Finish valve adjustment....I think?

8172 Views 28 Replies 9 Participants Last post by DenT, Feb 16, 2007

username182

Discussion Starter · Feb 1, 2007

Ok, well I finished up with adjusting the valves on my 95 ex500 last night. I started about 6pm, and started the bike back up about 10pm.

I have a couple questions/concerns.....

1. I couldn't for the life of me remove the 2 phillips screws holding in the tubes which go into the top of the valve cover. I ended up stripping them completely, I couldn't even get them out with "screw-outs". I ended up leaving them in, and man-handled the vc out.

2. I followed the picture how-to to the tee. I had a crap load more vac lines than what is showed in the pictures, but no big deal. I aligned the crank to the "C" mark and checked the valve clearances on the right hand side of the bike (if you were sitting on it) and the cam lobes were pointed up. The intake valves were ok, the exhaust valves I couldn't even get a .0007 to fit at all, so those were adjusted. I adjusted them so that there was a slight "drag" on the feelers when I moved them between the valve.

I went to turn the crank to the "F" mark, but the lobes on the cam on the left side of the bike (if you were sitting on it) were pointed straight down, closing the valves. So I just turned the crank until I could see both lobes pointing up. Again, it seemed the exhaust clearances weren't even close.....

Does everything sound normal there? Was I ok to not adjust at the "F" mark since the lobes were facing down?

3. I thought that a tell-tale sign that your valves needed adjustment was the "ticking" sound coming from the motor, reminds me of lifter tick in cars when they are cold. Well, after the adjustments, I started her up and its still making that noise.....Is this just a normal sound for this motor? Did I screw up and not do the adjustments correctly?

4. Last question I swear.

After I got everything back together, I changed the oil/filter and put new coolant in. I started her up, and of course there was some smoke from the oil burning off that was spilled around the valve cover/etc. I did however notice that there was smoke coming from that tiny hole thats in the head. There is a whole on each side right in the middle of the "fins", and smoke was only coming out of the one on the left side (if you were sitting on it). I also noticed a bit of coolant dripped out. Is that normal?

I let her run for a little while, maybe 10min, and it was still smoking. It SEEMED to run a bit smoother, but I wasn't really paying attention to that with the smoke coming out of it.....Did I screw something up? Should I just take it in and let the stealership take care of it??

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Mad Matt

· #2 · Feb 1, 2007

1. Tap 'n Turn. That is tap on the back of your screwdriver while you are trying to turn it. I remember these being tight too but I have a large array of screwdriver bits and a proper fit is key.

2. These pistons are 180 degrees apart (A lot travel together and just fire alternatively) so the mark on the flywheel should align the cams at 90 on one cyl and 270 or thereabouts if I remember correctly. But the mark is just to tell you that you are at a point where the cam lobess do not engage the valves. You can see this.

3. Because of aformentioned 180 degree offset of pistons this engine always sounds funny to me at idle. You are going to have to define "ticking" a little more. Maybe just valve tap as the oil works it's way up there. A better tell tale that the valves need adjustment is that the engine performance has dropped off or more vibration than you are used to. You should notice a difference when you take it out again.

4. This hole is the drain for the spark plug well. Maybe there is some oil pooled in there cooking off and coolant too. It may have gotten in there while you were working on it but you had better check for leaks to be sure. The coolant tube o-rings really should be cleaned and re-lubed before you reassemble. If you skipped this since they were stuck in the cover maybe there is a leak there. I like DOW Corning 111.

Clean out those wells real good and then if there is a leak it should be easy to spot. That really goes for the whole engine. My wife can't reconcile how I can leave clothes scattered on the floor but won't suffer a speck of dirt or any fluid on certain engines! I also followed the pirctorial intructions (gleaned from the old site) and aside from taking more things apart to get some elbow room they seemed to work pretty well.

If you have the tools and DIY mentatility working on whatever you can is usually a good practice not only for the experience but also because you can be 100% anal about how the job is done while the dealership has to worry about making money. Not that they are going to do bad work! I trust the local Kawi mechanic 100% but I would rather do what I'm able to because then I can take the time to make things closer to perfect rather than just in spec. The mechanic has to worry about making the job pay while I can waste as much time as I like chasing diminishing returns. Just the way I roll.

