85 vf500f tapping???

The first step is to go to www.helminc.com and get a Honda Manual. The Cylmers are riddled with errors, you don't want to rely on it for a job like this.

Secondly, you need to measure the clearance between the cam lobes and the rocker arm face they ride on. Report back with your measurements and I can help.

You should also check the tension on the cam chains. Bump the engine over to see if there is a spot where the chain goes slack. That will indicate a bad tensioner.

Lastly, the 'dropped valve syndrome' is not the seals (at all) or the seats - it's the springs. They take a set over time and then allow the valves to float. If this is what has happened to your bike you will also have a damaged valve (at least one). In that case you will need to check all of the valve tips and keeper grooves for damage, replace any that are damaged and replace ALL valve springs.

 

I'll get back out there tomorrow and look at it some more

 

ok I'll start by saying I don't claim to have near the experience that Jamie or the others have but I do have a fair amount of VF500 experience. With that said, it sounds to me exactly like tapping valves. If the valves were out of adjustment a bit, the heads of the vavles will mushroom., even 1 mushroomed head will make that noise. The 1986 models cam with a cap kit that protected the valves from mushrooming. I believe you could order the caps to put on earlier years. Out side of that, yes I agree it could drop a valve, have bad keepers etc. But since you've got the covers off check the clearance and look at the vavle tips to see if any of them are mushroomed. All is certainly not lost, especially since you only paid 100 bucks. As for parts, I have a slew of them, I have a set of heads, cam tensioners, cams, crank CDI boxes etc, etc about the only thing I don't have is a frame and certain plastic parts. I've been hanging on to them for years until someone comes along that needs them. If I can help let me know. Good luck.

 

my feeler gauges are MIA so I gots to get another set before I can measure I wil check the chain tension later on this evening tho

 

Ah yes, another V4 myth exposed! The valve caps were a quick fix by Honda to prevent dropped valves. Those just allowed the valves to sustain a little more abuse. The problem remains the same - valve float. It really doesn't have anything to do with valves being out of adjustment, when the valve floats it's like a slide hammer against the tip. Mushrooming of the valve stem and the keeper stripping off the groove happen simultaneously from what I can tell.

You shouldn't need a feeler gage to check for this, it will be a visible gap between the adjustment screw and the valve stem. Look closely and see what you can find.

 

ok I will see what I can figure out right now, get more pics and let you know. Thanks alot for all the help and info

 

All the valves were pretty much the same I went ahead and made sure they were all good and tight the rear cam chain is loose though. As for the valves there was one valve on the left rear intake, and one on the front left intake they were both just a bit (like a 1/4 turn) out further than the rest. Is there a way to tighten the chain? I am on a very very strict budget right now. I will get pics of how loose the chain is as soon as the camera charges

 

pics of the rear chain it seems looser than the front

 

pics of the front chain seems to be tighter

 

pics of the valves on rear

 

pics of front valves

 

How does it work for setting those valves....do you just tighten them to a certain torque spec or is there more to it?

jbody...does your camera have a MAcro setting? These pics are too blurry

 

My baby is sitting like this right now until she gets better

 

I don't know if it does or not, I just tightened them all made sure none of them were out further than the rest (showing threads). I think its 6-9 ft lbs though if my research is correct

 

OH MY NO! The adjusters must have clearance. You put the proper feeler gage between the adjuster and the valve stem. Then you set the adjuster until it just puts some drag on the feeler gage. The trick is locking down the nut without turning the screw. Each one takes me about 2-3 tries before it's right.

 

Jamie I got the chains tight by doing what you said I went ahead and made sure both were good and tight. I can't move either of them now at all. Now I just have to get the carbs back on. I hate putting them on, its not so bad to get them off but on is another story. I also went ahead and flushed out the radiator while I had it off. I thought I needed a cooling fan until I tried it to the battery and it started up, I checked all the fuses and they were all good. so I think a small switch by the fuse box will be in order upon reassembly. on the rear shock is 1 the stiffer or 3?

 

The cam chain should automatically adjust so that it is tight. With the rear being looser thant he front I would think the tensioner may be bad.

 

Don't be surprised if you don't make it out of your driveway before they start making noise again. Some people have done this and it's worked for a few weeks, so who knows. This was just a test and it already proved that the tensioners were not doing their job properly. If it was me I would be replacing both tensioners. I know this wasn't the answer you wanted in the beginning, but at least you are getting closer to the solution.

 

ya at least now I know what the problem was. any ideas were to go about getting them from??

 

If they are available, your local dealership is the place. Ask for a discount. If they are discontinued you can try David Silver Spares in the UK.

So far everything I've found points toward the tensioners being available. These things change almost daily, so I'd get them on order el pronto if you can. It looks like they are going to be ~$90 each, less if you haggle them down more.