Valve Adjustment - HELP!!!

[JZ67]

Happy Lazy Sunday!

 

Trying my first hand at a valve adjustment and cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. 

 

I have the bike in 5th gear and the piston at top dead center and there is zero gap on the intake and exhaust side.  I also tried in 6th gear and there is no gap.  There is no play at all.

 

It is possible that the valves are just too tight?  I tried to back off one of the intake side and I could not achieve any gap still.  

 

The only videos I have found were from a 1200 GS but should be same steps, no?  

 

Bike is an '06 R1200RT

[9Mary7]

Make sure you are at TDC on compression stroke, not the overlap between exhaust/intake stroke. If you are then yes, those are too tight.

[Groanup]

Try this. Made it easy for me...

 

http://jimvonbaden.com/R1200_Hexhead_24K_service.html

[JZ67]

1 hour ago, 9Mary7 said:

Make sure you are at TDC on compression stroke, not the overlap between exhaust/intake stroke. If you are then yes, those are too tight.

Yup it was TDC on compression stroke. No play in the rockers. I tried to loosen one and I still couldn't get any gap. I thought the set screw was going to fall out before I achieved anything so I put it back where it was. 

 

Do I to remove both head covers and spark plugs before I make adjustments?  I only removed one side thinking it wouldn't make a difference. 

[Dave_in_TX]

2 hours ago, JZ67 said:

Yup it was TDC on compression stroke. No play in the rockers. I tried to loosen one and I still couldn't get any gap. I thought the set screw was going to fall out before I achieved anything so I put it back where it was. 

 

Do I to remove both head covers and spark plugs before I make adjustments?  I only removed one side thinking it wouldn't make a difference. 

It's easier to turn the engine over if both plugs are removed.

[dirtrider]

3 hours ago, JZ67 said:

Yup it was TDC on compression stroke. No play in the rockers. I tried to loosen one and I still couldn't get any gap. I thought the set screw was going to fall out before I achieved anything so I put it back where it was. 

 

Do I to remove both head covers and spark plugs before I make adjustments?  I only removed one side thinking it wouldn't make a difference. 

Evening JZ67

 

If they ALL are tight that is extremely/extremely  unlikely to happen, rotate the crankshaft one complete turn then see what you have. It sure sounds like you don't have THAT side on TDC COMPRESSION. 

 

You might as well remove both valve covers as they will both have to come off anyway. That way you turn the engine to TDC (compression or exhaust doesn't matter) as you adjust the side with all loose rocker arms, then turn the engine one complete revolution then adjust the other side. 

[JZ67]

3 hours ago, dirtrider said:

Evening JZ67

 

If they ALL are tight that is extremely/extremely  unlikely to happen, rotate the crankshaft one complete turn then see what you have. It sure sounds like you don't have THAT side on TDC COMPRESSION. 

 

You might as well remove both valve covers as they will both have to come off anyway. That way you turn the engine to TDC (compression or exhaust doesn't matter) as you adjust the side with all loose rocker arms, then turn the engine one complete revolution then adjust the other side. 

Thank you, dirtrider. 

 

I was fairly certain that I had TDC compression. The piston was at the highest point in the cylinder. I was working on the left side (facing the bike) and had it in 6th gear. I bumped the wheel to TDC more than once and the rockers were tight. 

 

I put everything back together to get the bike into 5th and repeated everything again with the same result.  

 

I'll have to give it another try at some point. I'm sure I did something wrong. I'll take your advice and give it a go. Won't be able to take another crack at it for a few weeks though. 

[JZ67]

16 hours ago, Groanup said:

Try this. Made it easy for me...

 

http://jimvonbaden.com/R1200_Hexhead_24K_service.html

 

Thank you, Groanup!

[TSConver]

24 minutes ago, JZ67 said:

 

Thank you, Groanup!

Honestly if you had that much difficulty you might want to have someone that has done it before help you next time you try it.

[JZ67]

7 hours ago, TSConver said:

Honestly if you had that much difficulty you might want to have someone that has done it before help you next time you try it.

 

So I only worked on the right side (sitting) of the bike and what I think is the lug being referred to in the instructions you shared was in the position shown in the image. If it is supposed to make full clockwise direction when bumping the wheel in 6th gear, I do not think it did.  The piston did go to TDC compression and TDC overlap while bumping the wheel.

