Hints & Tips: Valve Adjustment: Difference between revisions

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*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 thru the front of the engine. Its the one that goes thru 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.

:The O-ring alone is about $3 at Ron Ayers, or you can get one at a local hardware store. However, there is one that you can have for “free”. The oil filter comes with a small O-ring, which (at least in Fram filters, and should be in all of them) is the same size as the coolant pipe's O-ring. Since most people don't replace the small O-ring at every oil change, you can use one for this application, if needed.

*Split this job into two parts. Do all the prep work getting to the valves in the evening, then let the bike sit overnight (let the valve cover rest in place to keep Big things, like mice, out of there). Then in the morning, do the adjustments and button everything up and go for a ride.

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 *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 thru the front of the engine. Its the one that goes thru 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.
+:The O-ring alone is about $3 at Ron Ayers, or you can get one at a local hardware store. However, there is one that you can have for “free”. The oil filter comes with a small O-ring, which (at least in Fram filters, and should be in all of them) is the same size as the coolant pipe's O-ring. Since most people don't replace the small O-ring at every oil change, you can use one for this application, if needed.
 *Split this job into two parts. Do all the prep work getting to the valves in the evening, then let the bike sit overnight (let the valve cover rest in place to keep Big things, like mice, out of there). Then in the morning, do the adjustments and button everything up and go for a ride.