Would you do your valve adjustment?

[Bigballsofpaint]

Im lazy, and im mainly looking to see how many of you would be just as lazy. I got my valve cover off and checked the lash on the valves. They are all pretty tight, both intake valves are in spec on the low side, but both exhaust valves are out of spec, but not by much. one is at .007 the other at .008. The low in the manual is like .0089 if i recall right. Would you tear the rest down and adjust? Or less until the next adjustment (i dont plan on selling). Its been running fine, i figured im just over 8000 miles and i have the 1000 so its not like im without a bike, so i should check at least.

[choneofakind]

if you're keeping it, do the adjustment. It's not hard, and you'll notice the difference in how easily it starts and how smoothly it responds to throttle.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Ive done it before on another bike, i know its not hard. Ill just have to order the shims i need, was hoping to have it back together this weekend because i need to put the 1000 up and do the oil change on that too.

[HKr1]

Pretty close, I might just be lazy...

[rojoracing53]

Your not lazy your cheap

If you had bought the proper complete shim kit ahead if time you'd have all the shims you'd need for this and all the following adjustments.

[Bigballsofpaint]

rojo, im not cheap im poor, but i also dont do near the amount of valve adjustments that you do. Having a set of 25 or 30 shims doesnt make too much sence to me when i only need 2.

My new job has a table grinder, i may do like i did on the last job and just take off .002 from each shim to bring them on the looser side.

[rojoracing53]

Yeah I hear you, I bought this shim kit back in 2004 for my YZ250F and I've used it on the WR250, Rmz-250, CRF150R and the ninja 250. It's payed for itself twice over by now in saved time. The nice thing about shims is they don't wear so you always have the same # in stock its just whats in the box and bike that changes from time to time.

[subxero]

I'm getting close to my 7k valve check and will probably end up doing it myself to save some cash.

Is there a valve shim kit that someone would recommend?

[Bigballsofpaint]

Either OEM or Hot shims sells a kit, its around 40-50 bucks i think

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by Bigballsofpaint

Either OEM or Hot shims sells a kit, its around 40-50 bucks i think

I think you mean Hotcams

Hotcams is what I got, they come is three sizes, you want the one that's for all the 250cc dirtbikes. It's label by the diameter size which is the only 7.?? I think it was 7.48mm but I know its the only 7mm one, the other two are like 9.?? And 10.?? If I recall.

[cuong-nutz]

You'll want the 7.48mm diameter shims.

The sizes that I have seen in 250s from the get go range from 2.90-3.00mm thick. I'm on my 3rd or 4th valve adjustment and am needing 2.75mm shims.

The valves will get tighter with miles.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Originally Posted by rojoracing53

I think you mean Hotcams

Yup, Hotcams. I was close haha

[subxero]

Awesome sauce!

[Bigballsofpaint]

I finally got off my butt and took the cams, buckets and shims off yesterday night. Does anyone here have the manual? I just wanted to know i n what order i should tighten everything back up. Im just going to grind .002 and .003 off them with the bench grinder at work today so i dont have to wait around for the shim kits.

[rojoracing53]

Bench grinder that's some some crazy **** there. I'd at least use a surface grinder.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Ah its a long morning, yes, a surface grinder with magnetic table . Been working great so far on the last 250 i did so what the hell.

[Klondike1020]

haha I took my gauges off at 6k miles..

so what do I do estimate and pull the cover and check the end of summer lol?


8k is a good time to do valve adjustments?

I dont have the manual and I have a bad habit of driving vehicles into the ground and then replacing them

so this time ill try keeping up on the mechanical aspects of my lil bike lol

[Bigballsofpaint]

Manual recommends every 7,500 miles. Im just over 8,000 fyi. I did not check at 600 either. I just would not try and go 10 or 20,000 before taking a peak.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Come on! I know someone has the manual

[TonyKZ1]

If you're wanting or going to be doing your own valve adjustments and other work on your bike.. Shouldn't you go and buy your own copy of the Service Manual??
Just a thought, and yes I do own a copy of the manuals for my bike.
Tony

[rojoracing53]

Just download the PDF off the net and print it, or better yet load it onto your phone for easy access.

[Bigballsofpaint]

I wasnt able to find it on the net last time i looked. I have the one for my 1000. Honestly ill just tighten them down little by little in a staggered pattern, was just hoping someone would share the actual manual sequence with me. No big deal

[rojoracing53]

It talks about use a sequence but I don't see the sequence anywhere I just used a standard cross pattern and did it little by little like common sense would have you do.

[Bigballsofpaint]

Thanks so much Jason, i know youve done this a lot, did you actually "inject" engine oil into the 8 spots when you did yours? Thats new to me, last valve adjustment i did we didnt do that, but just checking.

[rojoracing53]

Originally Posted by Bigballsofpaint

Thanks so much Jason, i know youve done this a lot, did you actually "inject" engine oil into the 8 spots when you did yours? Thats new to me, last valve adjustment i did we didnt do that, but just checking.

Uh no I didn't and never even heard about it. There's so much good clean oil covering everything up there during the whole process I never worried about it. I'm at 32,500 miles and still going strong so I'm doing something right

[Bigballsofpaint]

I wonder where they come up with some of the crap in these manuals. I really think its just so they can void your warranty. I ground the shims yesterday so ill start slapping it together tonight.

[alex.s]

don't grind shims. most shims are case hardened not through hardened. they will compress far quicker if ground.

[Bigballsofpaint]

shush alex, you were going to send me a bunch to do hardness testing on and i still havent gotten them! Must got lost in the mail . The last bike i did it on is still running fine, and IF they do compress faster all that does it make them on the looser side of things. I still see no issue with it though, i took off .002 and .003 in very small incremints, ill put the ground side up into the bucket.

Alex remember, the manual may say not to grind the shim, but apparently it also says to inject oil into those 8 spots when re-assembling everything. Im fine with taking this chance AGAIN, as nothing bad has happened to the last bike, and this is my personal bike so if it does happen, maybe 300 swap time.

[alex.s]

oh yeah.... i forgot about that. i'll send them tonight...i promise.

[Bigballsofpaint]

So i have another question for you pros, i got it all back together (for the second time, one of the shims wasnt seated properly in the bucket), and im just wondering if my chain skipped a tooth. When i line it up to 2T the cams still line up correctly. When i took it apart i marked the chain and cams with some white out, put it back together, lined them up and all that. The real question - If you turn the motor a few times (by hand, i was re checking clearances, everything was bolted down), should your chain and cam marks still line up when you go back to 2T? Im sure it has something to do with the amount of teeth on the cam and links on the chain etc, but i figured you guys may know.

[alex.s]

no