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I assume he used feeler gauges. How else would you measure the clearance?

My contribution to the "don't do this" files. Don't do this:



I ALMOST DID THAT! shouting intentional. HA!
drip pan
remove sparkplugs
remove valve covers
top dead center
feeler gauges
record readings
clean and reuse gasket
make sure gasket around spark plug hole is
put that black rubber thing back in
close up and tighten to 10nM
the above is a truncated version


X etc etc----yes, feeler gauges---you need 0.10-0.17mm and 0.34-> 0.41mm
you don't need every one in between, but enough to be sure it's not too tight or too loose and then to get a GOOD idea of what the actual measurement is

check this out

the Jim von Baden disk is better by a little, but this shows you--and this one is free
 
Valve Clearance Check Schedule

My bike has done 51,000km and the valves are still within spec. They don't seem to need much adjustment.
What amazed me was that when I took out the valve shims, they were all identical size which shows that the machining of all the valve gear is at set dimensions - that's the value of CNC machining!
 
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Discussion starter · #43 ·
I assume he used feeler gauges. How else would you measure the clearance?

My contribution to the "don't do this" files. Don't do this:

Image


That bit of rubber is supposed to go back in place BEFORE you put the valve cover back on. It goes here:

Image


You can see it below the bottom cam. You need to remove it for feeler gauge access to the bottom rear exhaust valve. It simply snaps into place.
thank you for the photos,
so if i understand this correctly, the plastic shims is what keeps the proper clearance?
you remove it, check clearance and put back ??? or do you measure the wear on the plastic piece? ..
can you please elaborate more on how this works! (spacing, and clearance) is the rocker responsible of the valve opening and closing spring loaded and spaced by shims only??..
Sorry but i have no clue how it all works.
more photos are very much appreciated tooo! why did you call it the DONT DO THIS FILE? hehe
thanks!
 
Discussion starter · #44 ·
I ALMOST DID THAT! shouting intentional. HA!
drip pan
remove sparkplugs
remove valve covers
top dead center
feeler gauges
record readings
clean and reuse gasket
make sure gasket around spark plug hole is
put that black rubber thing back in
close up and tighten to 10nM
the above is a truncated version


the Jim von Baden disk is better by a little, but this shows you--and this one is free
thanks for the link, ill check it out!
 
The rubber shim thing at the bottom of the valve area is called "twist protection" it has nothing to do with measuring valve clearance other than don't forget to make sure that it's back in place before bolting the cover back on.
It's unclear exactly what this rubber piece does and I think that the nomenclature BMW uses for it is misleading, my best guess is that it takes up space that oil would normally collect in and helps channel the oil to flow back into the crankcase.
 
Discussion starter · #46 ·
The rubber shim thing at the bottom of the valve area is called "twist protection" it has nothing to do with measuring valve clearance other than don't forget to make sure that it's back in place before bolting the cover back on.
It's unclear exactly what this rubber piece does and I think that the nomenclature BMW uses for it is misleading, my best guess is that it takes up space that oil would normally collect in and helps channel the oil to flow back into the crankcase.
ah ok,
when you take out the v.covers, does the oil spill from the cylinder head?... or just a few drops?

ill check the video that was posted before adding more questions :). im at work and utube is blocked here!
 
Valve shims do not wear, they compensate for the items that do wear (valve face and seat, cam and followers) and normal variances in production, they make it easy for a manufacturer to precisely set valve clearances during assembly and provide a solid means to adjust those clearances throughout the motorcycles service life.

Back in May I measured the exhaust valves and all were at 0.34 mm, which is as tight as you want them to be, specs are (0.34...0.41 mm) when I pulled and measured each shim three were at 2.00 mm and one was 1.98 mm I recorded this along with their position in the head.

The intake valve clearance was measured at 0.13 mm on three valves and 0.14 mm on the one, specs are (0.10...0.17 mm) the shims were measured at 2.18 mm on three valves and 2.24 mm on the other, these intake valves are right in the middle and will probably not need to be adjusted for a long while.

Valve shims are available from BMW in increments of 0.02 mm ranging from 1.72 mm to 2.40 mm at a cost of about $7 apiece, the dealership I use had very few of them in-stock.
When it comes time to swap out exhaust shims I know what size the oem shims are and will order three 2.02 mm shims and re-use one of the 2.00 mm in place of the current 1.98 mm to make the necessary adjustments since valve clearance is reduced with normal wear.