 

I have circled what I think is this lug. Am I correct?

 

I do not see that the bottom spark plug is removed in this set of instructions. I am reading it on a mobile and may have missed that bit though. 

 

 

[TSConver]

Does not matter what gear the bike is in. Higher gears just make it easier to turn because of mechanical leverage.

 

The pistons go in and out at the same time. So one side will be TDC of the compression and the other will be TDC of exhaust.

 

If one side is on the lobes the other side will be on the base circles and can be adjusted. Just pull both covers off.

[Groanup]

10 hours ago, JZ67 said:

 

So I only worked on the right side (sitting) of the bike and what I think is the lug being referred to in the instructions you shared was in the position shown in the image. If it is supposed to make full clockwise direction when bumping the wheel in 6th gear, I do not think it did.  The piston did go to TDC compression and TDC overlap while bumping the wheel.

 

I have circled what I think is this lug. Am I correct?

 

I do not see that the bottom spark plug is removed in this set of instructions. I am reading it on a mobile and may have missed that bit though. 

 

 

That is the lug referred to.

The bottom spark plug does NOT need to be removed to check the valves.

Follow the instructions step by step and you will be fine. After you've done it a couple times, it gets much easier and quicker.

 

[dirtrider]

14 hours ago, JZ67 said:

 

So I only worked on the right side (sitting) of the bike and what I think is the lug being referred to in the instructions you shared was in the position shown in the image. If it is supposed to make full clockwise direction when bumping the wheel in 6th gear, I do not think it did.  The piston did go to TDC compression and TDC overlap while bumping the wheel.

 

I have circled what I think is this lug. Am I correct?

 

I do not see that the bottom spark plug is removed in this set of instructions. I am reading it on a mobile and may have missed that bit though. 

 

 

Morning   JZ67

 

Just remove the upper spark plugs (or at least remove one side upper spark plug). 

 

Then use a chop stick, stiff soda straw, or even a pencil to reach in & touch the piston top. Then rotate (bump) the rear wheel in 6th gear until the piston is as far out as it will go. It doesn't have to be exact just get the piston out as far as you can.

 

Then adjust the valve on the loose side.  

 

Then rotate the engine one complete turn & get the piston back up as far as it will go again (verify with a chop stick, stiff soda straw or even a pencil).

 

Then adjust the other side.

 

It really IS that easy!

 

 

[JZ67]

Thanks for all the replies. I gave this another shot this morning and everything went as described. 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

On 6/4/2024 at 6:15 AM, dirtrider said:

Morning   JZ67

 

Just remove the upper spark plugs (or at least remove one side upper spark plug). 

 

Then use a chop stick, stiff soda straw, or even a pencil to reach in & touch the piston top. Then rotate (bump) the rear wheel in 6th gear until the piston is as far out as it will go. It doesn't have to be exact just get the piston out as far as you can.

 

Then adjust the valve on the loose side.  

 

Then rotate the engine one complete turn & get the piston back up as far as it will go again (verify with a chop stick, stiff soda straw or even a pencil).

 

Then adjust the other side.

 

It really IS that easy!

 

For valve adjustments, I always left the spark plugs in and just used resistance during the compression stroke to determine when the engine was adequately close to TDC.

 

With the valve cover off on one head, and the gearbox in top gear, spin the rear wheel and watch the exposed rockers:

 

• When the exhaust valve rockers (the ones in front) open, you're starting the exhaust stroke.
• When the exhaust rockers close and the intake rockers (the ones in the rear) open, you're starting the intake stroke.
• When the intake rockers close, you're starting the compression stroke. 
• Now compression will make it harder to continue rolling the engine up through the compression stroke.  But if you apply steady torque to the rear wheel, cylinder leakage will let the engine creep up on TDC.
• Once you get very close to TDC, the resistance fades away, and you'll suddenly roll through TDC without any fight. 
• You're done.  The exhaust valve cam lobes have been on their base circle since the end of the exhaust stroke,, and the intake valve cam lobes have been on their base circle since early in the compression stroke.  Check/adjust the valve clearances on that head, and then repeat the above process for the other head.

 

 

[JZ67]

...