Adjusting 1050 Valve Clearances

champ87 · Feb 28, 2010

Downloadable pdf Guide to Sprint Valve Clearance Checking and Adjustment

The original posts in this thread have lost some value due to lack of images. Links to images were removed when this site was upgraded leaving only blank spaces between the descriptive text. To overcome this issue I have put the original content, including photos, into the attached pdf file. This has added benefit since it can be downloaded, printed or viewed on a computer or phone more easily than the original post.

Attachments

Triumph Sprint 1050 Valve Clearance Check and Adjustment.pdf
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Adjusting 1050 Valve Clearances – Part 1 - Preparation to Part 5 Notes

Adjusting 1050 Valve Clearances – Part 1

For anyone considering doing this job here are details of work I did recently to check and adjust valve clearances on my 2006 Sprint ST 1050 (22,000+ miles). I’ve posted this thread and photos to help others become familiar with the process – it is not intended to be a substitute for a maintenance manual.

This write-up begins with the fairing, tank and airbox already removed to gain access to the cylinder head area. If you need a write up for that part of the job then I suggest you go no further (click here instead).

Method Statement
A general clean up was required before starting work to ensure no dirt got into exposed engine internals. Some components were removed to allow removal of the cam cover. Spark plugs were removed to eliminate compression resistance. The inspection plate was removed from the right hand crank cover to allow the engine to be rotated using the crankshaft end bolt. After removal of the cam cover valve clearances were checked.
Some adjustment was needed so the camshafts had to be removed. That required removal of the cam chain tensioner. Following camshaft removal valve tappet buckets (followers) and shims were removed. Existing shims were measured and that information was used to determine the correct thicknesses of replacement shims needed to bring valve clearances back to a desired value.
Correct thickness shims were placed over the valve head and the tappet buckets were refitted in the cylinder head. The cams were refitted, cam chain put back in place and valve clearances rechecked. After confirming that the new clearances were within range, remaining parts were reassembled.

Tools required
In addition to the regular selection of sockets and wrenches, the following were required:

Feeler gauges (recommend offset gauge similar to Craftsman 26 Leaf Offset Gauge).
8mm hex bit or key to rotate crank.
6mm hex bit to torque cam cover bolts.
Torque wrench (range to include settings from 9Nm to 23Nm).
T30 Torx bit to remove/refit cam chain block.
Magnetic pickup tool or other means to lift out tappet buckets.
Micrometer.

(The last 3 items were not required for checking – only for adjustment).

Replacement Parts

Shims for adjusting valve clearances – sizes determined by measurement of existing shims.
Cam chain tensioner gasket (there is also a sealing washer on the center nut but it is not listed as a separate part on the Triumph parts list).

Consumables

Silicone sealer for corners of cam cover.
Small quantity of fresh engine oil for re-assembly / top up on completion.
Plenty of paper towels.
Piece of wood to wedge cam chain tensioner blade when removing tensioner (not required if not removing cams). With hindsight I feel a clean offcut piece of hosepipe may work better.

1: Preparation

The bike was washed prior to starting any work. After gaining access to the cylinder head area I did a further clean up using compressed air to remove loose debris, followed by a general wipe around to provide a clean work area.
Next, the throttle cables were removed from the throttle bodies and moved out of the way.
I marked cylinder numbers on the spark plug coils before pulling them off the plugs.
My bike has the original SAI system in place. I disconnected the 3 hoses from the valve covers.
The manual says remove the air deflector shield. That’s not necessary – I simply moved it out of the way.
I used more blasts of compressed air to blow any loose dirt out of the spark plug wells. After removing the spark plugs I rolled up some paper towel into the spark plug wells to prevent ingress of dirt.
I removed the inspection plate from the right hand crank cover to allow the engine to be rotated using the crankshaft end bolt.
Some wires and pipes were moved out of the way to make removal of the cam cover easier.
I loosened the cam cover bolts in the recommended sequence then removed them (see Note 2).
A light tap with a rubber mallet released the cam cover. It was finally removed taking care not to lose the SAI dowels when lifting the cover off – they may come out attached to the cover or could remain in place in the cylinder head.
There are 3 round seals around the plug towers. I left them in place to avoid the risk of forgetting to put them back.

