First valve adjustment. What if???

[Baja Explorer]

Valve checks and oil changes are a wast of time and money.

::012:: ::015::

 

[RED CAT]

My 4 exhaust and 1 intake were out at 44,000kms/27,000 miles. Greg the Pole and I ride alike. That is briskly. I have since bought a new 14 S10 and will definitely be doing the 1st valve check, the most important one.

 

[Yzhogman]

I know this is an old thread and I'm not sure if anyone is keeping track but I just checked mine and all but one was tight. Just under 40k km and I don't think I ride hard at all so was quite surprised. Therefore I'm not convinced riding style makes that much of a difference. Point is: you never know so just check them.

Ive already removed the cams and swapped shims. Just waiting on a CCT and updated clutch basket. Between the service manual and the info Ive found here Ive had no problems whatsoever doing this myself so if you're on the fence about it I would say it is a 5/10 on the difficulty scale and I was say I'm only one busted knuckle better than your average weekender.

 

[RED CAT]

Greg the Pole is right about riding the bike hard or soft. Seems all the guys that RIDE the bike need valve adjusts including me at 25,000 miles. Just works out that way for some reason. But by all means at least check them at the specified intervals. Get your hands dirty and do it yourself. A good leaning experience.

 

[greg the pole]

Everyone knows what they say about opinions...

In my experience, all of my new bikes needed valve adjustments at the first interval. Like Red Cat said, I ride them with a slightly heavy hand.
the big thing is, that the tenere has huge intervals, so why run the risk? Yes it's a complete PITA job, but every 42km?
My FJ is brand new, and only has about 3200km on it now. It's due at 42km. Will I do that interval? Damn straight. The guys that built the bike, set the intervals. I'm pretty sure they know what they are doing. Besides, right around 42km the tenere oem tensioner needs a look in, as they are shit. The new gens are far better, but I went with a manual CCT. Peace of mind.

In the end, it's your bike, time and money. Choose wisely.

 

[MCGMB]

Reading through these replies, and seeing the big differences in reported in-spec/out-of-spec measurements for equivalent miles reminds me of the first time I did a shim under bucket inspection and adjustment in '96 on my ZX-6r.

While the individual bike's assembly, and possibly riding behavior, may influence those measurements, I think the person's technique and mechanical abilities may influence the measurements too. At the time I didn't know, but have now learned.

What I'm saying is that while it may seem obvious how to check a gap with a feeler gauge, for some it's not.

If you're not careful with the angle of the feeler gauge, have gunk and grime on it, or don't know how much resistance is correct, you maybe be off in recording the actual valve clearance.

I've heard/read many places, that when you achieve that exact right clearance, pulling the feeler gauge should feel like pulling a match from within the pages of a heavy telephone book.

That's worked for me. I hope it helps others here.

 

[Kevhunts]

That's bad advice, you will not hear any noise as valves tighten up until something bad happens, particularly if you consider how noisy the Super Tenere's engine is.

Manufacturers have pushed out valve check intervals, and it's true that when they were 12-16k they almost never needed altering at the first check, at 24k thinking you can safely wait until 48k is really rolling the dice IMO, after all it's not really that much work to check them, only to alter them.

::026::
The valve faces & seats do wear over time decreasing the amount of lash. The exhaust valves have the biggest temperature swings which is why their lash is usually more than the intakes. If a valve doesn't close all the way and dissipate it's heat into the valve seat & cylinder head it will surely start to burn.
Check your lash, Lad!

 

[Koinz]

Reading through these replies, and seeing the big differences in reported in-spec/out-of-spec measurements for equivalent miles reminds me of the first time I did a shim under bucket inspection and adjustment in '96 on my ZX-6r.

While the individual bike's assembly, and possibly riding behavior, may influence those measurements, I think the person's technique and mechanical abilities may influence the measurements too. At the time I didn't know, but have now learned.

What I'm saying is that while it may seem obvious how to check a gap with a feeler gauge, for some it's not.

If you're not careful with the angle of the feeler gauge, have gunk and grime on it, or don't know how much resistance is correct, you maybe be off in recording the actual valve clearance.

I've heard/read many places, that when you achieve that exact right clearance, pulling the feeler gauge should feel like pulling a match from within the pages of a heavy telephone book.

That's worked for me. I hope it helps others here.

I typically use a "go/no go" method. Thinner one fits and the next larger doesn't fit then i use the lower number. If it's on the line to the minimum spec, I shim it, otherwise it stays as is.

 

[MCGMB]

I here what you're saying Koinz, but what I've occasionally found is that two different sizes "fit", and one simply requires a bit more/less effort than the other to slide in there.

In that case, I use the telephone book method.

Maybe my feeler gauge set has too many sizes (there are a LOT), with tiny increments that others don't experience this?

 

[Koinz]

I use your method with adjusters that screw down and locked with a nut.

 

[itlives]

Just had Jaxon check mine at 26,000 miles. One exhaust was about 5 billionths loose. I decided to shut the frunk up and ride.
Side note- a 2014 clutch basket and MCCT is the two best things you can do for a '12-"13!

 

[silvergoose]

If the mechanic has taken on the mantle of knowing better than the factory engineers, have the dealership sign a contract that states that fact. The mechanic may not be there if/when the engine goes pear shaped. The mechanic, as an agent for the dealership, has assigned the liability for not adjusting the valves as specified to the dealership. Nothing personal, just business.

The owner's manual is the bible, live by it all is well, disregard and the problems are on your shoulders.

Good Luck