How to adjust valves -

when your down to the smallest shim that Mr Kawasaki will supply.

Basically I have run out of adjustment on at least one inlet valve
(I'm gussing as one valve was down to the smallest shim last time I
checked). The engine has covered 117kmiles, and valve clearance isn't
its only problem (but it may well stop it starting if left much
longer).

As I see it there are a number of options/bodges.

a) adjust the valves I can
b) attempt to grind down a shim(s) to suit
c) Attempt to grind down the valve stem in situ
d) remove head and get valve seats replaced etc
e) get another engine

I suspect e) rather than d) is the way to go eventually (cheaper less
hassel?). But I would rather do this in summer. The bike in question
is my winter hack (zzr600d) and I would quite like to keep it going
to March/April, so I tending towards a).

Has anyone any experience of b/c?

Thanks

Jim

 

If you get stuck, I'll get a shim 'skimmed' on the surface grinder at work.

JB

 

Oh how I wish you could mill a shim. I have an application for a shim with a
spiral slot in one surface. I scould do it on the mill *if* the shim was not
nearly as hard as the cutters.

They are indeed through-hardened. So it's a surface grinder, with a nice
magnetic chuck.

Jb

 

If you leave the tight one unadjusted it'll probably burn anyway, so
there's little to be lost by taking the head off and sorting it
properly.

Personally, I'd try c) and see how it goes.
Dremel is your friend; not angle grinder.

--

Dave

GS850 x2 XS650SE / SE 6a

I demand nothing of you except that you amuse me.

 

Not a chance. You'd just end up with a damaged workpiece, and a chipped or
blunt cutter. Carbide is *very* brittle.

For a very special set of thrust washers (the spiral groove acts as an oil
passage when under load against another piece of flat hardened steel)

With a surface grinder, dead fucking easy.

JB

 

Yes, a fairly big machine, but very easy to learn on. Also very easy to put
a workpiece into orbit when you forget to activate the magnetic chuck!
Any good machine shop will have one. Go and have a shuftie when someone's
setting it up and using it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_grinder
JB

 

I've successfully ground a couple of shims when stuck for the right
size. It works ok, but obviously you put the ground surface towards the
bucket where it's going to be under nothing like the point loading of
the other surface. Re-casehardening wasn't an option at the time.

--

Dave

GS850 x2 XS650SE / SE 6a

I demand nothing of you except that you amuse me.

 

The last 3 shims I had ground (1) were through-hardened, not case hardened
according to the toolmaker who did them for me. Apparently you can tell from
the colour of the sparks (I suppose that 50+yrs experience also helps too).

(1) 1x KZ1000 1978, 2x GS1000 1982.

JB

 

I don't think you know what a surface grinder is. You can grind to
tenths of a thou on one easily. A good one is a joy to work - until
you forget to turn the magnet on.

 

*ding*
(or should that be..."DUCK!"

JB

 

I couldn't be sure whether they were case or through-hardened, so played
it safe. The ground surface wasn't particularly well-finished anyway, so
needed to be underneath.

--

Dave

GS850 x2 XS650SE / SE 6a

I demand nothing of you except that you amuse me.

 

Thanks for the offer. I may be in touch.

Jim