[MagicNinja85]

I have a buddy that did college for auto, and is now a diesel mechanic. He has never really done anything bike wise, except what i have had him help me with. Would a valve adjustment on my bike be something he could easily do (since he already understands an engine) or am i better off being raped (without lube) by the dealer? I really have wanted to do everything the bike needs so i can learn, but id rather give him a 30 pack and watch.

Thanks

random :afro

 

[96ZX9]

Shouldnt be a problem at all, its really not hard.

 

[Masta Squidge]

Get a service manual for your bike and dive in. Or get a service manual and a 30 pack and watch him dive in.

The hardest part about a valve adjustment is figuring which shim you need... and if you can do basic math that isn't hard either.

 

[Blainethemono]

Yeah, I did mine last November. Just tank your time, have the proper tools and it should be no problemo. A small flashlight, tweezers and a magnetic pickup tool should be mandatory equipment.

 

[05 ZX6R Linteau]

Yeah, I did mine last November. Just tank your time, have the proper tools and it should be no problemo. A small flashlight, tweezers and a magnetic pickup tool should be mandatory equipment.

+1

You can alson follow some youtube videos......I'm no tech and I was ok. Luckly for me, I didnt have to shim anything. :thumbup

Next time though :banghead

 

[MagicNinja85]

Thanks guys

 

[e1_ZX-9r]

Get a service manual for your bike and dive in. Or get a service manual and a 30 pack and watch him dive in.

The hardest part about a valve adjustment is figuring which shim you need... and if you can do basic math that isn't hard either.

+1 That's all the experience I had (high school autoshop). Done all of them on both bikes with the manual & Chris' help.

 

[Masta Squidge]

I would have to say that your best friends are going to be a box of cheap latex gloves, small picks, a magnet/grabber, flashlight/well lit area, plenty of rags, and at the very least a flat surface to lay down a sheet of cardboard to keep track of what went were - draw yourself a diagram.

Why the gloves? Well, I work in automotive waste daily. And you may not realize it at first, but just the simple act of wearing gloves makes the whole process feel more orderly and clean. More of a mental thing. And when you are stressing out about whether or not you are doing it correctly, small things like that are just one less thing to think about.

And about the cardboard, well... a sheet of cardboard and a permanent marker have saved my ass on many, many things.

 

[ninjanut]

Great idea with the cardboard. I always draw the head and mark my measured clearances and then lay out the parts in their location. Also, another suggestion I would give is, measure every shim coming out and going in with a micrometer. Sometimes the size is illegible and sometimes they are worn thinner than marked. Never trust what is marked on them, always verify the thickness of the shims.

 

[Caburian]

i did it on my old bike about 12 years ago and ended up with a tick..
i tried to fix the tick then i blew my motor going 55 on the freeway

thas what happened with i tried to service my bike without a manual


Now, i always a have a full service manual for my bike and everything seems alot more easier.

 

[airgreesemonkey]

if you need to re-shim, any decent shop will swap shims for free. otherwise you can buy a kit of shims for around a hundred bucks

 

[kdankenb]

You can do it yourself for sure, follow the advice above and you'll be fine. Just post here if you need help. I used to do 1 of these a week at Zen, on a ZX that is... if you need help contact me...

be sure to mark the cam gears and chain while having the crank gear in the correct position - before you loosen the cam ladder bolts and the tensioner!!!

later

Kale

 

[covett03]

Depends in how mechanic he is. If he does head gaskets and all that all the time valve adj will be easy for him. Specially with a service man and shim chart. It's takes a few tries to actually correctly measure with feeler guages. Have a known measurement and practice and get a feel for the feeler guages and how much resistance is needed for proper measurement. Doing the math on the shims is hardest part tbh. Take ur time caz of u get it wrong u have to tear it back apart.

 

[christikitty]

It's better to have them slightly loose than too tight. If they are tight yo'll bend valves, put holes in pistons and possibly bend rods.

 

[Blainethemono]

 

[MagicNinja85]

Thanks again. Gonna have him take a look when i get my power commander in the mail. He has repaired heads, valves, gaskets in autos and diesels so i think he should be able to handle this. Also thanks to this place i picked up the service manual for my bike the first week in the forums.

 

[08VividYellowZX6R]

It's better to have them slightly loose than too tight. If they are tight yo'll bend valves, put holes in pistons and possibly bend rods.

You are more at a chance to burn a valve.... I wouldn't go either way, your best bet is to be right in the middle of the spec.

 

[christikitty]

Never burnt a valve by having anything loose but I guess it could happen

 

[Rocketman14]

Just mic everthing 2 or 3 times, and double check your numbers as well. Most mistakes made during valve adjustments are from not double and triple checking your work, and getting in a hurry when you should take it slow and orderely.

 

[08VividYellowZX6R]

Never burnt a valve by having anything loose but I guess it could happen

No I meant by too tight. But why go too loose? There is a spec for a reason.