Article [13] ST1300 - Valve Clearance Check How-To [VIDEO]

[RCS]

Here are the video links. There are four segments.

1. Valve clearance check,

2. Left side shim change part 1 of 2,

3. Left side shim change part 2 of 2, and

4. Getting to the right side cam tension screw.

The first three videos are about 10 minutes each. The fourth video is 6 minutes.

 

[Mellow]

Re: ST1300-How-to videos (valve clearance check)

Bob, copied your post here in a new thread and put the vids in-line.

 

[RCS]

Re: ST1300-How-to videos (valve clearance check)

Thank you Joe. The videos were the result of hard work by several people including STDan, Dinkie Diesel, STrayCatt, and Austin City Limits. This video would not have been possible without the use of Terry's (ACL's) shop, STrayCatts video camera, Dinkie Diesels camera work and prepping the raw video for editing, and STDans motorcycle and wrenching. The video was filmed less than a year ago during Moonshine 2010.

Thank you again to everyone that made this video possible!

(Note - you can double click on the video to have the option of going full screen to see more detail.)

Since the Honda is a Metric motorcycle, the Shims are metric, and the feeler gauges are metric, all the valve clearances were measured in Metric.

Below is a link to a post that lists and shows pictures of the tools you'll need for this job.

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/sh...learance-check&p=952161&viewfull=1#post952161

 

[Tom Mac 04a]

Re: ST1300-How-to videos (valve clearance check)

Great vid.... anyway we can d/l hard copies so access to run ( without wireless/3g at friends place ) on cd/dvd


PS... watched all. The only thing I can say is that I would cover engine openings... I have big clumsy fingers and drop things! :O

Loved the Joe shots!

 

[RCS]

Re: ST1300-How-to videos (valve clearance check)

Wow! Congratulations to all involved. In less than one week, the Valve Clearance video has been viewed over 160 times and seen by people in 7 Countries/States including the US, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Well done!

 

[56canuck]

Re: ST1300 - How-to videos (valve clearance check)

I will be doing my first valve clearance check this week-end , thank you for posting this great video. ( fingers crossed )

 

[MeandmyST]

Re: ST1300-How-to videos (valve clearance check)

Admin Dude,
I see the four video titles listed but no videos to access. Can you enlighten me as to where the videos reside please.

 

[Mellow]

Re: ST1300-How-to videos (valve clearance check)

Admin Dude,
I see the four video titles listed but no videos to access. Can you enlighten me as to where the videos reside please.

They're there.. I see them. I logged off and looked at this thread and can see them there too, not sure what the issue is but I'll look around.

 

[Sandyback]

Re: ST1300-How-to videos (valve clearance check)

Hi and firstly I would like to thank all contributors to this brilliant site.

I am in the UK, with an ST1300 with almost 17,000 miles to it's credit. I have just followed the clearance check procedure and find just 2 shims require attention - one exhaust and one inlet, thankfully on the left cylinder head!

Just a couple of questions please.......

Is there any merit in my removing the cams one at a time - I was thinking of using a cable tie to lock the cam chain to the inlet cam wheel (so as to ensure the chain does not move in relation to the wheel) then removing the exhaust cam, doing the shim change and then repeating the process for the inlet cam?

Also, how critical is it to use the Honda sealant (or similar) on the cam covers when refitting them?

Thanks

 

[Silver]

Re: ST1300 - How-to videos (valve clearance check)

Another timely how to- thanks to all involved!

 

[Da Ace]

Re: ST1300 - How-to videos (valve clearance check)

NICE ONE THANKS TO ALL INVOLVED

 

[Craig_st1100]

Re: ST1300-How-to videos (valve clearance check)

Hi Bob. Is the 1100 about the same wy or totally different? Mine is a 91

 

[Soontobeone]

Re: ST1300-How-to videos (valve clearance check)

I am so grateful for your videos. They have made my "mistakes" nearly non-existent.

Now, if only you could make one in HD with Scarlett Johanssen....

 

[CYYJ]

The video makes reference to timing marks that can be viewed through the small hole (timing hole) in the front cover of the engine (the clutch cover) when the engine is cranked by hand using a wrench inserted into the crankshaft hole.

Below is a picture that shows what the marks on the 'CKP Sensor Rotor' look like. I took this picture after I had removed the front cover (the clutch cover) so that I could repaint the cover (it is not necessary to remove the whole cover when doing valve clearance checks - it is only necessary to remove the two round caps in the middle of the front cover).

Hopefully this picture will show you what you will be looking for when you look through the small hole, searching for the timing marks.

Michael

 

[970mike]

Thank you for taking the time to put this together! I have just finished my first valve shim adjustment and would not have had the courage to tackle this without these videos.

 

[Kevcules]

Hey folks

I've just gone through the process of checking the valve clearances twice, on my 2008 ST1300 with only 47,000 kms. I have 6 valves below min spec and 7 valves at min spec. I have to remove all 4 cams to take care of the "below min spec" and while I have the cams off, I'll adjust the min spec valves as well. I'm hoping once I remedy the surprising amount of valves out of adjustment, it will help with the excessive heat and inconsistent idle.

