Shim numbers face up or down?

[PepperCrab]

Hi,
The Clymers say the printed numbers on the shim should face down, towards the valve stems. When I opened mine up, a good number of them were facing up, towards the shim bucket.

So is the correct direction up or down?

On a related note, the valve holders were really tight. I had a lot of difficulty getting them to come off. I had to do a fair bit of knocking with a mallet before they'd come loose, but I was concerned it might damage the dowels.

How does everyone else get the valve holders to come off?

Thanks.

 

[vinny]

The numbers are etched on the shims...does nothing to effect the shim itself. Up or down, it is your choice. A gentle tap with a soft rawhide or plastic dead-blow mallet should be all you need to get the keepers loose. Good luck.

 

[Throttlejockey]

I've always put the shim #'s facing up on my other motorcycles. No particular reason other than the #'s seemed to stay legible.

 

[BakerBoy]

Which face of the shim is 'up' has no functional difference. But I put the numbered side facing the bucket as the contact area is larger and that way the number doesn't get worn off (if it were facing the valve, the center of the shim takes the pressure and it slowly rubs off the number).

I use a strong magnet and am able to lift out the bucket on mine. On another bike, there was one that wouldn't come out (even though it would freely rotate) and I had to grab it with vise grips and pull it off ... that's got to be done carefully so that the bucket isn't scarred or warped.

 

[PepperCrab]

Which face of the shim is 'up' has no functional difference. But I put the numbered side facing the bucket as the contact area is larger and that way the number doesn't get worn off (if it were facing the valve, the center of the shim takes the pressure and it slowly rubs off the number).

I use a strong magnet and am able to lift out the bucket on mine. On another bike, there was one that wouldn't come out (even though it would freely rotate) and I had to grab it with vise grips and pull it off ... that's got to be done carefully so that the bucket isn't scarred or warped.

Thanks, but I had no problems with the buckets, I too used a magnet to get it out.

It's the thing that holds the camshaft itself in place, one piece has 4 bolts, the other has 2 bolts. Is it called a camshaft holder or keeper? I'm not sure about the name. It was in there really tight, I think it's the friction of the dowels against the holes they fit into.

 

[BakerBoy]

Thanks, but I had no problems with the buckets, I too used a magnet to get it out.

It's the thing that holds the camshaft itself in place, one piece has 4 bolts, the other has 2 bolts. Is it called a camshaft holder or keeper? I'm not sure about the name. It was in there really tight, I think it's the friction of the dowels against the holes they fit into.

Ah, now I get it. For those pieces that were a bit stubborn I did similar to what others suggested: I tapped on them from all sides using the handle end of a screwdriver as I lifted them out by hand.

 

[PepperCrab]

Ok thank you!