Valve adjustment needed??

[rainman]

your 20000 mile service is changeing most of your fluid and gas filter if i remeber right and +1 on what jduke daid bout checking your valves

 

[aceshadow]

aceshadow

Hi Guys Just registered for the first time.
I rode a Honda Shadow till about three months ago when I bought a 2005 Rocket. Haven't rode it sense. What a Monster.
Anyway just a little Info. on what I have learned. The bike had 8,500 miles on it and I now have 12,500 an am doing a valve shim change. I have always done my own Maint. on all my bikes so this is no different. I downed the bike when I started to hear the valves get a little louder at start up. I have re fitted two intakes and four exhaust shims. They were just out of specks. I have read some of the comments on when to do this and being familiar with allot of engines I decided to wait till I noticed some change in the sound of the valves. I don,t recommend anyone try this if they are not confident of their self. I just could not see paying $600.00 plus to a dealer on something I could do my self.

 

[pierre]

Were they tight or loose?

Hellfire's question still stands? Tight or loose.
I'll be doing mine over the winter, so am interested in a responce as it influences weather I aim for them to be tight or loose side of the spec's. I susspect they would get tighter as it's a simmilar setup to some of the Jap bike I have had, and they got tighter as the valves bedded into the heads quicker than the cams/bearing wear out.

Pete

 

[Rocket Scientist]

Hellfire's question still stands? Tight or loose.
I'll be doing mine over the winter, so am interested in a responce as it influences weather I aim for them to be tight or loose side of the spec's. I susspect they would get tighter as it's a simmilar setup to some of the Jap bike I have had, and they got tighter as the valves bedded into the heads quicker than the cams/bearing wear out.

Pete

When I did mine at 20,000 several of mine were on the tight side, none loose. Any that weren't already there, I re-shimmed to be on the loose end of the tolerance. I'm going to do them again this winter, will be interesting to see where they are at now.

 

[aceshadow]

10,000 mile valve check

I replaced 7 shims. 3 exhaust and 4 intake. All were loose. One on the intake was 53th out. That was the worst of it.
One thing I ran into was when I replaced them for some reason it changed the specs on some of the others. I called around to 4 different Triumph dealers in he U.S. and three of the four said they had the same problem from time to time when they had to change both intake and exhaust shims. They said you just keep trying different shims till you get it right and that is what I did. Took me 3 times to get it right. Just make sure you turn the engine over several times each time you change one. Good luck.

 

[Rocket Scientist]

I replaced 7 shims. 3 exhaust and 4 intake. All were loose. One on the intake was 53th out. That was the worst of it.
One thing I ran into was when I replaced them for some reason it changed the specs on some of the others. I called around to 4 different Triumph dealers in he U.S. and three of the four said they had the same problem from time to time when they had to change both intake and exhaust shims. They said you just keep trying different shims till you get it right and that is what I did. Took me 3 times to get it right. Just make sure you turn the engine over several times each time you change one. Good luck.

I always measure the new ones as well. They are not always as marked.