Cam cover removed – note different bolt/shank lengths

Camshaft area opened ready for valve checking - note round plug tower seals left in place

champ87 · Feb 28, 2010

Adjusting 1050 Valve Clearances – Part 2 - Checking

2: Checking Valve Clearances

I wrote out a simple chart to record clearance measurements for each pair of inlet and each pair of exhaust valves for each cylinder.
I started with inlets for Cylinder #1 (cylinders are numbered 1-2-3 from left). Watching the cams I rotated the crank until camshaft lobes for Inlet Valves 1 & 2 were facing away from the valves.
I measured the clearance using a set of offset feeler gauges. They provided easier access than those with straight blades. The gauges I used are incremented in 0.001” stages – I converted to equivalent metric measurements.
I recorded the measurements for Valve 1 then checked Valve 2 in the same way.
The valve timing is such that cam lobes for Exhaust Valves 3 & 4 will be pointing away from the valves at the same time as Inlet Valves 1 & 2. I measured and recorded clearances for Exhaust Valves 3 & 4.
I rotated the crank until the lobes for Cylinder 2 inlet valves were pointing away from the valves. I measured and recorded the readings for Inlet Valves 3 & 4 and Exhaust Valves 5 & 6.
Finally I rotated the crank until the lobes for Cylinder 3 inlet valves were pointing away from the valves. I measured and recorded the readings for Inlet Valves 5 & 6 and Exhaust Valves 1 & 2.
I now had a complete list of clearances for all 12 valves. Clearance was out of range for 3 valves. I noted that these were all Cylinder 3.
If all clearances had been within range I could have simply put it all back together. In this case, however, adjustment was required.

Camshaft positioned to measure clearances for Inlet Valves 5 & 6

champ87 · Feb 28, 2010

Adjusting 1050 Valve Clearances – Part 3 - Adjusting

3: Adjusting Valve Clearances

To adjust valve clearances the camshafts must be removed to gain access to the valve tappet buckets (followers) and shims. Before removing the cams it makes good sense to rotate the engine to the reference position for reinstallation. Cylinder #1 is set at Top Dead Center with the indicator marks on the camshaft sprockets aligned (see Note 4). I found it necessary to remove the bracket that holds the electrical relays to the outside of the frame member to get a good view of cam sprocket alignment. From this point the engine should not be turned until reinstallation of the camshafts has been completed.
The next task was to remove the cam chain tensioner. I supported the tensioner blade using a piece of wood as recommended by the maintenance manual. Next I removed the center bolt and spring from the tensioner. Finally I removed the two bolts holding the tensioner in place and removed it.
I removed the cam chain top pad. There are 2 bolts and a screw that requires a T30 Torx bit. Caution: that Torx bolt is short – learn from my experience (see Note 5).
Upper bearing surfaces for the cams are part of the cam caps and cam ladder. It is essential that these are refitted in the same position they were prior to removal. I removed the cam caps. They already had factory markings but I added my own to make sure I knew which way to refit them.
I marked the cam ladder to indicate orientation. It is essential to remove the bolts holding the cam ladder in the correct sequence. I released the bolts in stages following the sequence specified in the manual. With all the bolts released I lifted the cam ladder away from the cams being careful not to lose any of the dowels fitted to the ladder.
I lifted each camshaft away from the head while removing the cam chain from the sprockets.
With clear access to the tappet buckets I lifted them out of the head using a magnetic pickup tool. By using a magnet the shims were also lifted away from the valve at the same time.
I laid out all the buckets and shims in the correct order on a marked sheet of paper. I then measured the thickness of each shim. With this information I calculated the thickness for replacement shims to achieve the desired clearance (see Note 6).
Although only 3 valve clearances were out of spec, I adjusted others to bring them close to my target range of 0.15mm for inlet valves and 0.25mm for exhaust valves. After a little bit of swapping around I worked out that I needed 4 new shims to achieve my target clearances. Then it was off to the dealer’s to pick up the necessary shims (see Notes 7 & 8).

Camshafts aligned prior to removal

So that’s what the cam chain tensioner looks like – note ratchet on plunger

Using a magnetic tool to remove the bucket will also lift the shim from valve

Camshaft ladder and caps, camshafts, valve tappet buckets and shims laid out in the correct order