I checked the cam-timing at 12,000 miles and was a bit surprised that it was off, either not correctly set at the factory or there is a significant amount of initial wear-in. I have since checked it every 12k miles and it has been spot on, the engine runs noticeably smoother with this setting correct.
Our friends that make motorcycles in the Orient have been using shims for years, so had BMW (K-Bikes) Not really an issue, it's rare that a shim needs to be changed out, especially on a liquid cooled motorcycle.

Usually all of the valves will be within spec, if it's too tight (a potential problem) or too loose (not so much) you will need to determine the thickness of the shim, usually a number etched into the shim, to see this you need the shim in hand, it's got to be removed. Get the proper special tools and take it out. Then purchase the shim of the correct size, use different feeler gauges to determine the variance, then purchase the shim of the correct size, if the clearance is too tight you will need to purchase a thinner shim. Too loose, thicker. Install the new shim, recheck the lash, all should be good now.

It's a pain in the butt for a DYI mechanic to complete this adjustment, but the good news is it's rare that anything needs to be adjusted. Mostly it's just validating the lash is correct. An example is my F-650GS, in the 14 years I have had it and the many miles I've ridden it it's never needed adjustment. This the price for "High Performance" we all crave. Another thing, if you find it tight by .01, don't sweat it.

The big question is why do they need to be checked at all. Valve lash tightens when the valve recedes into the valve seat or the valve stem has been stretching, (popular on 80's era airheads). The issue is when the lash goes to "Zero" than the valve will be held open by the tappet and cam, leak and eventually burn. Not good. Looseness is almost always caused by wear in the valve train, the cam, tappet or adjuster. If the valve is too loose by a couple hundredths of an inch no damage will occur, other than being slightly noisy, or really noisy if it's really loose.

- John.
 
ah ok,
when you take out the v.covers, does the oil spill from the cylinder head?... or just a few drops?

ill check the video that was posted before adding more questions :). im at work and utube is blocked here!
Quite a bit of oil drains out when each valve cover is removed, I would estimate about 3-5oz per side.


Our friends that make motorcycles in the Orient have been using shims for years, so had BMW (K-Bikes) Not really an issue, it's rare that a shim needs to be changed out, especially on a liquid cooled motorcycle.

Usually all of the valves will be within spec, if it's too tight (a potential problem) or too loose (not so much) you will need to determine the thickness of the shim, usually a number etched into the shim, to see this you need the shim in hand, it's got to be removed. Get the proper special tools and take it out. Then purchase the shim of the correct size, use different feeler gauges to determine the variance, then purchase the shim of the correct size, if the clearance is too tight you will need to purchase a thinner shim. Too loose, thicker. Install the new shim, recheck the lash, all should be good now.

It's a pain in the butt for a DYI mechanic to complete this adjustment, but the good news is it's rare that anything needs to be adjusted. Mostly it's just validating the lash is correct. An example is my F-650GS, in the 14 years I have had it and the many miles I've ridden it it's never needed adjustment. This the price for "High Performance" we all crave. Another thing, if you find it tight by .01, don't sweat it.

The big question is why do they need to be checked at all. Valve lash tightens when the valve recedes into the valve seat or the valve stem has been stretching, (popular on 80's era airheads). The issue is when the lash goes to "Zero" than the valve will be held open by the tappet and cam, leak and eventually burn. Not good. Looseness is almost always caused by wear in the valve train, the cam, tappet or adjuster. If the valve is too loose by a couple hundredths of an inch no damage will occur, other than being slightly noisy, or really noisy if it's really loose.

- John.
This was in response to my post? I don't get it.
 
