Hey Everyone! Been a while since I've posted :frown:. Lots of my winter time has gone towards school work, but with the days getting warmer and spring break around the corner I figure I'd spend the time working on my 87 vfr 700. The bike has 34k miles and I have no idea when the last valve adjustment was done. I cleaned the carbs up last summer but it still ran rich. Tomorrow I'm going to do a compression test on it and then I'm planning on doing a valve adjustment during the break. However, I'm having a hard time finding the tools needed for it online. Bikebandit didn't have them so I was wondering if you guys know where I can find them at? I've done valve adjustments on my ford 8n and Acura legend with the help of my dad, but this will be my first attempt on a motorcycle, so any advice would be nice as well :biggrin:. Tools needed: Tappet Wrench holder 07GMA-ML70200 Tappet Adjuster 07GMA-ML70110 Tappet lock nut wrench 07GMA-ML70120
You're kidding, right?? Honda tries to sell expensive special tools that are not really needed. All you need for a valve check/adjustment on that bike is a 12 mm boxend 6 point wrench for the locknut, and a 10 mm for the adjusting screw, and a set of feeler gauges!! If your settings are within + or - .001 to 002" don't change anything. A serious problem with resetting valve clearances is that the adjusting screw has been flattened on the bottom and distorted from wear, so it's best to REPLACE them. Reset clearances won't last long cuz the screw is damaged from use. For access to the front cylinders you'll need to remove the radiator.
Thanks for the info squirrelman, I was hoping I wouldn't need to spend a pretty dime on tools but I was thinking it would be better to play it safe since I haven't done it on a motorcycle before.
OK......something else to be aware of is that when you tighten the locknut, it will change the clearance you have measured.