champ87 · Feb 28, 2010

Adjusting 1050 Valve Clearances - Part 4 Putting it back together

4: Putting It Back Together

With new shims in hand I arranged all shims by destination alongside the corresponding tappet bucket. The tappet buckets must be replaced in their original location otherwise the measurements taken earlier will be invalid.
Starting with Inlet Valve 1, I applied a few drops of fresh engine oil to the shim then placed it in the recess in the valve spring cap, checking that it was properly seated. A few more drops of oil were applied to the tappet bucket before it was placed over the valve and spring. I repeated this for each inlet valve before moving onto the exhaust valves all the time double-checking that each shim and bucket was placed over the correct valve.
At this point all valves were held fully closed by their springs so, if necessary, the crank could be turned without risk of a piston contacting a valve. This was a good opportunity to make certain that the crank was still positioned with Cylinder #1 at Top Dead Center. I checked that the T1 mark on the sprag clutch was still aligned with the line at the bottom of the cover.
Prior to reinstalling the camshafts I gave everything a good wipe and inspection to make sure that the cam journals, cylinder head bearing surfaces, cam ladder and end caps were spotlessly clean. The slightest piece of dirt or grit trapped in any of the bearing surfaces when they are tightened down could cause severe damage over time.
At this point I took the opportunity to check the camshaft journals and clearances. I may post a description of this at a later point in this thread.
I applied some fresh engine oil onto the bearing surfaces then put the exhaust cam in position with its alignment marks in the correct position. I lifted the cam chain to ensure it was engaged with the lower sprocket then looped it over the cam sprocket. I repeated the same steps for the inlet cam.
I checked that the indicator marks on the camshaft sprockets were correctly aligned. It is essential that the camshafts are in the correct position. If they are out of alignment the exhaust and inlet valves may contact each other or the pistons.
I poured more clean engine oil onto the camshaft journals and, making sure the 3 sealing rings were still in place around the plug towers, I placed the cam ladder and cam caps in position, inserted the bolts and tightened them by hand. As a precaution I used paper towel to remove any excess oil from the bolt holes before inserting the bolts. The manual states that these bolts should be lubricated before tightening, That is just as well since, by this stage, everything is pretty well lubed anyway. I also refitted the cam chain block - it is held down by two of the cam cap bolts. I tightened the cam ladder and cam cap bolts in stages following the sequence specified in the manual until the specified torque was achieved. The last fixing was the small torx bolt to hold the cam chain block.
Before refitting the cam chain tensioner I removed the center bolt and spring then reset the plunger to the first notch on the ratchet as described in the manual. I removed the piece of wood that had been supporting the cam chain tensioner blade. A new gasket was put in place on the cam chain tensioner before it was refitted to the cylinder head. The plunger is pushed in by hand through the bolt hole in the center of the tensioner. The spring, bolt and sealing washer can then be put back into place and tightened.
I made another visual check of the crankshaft T1 mark and the camshaft alignment marks. When I was certain that everything was in the correct position I turned the crank to make sure the cams were turning freely. I turned the crank several more times to settle everything into position then I rechecked the valve clearances.
I replaced the inspection plate from the right hand crank cover.
I applied a small drop of silicone sealer to the tight corners of the cam cover gasket as shown in the manual. I checked to make sure that the 3 plug tower seals were still in place and the cam cover dowels correctly located then the cam cover was carefully put back in position.
The 6 cam cover bolts were inserted in their correct location and tightened to the correct torque in small increments following the sequence specified in the manual. I did a good check around the cam cover joint to make sure that the gasket hadn’t come dislodged or pinched.
I reconnected wires and pipes that had been moved out of the way during removal.
I fitted new spark plugs. Tip – the spark plug towers are deep so I pushed a piece of hosepipe over the spark plug and used it to insert the plug and screw the initial portion by hand to avoid crossed threads.
The air deflector shield was moved back into its correct position and the 3 SAI hoses reconnected.
Before fitting the spark plug coils I replaced the coil seals – my Sprint still had the old type so I replaced them with new ones (Part # T1291511).
Next, the throttle cables were refitted to the throttle bodies and adjusted.
I’d made changes that can affect the way the engine runs so I needed to check to throttle balance. The airbox and tank were put back in position on a temporary basis, battery reconnected and then it was startup time. Everything looked and sounded good as the engine warmed up.
After completing the throttle balance I let everything cool down then removed the tank and airbox again. I wanted to check around the cam cover for any leaks and I also wanted to check the cam cover bolts for correct torque following the stress-relief provided by running the engine through a heat cycle. That step is not described in the manual – it’s a personal preference.
Valve clearance and adjustment was now complete. The airbox and tank would be refitted after completing other tasks on my maintenance list.

Measuring shim thickness

Shims are marked to indicate thickness (this one is 2.700mm) but they need to be measured in case of wear

Ready for re-assembly – note sealing rings around plug towers

Re-assembly - shim placed in Exhaust Valve 5. Inlet valve shims and tappet buckets already in place

champ87 · Feb 28, 2010

Adjusting 1050 Valve Clearances – Part 5 - Notes

Notes:

