Catastrophe

[lnewlf]

Wow-we have timing marks??!!.....meebee next time I'll try those

 

[Pterodactyl]

You must not be as lazy as me. Actually, I do not know anyone as lazy as me so that is a moot point.
I have concerns about the CCT on the '07 and I am thinking it should get changed next valve check anyway. I have been doing some heavy reading and studying on this forum so I am certain I could do it if I needed to but I am still intimidated. It is hard for me to start tearing apart the nicest motorcycle I have ever owned.

Oddly, I have no issues dealing with the instrumentation in my plant and there is often millions of dollars worth of equipment and many millions of dollars worth of lost production riding on my skills. Maybe my priorities need adjusting. Or maybe not.

I have one quote hanging on my shop wall. From the novel "Lonesome Dove", by the character Augustus McCray (Robert Duval in the TV series)... "I ain’t scairt to be lazy".

 

[SacramentoMike]

Next time take the whole bottle down to watch the game, nothing to spill.

You don't have an upstairs bottle and a downstairs bottle?

 

[mcatrophy]

Next time take the whole bottle down to watch the game, nothing to spill.

You don't have an upstairs bottle and a downstairs bottle?

He does, but he wanted to sip as he was going down the stairs.

 

[timk]

Maybe use one of those sipicups.

 

[Fred W]

I have one quote hanging on my shop wall. From the novel "Lonesome Dove", by the character Augustus McCray (Robert Duval in the TV series)... "I ain’t scairt to be lazy".

Really? Then why did you adjust the valve clearances at all. In your original post you said the valves were all in spec, but you decided to adjust them anyway? A guy who wasn't scared to be lazy would have just recorded those in-spec clearances and buttoned it up and checked them again in 26k miles.

When the manufacturer specifies a minimum valve clearance, they do not pick one that would be OK today and be a problem sometime before the next scheduled check. They intentionally set the spec tight enough so that, with added wear that occurs between checks, the engine will still safely run fine (albeit while drifting out of "spec") for the inter-check period.

OTOH, if you were just looking for something fun to do with your wrenches... well, it seems that you accomplished that.

As for the catastrophe, spilling one's drink is always disheartening. But, at least it wasn't good whiskey.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Okay, now you are just being plain mean Fred, and misinformed, and whackey. Jameson may not be the best Irish whiskey, but it is Irish whiskey and the waste of a single dram is an international tragedy. Disparaging another man's whiskey is akin to calling his woman a two bit ho. Maybe true of bourbon drinkers, but still... best to keep your mouth shut.

As to the valves, I consider a valve that is at the minimum tolerance to be the engine's way of saying, "Yoo-hoo, gonna need a little help here!!!" If I had closed it up and then run the bike for another year, then I believe there is a real good chance I'd be running some valves out of tolerance for some portion of the time. I'm lazy not stupid, and boy you should see how slow I work. Some of the valves made a 0.02 mm shift in 12k+ miles. If that were to repeat, then I would have one or more valves running at 0.02 mm below spec. I ain't scairt to be lazy but I am skittish of spending cash on a burn't valve.

 

[Fred W]

Wasn't being mean, nor am I "misinformed".

The whiskey bit was a joke (sort of). I don't care much for Irish Whiskey, prefer mine with a bit more flavor (yes I'm a bourbon drinker), but all of that is just a matter of taste. No right or wrong.

The valves, OTOH, didn't need to be adjusted. In spec is in spec. You won't burn a valve by it being .02 mm below the spec. for the clearance check. Running the valves "out of tolerance" is not a problem. The engineers that define the spec do not expect them to remain inside the specified range at all times. The range is tight enough that they will be within the required range as long as they are checked and found to be within the clearance check range.

It doesn't hurt anything to have adjusted them. I'm just pointing out that you really didn't need to have.

 

[Pterodactyl]

I am was writing with tongue in cheek as well.

 

[Fred W]

Oh. In that case...

 

[becoyote]

For me, it isn't a money or time thing. I simply don't trust anyone else enough to work on my bike. That's why I do all my own stunts...err, work.