Don't give up yet.

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username182

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 1, 2007

great thanks for the info.....

I'll pull it back apart and make sure that the o-rings are seated properly. I'll go ahead and pull off the vc again and make sure that area is nice and clean. While I'm there, I might as well double check the clearances....

So as long as the lobes on the cam aren't compressing the valves, they are OK to adjust even if the crank is aligned at the specified "C" or "F" marks?

Maybe i'm just crazy, but the motor seemed to rev/idle smoother after my adjustments, but I think the "tick" noise is worse and the vibration is worse as well. I've only had the bike for about a week, and I've only ridden it twice in that time, so I don't really have anything to relate to.

I'll pull it apart again tonight and triple check everything before I put it back together.

G

· #4 · Feb 1, 2007

If there is a local motorcycle shop you might want to swing by and have them listen. I did that with my bike and it was very reassuring to know for sure that I hadn't messed anything up!

G

· #5 · Feb 1, 2007

When the valves are adjusted properly the engine will tick - just the little bit of clearance (you just added clearance remember) between the cams and followers. When they don't tick is when to worry - that means the clearances are too tight. If the clearances are too tight, you have a chance of burning a valve since it may not be closing all the way. This is exactly the same as on my ZX11 which has shims and buckets set up. So ticking is good.

The holes on the sides of the head are just drain holes so the plug wells don't fill up with water. You probably spilt some coolant in there so it's burning off.

I think if you would have turned the crank one more 360 turn, the lobes would be in the right position and aligned with the F.

While I had the valve cover off, I removed all the air injection hoses/valve and plugged up the reed valves. Gets rid of a bunch of stuff on top of the valve cover and makes it much easier to service.

username182

Discussion Starter · #6 · Feb 1, 2007

ZEDhead said:
When the valves are adjusted properly the engine will tick - just the little bit of clearance (you just added clearance remember) between the cams and followers. When they don't tick is when to worry - that means the clearances are too tight. If the clearances are too tight, you have a chance of burning a valve since it may not be closing all the way. This is exactly the same as on my ZX11 which has shims and buckets set up. So ticking is good.

The holes on the sides of the head are just drain holes so the plug wells don't fill up with water. You probably spilt some coolant in there so it's burning off.

I think if you would have turned the crank one more 360 turn, the lobes would be in the right position and aligned with the F.

While I had the valve cover off, I removed all the air injection hoses/valve and plugged up the reed valves. Gets rid of a bunch of stuff on top of the valve cover and makes it much easier to service.

whew, thats a relief, glad to hear its supposed to "tick".

I turned the crank several times, trying to get the "F" mark to line up with the "dot" on the cam, but it just wasn't happening. I figure as long as the lobes were facing up, everything should be good to go?

Is there a write-up/how-to on removing all of those vac hoses? I assume they are there for emissions, but if they are not necessary, I'd like to remove them.

fog

· #7 · Feb 1, 2007

To remove them you do just that. The only problem is the holes that go throught the head from the exhaust port right out through the cam cover. Yo need to plug those holes. You just had the cam cover off and that was the best place to do it. the two little hollow dowels are the passage. pull those dowels tap the hole 3/8 16 for 1/2 deep and put in two set screws to plug them. Or else you'll need to make somthing for the top of the cam cover. Some guys just connect one hose to the other nipples and leve it at that. Then you need to tape over the hole in the aairbox as it is behind the airfilter. and finally cap off the vacume line on the right cylinder.

FOG

maverick9611

· #8 · Feb 1, 2007

user 182. here ya go on the vac lines.

http://www.81x.com/MEANMACHINERA/BlankPage

username182

Discussion Starter · #9 · Feb 1, 2007

what about all the other vac lines? I have a huge box thingy that sits under the fuel tank with a bracket which holds a cylinder looking thing....can those all be removed?