Correct torque settings are absolutely essential to ensure even tightening of components. I have not given torque settings. I don’t want to encourage anyone to tackle this without a manual.
Sequence for removal of the cam cover bolts is specified in the factory maintenance manual. The manual says “Two longer bolts are fitted at the end adjacent to the cam chain…” No, they’re shorter (see photo).
Measurement revealed only 3 valve clearances out of range, each with too much clearance. The differences were small so it was tempting to ignore them and leave everything alone. However, they were out of spec and I knew that it wouldn’t get any better. That would bug me until my next major maintenance session. With the camshaft area already open it made sense to continue and complete the job properly (is there any other way?).
Before removing the camshafts I rotated the engine to the reference position used for reinstallation. I did that by aligning the T1 mark on the sprag clutch with the line at the bottom of the cover where the inspection plate was removed. The T1 mark indicates Cylinder #1 at Top Dead Center. That will occur twice per complete engine cycle (2 crankshaft revolutions) so I used indicator marks on the camshaft sprockets to ensure that the camshafts were in the reference position. There is an advantage to doing this prior to camshaft removal. At this point there are no valves in a fully open position so there is minimal pressure on the camshafts. That avoids unnecessary bending moments on the cams as the cam ladder bolts are loosened.
After removing the two longer bolts from the cam chain block the shorter torx screw came out quicker than expected. In a brief moment of carelessness I dropped it and it fell into the cam chain tunnel. Fortunately I was able to recover it after a bit of fishing with a magnetic pickup tool. If I hadn’t been able to do that it would have been necessary to drain the oil and remove the right hand engine cover to retrieve that bolt.
Required thickness for replacement shims is calculated as follows:
Measured Clearance + Shim Thickness – Target Clearance = Required Shim Thickness.
For Inlet Valve 6 the calculation was 0.203 + 2.649 – 0.150 = 2.702. For that valve the new shim needs to be 2.70mm (a shim marked 270). For calculation my target clearance was mid-point of the range specified in the manual. That gave me a target of 0.15mm for inlet valves and 0.25mm for exhaust valves
The valve shims are marked to indicate thickness. “270” indicates a thickness of 2.700mm. A shim 2.475mm thickness is marked “248”. Replacement shims are available in 0.025mm increments from 1.70mm to 3.00mm.
The adjustment shims are 9.5mm diameter. That is a common size so if a Triumph dealer is not close then a local Yamaha, Suzuki or Honda dealer (and some auto dealers) may have suitable shims (and cheaper). I went with the Triumph items – it made me feel better for some strange reason!

There are more photos in this gallery.

DevilDog · Jan 18, 2011

Comments and another Question

champ87 said:
Notes:
Measurement revealed only 3 valve clearances out of range, each with too much clearance. The differences were small so it was tempting to ignore them and leave everything alone. However, they were out of spec and I knew that it wouldn’t get any better. That would bug me until my next major maintenance session.

Required thickness for replacement shims is calculated as follows:
Measured Clearance + Shim Thickness – Target Clearance = Required Shim Thickness.
For Inlet Valve 6 the calculation was 0.203 + 2.649 – 0.150 = 2.702. For that valve the new shim needs to be 2.70mm (a shim marked 270). For calculation my target clearance was mid-point of the range specified in the manual. That gave me a target of 0.15mm for inlet valves and 0.25mm for exhaust valves

The valve shims are marked to indicate thickness. “270” indicates a thickness of 2.700mm. A shim 2.475mm thickness is marked “248”. Replacement shims are available in 0.025mm increments from 1.70mm to 3.00mm.

I like your methodology. Would it be possible to get the original shim sizes? I found on my FJR that there were only two or three sizes coming from the factory. Rather than getting a shim kit which come in with 3 shims at .05mm intervals over a range that makes many of them useless. You can get shim packs with 5 shims at 6 specific sizes. You may have to buy two packs but they will all be in a useful range. I did something similar to what you did as well. I only had one shim that was very slightly our of range, only a bit tight. I changed four exhaust shims to make all exhaust valves to as close to the center as possible. Right or wrong, IMO, making everything uniform helps. Now, if I only had one that was very slightly out of range on the loose side, I would have left it alone. Loose will eventually tighten up and doesn't do any harm. Tight can cause damage.

champ87 · Mar 2, 2010

Adjusting 1050 Valve Clearances – Addendum

At this point I took the opportunity to check the camshaft journals and clearances. I may post a description of this at a later point in this thread.

As mentioned earlier in the thread here’s a description of the steps taken to check the camshaft journals and clearances. This is not a “how to” – more of a “how I did it” to show others what’s involved. As mentioned in the valve adjustment description cleanliness is vital.

Measuring Camshaft Journals and Clearances

The journals are the bearing surfaces on each camshaft. The journals, 4 on each cam, rotate in corresponding bearing surfaces in the cam ladder and cam caps. Correctly installed there is a specific gap between each of the bearing surfaces. As the engine runs oil is forced or drawn through holes in the camshaft journals to form a film in each of the bearing surfaces. The camshaft “floats” on this film.

Measuring Camshaft Journals

Measuring camshaft journals is simply a matter of using a micrometer. The only special care required is to avoid the oil throw holes and ensure that the journal is measured at its widest part to record correct diameter.

Measuring camshaft journals is a simple process. With the measurement locked the micrometer should pass across the cam journal smoothly while contacting the journal lightly each side.

Measuring Clearances

Clearance is measured using a piece of Plastigage. Plastigage is an extruded plastic “thread”. When compressed it maintains its cross-sectional area so thickness can be determined by the width of the compressed Plastigage.

Plastigage is available in different sizes to be used according to the clearance to be measured. I used green for the standard journal and red for the outrigger journals.

