Valve adjustment question (Regarding the manual's procedure)

Valve adjustment question (HELP, assembled and not running correctly)

Update: Please read post number 13 aka update 3!

My 2000 VFR is getting close to 48k, and the valvetrain became noticeably more noisy. So a week ago I bought some feeler gauges, and yesterday I went to town tearing the bike apart (Man that airbox SUCKS, I know reassembling it will be a b****).

Anyways, this is my first time playing around with any engine internals. I was following the manual precisely when it became apparent that feeler gauges/ valves were making this shadetree mechanic feel like a total newbie. As I'd have the engine cranked to the specified position and would be checking the corresponding intake/ exhaust valves, the cam lobes wouldn't be in the ideal positions for my taste. (The raised edge of the lobe would be quite close to opening certain valves).

This became obvious when I finally got to the #4 cylinder and I physically couldn't measure the inner exhaust clearance, because the cam lobe was obstructing the only opening I could possibly insert the gauge into.

So I hopped online to confirm my suspicions, and re-checked everything without caring what position the crank was in, just taking care that the lobes were pointing relatively 180* away from the bucket./ lifter. Now unlike the first time around, I was very obviously able to get the right measurement and the correct size gauges were able to slip into the gap between the cam/ lifter entirely. I also got some very slightly different measurements, but they were 90% close to my first time around.

I couldn't help but find it odd that no one else ran into this issue? All the posts I came across made it sound like folks followed the outlined procedure exactly (Note that I'm only talking about checking clearances, not timing the engine after cams have been removed).

Any input? Do I need to re-do this? lol

I still have to take the cams/ buckets/ shims out. Hoping I can get away with just using my caliper instead of buying a micrometer, and ordering a shim kit (Pretty much all of my exhaust valves were .005-.009").

 

You don't have to have the crank marks lined up to measure the cam/ bucket clearance, just turn the engine over till the cam is pointing 180 degrees away from the bucket and measure.You will have to turn the engine for every cam/bucket.
The shims should have the size printed on them.
I've used a digital caliper in the past without problems.

 

+ 1 on what Darth said.
I did use a micrometer because I had one.
At 65000kms I had to replace 4 shims out of the 16.
They were still within tolerance, but only just.
The air box was designed by an arse hole, who is still laughing today.

 

Update

Alright gents, I'm having issues. I have adjusted the valves, did the pair blockoff, changed plugs, and reassembled the bike.

It will only start and run if I give it throttle, I have raw fuel coming out of the exhaust, and it doesn't sound right.

I am sure that it is timed and assembled correctly with regards to the cams and all internals. It makes no odd valvetrain noise, prior to adjustment they were a little loud and now it seemed to quiet down a bit. It is possible that I mixed up 2 vacuum hoses when putting the airbox on, I didn't have time to play with it some more today. There is a strange occasional and irregular sound, almost like a hiss. Raw fuel coming out after the cat.

Here is a video of what it is doing, anyone can shed some light on what it could be?

https://youtu.be/0Tafraw3D_Q

Just in case that doesn't work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tafraw3D_Q&feature=youtu.be

 

You can properly measure and set valve clearances at ANY position where the cam lobe is approximately pointing away from the valve top, no need to point 180 degrees away, any place the valve is not pushing down. The exact marks are confusing, ambiguous, unnecessary and just waste time. The marks are a necessity for setting CAM TIMING, but not for valves, however.

If you're replacing cams, you better have an accurate torque wrench and work carefully, tightening gradually in 2 or 3 steps and turning the engine over BY HAND, slowly, before you're done.

Good way to use feeler gauges is GO or NO GO to get proper indications. Don't ever bother changing anything if the clearance u measure is within + or - .001" of the spec. A slight-to-firm drag is an accurate measurement.

 

May be an answer here- http://vfrworld.com/forums/showthre...y-We-re-Crazy!?p=509898&viewfull=1#post509898

 

You will have to increase the idle speed as well via the adjuster screw as the pair mod makes the bike want to idle at about 400 or so revs lower than the factory spec

well it did on my 6th gen anyway

 

Thanks! I didn't catch that somehow. I also must've glanced over the step that mentions capping off the vacuum hose that goes to the diaphragm at the top of the airbox. Hopefully this does the trick, otherwise it looks like I'm tearing the bike apart for the 5th time (No garage and extremely bipolar weather mean the internals need to be protected from the elements).

Edit: I didn't know that diaphragm is the flapper, that shouldn't be an issue.

 

Does the Fifth Gen have a vacuum line to the Fuel Pressure Regulator? If so, would leaving it off cause the bike to dump fuel at a high rate, or the opposite?