This. I haven't done a valve check on an FJR yet but may do my new to me 07 this winter. It has 29k on it and was told a shop did the check at 26k and it was okay. I don't have any paper work to verify this but I trust the PO is at least telling me what a shop told him.

I have done my Super Tenere twice and it was a PITA, can't imagine that the FJR could be worse.

One thing that stands out from the s10 forum is that it seems like most of the guys that took their bike to a shop were told that the bike was in spec and most that checked their own found at least one valve that needed an adjustment.

I'm guessing the shops didn't really want to deal with the adjustment and just put them back together.

 

[Fred W]

Not true at all.

I wondered about that factor myself, so I started a poll to determine exactly what people were seeing with their valve checks. You can see for yourself that the number of adjustments required is relatively small, and there is not a big difference when brought to a dealership or done at home.

Can't speak to the S10 forum's results, but it certainly ain't true on the FJR.

Maybe those S10 guys are adjusting them when they are still in spec?

 

[becoyote]

Nice!

I don't think there is anything that organized on the s10 forum, just anecdotal on my part after reading everything I could find on the subject before tackling it myself.

If I had a dealer that I completely trusted I'd probably pay the piper but knowing it is actually done and learning about my bike is usually worth the stress involved in tackling something new.

 

[Pterodactyl]

For me, it isn't a money or time thing. I simply don't trust anyone else enough to work on my bike. That's why I do all my own stunts...err, work.

This. I haven't done a valve check on an FJR yet but may do my new to me 07 this winter. It has 29k on it and was told a shop did the check at 26k and it was okay. I don't have any paper work to verify this but I trust the PO is at least telling me what a shop told him.

I have done my Super Tenere twice and it was a PITA, can't imagine that the FJR could be worse.

One thing that stands out from the s10 forum is that it seems like most of the guys that took their bike to a shop were told that the bike was in spec and most that checked their own found at least one valve that needed an adjustment.

I'm guessing the shops didn't really want to deal with the adjustment and just put them back together.

Oh great, I now have a S10 to deal with as well.

 

[RaYzerman19]

Nice!
I don't think there is anything that organized on the s10 forum, just anecdotal on my part after reading everything I could find on the subject before tackling it myself.

If I had a dealer that I completely trusted I'd probably pay the piper but knowing it is actually done and learning about my bike is usually worth the stress involved in tackling something new.

Intech wants to see you first weekend in May, as you know already........... I might be down to help stupidvise. stuporvise.

 

[art miller]

Spousal Unit pushed for me to take it to a dealer, but I just wanted to make the adjustments myself. Did some reading and decided no guts no glory. Pulled the cams and measured the shims today and ordered the new shims I need. So far not too difficult, but the proof will be in the reassembly and first start-up. I've been doing all my own maintenance since I retired four years ago and find it very rewarding and satisfying to do all the work on our bikes myself.

Your 2013 valve(s) were out of spec? How many miles on the bike?

 

[Pterodactyl]

33K

None were out of spec. Seven intake and two exhaust valves were at the lowest spec measurement. I chose to adjust them into the middle of the range. Evidently some feel this was unnecessary, but I think it was wise to make the adjustment during the winter break and not be worried about it for many miles to come. To each their own.

 

[Fred W]

Well, the good news is, you'll probably never have to adjust them on that bike again!

Data reported on other FJRs suggests that the bikes tend to roll off the assembly line with the intake clearances set to the narrow end of the spec range, and they do not move a whole lot from there between checks. The fact that you had an exhaust that was narrow is sort of an anomaly, but the intakes being tight are pretty much expected.

 

[Pterodactyl]

Ya, it was two exhaust and they were the two outboard valves.

 

[bergmen]

For me, it isn't a money or time thing. I simply don't trust anyone else enough to work on my bike. That's why I do all my own stunts...err, work.

^^^This^^^. I've always done all my own motorcycle maintenance and repairs (if needed) and always will.

Dan