A small strip of Plastigage is placed on the camshaft journal. A thin smear of grease holds it in place

Checking is carried out on one camshaft at a time. Here only the inlet cam is in place. The cam ladder and cam caps are fitted and tightened to the correct torque.

Contd……

champ87 · Mar 2, 2010

……contd

When the cam caps and cam ladder are removed we can see the compressed Plastigage on each journal.

Using the scale on the package we can measure the width of compressed Plastigage and read off the corresponding thickness. This will tell us the clearance.

After doing the Plastigage checks I was left fairly unimpressed by this method. It’s fiddly and I didn’t have total confidence in the end results – although I have to admit they were very consistent. However, I don’t know what the alternative might be. With the engine on a bench a dial bore gauge would be better but with the engine still in the frame I can’t see enough room to do that.

For the DIYer this is probably the only realistic option for checking clearances. Even with the cylinder head on a bench a dial bore gauge could be an expensive option. These journals are less than 23mm (0.9”) diameter so that old budget cylinder bore gauge your dad used on his big-block Chevy is not going to get you there. For a fussy owner with a high mileage motor, taking the parts to a good engine/machine shop is more likely to achieve the right “peace of mind” or early warning of a bad future.

dr_gallup · Mar 6, 2010

Really nice write up. FWIW, when I worked in the Mack Trucks Engine Development Lab we used plastigage to check the clearances on every crank main bearing and big end rod bearing when we built up a test engine. We would measure all the parts separately first but we always checked the bolted up clearances with plastigage before we buttoned everything up. I agree, it's a little fiddly but there really is no other way to check the clearances when everything it torqued up.

champ87 · Mar 9, 2010

Part Numbers for Valve Adjustment Shim

The attached pdf file lists Triumph Part Numbers for 9.5mm dia. shims required for valve adjustment on the 1050 Engine.

These shims also apply to 955 engines from Engine No. 148483. I haven't verified the Triumph part numbers for the 955 but BikeBandit.com lists the same part numbers for 1050 & newer 955engines.

yeemartin · May 31, 2010

I just adjusted my valves today, my first time. My bike is '04 955i, it has the same shim under the bucket mechanism and it's very similar to the 1050i. I bought the kawasaki shim kit from ebay. I never took camshafts off from any engine before, so I was a little nerves.
But the instructions in this post helped me a lot, I knew what I will encounter before I actually opened anything.

The whole process took pretty long, It took me about 7 hours. Taking the cams off and replace the shims were easy. Strangely though, all the intake clearance were 0.20mm except one was 0.18mm. All the exhaust clearance were 0.25mm except one was 0.28mm. So I changed the shims to make them as close to 0.15mm or 0.25mm as possible. This shim replacement didn't take me much time.
But I had some troubles when I was putting stuffs back on. After the cams were out, I didn't use anything to lift the cam chain up, it somehow slipped out from the drive gear ( the gear at the bottom near crank shaft which drive the cam chain, it seemed there is noway to get it unless I open the transmission). It took me about 40 minutes to get it hooked back on the drive gear without opening the transmission. Another trouble occurred when I was installing the cams. I thought I got the arrows on the cams pointing each other, but after I put all the cam caps and chain tensioner back, they were not aligned! I guess it was because the chain wasn't tight enough when I put the cams on. So re-dissemble cams, and guess what, I got the chain slipped from the drive gear again! Damn it. Another 30 minutes.

Many hours later, I got everything back on and changed the oil. Engine runs pretty good, at least nothing broke. The valves ticking sound is noticeable little less than before. But it is still there. I guess you can never get rid off the ticking from our triples anyway. I learned a lot today, and it was a very long day. Thank you Champ87 for the detailed instructions

. if I had not seen this post, I wouldn't have the courage to do this job.

Markovich · Jun 1, 2010

Congrats Yeemartin!

7 hours is a good sign that you took your time, which raises the likelihood of a job well done

. The first time is always the hardest.

Re the cam chain, it's only the clutch cover that needs to come off to see the lower cam gear and check the timing marks (if you're concerned that the timing may have shifted - it absolutely musn't before reassembly!). The clutch cover is relatively simple on the 955's compared to 1050's, but will usually require a new gasket.

The manuals usually tell you to drop the oil to remove the clutch cover, but you don't really need to, only a bit of oil is lost. And if you put the bike on it's side-stand, you won't lose any. I mention this because is probably best to open it up if you have any doubts about timing etc, you'll have greater peace of mind in the end.

Looser valve gaps are much safer than tight gaps. Loose can be slightly noisier, and even drop a smidgeon of performance, but are completely safe. Tight can deliver a little more performance, and run quieter, but over-tight can lead to engine damage.

The cam chain can be tricky, and trying to keep good tension on the opposite side to the tensioner on reassembly (keeping an close eye on alignment marks) had mine always trying to jump the teeth. But it certainly sounds like you nailed it.

