Valve Clearance report

Just did my valve clearance check and brake/clutch fluid change etc..

All my clearances were spot on except Cylinder #1 intake which was at .005 instead of .006

I was happy until I pinched the left side gasket and oil sprayed everywhere. Good idea to start the ST up before you put the tupperware back on to make sure its all tight.

Took the cover off and re-seated it and all was well. I re-used the original gaskets.

Here's my numbers.
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Valve clearances @ 28,800mi
Lt. int
Cyl #1 .18mm f .18mm rr
" #3 .17mm f .16mm*rr
Lt. ex
Cyl #1 .25mm*f .25*rr
" #3 .25mm*f .25mm*rr
Rt int
Cyl #2 .17mm f .17mm rr
" #4 .17mm f .17mm rr
Rt ex
Cyl #2 .25mm*f .26mm rr
" #4 .25mm*f .25mm*rr
*indicates right on the money.

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54,100mi

Lt int
Cyl#1 .17mm f 17mm r
" #3 .16mm *f 16mm* r

Lt ex
Cyl#1 25mm* f 25mm* r
Cyl#3 25mm* f 26mm r

Rt int
Cyl#2 16mm* f 17mm r
Cyl#4 17mm f 16mm* r

Rt ex
Cyl#2 25mm* f 25mm* r
Cyl#4 25mm* f 25mm* r

* indicates right on the money

This is good news. I'll be doing my first valve check (16K miles) as soon as I get moved into my new house (beginning of May). It seems to me that checking the clearanceis is a piece of cake. Adjusting them seem to be quite a chore, plus there is the added down time if you have to order shims.

-SR-

My last valve clearance check on my '03 @45K still required no adjustment. The counterbalancers on the otherhand seem to need a slight adjustment every 5 to 10k.

15,541 mile valve check report

Spec. int. 0.16mm +/- 0.03mm
Ex. 0.255mm +/- 0.03mm
Cyl
1 Int. 0.18 mm f 0.18 mm r
Ex 0.25 mm f 0.25 mm r
2 Int. 0.18 mm f 0.18 mm r
Ex 0.25 mm f 0.25 mm r
3 Int. 0.18 mm f 0.18 mm r
Ex 0.25 mm f 0.25 mm r
4 Int. 0.15 mm f 0.18 mm r
Ex 0.25 mm f 0.25 mm r

With direct actuation, tighter clearances are a bi-product of miles/wear.. The valve seat gets deeper, the valve head may tulip slightly. If the clearance increases, you may have carbon build up. For me a good quality metric feeler and a light touch is a muST for very accurate results.

dond said:

With direct actuation, tighter clearances are a bi-product of miles/wear..

Click to expand...

Unfortunately that means I am screwed. All my exhaust valves but one are on the tight side. The one is centered. All the intakes but one are centered. The one is loose.

dond said:

With direct actuation, tighter clearances are a bi-product of miles/wear.. The valve seat gets deeper, the valve head may tulip slightly. If the clearance increases, you may have carbon build up.KEY WORDS-->> For me <-- a good quality metric feeler and a light touch is a muST for very accurate results.

Click to expand...

.001" is .0254mm
.01mm is .000393"
By using my mm feeler with .01mm increments I can be more precise for this important proceedure..

I completed my first valve check a couple weeks ago. Every single clearance was dead-nuts-on nominal (.006" for intake, .010" for exhaust). On the downside, a part of the heat apron that lays over the top of the engine got caught between my left head cover and head when I put everything back together. Yesterday, after mount wheels with new tires and installing new brake pads, I started up the bike and it smoked like a chimney. I then realized that there was oil down the front of the engine (not much) and on the down pipes. I removed the port-side tupperware and head cover and was pleased to discover that the problem was so minor. There was no damage to the rubber head cover seal, either. No more unwanted smoke! I'll be sure to watch out for that piece of heat apron in the future. Y'all be sure to do the same!

-SR-

Just checked mine:

#1 intake fr .007 rr .006
exhaust fr .011 rr .011

#2 intake fr .007 rr .011***
exhaust fr .011 rr .011

#3 intake fr .006 rr .006
exhaust fr .011 rr .011

#4 intake fr .006 rr .007
exhaust fr .011 rr .011


On all of the exhaust inspections (except the No. 2 cylinder) I could get the .012 feeler in but it was extremely tight, so I figured I was trying too hard.

The No. 2 rear intake was checked several times. I may not know what I'm doing but even I couldn't screw up measuring it that bad on several different occasions.

I need to get a metric feeler guage set and do the inspections over again. I assume I'm going to need the exact metric measurement of the gap (and have the shim out to measure) before I can get the correct shim.

R.Markus said:

I assume I'm going to need the exact metric measurement of the gap (and have the shim out to measure) before I can get the correct shim.

Click to expand...

You should not have to do this. You know the current gap. The shim currently installed is marked. Do the math and you know what shim you need to replace with to get the final gap you want.

A very handy helper;


http://www.st1100.org/index_old.shtml

GO TO mathmatics for a shim calculator.

Look for "KEY WORDS"

dond said:

With direct actuation, tighter clearances are a bi-product of miles/wear.. The valve seat gets deeper, the valve head may tulip slightly. If the clearance increases, you may have carbon build up.KEY WORDS-->> For me <-- a good quality metric feeler and a light touch is a muST for very accurate results.

Click to expand...

//////////

NormanPCN said:

You should not have to do this. You know the current gap. The shim currently installed is marked. Do the math and you know what shim you need to replace with to get the final gap you want.

Click to expand...

So, basically I can convert the .005 inches that the gap is too big to .127mm and add that to the thickness of the existing shim?

See if i'm getting this right then: If the existing shim is, say, 1.5mm. I would want a shim that is 1.627mm thick...I'd have to get the one that is 1.625mm. Is it that simple, or am I forgetting something? I used to work in a pattern shop/machine shop , but that seems like a lifetime ago and the math has slipped away.

And thanks all for your responses. My wife is always amused that I'll work on my $13k motorcycle without any real knowledge of what I'm doing. I research the best I can on certain projects and then just dive in.

Took my ST to the dealer for the 16k valve clearance check. The mechanic (who has an ST1100 and has worked for Valley Motorsports for years) reported that all clearances were dead on spec. Had the clutch and brake fluid replaced.
Bike continues to run great.

I need to do my 32K check but haven't bought a torque wrench yet to do it. Might just suck it up and take it to the dealer to have them do it.

Curt

crazykz said:

I need to do my 32K check but haven't bought a torque wrench yet to do it. Might just suck it up and take it to the dealer to have them do it.

Curt

Click to expand...

Consider that my service (valve inspection and fluid flush) cost $180 (3 hours @$60/hour). I was quoted $240, but the mechanic knows ST's so he can go right to work without sitting over the shop manual trying to figure it all out.

I was also told that if the valves are out of spec, it adds another 2 hours labor.

that is true-- you need to check the shims with a mic -- for someone reason the shims are not accurate -- at least they weren't on the other bikes I had that required shims

The other way around. Valve seat wear makes the valve move closer to the cam, hence clearances tighten up. Carbon deposits might hold the valve out a bit from the cam, increasing clearances.