Mad Matt

· #10 · Feb 1, 2007

Yup. That cylinder thing is just a valve that opens/closes with vacuum to allow air from the airbox into the exhaust. It's actuated by the vacuum line that FOG told you to cap off. (The other carb vacuum line opens the petcock.)

maverick9611

· #11 · Feb 2, 2007

if ya look at page 2 of my how to:while your drinking your suds u should be holding this:

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username182

Discussion Starter · #12 · Feb 2, 2007

oh i have that thing, and something else. Its shaped like a box and has a bracket on it to hold another cylinder type thing.....

ah, found it.....this is what i'm talking about:

http://www.ronayers.com/fiche/400_0...ve_system.cfm?man=ka&groupid=3400&parent=3280

knightslugger

· #13 · Feb 2, 2007

cali bike?

username182

Discussion Starter · #14 · Feb 2, 2007

Knightslugger said:
cali bike?

yup that it is.

G

· #15 · Feb 2, 2007

The best, nicest, cleanest, etc.. solution is drill and tap (from the top) both air holes in the valve cover undernearth the reed valves for 2 set screws and locktite 'em in like FOG said.

I had the bike apart at the time and did not feel at all like going to the hardware store and just wanted to "git 'er done" so what I did to close up the reed valves on the valve cover...
Cleaned up the air holes and scuffed 'em up inside with a small dremel tool. I filled the holes with JB Weld - works great. I reinstalled the reed valves but cleaned them up and sealed them closed with high temp silicone. Then reinstalled the covers (the ones where the air hoses connected) but turned them to face forward just to get the hose barbs out of the way of the plugs. Lotsa room in there now!

username182

Discussion Starter · #16 · Feb 2, 2007

thanks alot for all your help everyone. If it wasn't for this site, I would have spent alot of money having the stealership mess with my bike.

I took it back apart last night and found my problem. Apparently, the o-rings on the coolant tubes which go through the valve cover were pinched. Since the cooling system is pressurized, coolant was escaping through the o-ring and filling up the spark plug area which is why it was draining from the hole in the side of the head.

I ended up going to the local hardware store and picking up a new set of o-rings. That solved the coolant issue.

I left all the vac lines, I didn't think that the hassle to remove them was worth the time.

The bike is all back together and I rode it into work this morining, its running great.

Thanks again ex500.com for all your help!

2001ex500

· #17 · Feb 2, 2007

Good Job username!

Does removing the air injection hoses have any other effects beside removing useless clutter around the engine? Does it effect the way the engine runs at all?(is it better or need any tuning afterward). This would probably vary from state to state, but does emissions clutter ever get checked in the annual(in NC) safety inspection? Anyone had any issues that way?

Thanks!

knightslugger

· #18 · Feb 2, 2007

The air injection allows unburned fuel to burn so that it meets EPA regs. removal of this system allows unburned fuel to be blown out the tail pipe. the effect is the absence of internal manifold post ignition (The popping sound on deceleration).

AFAIK, no tuning is required. It's mostly an aesthetic modification. if you have the stock cans, you don't hear it because of the baffling, however, it's there.

fog

· #19 · Feb 2, 2007

The Clean Air Act
Sec 203 (a) The follwing acts and the causing thereof are prohibited...
(3) (A) for any person to remove of render inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine in compliance with regulations under this title prior to it's sale and delivery to the ultimate purchaser, or for any manufacturer or dealer knowingly to remove of render inoperative any such device or element of design after such sale and delivery to the ultimate purchaser.

That covers the dealers. and the dealers only

(3)(B) same as above but including all the after market shops

Curiously the private act of the above are otherwise acceptable. For now
There is another Federal law much the same as above to cover the noise equipment. with the same restrictions to dealers and after market shops.

But private owners are OK to do whatever stupidities they wish.

The Muzzles of this world must pay a lot of money to a Lobbyist to get their junk ignored by the legislators. Think Jack Abramhoff.

FOG

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2001ex500

· #20 · Feb 2, 2007

FOG said:
But private owners are OK to do whatever stupidities they wish.

I needed a good laugh. Good one FOG! ;D

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