The only complaint (if you could call it that) you ever hear about the 955's is the slightly agricultural sound of the engine, but it's part of the nature and soul of these wonderful beasts. My '01 engine is the noisiest of the lot (with it's added alternator gear), and almost makes my '07 sound like a (soul-less) sewing machine by comparison. But they all sound better than a Ducati dry clutch

I too used Champ87's fantastic step-through. I also have both 955 (Triumph) and 1050 (Haynes) workshop manuals to refer to, but description's like Champ's always seem to fill the holes left by the "official" manuals very nicely indeed. Thanks Champ87 for going to the trouble, you gave us a fantastic resource!

champ87 · Jun 1, 2010

Markovich said:
......description's like Champ's always seem to fill the holes left by the "official" manuals very nicely indeed.

Thanks for the feedback. If my write up helps another forum member or gives someone the confidence to tackle a new job by taking the mystery out of it then that's satisfying for me.

Other forum members' posts have helped me in so many ways. It's only fair that I should pay back whatever way I can.

morvegil · Jul 22, 2010

Seems complicated!

nc-daddy · Jul 22, 2010

Awesome Write Up, Champ!

Champ,

Thanks a million for taking the time to do such an awesome write up for this job.

I'll be using your guide very soon to do this job on my 06 Sprint and already contacted my local dealer to make sure they have the shims and gaskets in stock.

Great work and very, very much appreciated!!!

Cheers! :beerchug

Terry

sephilosophia · Oct 29, 2010

Nice guide, although I may never use it. Had my valve clearance done last week when I had her at the 20000km inspection. Didn't change the oil afterwards. Is it necessary? Was planning on changing it before I put her into hibernation next month

champ87 · Oct 30, 2010

sephilosophia said:
Had my valve clearance done last week when I had her at the 20000km inspection. Didn't change the oil afterwards. Is it necessary?

Depends on the condition of your oil. Adjusting valves doesn't mean you have to change oil. They do often go hand-in-hand though if people are adjusting their valves as part of regular maintenance that includes oil change anyway.

sephilosophia · Oct 30, 2010

Adjusting valves doesn't mean you have to change oil

Ah, ok, thanks. It sounded like it from the posts above. Oil is 4500km "old", was about to change it at ~5000, but the thread got me a bit insecure if maybe adjusting valves means loss of oil or something

domfergo · Dec 28, 2010

a big thanks to champ for posting such a detailed guide!!

i recently had my bike in the shop getting a new tyre put on when the rang me and told me that i had tight exhaust valuve clearences(didnt know you had to go threw the engine to get to the rear tyre

i started to worry and look into what i could do next. I could not afford to have the shop do the job as they quoted me around the $1000 mark. Thats when i found this guide and got a copy of the service manual.

I have since completed checking and changing my shims. As it turned out the shop was pulling my leg! i didnt have any tight valve clearences but i did have 7 of 12 out of spec on the loose side. All but one was very close, one was .355 for an exhaust valve. Not being a machenic i would never would of had the courage to do such a task with out your help champ!

All in all it cost me less then $5 for the tensioner gasket the rest of the consumables i had at my disposal. Handy doing the working in a helicopter maintaince shed!

My 06 sprint has 25000km on it now, is it safe to say that i should not have to worry about the valves for another 20000km?

Thanks again Champ

Cheers

Mass

domfergo · Jan 14, 2011

just a quick question re the valves

i completed the job on christmas day and was sent out to work away from home up until now. when i completed the job i ran the bike and went threw a few heating cycles ti check for leaks and also to clear a engine light on the dash caused by a rat chewing my cables.

now that i am back i took my sprint for its first run since doing the valves. i notice that there is a fast tick tick tick sound coming from the engine. i dont remember it being there after i finished the job. it is only quite but can be heard from beside the engine with the fairings off but not if i am standing up or on the bike.

just wondering if this is normal? or that i may have missed something while doing the job. i was extremely careful to make sure that everything went as planned. as far i know it did.

i did check the adjustment before screwin the everything back together and all the adjustments were spot on the money!

the test ride today was for 40km and it ran beautifully and even seemed to have a pick up in performance. i did notice that when returning from reving back to idle in neutral the engine did dip a little low down below idle revs.

does anyone else have this noise?

just a little worried i may of hurt my favorite toy

cheers mass

champ87 · Jan 14, 2011

domfergo,

The valve train on these engines is quite noisy so your ticking may just be part of that. It's obvuously not very loud so maybe you just begain to notice it while listening for any problems after your work.

Without hearing your bike I can't say for sure but if all your clearances checked out and you re-assembled everything correctly then it's probably nothing major. Any unusual noise needs investigation though so see if you can figure out where it's coming from to decide if it's a growing problem or just normal operation.

