When did you first adjust your valves?

Just wondering what is a common mileage for needing valve adjustments...I've had my 85 (500) interceptor for 10 000 miles and have neglected this. Big job if the valves go through the piston. I have 28 000 miles on my bike, Should I put off my plans this weekend so I can check my valve clearances? (Trip is 700 km this weekend, and another 700 next weekend) or am I safe waiting until next week/ the week after? On a related note The service manual make it seem like checking the clearances is a straighforward job, can a backyard mechanic do this in a day?

 

In a day?

Hmm, depends on how experienced you are but sure, it can be done in a couple hours.
Make sure you have a service manual handy though.

The valves aren't hard to adjust, but they're no easy to get to. Not as hard a modern sport bike, but they're still buried pretty deep under bodywork and such.

The forked adjusters are also a bit tricky to adjust at the same time, I recommend a feeler guage under each adjuster.

IIRC, the problem with VF500's lunching their pistons with the valves was due to the keepers breaking....

Jamie D would be the one to talk to on that.

 

Thanks for the reply...so should I check the valves ASAP or can they wait?

 

If you're not hearing excessive valve noise I wouldn't worry about it. Odds are you won't actually need to adjust them in which case checking doesn't take very much time at all.

-Jake

 

Not the keepers, the valve springs. They allow valve float which beats up the tip of the valve. This in turn allows the keepers to slide off the end of the valve.

I'd go for it, what do you have to lose? If you aren't hearing any noise then a problem might not be eminent. The tough part is that you can't tell if there is something happening until after it does.

If you have the time and ability I'd check and adjust the valve clearance. If nothing else it would give you peace of mind. Check the condition of every valve stem tip for damamge while you are in there - that will be the indication that the valve(s) have been floating.

 

If the normally-round bottoms of the adjusting screws have been pounded flat, consider replacing them because a new valve adjustment will stay set only briefly....


right, Jamie??

 

well long story short, i pulled my bike apart...couldn't find TDC(was trying to find a point where both intake/exhaust rocker arms had some free play, I couldn't find it though), got frustrated and put it back together. I should have left it apart...anyways I'm pretty sure the bottoms of the adjusting screws were still round. I'll pull my bike apart again next week and I'm gonna find someone local to show me how to check the clearance properly...So second run-though what else should I check? (I'll have someone who is knowledgeable and make sure they know how to check everything that is suggested on here, I figure I should learn how to do all this sooner rather than later)

Thanks for the replies, they are extremely helpful

 

It's a Honda, good luck finding them out of adjustment.

 

Negative Ghostrider, pattern is full.


The adjustment screws have nothing to do with it. On engines with dropped valves, sometimes the adjustment screws will still be in decent shape.

Not the screws, the tips of the valve stems themselves. You need to look for little pieces breaking away around the edges. The stem tips start to mushroom when they are getting beat up.

When it's apart you should at least get the feeler gauges out and check/record all of the clearances. If nothing else you have some notes to compare to later on down the road.

 

TDC point is extremely critical when setting valve timing, however not critial when setting or checking clearances as long as cam lobe is pointing away from valves and not near the area of lift.

Don't bother trying to reset anything that's only .001" out of spec, and it's very advisable after you think you're done to turn the crankshaft over 2 full turns by hand and check all clearances again before starting the engine.

It's important to use good quality tools to avoid rounding off the adjustment locknuts, and be aware that after screw is set for proper clearance, tightening the locknut may tend to slightly change the setting.

 

I received my non-running bike with 48,000 miles on her. When I cleaned the carbs I also adjusted the valves. It definitely was out... I'd say the average was .08 and spec is .12 mm.

'Cause I'm lazy I used the feeler gauge sets I have and adjusted them all to 0.005 in. (0.13mm).

Since the valves won't open quite as far I'm leaving some performance on the table, but she runs like a top! (but I never did run the bike with the valves in the state that I received them in...)

I purchased new valve cover gaskets and a generator cover gasket. I also bought the rubber gaskets that valve cover bolts go though.
The only one that was 100% necessary was the generator gasket, but I did 'em all cause I HATE oil leaks...

Short answer - 48,000 miles (I assume I was the first judging from a lack of wrench marks on bolt heads...).