107 replies to this topic

[SkooterG]

Odds are in your favor that the clearances will be in spec and you'll be ahead a good chunk of money and gained a great deal of personal satisfaction.

Or cussing like a drunken sailor!

[Patriot]

'04 with 148k on the bike...65k on the replacement engine
caused by failed CCT in summer '09

1st check at 65k by my wonderful independent shop (100mi away, but no one but Aaron will touch my bike)

all perfectly centered

replaced my CCT with the new improved one

[RadioHowie]

[FJR Jimbo]

Waiting for the sky to fall, Howie?

[RadioHowie]

Waiting for the sky to fall, Howie?

Nahhh...watching for Patriot's head to explode when he gets porked AGAIN by ANOTHER ill-conceived, poorly designed and sadly executed Yamaha CCT.

[Behmer]

Did my first valve check at 89000. One exhaust valve was down to .002 otherwise everything was fine. I changed out the CCT at that check.
I just completed a second check at 156000 and had an intake that was at .005. I adjusted 5 other valves that were close to the limit and got them back towards the middle of the range. I again replaced the CCT as well as the cam chain. Hoping for a lot more miles out of it as everything inside the engine looks good.

[MCRIDER007]

Did my first valve check at 89000. One exhaust valve was down to .002 otherwise everything was fine. I changed out the CCT at that check.
I just completed a second check at 156000 and had an intake that was at .005. I adjusted 5 other valves that were close to the limit and got them back towards the middle of the range. I again replaced the CCT as well as the cam chain. Hoping for a lot more miles out of it as everything inside the engine looks good.

This looks like pretty good evidence that an exhaust valve clearance would have to be less than .002 before you would actually burn a valve.

[Fred W]

Did my first valve check at 89000. One exhaust valve was down to .002 otherwise everything was fine.

Was that just your first check, or was it also the bike's first check? If the latter, you should have bought a lottery ticket.

[wheatonFJR]

Got used bike with 22k on the clock, had the valves checked at the end of my first season on the bike with 38k on the clock by a local 5-star Multi-brand shop. They said they replaced a couple of the shims...gave me no paperwork on what clearances were or anything.

Just performed the 2nd valve check (my first) with 62K on the clock over at Griff's place.

Of the intake valves: 2 of the clearances were 0.10, 2 were 0.11, 1 was 0.12, 1 was 0.14, and 2 were 0.15.

Therefore, 6 of the 8 were out of tolerance tight, and the other 2 were at minimum. Those dealer guys didn't do work on my bike I suspect. How could they have??

The exhaust valves were all within spec...but towards the tight side of the spectrum.

[Behmer]

Did my first valve check at 89000. One exhaust valve was down to .002 otherwise everything was fine.

Was that just your first check, or was it also the bike's first check? If the latter, you should have bought a lottery ticket.

Bikes first check. I normally try to do them about 60000 miles.

[Fred W]

Did my first valve check at 89000. One exhaust valve was down to .002 otherwise everything was fine.

Was that just your first check, or was it also the bike's first check? If the latter, you should have bought a lottery ticket.

Bikes first check. I normally try to do them about 60000 miles.

While you can certainly do whatever you want with your own bike, I don't think that is a mileage interval I would encourage others to wait for. In 60k miles the clearances can go from middle of spec to zero. A burnt valve is a pretty major deal on one of these bikes. Doing a valve check OTOH is not. Yeah, the first time it may take you all day, but my second valve check I was able to knock off in about 4 hours total, start to finish. Is it really worth taking the risk of having to replace a head for that?

[Canadian FJR]

Slightly off topic;

42,000 km - all valves in spec/no change required
84,000 km - all valves in spec/no change required
130,000 km - two slightly tight and changed to spec

What are most folks seeing on the higher mileage bikes. Do the valves seem to stay within tolorance or need more adjustment?

Just curious.



Canadian FJR

[TwoWhldTerror]

Just had the bikes first check done at 24k miles. All within specs, no change required.

[Fred W]

A bit of apples to oranges comparison here...

I'm currently in the middle of my first valve check ever on my VFR800 (@ 19k miles) and all valves are in spec!! Hooray!!
They are all either smack dab in the middle or else -.001from that. Of course, there is only a +/- .001" allowed by Honda, so not very much allowable range. I'm just glad they are all in spec and I won't have to pull out the cams.

FWIW, if any of you think that the valve check procedure on the FJR is cumbersome, you do NOT want to try one on a VFR.
It's a PITA just to get to the two valve covers.


Now to go put it all back together...

[qkslver]

First valve check at 94K No adjustment.
Just doing second check at 150K. All intakes need adjustment. 4 valves at .006 and 4 at .005.
Exhaust all ok, middle of range.
I am replacing chain guides and cct just because.
All cooling hoses while it`s apart.

[Fred W]

First valve check at 94K No adjustment.
Just doing second check at 150K. All intakes need adjustment. 4 valves at .006 and 4 at .005.
Exhaust all ok, middle of range.
I am replacing chain guides and cct just because.
All cooling hoses while it`s apart.

Just an FYI - .006 is in spec for intake valves. The range is 0.15 to 0.22 mm which translates to 0.0059 t o 0.0087 inches.
If you can jam an .006" feeler in there, it's good to go.

[qkslver]

First valve check at 94K No adjustment.
Just doing second check at 150K. All intakes need adjustment. 4 valves at .006 and 4 at .005.
Exhaust all ok, middle of range.
I am replacing chain guides and cct just because.
All cooling hoses while it`s apart.

Just an FYI - .006 is in spec for intake valves. The range is 0.15 to 0.22 mm which translates to 0.0059 t o 0.0087 inches.
If you can jam an .006" feeler in there, it's good to go.

This is true, however, they were a tight .006 and the other 4 were snug at .005.
I won`t have to do this again for a long time. YMMV

[Bill]

First check at 61,000 miles and all 16 valve clearances were within specifications. Most were in the center of the ranges.

[huron52]

Just as a update

41,000kms check
86,000kms check
134,000kms check
172,000kms check
216,000kms check and change shims on two intakes(actually they were within spec but at the edge)

[RadioHowie]

Just as a update

41,000kms check
86,000kms check
134,000kms check
172,000kms check
216,000kms check and change shims on two intakes(actually they were within spec but at the edge)

"...st the edge" tight? Or loose?