DevilDog · Jan 18, 2011

Great writeup champ87!!!! I'm right about to pop the valve cover off, but would like to ask two questions. That valve cover seems like it was put on with super glue. Did you have any problems getting it off and do you have any recommendations for its removal? The other question is how did you get a torque value on the right rear bolt? I had to use an allen wrench to get mine off.
Thanks,
Rod

champ87 · Jan 18, 2011

DevilDog said:
That valve cover seems like it was put on with super glue. Did you have any problems getting it off and do you have any recommendations for its removal?

I made sure that all obstructions (cables, wires, pipes) were moved aside. To release the cam cover on my Sprint I just tapped it all around with a rubber mallet. In my write-up I described it as a "light tap". In reality it was several firm knocks but I was cautious with my description because I didn't want to encourage anyone to beat their cam cover to death!

As well as the bond between gasket faces I guess the SAI dowels between cover and head could hinder removal if they're a tight fit in their holes. I didn't have a problem there but a little bit of movement as the cover is lifted should release them.

DevilDog said:
The other question is how did you get a torque value on the right rear bolt? I had to use an allen wrench to get mine off.

I don't know about your Tiger but on my Sprint I had clear access to tighten the bolts. I used a 1/4" drive and extension bar on my torque wrench.

DevilDog said:
Would it be possible to get the original shim sizes?

Do you mean the actual sizes that were installed in my bike? I'm not sure how that would help you as your bike will have different sizes. Triumph shims are available in 0.025mm increments from 1.70mm to 3.00mm. I attached a list with part numbers in Post #9 of this thread.

As mentioned in the notes section 9.5mm diameter. is a common size so a Yamaha, Suzuki or Honda dealer would most likely have the correct size shims. Alternatively you could buy a kit with a range of sizes as Ghopki1 suggested in this thread. I believe the kit is Part # HCSHIM02 from Hot Cams but check that if you intend to buy.

DevilDog · Jan 18, 2011

Thanks for your response.
I have already cleaned about everything out of the way. Didn't notice you had a Sprint. Different frames answers the rr bolt question. Not sure if I have 1/4" allen socket but even that would be a tight fit on a Tiger.

The reason I asked about your original shim size is that a kit has 47 sizes of 3 shims each from 1.20 to 3.50mm. A pack has 6 sizes with 5 shims each for 30 total shims. For a particular bike, especially on the first shim change, you probably won't have more than a range of stock from the factory base sizes of 3 to six sizes and they will be close. Maybe you might have differences between ex and in, don't know on the triple. The FJR did not, they were all very close and I covered it with one pack. With modern machine tolerances I don't see a one at 1.20 and another at 3.50 with the rest scattered in between.

I'm hoping to pop the top tonight. I don't trust myself with brute force. Never learned to tread lightly

champ87 · Jan 18, 2011

I really don't see how this information helps you. You can't assume you'll have the same and you'll only know what (range) you need when you pull the cam cover and measure what's in your bike. Anyway, here it is.

For mine the inlet side were:

3 shims @ 2.650mm
3 shims @ 2.700mm

On the exhaust side there were:

1 shim @ 2.425mm
3 shims @ 2.450mm
2 shims @ 2.475mm

I bought 4 shims - 2.425, 2.525, 2.675 & 2.750mm.

Why did I need 4 shims when only 3 valves were out of spec? Well, I wanted to get all my clearances as close as possible to each other so even though only 3 needed adjustment I actually changed 7 using new shims and swapping around exisiting shims.

DevilDog · Jan 19, 2011

I fully understand why you changed 7, did the same with my FJR and may do the same with Tiger. You may want to look at www.maultechatv.com. It has a table and calculator for figuring out the right size shim. It's kind of a no brainer but some guys have an aversion to math

Let me explain what I'm talking about using your data. I'm looking to buy enough shims to keep on hand for any future changes, not just what I need now. On the inlet side you have 2.65 and 2.70 shims and the range is 2.40 to 2.50. I'm looking at .05 mm intervals. Since a Hot Cams Kit gives you only three at one particular setting it is possible that you won't have enough shims to complete the job. That would have happened on my FJR.
A kit has 47 sizes at .05mm intervals, 3 shims per size. The kit costs about $80 but you will be very unlikely to use 35 sizes/ 105 shims. A refill pack costs $36, has six sizes and 5 shims of each size. If I were ordering blind I could get the two packs that cover from 2.40 to 2.95 for about $72 and have a much higher probability of having shims that I need on hand. Once I measure mine, I will know which to order. The final factor in which I choose will be how tight or loose things look. Like I said before, IMO it much better to err on the side of loose than tight.

