Valve Adjustment - clearance

[Katsi]

I just received my carbs back from Steve and he strongly suggested that while I have things apart to go ahead and check the valves.  Since I have never done this before, I am trying to read and watch everything available.  However, My Bike is a 2003 and my manual is for a 2000. 

My question is this - the manual calls for a clearance of 0.13 - 0.18 for the intake and 0.18 - 0.23 for the exhaust.  Is that the same for all years.  Again, I have never adjusted valves.

[Strawboss]

I would say the clearance has not changed over the years. I have an 01 and an 01 manual, I can get back to you and make definite sure as I'm doing my valves in the next week.

[MAN OF BLUES]

I just received my carbs back from Steve and he strongly suggested that while I have things apart to go ahead and check the valves.  Since I have never done this before, I am trying to read and watch everything available.  However, My Bike is a 2003 and my manual is for a 2000. 

My question is this - the manual calls for a clearance of 0.13 - 0.18 for the intake and 0.18 - 0.23 for the exhaust.  Is that the same for all years.  Again, I have never adjusted valves.

Valve cam clearance is the same on all years from 86 thru '06...
Also note, those figures are in mm (millimeters)... just reminding...

I use inch feeler gages myself, and set to the larger end of the scale,
Intakes.  .005" to .007"
Exhaust side .007" to .009"

[Greenie]

A major time saver is rather than taking the timing cover off just make sure the cam lobe is pointing up to check/adjust the clearance. The Tech Pages has a great step by step page.

[Tour1]

I can't recall doing a solid lifter valve adjustment other than helping my dad work on our 1959 chevy, and it got worse before it got better.
I'm planning to do my C10 before spring.
Do the valves really seat deeper in the ports than the cams wear down and the stem tops mushroom out?
Or is the higher clearance tactic better for new valves in new cylinder heads?
My engine has way more than 12K on it going by the condition it was in whenI got it and the number of miles I've added.
Until I read this I was planning on using the minimum clearance to get the most wear before another adjustment.

[connie_rider]

I use inch feeler gages myself, and set to the larger end of the scale,
Intakes.  .005" to .007"
Exhaust side .007" to .009"

+1   

Watch Steve's video on valves/cams. Valve adjust is at the 15 minute mark.
Will save you a lot of time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpeG93CqFPw&t=89s

Ride safe, Ted

[Bham Greg]

Man of Blues encouraged me to do the same and it was easier than I thought it would be. Did it today and it was a first for me also. The tech page and SISF video helped a lot. The cam cover came out easier than I expected. Not sure how fussy I needed to be on how snug the feeler gauges should be. I used the .007 inch (intake) and .009 inch (exhaust) rather than the middle of the range. Relying on others' experience on that.
I found that it must have been done at least once before (bike had 24k miles when I bought it) as there were strings of silicon sealant all over. ALL valves were set too tight, from no gap to about .005 inch. Since I don't have the bike back together yet I cannot say how much of a difference it makes.
HTH.

[MAN OF BLUES]

yep... that would make a bike hard to start for sure...

button it up, and tell us the outcome now...
(oh, get all that silicone spooge outta there also...) 

[DC Concours]

Snug is subjective. It's a feel thing. There should be a little friction on the feelers.

When I do mine I keep my values on the loose side and my snug has the slightest of friction.

[Bham Greg]

. . . . Since I don't have the bike back together yet I cannot say how much of a difference it makes.
HTH.

Reporting on this thread also, . . . bike was hard to start, especially in the morning. Valve adjustment completely resolved the problem.

[DC Concours]

that was it...much simpler than electricity issues

[connie_rider]

Congratulations on finding the problem.
I didn't realize it was you that found tight valves.

Ride safe, Ted

[MAN OF BLUES]

that was it...much simpler than electricity issues

 

once again we see the old thing some of us keep reminding:

sometimes fuel issues are electrical..
sometime electrical issues are fuel related...
and sometimes both the above are related to actual "air" related, (i.e. valves and the air flow passages/path)

air + fuel + spark ......
3 areas that make an engine run....
start with the simple stuff, the free stuff, Inspect, and test each thing done for the results, and progress in a calculated manner thru each, crossing them off...

focus on each, and don't change 5 different things at once, from different groups... it only adds to the chaos of trying to figure "what" cured it.

good job.

[Mcfly]

I can't recall doing a solid lifter valve adjustment other than helping my dad work on our 1959 chevy, and it got worse before it got better.
I'm planning to do my C10 before spring.
Do the valves really seat deeper in the ports than the cams wear down and the stem tops mushroom out?
Or is the higher clearance tactic better for new valves in new cylinder heads?
My engine has way more than 12K on it going by the condition it was in whenI got it and the number of miles I've added.
Until I read this I was planning on using the minimum clearance to get the most wear before another adjustment.

"Tappy valves are happy valves",  I just did my valves, set them to the loose end of spec.  4 valves were below min spec
when I checked them, one was 'loose' (by .01").  My valves seem to tighten over time.  Previous adjustment I set them
right in the middle.  Previous adjustment was 11k miles ago.

[The Doctor]

once again we see the old thing some of us keep reminding:

sometimes fuel issues are electrical..
sometime electrical issues are fuel related...
and sometimes both the above are related to actual "air" related, (i.e. valves and the air flow passages/path)

air + fuel + spark ......
3 areas that make an engine run....
start with the simple stuff, the free stuff, Inspect, and test each thing done for the results, and progress in a calculated manner thru each, crossing them off...

focus on each, and don't change 5 different things at once, from different groups... it only adds to the chaos of trying to figure "what" cured it.

*takes notes*....