Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech valve adj

Just past 12,000, looking for dinqua's instructions on valve adjustment.

Adey

Pretty sure that valve adjustment is not a warranty item. Cost would have been inc in the 12k service bill.

Bought the 03 used last dec from a private owner.

Do I still have a warranty?

nobby thanks I checked dinqua's site but didnt see valve adj. do you know of anyone with posted instruction?

whats the going rate for the valve adjustment these days

Frank

A lot. I do remember my 12k service going for a few hundred bucks or something retarded... And there's no telling they actually did anything.

Marko, I don't think he does have them. Maybe someone else did?
Moe has some pics but no instructions here.

thanks for the site. looks like Im buying the manual, has to be better than the dealers bill for doing the work at $65 an hour.

Yeah I need a manual too... I know someone locally who has one, the loose leaf one too, so I bet I can borrow sections and copy it!

marko,
refer to the big bore, most of the valve stuff is in there, mixed in with the teardown.
Not hard to do at all, you can do the measurements in about 45 minutes, if you need to pull the cams for measurement of shims, then it takes a lot longer. Just do measuements with feeler gauges first, then figure out if you need to reshim. Lots of folks have not had to do any shims with far more miles.
DO NOT attempt this without a manual.

Marko,
I think Beanache posted pics and instructions a few months ago. I think beanache has bought a harley or something, we ain't heard from him for a long time. And where's backporch790? They are both military, are they overseas?
Ride safe,
Dennis

You would think they coulda designed them to be easier to adjust ! i mean, having to remove the cams to add shims is just nuts. I remember on my old hondas you'd just pop a cap off, turn the crank till the lobe was in the correct postion, then open a nut that locks the tappet in place and adjust it with a screwdriver then relock the nut and replace the cap. Each valve was a 3-5 min job. The triumph is a lot more trouble just to check clearnaces, but go forbid you actually have to adjust them ! Crazy....

And by the way, i bet triumph charges some insane amount for shims. I wouldn't be suprised if they're 5-10 bucks each for what amounts to a 20 cent washer only made of better quality metal.

Benny, I believe that Pat's valve adjustments are part of his big bore site. Check it out.

Jerry

Here's Beanache's instructions
valve adjust

my local shop wanted $240.00 flat rate to do the valves..i think a local speed/bike shop is less $$$...

labor rate is $79.00 and hr. at my dealer here in NJ

The old triumphs adjusted the same way, very easy. but they were push rod lifted valves. our bikes have overhead cams. much better way to go, but a PIA to adjust the valves.

Kenny,
Not really. Adjusting the valves is a methodical, time consuming process though. (I guess that is the definition of PITA, huh?! ) What is a beech is having to wait 24 hours for the cool down and then waiting for the dealer to get some shims in. It is real hard to not zip her up and ride then break her down again once the shims arrive. OK Tooling up for the job is a pain too, but once you do you are set. Some of the hondas allow use of a tool to remove the shims without having to remove the camshafts. That would make this job much easier.
Tooling up
A good electronic micrometer runs about 70 bucks.
The torx driver is round 10 bucks.
The locking pins and pretension tool cost about 85 bucks.
Yet most members have used a home boy fashioned tool of some sort to lock the backlash gears, and a non-digital micrometer can cost much less than 60 bucks (even taking the shims to the dealer will usually get them measured for free). Yet, then you have to do the math on the fly at the dealer.

But most of what we do takes mula. The front sprocket takes a 36mm socket. A torque wrench is a must and runs bout 70 bucks. Oversized sockets for the spindle cost money. Brass feeler gauges for the ignition pick up are real hard to find. Regular feeler gauges calibrated primary in metric units are tough to locate. The chain tool is about 80 bucks.

Those of you that go by the book on this job...Do yourself a favor and use the rear wheel to turn the motor over. Removing the RH engine cover will cost you an oil change at 60 bucks, and gasket at 5 bucks. It's outlined in Paul's thread. The cam cover gasket can be reused. The cam cover bolt washers can be reused as well.

Also you'll need the oil crossover tube’s copper washers and a little o-ring as well. The copper washers can be annealed, but the o-ring should be replaced.

What is important to note is that the adjustment cannot be verified by you if the dealer does it. You cannot see any of the area where he says he was. Sure you can remove the cam cover and take measurements, but then you ought to just do the job yourself! You have to take the dealer’s word that he did the job. That he pretensioned the backlash gears, that he replaced or annealed the copper washers, that he replaced the o-ring. Even removing the cam cover will not show you those two things. I have yet to have a dealer be true to his word. grrr

The next time a hurricane threatens our fair land, we should have all the dealers get in a boat and sit 300 miles offshore. That way the hurricane won't approach as all the dealers I've happened upon SUCK!

Boy, where did all that pent up rage come from? lol!

Moe has some excellent points here especially about the costs.

It is buy the tools or let the dealer do the work. You are going to spend the money one way or another. Doing the work yourself will save you some of your bucks AND you know the work was done!

One other thing, doing a job like this allows you to learn more about your bike.

thanks fellas some good tips I will check the dealer for a manual. Whats the worst that can happen?

I`d like to add to what Moe and Phil said and say yes you have to spend the money on the tools to get the job done BUT they are yours from then on and you`ll be needing them again for the next valve adjustment, which won`t be as expensive as the first. Not so with the dealer doing it, it`ll cost the same as the first time or more.

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What is important to note is that the adjustment cannot be verified by you if the dealer does it. You cannot see any of the area where he says he was.

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I watched the tech do mine at 20,000 miles. He even had me hold the cam gear while he inserted the pin to put the tension back on. That's why I trust the dealer I bought my bike from when it comes to this job. I've seen them work, and they're quite good. Now my local dealer is a different story. I wouldn't trust them to put air in my tire.

I think all these tips are great!! I will definitly be doing my own adjustment.

Just remember, there are some guys who just plain aren't comfortable doing this kind of thing, so it's good for them to know what to expect cost-wise from a shop for the work.

Good point Benny and here is another one.

Do NOT attempt this work if you are not mechanically adept. It is a fairly simple job, although long and tedious. If you do not know which end of a screwdriver to use, take it to the dealer!!!

Of course, I know I am preaching to the choir and every one of us is an expert mechanic!

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If you do not know which end of a screwdriver to use, take it to the dealer!!!

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OK I will need to buy a screwdriver. Which color handle would be the best?

Can anyone give me a metric measurement for the dowel's to stop the cams from springing, and how crucial is it that they stay exactly inline, would a couple of small screwdrivers do the job???

Don't know the size off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure some guys have just used a close fitting allen wrench to do the job...

For whatever it's worth, by the end of the weekend I will have the Triumph Camshaft Backlash Gear Locking Pins and Wrench set (part number T3880330) from my local dealer (Deep South Cycles in Hattiesburg, MS). The tool cost me about $45 or so, and hopefully I will have used it to do my 24000 valve lash by mid-may. Point being, after I do my valve lash, I have no problems with lending out the tool for whoever would care to pay for the shipping.

You don't need the whole rack. Just a T-30 Torx.

T-30? Appreciate it!! Thanx.