 

Update #2

Alrighty, so to be on the safe side I tore everything back down today. What did I find? I had timed the cams for cylinders 2&4 wrong, I didn't time them to the compression stroke. Thankfully no damage from this dumb mistake, she purrs now

Because I also did the PAIR delete, my bike is idling about 300rpm lower than it did. For the life of me I can't find the idle adjustment scew.. The manual shows this:

https://gyazo.com/a3d4cb9c83cfc6657a63613f043e8bf6

I've seen pictures of what looks like a black knob with phillips screw inside sticking out of the frame on the right side. Nowhere to be seen on my bike, I feel dumb :crushed:

 

I always wondered what that hole in the frame was for on the 5th gen

That looks like what you need to turn whilst the bike is running and at full operating temp

My 6th gen has a black plastic knob by the clutch cover for idle adjustment

I haven't spent too much time examining a 5th gen up close

Don't feel dumb at least you have the balls to get in there and give it a go and you are learning along the way things that may help others in the future

Some here just read about things and never actually do any of the work themselves and then just spout Garbage when someone asks a question

Good work sorting it out and admitting your mistakes

 

It was my first time tearing into an engine, not to mention I was working outside without shelter and I had to pack everything up a couple times due to rain. Mistakes happen , just glad there was no damage.

Oh crap! I totally missed that, I was looking for the knob all along haha. Whoops, thank you!

 

Update #3

Safe to say I'm pretty frustrated by this. I tore the valve covers off again to RTV the gaskets, I wanted to see if I could get away with running them dry= no dice.

I did the PAIR delete using TPO blockoff plates and vacuum caps. A few seconds after starting the engine it starts to leak raw fuel from the exhaust clamp after the cat. The bike runs perfectly normal (I haven't test ridden it like this). I have the airbox plugged at the front and the crankcase breather hose from the rear valve cover to airbox still on.

Also after lowering the radiators (Not disconnecting anything) to do the valve job, the fan won't come on now. I figured I may have an air pocket so I put it on the sidestand, popped off the overflow tank cap, and while the bike was running and hot I squeezed all of the hoses/ revved it a bunch.. The fan still wont come on! Everything is connected, no wires are pinched/ chafed.

I really don't want to drop this off to my buddy who is a mechanic because there was never anything I couldn't fix before (With cars at least), but this has already taken up a lot of time to mess with.

Any ideas? Especially regarding the gas leaking. Makes no sense to me..

 

Did you take Lint's suggestion and test the FPR?

What temperature is it idling at? It could be that the cylinders are being cooled dramatically by excess fuel and it is not quite reaching the fan activation temperature.

 

It seemed more like a question than a suggestion :beguiled:. I'm still trying to figure out how to test it, manual isn't telling me anything apart from showing where the FPR is. Googling away..

It runs up to temp normally, I let it get to 231 and the fan didn't turn on.

 

The vacuum in the intake is used to lower the regulated fuel pressure; this is so the difference between the injected pressure and the air pressure in the intake stays constant. If the vacuum line gets a leak, the fuel pressure will be a bit higher than desired. You can also get a leak in the FPR diaphragm and that lets raw fuel pass down the vacuum pipe into the intake, probably not obviously a problem except for higher fuel consumption.

But I don't think this is of a concern for the OP.

You can test the fan power circuit and motor by connecting a wire between the female spade terminal on the temperature switch and any grounding point like the frame. With ignition on the fan should spin irrespective of temperature. If not, check the fan blade isn't jammed with debris and spins by hand, and check the fan fuse.

If your bike is now starting and running as it should, I'd be less concerned about any apparent fuel leak out of the exhaust. This could just be accumulated moisture from messing around previously.

 

Did you re install the radiators back where they go?
The temp switch is just an earth, if radiators are not fully done up and they are not earthing, fan will not come on.
Pull the cable from the fan switch on the left radiator and ground it, fan should work when ignition is on.
It seems to me that you're rushing things and making mistakes.
Grab a beer and relax, start from the beginning, from the start you've been lucky you didn't do major damage.

 

Nothing is being rushed? I have already started from the beginning, I removed the cams and got the timing correct. Nothing concerning the radiators was ever disconnected, they were just unbolted and lowered to gain better access to the front head.

Here is what I did today.. I removed the plugs and checked them, they look good to me. Cylinder 1 was much darker compared to the rest, but they weren't wet. In the pics they are in order of 1-4 left to right. I cranked the engine with the plugs out, throttle at WOT & pump disconnected for a little to see if I could clear the cylinders out. Reinstalled everything and it still drips gas and mists from the exhaust a bit, it drips a decent amount mind you (Approx 1 drop per second).







So I take it up and down my block a few times, it runs mint. Doesn't skip a beat under acceleration and runs perfectly otherwise. I figured maybe running it can clear the gas out if so much collected in the headers but it still drips away.

All the plug connections are firmly seated, vacuum lines routed properly and to their corresponding connections, PAIR plates/ valve covers sealed with RTV, airbox plugged in the front, crankcase breather hose on, new air filter installed nice and tight in the airbox. I'm stumped.

Also with the fan.. I grounded it with the ignition on, no dice. Fan spins freely by hand, no wires are chafed or kinked. This is getting fun.

 

That is strange.
With the ignition on, pull the wire from the temp switch and check voltage, one lead to wire, one lead to ground.
If you have 12v, the fan is stuffed, if no voltage, check fuse and connections.
There is a good wiring diagram you can download from this site to help you.
As far as the fuel in the can, it has me stumped, are you sure its fuel and not just condensation?

 

Will give that a shot tomorrow, thank you

I'm pretty confident that I've had a good 2 cups worth of fuel come out already, that'd be a hell of a lot of condensation! Unfortunately its gas, it smells the part. I think its also getting into my oil so I want to avoid running it too much, not to mention it washing the oil off the cylinder walls.