are a couple of spots on a couple of lobes, but none in the contact areas. A few of the lobes are starting to show a little wear, but oddly on the back (closing) side of the lobes. And though it is visible, I couldn't feel any imperfection in the surface.

Gees Jon, what took so long

I am very sorry about your plates. I did not like the look of them either but i knew that you wanted to get them on. I will make sure that the next ones are super pretty

Roadhound · « **Reply #28 on:** May 31, 2012, 04:15:28 PM »

Quote from: timsatx on May 29, 2012, 10:28:18 PM

That is exactly the strategy I plan on using. I am going to completely clean the valve cover and then put the gasket on the cover with RTV and let it set. Now getting it on the bike without knocking it off is going to be tough.

For the last 22 years I've always placed the gasket on the head surface, make sure the little half circles are pushed into place and then place the cover in position,
You can place your hands on diagonally opposed corners of the cover and just slightly rock the cover as long as it rocks it's not seated properly. Switch your hands from one pair of corners to the other pair and keep rocking the cover, unless you have the gasket badly out of alignment it will seat.

Outback_Jon · « **Reply #29 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:37:32 PM »

Quote from: snarf on May 31, 2012, 03:09:16 PM

Gees Jon, what took so long I am very sorry about your plates. I did not like the look of them either but i knew that you wanted to get them on. I will make sure that the next ones are super pretty

I picked the better side of each one and got them installed. Found I needed to take one of the screws out to get clearance to remove the valve cover. (Left side inboard screw) But that's a heck of a lot less work than pulling all that stupid emissions crap.

timsatx · « **Reply #30 on:** June 02, 2012, 04:17:03 PM »

I finally got the valve cover on. I found out what was making it so difficult. It was the screw heads on the Block Off plates I got from Snarf. That extra 2.5 mm or so prevented it from going in. As soon as I took it off (only the left hand side) it slid right in. That is also what was keeping it from coming out. I took a couple of pics of some pitting but it wasn't much. Later on I will post them.

<Later on>

This is pretty much all I have found.

T Cro ® · « **Reply #31 on:** June 03, 2012, 05:07:27 AM »

Pics of pitting are never pretty but unless severe it does not cause any issue with how the bike runs....

timsatx · « **Reply #32 on:** June 03, 2012, 06:49:15 AM »

I never really paid attention to this but now thinking on it I didn't see pitting on the other side which is the side that the force is applied to. In Navy terms the pitting is on the Leeward side not the Windward.

I have seen pics of cams that were much more pitted than mine and worked fine so I am not worried about it. Most folks though seem to want to know how bad the pitting was, probably in part to compare theirs to others.

Jet86 · « **Reply #33 on:** June 04, 2012, 12:45:30 AM »

I can rest easyer now knowing that mine arent as bad as yours

, that 2nd pic looks bad so its good to know that it will still run like that. glad you got it the valve cover back on, I too had to remove the screws from snarfs block off plats, i forgot about that part til you already figured it out..

Outback_Jon · « **Reply #34 on:** June 04, 2012, 08:18:51 AM »

Quote from: Jet86 on June 04, 2012, 12:45:30 AM

I can rest easyer now knowing that mine arent as bad as yours , that 2nd pic looks bad so its good to know that it will still run like that. glad you got it the valve cover back on, I too had to remove the screws from snarfs block off plats, i forgot about that part til you already figured it out..

I found that just taking out one screw (the inboard one on the left side) gave me the clearance. Sure beats pulling all those hoses and valve every time.

snarf · « **Reply #35 on:** June 04, 2012, 08:40:44 AM »

Quote from: Outback_Jon on June 04, 2012, 08:18:51 AM

I found that just taking out one screw (the inboard one on the left side) gave me the clearance. Sure beats pulling all those hoses and valve every time.

I sure do not want to hijack this topic; how many of you have to remove the screws from the block-off plates? The reason I ask is I can remove the valve covers on my 86 and 02 with the plates still on. This is weird? I have been telling people that you don't need to remove them and I sure don't want to be doing that if it is not true.
Maybe I just hold my tongue a different way

turbojoe78 · « **Reply #36 on:** June 04, 2012, 10:04:28 AM »

Quote from: Outback_Jon on June 04, 2012, 08:18:51 AM

I found that just taking out one screw (the inboard one on the left side) gave me the clearance. Sure beats pulling all those hoses and valve every time.

Same here, I also had to remove the inboard screw on the left side to remove my valve cover.

Lodogg2221 · « **Reply #37 on:** June 04, 2012, 01:29:24 PM »

I guess Im special like Snarf....I dont have to take off the screws or anything either, and I had the thing in and out several times before I finally stuck the gasket down for the final try.

Outback_Jon · « **Reply #38 on:** June 04, 2012, 05:13:18 PM »

What kind of gaskets were on your reed valves? Mine were rubber, not fiber like the ones in Snarf's pictures. Both of his bikes, on which he has no trouble removing the cover, had fiber gaskets. I'm wondering if there was a slightly different valve cover installed in some bikes.

Lodogg2221 · « **Reply #39 on:** June 04, 2012, 05:39:23 PM »

Pretty sure mine were fiber too....

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Author Topic: VAlve Adjustment (Read 10775 times)