Hints & Tips: Valve Adjustment: Difference between revisions
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The idea for this page was to copy every viable tip posted on the forum concerning valve adjustment and hope that some of them would be of use. Follow the ones that work for you. | |||
*The exhaust valves can be done without the Kawasaki tool, though it's very hard without moving the radiator. You don't need to drain the radiator, just move it. With the radiator out of the way and a 1/4" drive deep socket and an eyeglass-type screwdriver, they're quite easy. | *The exhaust valves can be done without the Kawasaki tool, though it's very hard without moving the radiator. You don't need to drain the radiator, just move it. With the radiator out of the way and a 1/4" drive deep socket and an eyeglass-type screwdriver, they're quite easy. | ||
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*As far as how much force to use on the feeler gauges, not that much. Just set it so the right gauge slides in and the next size up does not. | *As far as how much force to use on the feeler gauges, not that much. Just set it so the right gauge slides in and the next size up does not. | ||
*Don't drop your feeler gauge into the engine. You have two choices: Make a leash for it and tie it to your (wrist/belt/earring) | *Don't drop your feeler gauge into the engine. You have two choices: Make a leash for it and tie it to your (wrist/belt/earring) or have a long [http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200328301_200328301 magnetic pickup] standing by. Or, alternatively, just don't take the gauge out of your set! | ||
*Finding the correct amount of gap with a feeler gauge is easier if you use a "go-no go", or "stepped" gauge. The old school technique was to feel a little drag on the feeler guage... it was described as about what you'd feel when pulling a sheet of paper out from under a magazine or two. Slight drag. New way of thought is that ANY adjustment, within spec, is good enough (and it is for street riders). So you just make sure the gauge for the middle spec goes in fine, but the next thicker one doesn't go at all. The stepped feeler gauges have the smaller clearance on the first inch of the blade, and the next higher clearance on the upper part. This makes it easy to see where you are with just one gauge instead of flipping back and forth between two different ones. Like this: | *Finding the correct amount of gap with a feeler gauge is easier if you use a "go-no go", or "stepped" gauge. The old school technique was to feel a little drag on the feeler guage... it was described as about what you'd feel when pulling a sheet of paper out from under a magazine or two. Slight drag. New way of thought is that ANY adjustment, within spec, is good enough (and it is for street riders). So you just make sure the gauge for the middle spec goes in fine, but the next thicker one doesn't go at all. The stepped feeler gauges have the smaller clearance on the first inch of the blade, and the next higher clearance on the upper part. This makes it easy to see where you are with just one gauge instead of flipping back and forth between two different ones. Like this: | ||
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*Get a 9mm, 6pt, deep well socket. Use it to make the actual adjustment, without a ratchet, but with a screwdriver through the middle. That way you can turn the nut and use the screwdriver to hold the screw. At the beginning and end, when you're just breaking the nut loose or torquing it back down to spec, you can use your socket with a 1/4" ratchet. You might twist the screw a little, but at the beginning it doesn't matter at all, and at the end you should have enough leeway that the gap is still in spec. Double check afterwards though, just to make sure. | *Get a 9mm, 6pt, deep well socket. Use it to make the actual adjustment, without a ratchet, but with a screwdriver through the middle. That way you can turn the nut and use the screwdriver to hold the screw. At the beginning and end, when you're just breaking the nut loose or torquing it back down to spec, you can use your socket with a 1/4" ratchet. You might twist the screw a little, but at the beginning it doesn't matter at all, and at the end you should have enough leeway that the gap is still in spec. Double check afterwards though, just to make sure. | ||
*After you've taken out the radiator bolts and the coil bolts, it's even better to also "back out" the large long bolt that goes | *After you've taken out the radiator bolts and the coil bolts, it's even better to also "back out" the large long bolt that goes through the front of the engine. It's the one that goes through the two brackets (one on each side) that the radiator bolts to. If you back out that long bolt (it's the last one really holding the bracket) then you can move the bracket and the right side of the radiator further from the head and get more room to work. | ||
*After several valve adjustments, you could start to see a leak from the coolant pipe (the metal piece connected to the cylinder head). What does the coolant pipe leak have to do with the valve adjustment? You may rub the pipe a little each time you take off the cylinder cover, as you try to wedge the cover out toward the right side of the bike. Putting the cover back rubs it a bit more. The rubbing might be enough to move the pipe ever so slightly side to side. This could be enough to allow a worn out O-ring to start leaking. | *After several valve adjustments, you could start to see a leak from the coolant pipe (the metal piece connected to the cylinder head). What does the coolant pipe leak have to do with the valve adjustment? You may rub the pipe a little each time you take off the cylinder cover, as you try to wedge the cover out toward the right side of the bike. Putting the cover back rubs it a bit more. The rubbing might be enough to move the pipe ever so slightly side to side. This could be enough to allow a worn out O-ring to start leaking. | ||