From Planet Dirt

Hi there:
BMW has a scheduled valve adjustment at 6000 and then every 12000 miles. If you don't ride that much every year at least you should do it every other year. After some time of riding your bike you learn to recognize if something is not like it used to be so among other things when you notice changes of power response on your engine one of the possible causes is valve clearance.
And……..It's not necessary to change the gaskets every time.
If you don't have the ability or the knowledge to do it yourself then you go to the dealer and you have to pay their fee whatever this one is. …..or you can start training yourself doing small jobs, simple jobs like changing the oil, and the air filter, also one of them is to change the transmission fluid…….and after a few times you do something more complex like changing a tire or changing brake pads, and as you become better doing this you can challenge yourself in more complex jobs. Three very important rules apply for this.
1. Buy the Haynes type manual for your bike. Mine is the " BMW R 1200 dohc Twins '10 to '12 ". I paid around U$ 50 for it and I bought it on Ebay. Another item very helpful to have is the " BMW Motorrad DVD Repair manual. Mine is the 03/2011 6th Edition R models K2x GS. Also bought it on Ebay for around U$ 20; I follow this last one more than the book because it tells you step by step what you need to do, with what tool and also with all the fluids if you need to change one, and the amount needed.
2. Buy the parts you need with anticipation, and buy the best parts you can find. If you do things yourself, You suppose to save the labor money not the parts money. Dealers charge by the hour which is the time they suppose to spend doing the job. That doesn't mean they spend that much time, and between U$ 60 to U$ 80 an hour is their fee. They also mark up 30% for parts…..so if you need $ 100 in parts the price for you is $ 130.
For valves adjustment and anything else I go online to Max BMW motorcycles, then I click parts, then Fiche, then the model of my bike, and I get a very detail catalog of all the possible parts listed for my bike, including the shims that are called semi spheres and are U$ 8 a piece
And the last item of the trilogy……….. you need the right TOOLS. BMWs are metric and there are just a few that are special…..but with some imagination and patience you can find them in your local store or on line .

I started doing things myself when I bought my first car, many years ago, and the only way I can afford a bike like this is because I can do most of the maintenance.
Try yourself…..you'll be impressed
 
Discussion starter · #50 ·
I ALMOST DID THAT! shouting intentional. HA!
drip pan
remove sparkplugs
remove valve covers
top dead center
feeler gauges
record readings
clean and reuse gasket
make sure gasket around spark plug hole is
put that black rubber thing back in
close up and tighten to 10nM
the above is a truncated version


X etc etc----yes, feeler gauges---you need 0.10-0.17mm and 0.34-> 0.41mm
you don't need every one in between, but enough to be sure it's not too tight or too loose and then to get a GOOD idea of what the actual measurement is


the Jim von Baden disk is better by a little, but this shows you--and this one is free
thanks for the video.
it seems very simple and VERY VERY SAME AS ANY CAR iv done.
 
Shims - How 2...

With a shim valve adjusted type engine, start by measuring the valve lash (the clearance between the valve stem and tappet). You'll need to remove the rocker box (valve covers) and rotate the engine to the correct position to do this.* There is a maximum and minimum clearance, I have a "Go/NoGo" feeler gauge that's just aces for this. The thickness of the gauge is the maximum clearance, then it's machined down to minimum clearance. So if the gauge will fit between the tappet and valve stem, it's not too tight, but it should stop at the ridge for maximum clearance, indicating it's not too loose. If this is what you have you're good to go. If the entire gauge slips through (too loose) or the thin part is too tight you'll need to adjust.

Now it becomes a measurement game. You'll need a set of thickness gauges in .01 mm increments, since you know the target clearance use the gauges to determine exactly how much change is necessary, measure the clearance, a good fit is required, then if the clearance is too tight you'll need to obtain a shim that is the difference between the clearance you just measured and the correct clearance.

Do whatever you need to do to swap the shim out, put it all back together and remeasure. Should be good.

Don't ask how I know...make sure it's sano. A spec of carbon or dirt in the bucket will throw the entire re-measurement off and you'll need to start over.

Observations - Air cooled engines (air heads, especially later ones) get a LOT of valve lash drift. These should be checked rigorously. 5000 mile intervals do it. Screw and nut adjusters. Easy. Oilheads are pretty low maintenance. After the engine settles in you only need to check them at 12,000 mike intervals. Heaxheads likewise, there is some drift that occurs. LQ engines, like my F-650, in 50,000 miles it's never required adjustment. From interval to interval it's always right on. I suspect that our LQ boxers will be like this as well, but it's a new engine design, so a little "trepiddaciousness" at first will go a long way.

People have asked me (I don't know why they should) why valve lash drifts. Usually the valve lash gets tighter, this comes from the valve steam stretching or the valve head recessing into the valve seat. This causes less lash, then eventually none, then the valve remains slightly open eventually allowing ultra hot combustion gases to pass by burning the sh*t out of the valve and valve seat. Wah Wah... The lash becoming looser is less common, this comes usually from poor lubrication between the tappet and valve steam, or perhaps wear on the rocker heel and camshaft, also steaming from either poor lubrication or poor metallurgy. (See Chinese diesel engines)

Anyway, that's what I know...

