Valve shim Help

Hello my names james I have some experience but never messed with valve adjustment with shims I have a xj700 1985 with 29000 miles an recently the left front exhaust valve has a little tap sound when I first start it up once warm it gos away what size shims does it come with from Yamaha so I can kinda have a reference of what size I'm dealing with an does anyone sell a kit with replacement shims need help thanks jgilligan38@gmail.com

 

1. Edit your post to remove your phone number.

2. Tapping is not a bad thing. It's when the valves go silent that you have to worry.

3. Do not buy a valve sim kit, unless you happen to be running a small motorcycle repair shop. You wont' use but a few of the shims, and the rest will sit in the box forever.

4. Read the following links in their entirety.

Airhead Valve Adjustment

The Information Overload Hour

Once you've measured the clearances and have read the shims post them up here so we can double-check which shims you need.
Hogfiddles runs a shim pool, so start a conversation with him once we know which shims you need.

 

Here part of my problem it the only way I have to get back an forth to work or anything that's why I was looking for a lot of different incriminates in sizes so I could break down do all the measurements an do the changes as needed an put it back together in a afternoon I've worked on just about everything gas powered I grew up with a uncle named Jethro in Florida I'd watch him start a 7:30am drinking Budweisers pull a motor take a hour nap eat a hotdog an start back an be don't by dark an we would drive it to work a couple hundred miles my father used to be a general contractor I've worked on everything saws mixer's boat motors dirt bike never had any four cycle street bikes a couple small 125s an 250s but I know my beans though

 

You can still ride it if the clearnaces aren't too far out. You'll just have to do the job in two afternoons instead of one.
If the exhaust valve clearances are very tight then you'll need to park the bike, or risk burnng a valve (which is very expensive to fix compared to buying a few shims).

I don't doubt your mechanical ability, but I do suggest reading the link provided even if you have done work on shim-over-bucket valves. Every machine has it's quirks; best to know them beforehand.

One more thing. Is your xj700 an airhead, or is it a Maxim X? If it's an X then the valve adjustments require a very different procedure.

 

Xj700 air head an do I have a few weeks before it hurts her I only ride to work an the gym maybe 20 miles a day an I don't ever romp down it an never go over 70 I was just wondering git it came with stock size shims so I had a good starting point an I watched the thread an the one with the ziptie also that's a good on the fly tool an is their any company who sells the shims an how many mm are the shims in diameter I know theirs a few other questions I'd like to ask but I keep forgetting ADHD

 

The stock shim thicknesses will be somewhat unique to your machine, just as the valve stem length and valve seat depth is. The only way to know what shims you currently have is to remove them one at a time and look.

The shim diameter is 29mm and they are widely available, including from our local parts guy Chacal (link to his catalog is in the upper rght hand corner of every forum page).

How you ride, and how long you ride for has not a single thing to do with the risk of burning a valve. If the valve clearance is far enough of spec that the valve does not have sufficient time in contact with the valve seat to cool down, then the valve WILL burn. It can happen at idle just as easily as at redline.

And here is the big issue. YOU haven't checked the clearances, and you have no idea if anyone else has either. Odds are that the valve clearnaces have not been checked since the initial warranty service check in the mid 80's. The queston is, do you want to take the long, safe route (even if it means asking for rides to work), or do you want to risk needing to have the head rebuilt?

 

Thanks an should it be ok for a few weeks

 

An do any of those kits from hotcam work

 

I should be able to take the valve cover off check all the clearances put the cover back on ride for a week until the replacement shims come or should I first oder a valve gasket an ingation gasket set then take it apart get the numbers put the new gaskets on put her back together an once I receive the correct size shims take it apart a put them in but first of all make sure the timing chain is tension is correct first be for I take anything apart thanks for your help James here's a pic of her

 

Good luck.
Why ask for advice if you're just going to ignore it?

 

I don't understand what I did wrong but thanks for the help you clarified some things I hope in the next few weeks I ask you a you a couple more question

 

1. You still want to ride the bike not knowing if the exhaust valves are out of spec (the lack of ticking on all but the one tells me that they are).

2. You still want to spend over $100 on a valve shim kit when you likely only need $0.00 of shims (remember the shim exchange pool that I mentioned earlier).

Slow down, do it right.

You should go ahead and measure clearances (before you ride it again), inspect the valve cover and the rubber doughuts (they are what actualy hold the cover to the head) on the valve cover bolts. They are both reusable, but age can take a toll. If they are not in good shape then order replacements. They'll show up on about 4 days if you order from Chacal.

The cam chain has an automatic adjuster. It's highly unlikely that the chain is too slack.

