Barn of Parts Valve Adjustment Tooling...No tensioner removal required!

[hibshman25]

Adjusting valves is not hard, but it's quite labor intensive since the chain tensioner is not easily accessible. Turboflash put a bug in my ear about trying to develop a solution which potentially eliminates the need to access chain tensioner. With Yamaha's exit, the existing sleds will certainly see more and more miles which will make valve adjustments a more common occurrence. After some brainstorming with a few engine builders, one shared a slick trick and gave me the ok make a marketable kit. Once this is released I will certainly be crediting the idea to him. For many that do not tackle engines on a regular basis my intent is to fool proof the concept so even the inexperienced have no fears of doing the task of adjusting valves.

I made up some crude prototypes this morning and the tooling is working excellent on my bench test motors. Part of me feels this concept was designed into the motor, but never publicized by Yamaha.


I currently have a 16k mile viper in the shop that starts hard on the first cold start of the day. I had someone that wanted to buy the sled, but the labor of doing valves had me swaying towards making it a parts machine. I plan to do a start to finish test of the tool on this sled once I get a machined samples of the tooling in hand.

 

[Simplespeed]

Anytime you can save time and effort its a win for all of us… Hope it works out as planned….

 

[sideshowBob]

I used to own a few sport bikes and most were bucket and shim valve arrangements. My 24 valve 6 cylinder Honda 1000 CBX was a bit of a job to adjust the valves. At the time I used a tool that would rotate under cam lobe, depress the bucket and you could remove and replace various shim thicknesses to adjust clearances without camshaft removal...worked great.

 

[viperaddict]

Sounds like an excellent idea, I would likely be in line to buy one for my Apex

 

[hibshman25]

I used to own a few sport bikes and most were bucket and shim valve arrangements. My 24 valve 6 cylinder Honda 1000 CBX was a bit of a job to adjust the valves. At the time I used a tool that would rotate under cam lobe, depress the bucket and you could remove and replace various shim thicknesses to adjust clearances without camshaft removal...worked great.

Unless I am missing something obvious i dont think it is at all possible to get a shim out of the sleds with out pulling cams. Must be a different design concept honda uses.

 

[hibshman25]

Sounds like an excellent idea, I would likely be in line to buy one for my Apex

Apex cam chain tensioner is on front of motor so much easier on an a 4 cylinder. On a 3 cylinder the tensioner is backside against the front heat exchanger.

 

[sideshowBob]

Unless I am missing something obvious i dont think it is at all possible to get a shim out of the sleds with out pulling cams. Must be a different design concept honda uses.

Yes I think it was only a Honda thing but it sure made the job simpler. Anything you can come up with for our 998s would sure help.

 

[STAIN]

Yes I think it was only a Honda thing but it sure made the job simpler. Anything you can come up with for our 998s would sure help.

Suzuki also....I also have the kit and tools to do those adjustments on those old bikes.

 

[cannondale27]

If you can lock the gears and chain down ensuring that the tensioner doesn’t extend while removing cams I am in. Just can’t trust chicken wire and zipties although thought about it after hearing of the cheat for sure. Getting that adjuster out to ensure it was done right really sucked!

 

[NYTurbo]

Interesting. I would buy one if it actually works

 

[DMCTurbo]

Unless I am missing something obvious i dont think it is at all possible to get a shim out of the sleds with out pulling cams. Must be a different design concept honda uses.

Nope. The buckets have to come out to get to the shim. Buckets aren't coming out without cam removal.

 

[DMCTurbo]

I used to own a few sport bikes and most were bucket and shim valve arrangements. My 24 valve 6 cylinder Honda 1000 CBX was a bit of a job to adjust the valves. At the time I used a tool that would rotate under cam lobe, depress the bucket and you could remove and replace various shim thicknesses to adjust clearances without camshaft removal...worked great.

Would have been a "shim over bucket" where our engines are " shim under bucket".

 

[sideshowBob]

Would have been a "shim over bucket" where our engines are " shim under bucket".

That explains it...I have not done any valve train or head work on my 998.

 

[GR8BBQ]

If it will work for my SRViper, I will take one!

 

[hibshman25]

If it will work for my SRViper, I will take one!

View attachment 176072

It will work on the 1049 motors as well.