- John

* The Otto cycle, or 4 stroke engine rotates 720 degrees for every power stroke, so when you are looking for the right place to rotate the engine to set up the tappet adjustment marks realize there are two locations, find the right one where you have valve, the other one the valve will most likely be depressed down.

Here's a good video...

 
Can anyone tell me the size (outer diameter) of the water cooled engine shims?

Looks like the oem shims are about $7-8 each. I'm thinking it might be cheaper long term to get a kit/assortment.
I forget the shim diameter off the top of my head but I had the same mindset as you a few months ago and went looking for a kit, unfortunately these shims appear to be proprietary and no kit could be found.

Just to add my 2 cents to this whole valve adjust/check thing:

Make absolutely certain to keep things 100% clean in the engine while measuring or working, especially keep the cams clean when removing, any dirt could kill the engine.

*Update* - Wiseco makes a shim kit for the BMW LC GS motor part # VSK40 (8.9mm diameter shims).
 
I forget the shim diameter off the top of my head but I had the same mindset as you a few months ago and went looking for a kit, unfortunately these shims appear to be proprietary and no kit could be found.

Just to add my 2 cents to this whole valve adjust/check thing:

Make absolutely certain to keep things 100% clean in the engine while measuring or working, especially keep the cams clean when removing, any dirt could kill the engine.
Got in there today to check. I miked the shim diameter at 8.838 mm.

Evidently that is not the same as the KTM 8.9 mm shims.



Hot Cams Valve Shim Kit - 8.9mm OD HCSHIM00 | eBay
 
Valve checks and shims

Indeed the shims are 8.9mm OD.
I check my valve clearances every oil change but is somewhat a waste of time. They hardly vary at all. I think every 20,000km (12,000 miles) is good enough.
I check the valve clearances because it's quick to do. Moreover, after loosening the valve cover I get about half a cup of oil from each side that doesn't drain with the drain plug moved.
After 50,000+ I haven't replaced the valve cover gaskets and have no sign of leaking oil.
 
Indeed the shims are 8.9mm OD.
I check my valve clearances every oil change but is somewhat a waste of time. They hardly vary at all. I think every 20,000km (12,000 miles) is good enough.
I check the valve clearances because it's quick to do. Moreover, after loosening the valve cover I get about half a cup of oil from each side that doesn't drain with the drain plug moved.
After 50,000+ I haven't replaced the valve cover gaskets and have no sign of leaking oil.


Both exhaust valves on the right side of my 2015 are right at the limit and should be changed. This is at 46,000 miles. None of the other valves seem to be changing much.
 
first time

Recently purchased a 2012 gs with 35,000 miles on it. Did the first valve check on it today and replaced spark plugs. Everything was good, lower intake valve on left was in specs but close to the limit on the tight side. Others were right in the sweet spots. I'll be checking them again next winter and looking for changes. Hopefully they'll all be in exactly the same spots. Plugs looked good color wise but all the spark surfaces were eroded and rounded off. It idles much smoother with the new plugs. I suspect they had never been changed. Checked alternator belt but it looked fine. I'll put that off for a while.
 
Today I checked the valve clearances and they were all in spec. The intakes were all .15mm and the exhausts were all .38 or .381. IOW right in the middle of tolerances.

It was an easy job. It was particularly easy to find TDC, far easier than on my 09 roadster or 04 roadster.
The gaskets are the same robust material as was used on my 09 and 04. I have no misgivings about re-using them until they break---and that could be a VERY long time.

Thanks for all the info.
if you're talking oilhead roadsters, finding TDC is piece of cake simple, and does NOT require removing the viewing plug.
just look for the engraved arrow on the cam gear. when it's pointing straight on on the cylinder you want to adjust, and all valves adjuster will move... you found it.
 
the 04, I did the viewing plug method and that was ok. The 09 was the problem. The "arrow" was very hard to see, the engraving was very shallow and almost invisible. Even though I knew it was there, it was still hard to see. I cleaned it well and tried to put some paint on it, but, of course, the oil dissolved that! Duh! Can't remember if I later used the stick method or not? I agree though that IF the arrow were deeper and easily seen, it would've been easy to locate TDC.
 
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