The manual seems to say that I need to remove the left side cams while at TDC on the T1 indicator wheel. Then I need to rotate the engine to T2 before I remove the right side cams? This tells me that I should remove the left side cams, record the shim sizes, re-install the cams, then rotate the engine to T2 and repeat.
It also says that you have to remove the throttle bodies to access the right side cam chain tensioner. I know this is not necessary as per the videos. I also may have the tensioner tool already as I replaced the tensioner in my 2006 Honda Rincon ATV and bought it for that job. Wouldn't that be nice if they use the same tool? If it doesn't fit, I can use a long 1/8" screwdriver as indicated in the videos.
One thing I noticed it that you can use the markings on the sprockets to get the proper engine positions. No need to look at the crank indicator wheel. It's difficult when working alone. This was mentioned on this site before and they are right. I did it both ways though. I checked the clearances with just the markings , then checked again using the indicator wheel and it was identical.

Found a shim calculator that works for our bikes. It's a how to for shim change and links to the calculator. If the link isn't allowed Mellow, you can delete it.

ST1300 Valve Adjustment

koczarski.com

That's it for now......thanks for any information.

 

[CYYJ]

Some thoughts, based on my experience:

- Don't remove all four cams at once. The cams are fragile (hardened steel), no good comes from having them loose around the work area, and if you only remove one at a time, there is no chance of mixing them up when you put them back. I removed and replaced one at a time - or perhaps one side (2 cams) at a time, I can't recall.

- Be careful to ensure that the cam chain does not fall down into the bottom of the engine when you are removing the cams. Putting a long cable-tie around it before removing the cam is an easy way to prevent this from happening.

- I had no difficulty seeing the timing marks through the hole on the front. I did have the front wheel off at the time, which made looking into the hole a lot easier.

- Whatever you do, DO NOT overtorque the bolts that retain the cams or the cam covers. You have steel fasteners going into an aluminum block, those fasteners will strip out the threads in a heartbeat if you apply even the tiniest bit of overtorque. The torque values for the fasteners are very, very low - barely finger-tight. Don't give those fasteners 'one last tweak' to make sure they are tight - that's all that is needed to strip the threads out of the cylinder head. Don't ask me how I know that.

- I think I removed the spark plugs to make it easier to turn the crankshaft by hand. The same warning about over-torquing applies to spark plugs.

- It is very challenging to adjust the right-side cam chain tensioner. When I did the work, I had the throttle bodies off (for a different reason), and therefore I had pretty unobstructed access to the right side tensioner and the cap that covers it. I do recommend that you remove the upper fuel tank entirely, that makes it a lot easier to see what you are doing than trying to do the work with the upper fuel tank propped up in the service position. Removing the upper fuel tank also give you the opportunity to replace the L-shaped rubber hose that connects the upper and lower fuel tanks - if you have not owned the bike since new and are not certain that that hose has never been over-stressed, it is prudent to replace it. A fuel leak from that hose will cause a catastrophic fire.

- Plan on having to do a lot of work to remove crud from the left side cam chain tensioner - it's right in the line of fire of mud and road debris from the front wheel. It might take a couple of days of soaking overnight with solvent & detail work with a toothbrush or firm plastic brush to clean it off enough to let you work on it.

- Pay close attention to the instructions for using high temperature RTV sealant on the half-moons of the cam covers. Also, re-install the cam covers while the fuel tank is still off, that makes it easier to ensure that the rubber heat mat does not get caught between the block and the cover when you are reinstalling the cam covers - that is a common cause of oil leaks after the work has been done. FYI the rubber gaskets for the cam covers are re-usable, they do not need to be replaced unless they are damaged.

Michael

 

[Kevcules]

Shim change went well. Michael (CYYJ) was a great help sending me his shim kit! Ended up having to buy some though. I needed a few oddball sizes. 148,188 etc....

The left side cam chain tensioner didn't try to recoil back in, when I screwed it out. It felt stuck the whole way back. I didn't have to use vice grips to hold the position at all. The upper tensioner worked fine.
Once I removed the left side tensioner, it worked properly? I stuck my finger through the tensioner hole and that chain guide is hard to move. Maybe it tensions the chain better as the oil and heat start flowing? I ordered a new one anyways. You can also preload/add more tension to these tensioners, (Youtube) which is an option instead of buying new.

The "left" side cam chain would often get caught or bound up on the bottom once the cams were removed, even though I wired the chain up. I had the cams off at least three times and every time I went to install the final second cam, the chain wasn't long enough? I had to pull up on the chain a little and heard a little snap each time, then it was ok? It was getting kinked on the bottom crank sprocket somehow? I heard Larry Fine I believe, talk about that also on his 1100. Not sure why....

Doesn't matter which cam you take off first. I used paint marker to mark the sprockets and chains as well as line up the sprocket markings on the frame like stated in the shim chart sheet before retracting the tensioner and removing the cams.

Bike started fine and I did another throttle body sync. It was fine.

No big watch outs.....pretty straight forward , once you have done it at least once....

Added a few pictures. One shows how to read your feeler gauges easier once your eyes are starting to go and I got a pic of how small the shims are.