16000 mile service

Picante · 09-11-2009, 1:56 AM

im coming up to the 16000 service on my RC, in the owners manual it says "i" for inspect valve clearance. has anybody done this?? is this really important to have check?? im short on cash right now, but i dont want to hurt the bike by going over it,, i was thinking of trying to check it myself, i think im a little above amateur level in my mechanical skills, i have done a fair number of mods and fixes on my cbr(air filter, spark plugs, exhaust, alarm, power commander, all fluids, chains and brakes, but never messed with the engine) im not afraid to try it but i also would rather be safe than sorry, i appreciate any tips or comments you can give me. thanks

CBR400RR · 09-11-2009, 3:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picante

im coming up to the 16000 service on my RC, in the owners manual it says "i" for inspect valve clearance. has anybody done this?? is this really important to have check?? im short on cash right now, but i dont want to hurt the bike by going over it,, i was thinking of trying to check it myself, i think im a little above amateur level in my mechanical skills, i have done a fair number of mods and fixes on my cbr(air filter, spark plugs, exhaust, alarm, power commander, all fluids, chains and brakes, but never messed with the engine) im not afraid to try it but i also would rather be safe than sorry, i appreciate any tips or comments you can give me. thanks

Just get the factory service manual online and follow the instructions and as long as you have the right tools it's not hard at all.

zerogara · 09-11-2009, 8:07 AM

It is one thing to check them and an other to adjust them, although it can be done with the right tools as CBR4 says. Since you will have the top covers off you might want to have a precision torque wrench and specs handy to torque everything within sight. Don;t mess with the head bolts and try to losen them to retighten those as may get a head gasket leak.
It is most likely that the valves are within the safe range and will not need adjustment, but if you find some in opposite extremes of the range it may soon need an adjustment. Valve timing and lash is related so extrme differences will result in uneven breathing which creates more stress and strain than necessary.
When valve gap/lash becomes too large you may be able to hear them tick, when it gets tight you will not hear it but it eventually may hit a piston and break/bend. Also the safe range is for minimizing cam wear. Uneven lash will result in uneven cam wear and it may never get right again.
So, it is an important part of servicing. The more you work on your bike the more confident you will become with it and the more you will bond with it. Something the wealthy never learn to appreciate by having everything done for them

Picante · 09-11-2009, 11:55 AM

thanks for the info guys, i totally agree with you zerogara i always like to get my hands dirty and when i get something done right it feels good, i enjoy helping all my buddies do their maintenance on their bikes, i love having a garage, and never charge them a penny. but anyways back to the bike, i got this 100 sportbike projects book that is pretty good and i have used it as a guide for most of my projects i have done, i'll try to find the Factory service manual online, any more suggestions i would appreciate it a lot, im going to try to do it myself but if i have doubts im going to have to take it to the experts.

Bigtoe · 09-14-2009, 4:58 PM

I try to do all of my own everything on my bikes! I just cant see paying a dealer for something i can do!

CBR400RR · 09-14-2009, 5:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigtoe

I try to do all of my own everything on my bikes! I just cant see paying a dealer for something i can do!

Agreed the dealer charges way too much for everything. I charge $60.00 plus parts for tune-ups and another $100.00 to do the valves if needed.

KDA · 09-15-2009, 11:59 AM

It's a shim system right? You will need to get shims if they are out of spec. This can be bit of trial and error from what I understand. Having a shim kit around is nice but kind of hard to justify. I use a guy close to home that worked in dealerships for 20 years and now works out of his home garage. I stripped it down to to where all he had to do was check them and shim them if needed.

zerogara · 09-15-2009, 1:01 PM

Remember the good old Hondas of up to 70s where you can unscrew a round cap on top of each valve, rotate crank, filler in for the right gap, losen nut screw in and out to make the filler drag and tie the nut with screw driver held tight in place, and off you went riding. On some twins it was faster than lubing the chain. Now it takes 4 times as long to take the side fairings off.
The price we pay for performance. I knew a guy who put 15000mi each summer on a CB350 (later a 360) going from east coast to west coast, up and down deserts and mountains, with a tent and sleeping bag and never had to hire help from a shop. His cb350 was replaced with a cb360 when the first one got stolen with over 280,000mi on it.
It is true, they don't make them like they used to, because now people can afford more, but to do so they DO much less.

SubSailor · 09-30-2009, 11:34 PM

When the bikes used shims on top of the buckets, they were almost as quick as the screw adjusters.
However, at higher RPMs, those shims could get spat out.
For the screw adjusters, they were easy, but I bet the valve clearance checks weren't at 16000 mile intervals.
You win some, you lose some in the name of progress.
However I love the gear drive cams. No chain or guides to worry about.
Just align the marks and pop them in.

Bigtoe · 10-01-2009, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBR400RR

Agreed the dealer charges way too much for everything. I charge $60.00 plus parts for tune-ups and another $100.00 to do the valves if needed.

That is not a bad price at all!

stephen whale · 10-01-2009, 1:43 PM

aparrently thats the suggestion/recommendation also for my honda vfr 800 v tec
according to haynes manual - though different mileage interval for vfr.

but the thing is apparently the valves are/will be spot one and dont need adjusting generally (according to several mechanics around the west of ireland)

if only i could say this for the ecu on my bike. but -honda geraboxes and engines amongst the best and toughest ever built supposedly man!!

your bike might be fussier than mine in teh valves department though!!

stephen whale

SubSailor · 10-01-2009, 3:54 PM

Just because you check the valves at 16K miles intervals doesn't mean they'll need shim replacement.
These bikes (or least mine) keeps really good valve tolerances.
In 20K miles, I've only had one exhaust valve slightly out of spec.