X Pro Templar X valve adjustment help

[DasEnduro]

So I’ve ridden an hour on this bike and then the choke start sticking so I removed a bunch of crap. Then I remember I needed to check the valve clearances. Now everything I read says this should be easy.

I have it set to top dead center, and spent an hour trying to get any single one of my shims between the valve and I believe the rocker. I can’t seem to check it at all.

Any advice because this bikes kinda getting annoying at this point.

[K'hermiit]

IF you can't get the feeler gauge in there...it's too tight.

[DasEnduro]

You’re definitely correct. In all honesty I have covid and my brains foggy. Plus Everytime I go something the first time I make it harder then it has to be. I found a video where another guy ran into the same thing.

[buzz]

Too tight, adjust them then alls good.

[Thumper]

Valve adjustment on your bike is detailed on post #21 in the Templar Resource Sticky. Here it is:
https://www.chinariders.net/showpost.php?p=393474&postcount=21

Regarding the choke... make sure the cable is not bent more than necessary getting to the carb. You can also spray silicon lubriant into the cable housing from the top. Cable routing is probably the most important thing to look at.

[superjocko]

It needs to be not just TDC, but TDC of the compression stroke. If it's on TDC of the exhaust stroke, and you adjust the valve clearance there, it's going to be WAY too loose.

[DasEnduro]

Valve adjustment on your bike is detailed on post #21 in the Templar Resource Sticky. Here it is:
https://www.chinariders.net/showpost.php?p=393474&postcount=21

Regarding the choke... make sure the cable is not bent more than necessary getting to the carb. You can also spray silicon lubriant into the cable housing from the top. Cable routing is probably the most important thing to look at.

See that makes a ton of sense! The cable itself going into the carb was at a slight angle, I’ve also found where the choke lever kinda sticks and doesn’t fully close itself back. So I’m gonna tweak that a bit too.

I actually read your post regarding valve adjustment like ten times already I just couldn’t tell if I was either stupid or was trying to shim the wrong spot as it was the first time. Your posts are great by the way! Honestly you’re one of the biggest reasons I decided on an X Pro Templar X.

[DasEnduro]

It needs to be not just TDC, but TDC of the compression stroke. If it's on TDC of the exhaust stroke, and you adjust the valve clearance there, it's going to be WAY too loose.

So if I understand it correctly, the correct way is to have both valves closed when adjusting? Because if it’s bottom dead center than one’s open correct?

[GypsyR]

Cheater's way is too turn the engine until one valve is all the way open. You can watch it. The rocker goes all the way down, pauses just a little, and then starts to come back up. If you tweak it around to where it's right at that pause point you can then adjust the heck out of the other valve.
One reason for the preciseness of this is that on some cam grinds one valve can actually start opening before the other is 100% closed. Called "overlap". So you sure don't want to adjust there. But no cam opens the opposite valve when one is fully open.

(I also give Thumper a lot of blame/credit for my X purchase.)

[K'hermiit]

In regards to throttle/choke cable routing, I had better luck running mine on the opposite side of the frame...ie the right side. It created more slack in the cables.

[Thumper]

As Gypsy sez, you can wing it based on just looking at the rocker arms. The minimum lift is actually pretty broad on these OEM cams. I like to do this in the garage, take my time, remove all the stuff to make it easy, and use the breaker bar to keep the crank exactly where I want it. I take out the spark plug which eliminates compression movement. Worth the trouble in my opinion.

The front (exhaust) valve is easier to get to, but I still bend the feeler gauge 90 degrees so it's easy to get it under that foot on the rocker arm. The photo shows this. I think it's actually the intake valve, but that 90 degree bend really makes it easier to get it in there.

I also just loosen the lock nut, open up the gap, and set the feeler gauge in there, then tighten it until it closes the gap, gently, barely, using a small, and skinny flathead screwdriver. Then I look at the angle the flathead slot is. That's where I want it after tightening the lock nut.

An offset boxend wrench like these helps reach down to that lock nut (10mm). Here is a tip... The lock nut turns the threaded center/adjuster even if you are holding it with a screwdriver while tightening
So, open the gap a bit before final tightening. It can take a couple of tries to get it locked with the right gap:


30906

[DasEnduro]

Cheater's way is too turn the engine until one valve is all the way open. You can watch it. The rocker goes all the way down, pauses just a little, and then starts to come back up. If you tweak it around to where it's right at that pause point you can then adjust the heck out of the other valve.
One reason for the preciseness of this is that on some cam grinds one valve can actually start opening before the other is 100% closed. Called "overlap". So you sure don't want to adjust there. But no cam opens the opposite valve when one is fully open.

(I also give Thumper a lot of blame/credit for my X purchase.)

That makes a ton of sense! I first adjust it with one open.. then remeasured and it was way off. Then I ended up knowing I was correct but pulled out the spark plug and felt for compression which I had. To the best of my knowledge they had the proper gaps. Definitely better than the previous zero gaps.

[DasEnduro]

In regards to throttle/choke cable routing, I had better luck running mine on the opposite side of the frame...ie the right side. It created more slack in the cables.

I literally just reran then both due to your comment. After fiddling with it I think flicking the choke lever “slamming” it back into its normal position helps fully drop the choke so fingers crossed. Worst case I’ll just remove the handle bar choke and set it up on the carb itself.

[DasEnduro]

Thump you’re a real help! I appreciate everyone’s help today as I finished the task. I think I was channeling you because when I noticed it was a screw adjust type I noticed how if the nut moved half the time the set screw moved as well.