P.S. - All the shim talk is now mute. All valves well within specs. Time to button Tony back up.
Thanks for all the assistance.

noobinacan · Feb 10, 2011

thanks for the excellent write up..sub

NinjaRAT · Feb 12, 2011

Champ87, I too appreciate the write-up. I'm preparing to tackle my very first valve inspection/adjustment; between your write-up, the shop manual, and misc online articles, I'm starting to feel comfortable with the procedure.
I'm going to ask a couple silly questions:

Can someone clarify the need for a piece of wood (or hosepipe) to wedge the chain tensioner blade? What exactly is the purpose and how large a piece of wood should I find?
Also, how many times can the cam cover gasket be used, or does it make sense to just replace it while I'm at it? Worse-case, I could just apply more RTV sealant though that stuff is a pain to clean up.

champ87 · Feb 13, 2011

NinjaRAT said:
Can someone clarify the need for a piece of wood (or hosepipe) to wedge the chain tensioner blade? What exactly is the purpose and how large a piece of wood should I find?

For simply checking valve clearances you don't need the piece of wood. However, if you need to adjust any clearances the piece of wood will keep the tensioner blade in place when you remove the cam chain tensioner. If you remove the cams use a piece of wire to hold the chain up. That and keeping the tensioner blade in place will reduce the chances for the chain to drop off the bottom sprocket. If the chain does drop off the sprocket don't panic. It's easily fixed; you just align the mark on the crank and the camshaft alignment marks as described before you turn the engine.

You need a piece of clean wood that won't splinter. It needs to be quite small - maybe 1/4" square (6mm) and about 8" or 10'' long (200mm - 250mm). If you use hosepipe then a piece of garden hose the same length will work.

NinjaRAT said:
Also, how many times can the cam cover gasket be used, or does it make sense to just replace it while I'm at it? Worse-case, I could just apply more RTV sealant though that stuff is a pain to clean up.

Most likely there'll be no need to replace the cam cover gasket. Mine looked pretty durable to me. I don't know if they get hard and brittle as they age so I've no idea how many times you can re-use it. The gasket on my '06 was fine and yours should be good unless you damage it but you'd have to be a pretty useless human being to do that (IMNSHO).

Try to avoid RTV sealant. You don't need any excess squidging into your engine and blocking oilways. If necessary you can use a very thin smear to locate the gasket if it won't stay in place. Also the factory manual instructs you to use a small amount at the corners of the "half-moon" pieces that sit in the cylinder head cutouts. Be very careful; only use a drop at each corner. Preference would be for the sensor safe type although it shouldn't be getting into your exhaust anyway so maybe that's being excessively cautious.

Triumph was fairly generous in their use of sealer. Clean it off before applying new and refitting the cam cover.

Finally, while you're doing all this, check to see if you still have the old style seals around the ignition coils. If so replace them or you may be struggling to remove rusty plugs some day soon.

NinjaRAT · Feb 14, 2011

Wow, thank you for a very thorough and clear explanation! The pictures were an added bonus.

So literally, the wedge is to keep the blade in position in lue of the tensioner. (Sometimes take a few tries but eventually I get it.)

Fortunately, it appears I won't have to have to adjust anything. All vales were in spec, with only the first, second and sixth exhaust valves at the outside limit. My feeler gauge is in inches, but presuming .1mm = .004inch, and .30mm = .012inch, I had the following clearances:

1 = .007 / .012
2 = .006 / .012
3 = .006 / .010
4 = .007 / .010
5 = .007 / .010
6 = .006 / .012

Of course, I double-check my conversion and .012 inch is more accurately .305mm. Should I leave it, or go ahead and adjust? I have thing thing open and ready to go, so I'm guessing might as well do the adjustment. But with over 40K on the clock, it doesn't seem too bad.

I'll also be ordering the new seals, along with fresh set of plugs. Only one is showing similar corrosion yours showed in the pics, but can't hurt to just swap them out.

Again, your posting has really helped guide me on a somewhat intimidating project. I'm really happy to be doing this myself and learning something I've long had on my to-do list.

NinjaRAT · Feb 14, 2011

Oh by the way, I was attempting to line up the T1 mark on the crankshaft inspection window and seems odd, but I cannot get the cam sprocket arrow indicators to line up if T1 is correctly orientated. If it's a bit left of center, the arrows line up on the cam sprockets.

Is this normal or something I should look to correct? Obviously if I end up adjusting the three clearances, now would be the time to address it.

champ87 · Feb 14, 2011

If you didn't pull the cams and didn't remove the cam chain from the sprockets then there's no need to worry.

There's a photo in post #3 of this thread that show how my camshaft alignment marks were before I removed the cams. They didn't line up exactly as described in the manual but that's the way they came from the factory.

NinjaRAT · Feb 15, 2011

No, this is the first valve adjustment done by me or anyone else on this bike, so it was definitely born this way. I didn't notice your picture because it looks pretty close, but I suppose aligning the cams isn't an exact science. More of a reference point than anything. Thanks again!

Adjusting 1050 Valve Clearances

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