Valve Adjustment Tutorial

[hotform]

I am posting this in this thread for future reference. I had posted it earlier in response to someone that was having trouble adjusting their valves.

Are you guys using the metric reading on your gauges of .05 and .08 or are you using the American system of inches at .005 and .008? If you are using the latter, then you are setting them way too loose. My big V twin cruiser is set for .003 and .007 American.
The correct American inches in thousandths settings would be more like .0015 for intake and .0025 for exhaust, which is where I set mine with no tick. Or for those not looking at all the zeros, one and a half thousandths for the intake and two and a half thousandths for the exhaust. Not much in other words.
Are you at the correct top dead center when setting the valves? It is a 4 stroke motor, so the piston is at top dead center twice during the four strokes. At the TDC of one stroke the exhaust valve has just finished its business and the intake valve is ready to start its business and both valves are fully loaded and this it not the place to set your valves. At TDC of the compression stroke both valves are slightly relaxed. After you pull off the inspection cap on top where you line up your timing mark, is there a cover down around the side with 4 bolts in it that you can take off? If so, put a drain pan under it and take it off, you won't loose too much oil. There should be a bolt inside that you can put a socket on to turn the engine over. Take the spark plug out so it will turn easier and so you don't have to worry about undue pressure creating resistance and somehow loosening something up. Turn it counterclockwise to line up the timing mark. This is in the Lifan owners manual.
When you reach the timing mark, grab the rocker arm at the adjustment nut of the exhaust valve and see if you can wiggle it up and down slightly. If you cannot, then you are at the wrong place in the 4 stroke cycle. Go around 360 degrees and do it again. Do they wiggle now? Compare the two times you did it, which one wiggled. It must wiggle or you do not have the valves relaxed. If you have set them incorrectly at the wrong mark, and I suspect you have, then they will wiggle a bunch when you are in the right spot.
If you are working with the American inches system then set them to .0015 intake and .0025 or .002 exhaust. My needed settings were printed on a label under the left side of the seat.
Need a tool for moving the little square adjuster on top? You can make a quick one out of a number two square drive wood screw and a small yellow wire nut. Just cut the screw back a bit and screw it up into the wire nut. Or a strip of old credit card works great with little square cut out of it.
Now if you are in the right spot at TDC, loosen the nut on top of the adjuster with a 10mm wrench. Insert the correct feeler gauge. Screw the adjuster down with the wire nut tool you just made. Check to make sure your feeler gauge will still move, but just barely with a lot of drag. Now while holding onto the wire nut tool so the adjuster doesn't tighten as you tighten down the nut.
The following is a nice tutorial on adjusting valves. It was made for larger V-Twin Suzuki's, but the principles are the same. This is where I learned to do it working on my street bike. When I did my Lifan valves Friday, it only took me a scant 15 minutes to do so, as I was now an expert from doing my Suzuki a while back.

http://www.therusks.com/index.php?mo...JAS_File_id=50

Here are the links to three pictures showing the tool made out of a wire nut.

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...justment-1.jpg

And this one.

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...justment-2.jpg

One more

http://www.motorcycle-journal.com/fo...justment-3.jpg

One more thing, be patient. The first time I ever did valves I thought I was going to kill someone or something I got so frustrated. It wasn't until I had a cold beer, sat down and thought about 4 strokes and realized the relaxed position I needed to have the valves in, that I got it right. I think a lot of people get frustrated the first time they do it, and a lot of them end up with valves that tick and have to do over again.

[psheffie]

This guide was extremely helpful and easy to follow.
Thanks much.

[humanbeing]

Originally Posted by red2003

Several members have asked for a tutorial on adjusting the valves on these 163fml type motors, so here goes ...

