Valve Clearance Check for Tigers and Shim Tool Directions

[matttys]

the tool is awesome for when you only have a couple of shims to do ......but when you have the whole bank of em that need doing it's faster to pull the cam

Mustang - I have your tool, but I think I may be in the cam pulling group this weekend.  A bunch of mine are wacky.  I've pulled shims from over bucket valves, but I've had some trouble trying to get the shims out of the tiger with the valves compressed.  I've tried a small screw driver and a flat pick, but I still haven't been able to get a shim to pop off the bucket.  Is there a special tool or technique I'm missing for the Hinkle engine?

[Mustang]

Mustang - I have your tool, but I think I may be in the cam pulling group this weekend.  A bunch of mine are wacky.  I've pulled shims from over bucket valves, but I've had some trouble trying to get the shims out of the tiger with the valves compressed.  I've tried a small screw driver and a flat pick, but I still haven't been able to get a shim to pop off the bucket.  Is there a special tool or technique I'm missing for the Hinkle engine?

Practice practice practice , tis a bitch aint it ?! Seriously it's get easier the more you do it ! They are a very tight fit to the bucket

put the slot in the shim bucket in such a position that you can get a small jeweler screwdriver tip to wedge in between the shim and bucket then give it a pry , helps if you have one of those magnets on an antenna too to catch the shim when it pops loose .
Also make sure the edge of the tool leg is not pressed up against the shim edge
try rolling the cam lobe past the high point a little bit which lets the bucket start to come back up and will give you a little wiggle room to get a small jeweler screw driver or brass pick into the shim bucket slot .
Keep in mind that pulling the cams is xtra work if you only have 1 or 2 shims to change out . and also don't just yank the cams if you go that route . You need to be on top dead center of #1 when you pull the cams . It should also be noted that it is real easy to screw up the valve timing by getting 1 or both cams off by 1 tooth on the gear s

[matttys]

Sounds good.  I've taken the cams off on my DRZ numerous time for shim under bucket valves, but this is my first multi-cylinder bike.  Maybe I didn't have enough leverage on the bucket as I had it in the lowest possible position.  I will try again with the shim partially moved out.  God knows doing that is better than paying the BMW/Triumph shop $95/hour to do my valves!

[EvilBetty]

It should also be noted that it is real easy to screw up the valve timing by getting 1 or both cams off by 1 tooth on the gear s

NOTED!

This warning and reading through the manual last night sent me to buy the shim tool :)

I'm sure the tool will take more time.  But I'm also sure the cam pull / reassembly would drive my stress level into the clouds.  The manual did a very bad job of helping visualize the cam tensioner, so I can only imagine the fun of pulling and reinstalling it while keeping the cams level and synced.

Maybe next time, but for this go around I'm sticking with slow and steady wins the race.

[Kiwi Tiger]

Cool now you are talking.  I have been watching this thread.  I bought a tool off Mustang ( quick and painless with ex instructions i might add ) and have a valve service looming.  Keep us posted.

[DaJudge]

It should also be noted that it is real easy to screw up the valve timing by getting 1 or both cams off by 1 tooth on the gear s

NOTED!

This warning and reading through the manual last night sent me to buy the shim tool :)

EvilBetty- You're taking the same safe route that I chose.  It takes a bit more time if you have several to do, but with less danger of screwing up valve timing or (even more likely) busting off a cam cap bolt.

If anyone needs a Mustang valve shim tool, I'm going to sell mine since I don't put that many miles per year on a bike and my clearances are now in good shape (the couple that are out of spec are set a little on the wide side).  If anyone is interested, just PM me.  $40 shipped in the US.

[EvilBetty]

Wow I'm putting more thought into pulling the cams!

I fiddled with the shim tool for about 30 minutes today, and it the tool itself works great! (thanks Mustang!), but getting the shims out of the exhaust side has so far escaped me.  I can't see what I'm doing + get a pick lined up right to pry up the shim.

I'm guessing the intake side will be easier, and I do only have one to do on the exhaust side... but I think I'm done for the night :)

[matttys]

Wow I'm putting more thought into pulling the cams!

I fiddled with the shim tool for about 30 minutes today, and it the tool itself works great! (thanks Mustang!), but getting the shims out of the exhaust side has so far escaped me.  I can't see what I'm doing + get a pick lined up right to pry up the shim.

I'm guessing the intake side will be easier, and I do only have one to do on the exhaust side... but I think I'm done for the night :)

Haha, that's the boat I'm in right now.  I think it was just too cold the day I was fiddling with it and I gave up.  I'm waiting for slightly warmer temps to lift my spirits for a second go around.  I will also try not having the buckets completely compressed . . . maybe I wasn't able to get enough leverage on the shims with them in that position.  Next time will be with just enough clearance to get the shim out.

[EvilBetty]

Got the one exhaust shim out!  Just took a lot of poking at it to finally get it loose.

I think I'm going to get this new shim tomorrow before I move forward with the intake shims.

I asked this in another thread too, but what's the best way to remove old silicone sealer from the head / cam cover that won't come off with a scraper?  And what brand / type sealer should I use when I go to seal it back up?

[Stretch]

Acetone and a rag.  Rub rub rub rub...

To reseal, I used Permatex black hi-temp RTV, but any RTV ought to do.

[Mustang]

Want to know a secret ? I have NOT used anything on the last 5 motors I've done and none of them have leaked the rubber gasket seals very good .

[DaJudge]

I found that, on some of the valves, instead of turning the bucket slot to the outside, if you turn it to the inside (just offset of the shim tool legs), it makes it easier to get a pick under the shim and wiggle it out.

Also, a full set of assorted picks (with at least 4) helps a lot.  Sometimes one type of pick would work for me when another would not and visa-versa.

Mustang-  I wish I'd known earlier that you could skip using gasket sealant on the cover.  That stuff is a pain to work with and to clean off later.

[Mustang]

Mustang-  I wish I'd known earlier that you could skip using gasket sealant on the cover.  That stuff is a pain to work with and to clean off later.

The directions with the shim tool say to use rtv sealant to avoid leaks to be on the safe side . That is Triumphs reccomendation ,But if your rubber gasket is good you can get away without the sealant . It also works better to put the sealant on the engine side and not the cover gasket when installing . helps to make it not so messy .

[EvilBetty]

Cool, thanks!

I pulled a couple more shims tonight, then got to thinking about your comments from before.

I like to set the clearance towards the high side , gives you more time for riding and less wrenching between valve adjustments .

those exhausts that are at .152 will prolly be out of spec next time you open her up , and then again they might stay right there .

I decided to see if I should replace all of the .152 shims.  After playing around with the Valve Adjustment Calculator I noticed that if I go any higher than the mid range shim, it will put the valve out of spec.  Ex: going .05 higher on a valve measured at .152 would put the new measurement at .202

Is it better to be .002 over spec than being near the bottom of the scale?  Doing the same for the exhaust side would be .006 - .016 higher than spec for the ones I have measured so far.

My Valve Adjustment Calculator

[Mustang]

.002 mm is such a tiny amount that I would not think twice about it . even if you have all the valves set to be over the high limit you will be fine they won't make any noise that you can hear and you will prolly not need to set valves for or even check them for at least 20 k more miles :D  .  Unless you ride for hours and hours at a time in 100 degree weather with the rpm at 7k . if you ride like this you will be doing them again a lot sooner .