valve noise? (other than the gears)

1986, bought at just over 16K miles (now in the ~22K range). I'm not sure if the valves were checked or not by the previous owners.

now loud should the valves themselves be? (cams on lifters/valves and valves coming back to the seats). I hear a clear clack-a-clack-a-clack-a-clack-a that's definitely valvetrain. It's softly heard if I'm sitting on the bike (no earplugs), very clear when I'm kneeling 1-2 feet from the bike while it's idling and warm.

The valve-job instructions look pretty straightforward. I assume no one bothers with the special tools, and just uses normal wrenches for this. Are they odd sizes? square? It's been a while since I had the valve covers off (2 years?) then it was just to take a look while I was replacing the air filter and plugs a little after I bought the bike.

 

Well, naturally, you will need good quality METRIC spanners, and I recommend a pair of feeler gauges. That way, you set both inlet valves at same time to eliminate any slop in system. I have the 1984 VF1000R,and that was the recommended way to do the valves.

 

Need some aussie/uk->us term conversion help: spanner for you is a "normal" wrench? here they tend to be specialized kinds (normally of the very large, and funky pins/hooks/arms/etc. on them).

Any idea what size the adjusters and locknuts are? I seem to remember a 4mm square, but that might have been the adjusters on the Hawk when we had it apart. My smallest metric wrench is likely an 8mm, maybe a 6mm. Time to pick up a 2-8mm set in 0.5mm increments?

And good call on the extra set of feelers. I need to make sure I have the right sizes, too. My feeler set might be too coarse. ::sigh:: and it's going to start raining again this weekend, too.... guess I'll be working in the cold, wanting to be riding the warm.

 

OK..From memory, you will find the lOCK NUTS to be 10mm... I use SNAP ON wrenches / spanners because they are the best, and just a nice feel. They make a nice long one...OEXM 100. That part number may have changed over the years, as SNAP ON seems to rename their parts, even if they are the same. Re the feeler gauges, I used long strips of 0.004" and 0.006 " strip...... .. thats 0.10mm and 0.15mm .. I use both..Us Aussies went Metric about 43 year ago ..USA is just bcatching up !! I prefer the long strips of material to use as a gauge, rather than short stubby feeler gauges...

Re METRIC WRENCHES .... Just go for them in 1.0 mm increments thats all you will ever need ... Not that funny AF Stuff

Best of luck.......... Peter in Melbourne

 

I still don't know how you can read this and do your field work Toe. That you spurt coffee,Funny..

I made a feeler Gage from strips to lay across the valve tips , that works for me. Aussie metric !! so Funny!!. Cheers guys MikeR..:faint2:

 

All: Thanks much. I'm guessing the really tiny adjuster that I'm remembering were on the Hawk, then.

 

You'll need to remove the radiator to properly access front valves....

 

maybe you can see this picture better

 

Thanks for the pictures, squirrel and crusty.

Looking at the service manual, they show the cam contacting the rocker between the valve and the pivot. Yet in the pics, it appears that the valves are between the pivot and the cam? Or is there an extra plate that screws down over the valves that's not being shown in the manual?

This probably makes FAR more sense once I get the valve cover off. I should just go do that for the rears, as IIRC, it's pretty quick to get to.

 

yeah watching TOE do Mine he got the cobves off prety quick ...even the front came off aftter the radiator was off..I think he /we spent a total of three hours for the whole job..that was with pee breaks and beer and a few phone calls from Toxic...

 

so here is my question..Whats with the big gear in the middle being "split" I know its actually two gears , but whats the deal?

 

whoa, you're right, its two gears (I thought from the pics at first that there was just a relief cut into them, but it looks like two. I'll see if I can see anything when I dig into the covers.

 

Ok..The big gear with the split, is designed to keep " Pre-Load" on the gears "..Stops any back lash or slop in the system. Makes the timing more accurate.

 

That makes sense. no wonder the gears are so loud, though. Is there a spring of sorts between the two gears?

 

I presume there would be ,as that's the only way to keep the load on. I will know more when I get around to dropping my motor out after I come back from a month wandering around Shanghai, Beijing, Jiayuguan, Urumqi , Shanghai , Bangkok, Angkor Wat ( in Cambodia )..... Thats my focus right now. I fly out on Tuesday, and get back to OZ at end of March..

 

The thin gear sucks up the backlash to prevent noise in the gears. It is rare that the springs will fail in the cams but I have seen it twice and the knocking noise will scare you, sounds like it is coming apart.

 

Last weekend I finally got a chance to get under the rear valve cover. I'll post some pics that I took, that allow you to see the adjusters and the measuring side a bit easier than the ones above. Good news is that the valves are dead center in the correct range. .004 drags and .005 won't go in, and same for the other valves with .007 and .008.