Honda 63.5 x 62.2mm aka "MD29E" in XLR200 suggest IN/EX: .10mm +/-.02mm Data from Honda delear in Japan http://www.ride-inc.net/file/32/data.pdf
Service manual: http://www.4shared.com/document/xZy8...R_modifie.html
The later Brazil made (same "bore & stroke") also use the SAME adjusment.
http://www.4shared.com/file/gxamcRPV...ice_Manual.htm
-
motomanual.com.ar had many Honda parts / service manual in Brazilian Portuguese about "this" engine type.

[kevshek]

Hi Guys,
Im midway through doing my valve clearances and have ran into a problem. A quick skim read of the thread suggests that others may have had this issue too. Heres my problem, the T mark on my flywheel does NOT correspond to TDC on the compression stroke. So before i break anything, id like your opinions please.

Heres the senario. Ive removed my tank/fairing obviously, remove plug, removed viewing cap and crank nut cover. Im using a 14mm socket to turn the engine over for precise control. On the flywheel, there are 2 sets of marking at opposite ends. Ive found the T mark and have confirmed its TDC by dropping a rod down the spark plug hole, but its not the compression stroke, as when my thumb is over the spark plug hole, there is no pressure and the rocker arms are tight. Also just before the T mark, the is also what looks like a F mark on its side. See pics below.

As im turning the engine over, this is the "F" mark that appears as im approaching one of the TDC.


If i turn a fraction more, youll see the "T" mark appear next to the F mark, here is it coming into view.


If i turn a little more, the "T" mark now lines up with the case mark at TDC BUT NOT ON COMPRESSION STROKE


The only time i get it TDC on the COMPRESSION STROKE, with pressure on my thumb at the spark hole, and the rockers feeling LOOSE is when i hit these 2 lines on the opposite side of the flywheel.



Before i do something wrong, can someone confirm which marks im using ? Also, as you can see, there is a slight gap between the 2 "||" (vertical marks) but which one is actual TDC? the 1st or 2nd one and your turning the engine over?

[Weldangrind]

You are indeed using the correct mark. The crankshaft gear is exactly twice the size of the crank gear, which means that you need to turn the engine one more revolution if you don't find the compression stroke the first time. Make sense?

[kevshek]

Ah, just ignore the above, i figured it out now. I redid the test by using my thumb, and it does compress as i approach the T mark, and the rocker arms do become loose. Ive now adjusted them and will putting the bike together tomorrow.

[kevshek]

One thing that hasnt been mentioned what is the torque setting for the lock nut? I ask cos i dont want to snap the rocker arm, and these bikes vibrate really badly and everything becomes loose!

[FastDoc]

Just snug. Maybe 5-7 foot lbs.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by kevshek

One thing that hasnt been mentioned what is the torque setting for the lock nut? I ask cos i dont want to snap the rocker arm, and these bikes vibrate really badly and everything becomes loose!

I tighten the lock nuts pretty hard on my Zongshen/Yamaha engine; this technique has never harmed my bike. However, the Hondoid bikes might be different.

Spud

[Weldangrind]

I make 'em pretty tight on Hondas and clones as well. A buddy of mine set his valves and didn't tighten the nuts enough, with nearly disastrous results. We were able to fish the nut out of the bottom of the engine and replace the damaged stuff, so he got lucky.

[Weldangrind]

Were the valves too tight, kevshek?

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

Were the valves too tight, kevshek?

X2. How far out of adjustment were the valves?

Spud

[kevshek]

you know, i cant remember! i dont think i even measured them before, i just loosend the lock nut, backed it off and set about dialing them in. If anything, maybe they were too loose, ie gap too big. I do remember being able to wiggle them cos it made a ticking noise side to side.

[Weldangrind]

It has been my experience with China motors that the exhaust valve is too tight, which doesn't allow pressure to build.

[SpudRider]

I replaced the cylinder head on the engine of my Zongshen 200GY-2 at 31,500 miles. The intake valve was receding into the cylinder head, so the intake valve lash was always tight. My bike was very difficult to start with a tight intake valve.

Spud