I noticed that the bike has pod filters (which looks cool, but actually hampers performance). Do you know if the carbs were rejetted?


I like the tank paint. Could you post a pic of the whole machine?

 

the tank looks oddly fitted is it a stock xj 700 tank
you are being given very sound advice. in the end the path you follow is yours to choose.

 

You can re-use the cover gasket. I did on my XJ650. I did the check when I bought the bike at 17k miles. I had the cover off twice. Once to measure and another time to replace a couple of shims. The re-fitted gasket may leak a little oil. Mine did for a short while but the leak subsided.

Propping up the tank and taking off the cover is not terribly time consuming. Lots of other make and/or model of bikes are enormously more difficult to get to the valve shims. The XJ bikes are simple to perform this task. take your time. Go slow. Purchase the shim bucket hold down tool if you determine that you need to swap one or more shims.

 

I have never seen a stock XJ fuel tank expose ignition coil like pictured. My suspicion is that it is a Harley tank or a Honda tank or some other brand. The bike has PODs. A brand X tank is not surprising on a modified bike.

If it runs well, its all good subject to the owner's fancy.

 

Yankee, it's obvious you're looking simply for people to agree with you.....

If they do, they are as wrong as you are. LISTEN TO, AND READ, What K-moe is telling you. You asked the questions, and you got the answers. What you choose to do with those answers is your business.

Ok, my answers:

1. Shims--- YOU MUST PULL YOUR SHIMS TO FIND OUT THE SIZES IN YOUR BIKE. Stock shims were put in at the factory according to what was needed THEN, and they VARY to accommodate variances in clearances. Those sizes ranged mostly from 270 or so, to 300. Some thicker, some thinner. You have to find out what is in YOUR bike. Don't talk to me until you know what they are.

2. Valve cover-- you can choose to use the old gasket, but I'll bet it's hardened and cracking. It'll leak, and if you get a new one, get new donuts, too, or it will STILL leak.

3. Tank -- you tank is stock, the coils are stock... That's where they are on any 1985-1986 xj700/xj750 air-cooled Maxim.

4. Shim bucket tool - buy the tool if you wish, and take even more precious time fighting with it.... Or buy a few zipties and do the job quick. Read up on the ziptie method. Is it quicker?--- well, by the time you're done with one valve using 'the tool', I'll be mostly done with the whole bike using 2 zipties.

It never ceases to amaze me how many newbies will ask a question, and the proceed to tell us how much they know, and why , etc.... Then argue or refuse to heed the answers that are given.

Be the grasshopper

 

To expound on the gasket thing.
Buy a new gasket (and donuts) clean all of the old gasket material off thoroughly from both the head and the cover.
Apply a thin bead of high temp silicon gasket goo on the cover side and a light smear of oil on the head side.
This will allow you to take the cover off (do the above), check your existing shim clearances and shim thicknesses (write that stuff down and keep it in a safe place), reinstall your cover and ride IF your clearances are safe to do so.

Order/ swap for appropriate shims and when they arrive you can easily remove your cover and said new gasket - in fact you can easily remove cover and gasket many times and the sealing integrity will hold up. I believe I have gotten 6 + years out of mine (sans donuts - don't have them on my Maxim).

Trust these folks, they speak the truth.

Now hop to it grasshopper!

 

I believe this is where you got in trouble.
If you do not know what your valve clearances are right now, chances are good they are out of spec and the bike should not be ridden, in fact you should not even turn the bike on.
Find out what your clearances are before you do anything else.

 

Excuse me for hijacking the thread can someone point me towards the zip tie method I can't seem to find it..
But for the ten millionth time I stink at computer. But you should see me shape metal.

 

zip tie is covered in this you can also use 12 ga wire

Airhead Valve Adjustment

 

Thanks.

 

sorry it is in part 2
http://xjbikes.com/forums/threads/airhead-valve-adjustment-part-2-the-tool-vs-ziptie-w-pics.29209/

 

Checked my clearances last spring. Worked with Hogfiddles for the shim swap-out. Replaced doughnuts. My cover gasket looked a little crispy, but a new gasket is a bit expensive, so I reused the one I had. I've got a touch of leakage off the front right corner now but gasket replacement is now on the "to do" list (and in the budget) for this winter/spring (I'd like to refurbish the cover itself too... mine is quite chippy and scratchy).

Zip-tie method worked great for me.

I have NO prior experience working on motorcycles. Each task I perform on my XJ starts with hours of surfing this forum, reading the service manual and watching what other service related things people have posted on YouTube.

 

Sounds like me.