| Author | Message | ||
     Zac4mac |
The first time I did this, it was all inspection. Loretta's at 25k now and this time I had to replace 6 of 8 shims. Max tells me the first thing they told him at 1125 school was "don't drop the shims". I dropped the first one I tried to install, I tried to use forceps/hemostats. I dug and poked and almost gave up finding that shim. This morning I spent some time optimizing some surgical equipment for use in the garage. With a strong light clean optics and a 3mm optical probe I found it, 4-5 inches down the cam-chain. I don't really like the idea of magnets on the shims, but a magnet on a rod inside a brass tube is the most secure tool I could come up with. Here's the toys that saved the day - I almost had to split the engine.   Zack | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
no kidding on the dont drop the shim as i don't have the optics floating around here and don't work where i used to that i could borrow them... | ||
| D_adams |
Funny you should mention dropping the shims. I did the same thing, but it got trapped in the right front corner of the head under the oil and behind the bolt in that little well there. I thought for sure mine had gone down the deep dark hole, never to be recovered. I finally found it using 3 flashlights, 2 mirrors, a magnet and a lot of luck. Had to change 7 of the 8 for me and that was on the first valve check at 12k miles. | ||
| Jgarner99 |
Haven't done a lash check on my 1125 yet. But I have done enough shim swapping (and dropping) in other motors that I'd have to suggest... Perhaps stuffing an old t-shirt in the voracious Black Hole BEFORE you start juggling tiny engine parts? Just a thought. | ||
| Zac4mac |
The plug holes had rags in them. Where the shim went will be hard to close off, didn't realize how open it is until after... My best strategy is control the shim. Don't drop it. A Neodymium magnet in a piece of heatshrink holds the shim. The outer brass tube lets you position the shim, then you pull the magnet out to release the shim. Even if you miss the bucket, you don't lose the shim until you pull the magnet back. The "insertion" magnet slides into the brass tube. The "fishing" one on the right doesn't, just it's spring-rod. Z | ||
| Tbowdre |
this makes me less than excited to check my valves... gotta ways to go though at only 6000miles | ||
| Kicka666 |
I have always used a magnet to remove & insert shims, mainly for bucket over shim on riceys. | ||
| Jaimec |
That was the good thing about working on my old K100... since the engine lies on its side, if I DID manage to drop the shim, it just fell on the floor. :-) The 16V "Flying Bricks" changed this entirely. No more "Shim and Bucket" design, the shim WAS the bucket. You had to take measurements, pull the cams, and replace the necessary buckets. Reinstalling the cams required the use of a $10,000 computer diagnostic tool to be done correctly. The new "K" bikes use a system similar to the Helicon engine: Valve actuated by a finger follower. Just move the follower out of the way to get to the shim. Since the new IL4 "K" is "mostly vertical" I guess dropping a shim into the nether recesses is entirely possible with those models too. | ||
| Metalrabbit |
Wow Zac, that had to put some wrinkles in your forehead! Thanks for another precious tip. What about some pieces of crushable foam that comes with some of the pricey Euro plumbing faucets. I have plenty of that around from my plumbing buiz,, could that possibly block some of the holes? The foam cells are pretty tight and you can squeeze a fairly large piece down to the size of a walnut,, just askin' | ||
| Carbonbigfoot |
Cool thread. | ||
| Daggar |
Thanks for the info, Zac. | ||
| 1_mike |
I used grease on an angled feeler gauge. With heavy grease on the tip of the angle (of the gauge), put the shim in the grease (make sure it's held tight!), set the shim down in the socket and just pull the feeler gauge so it "slides" off of the shim. Worked well for me. The clean rags in the cam chain pockets are a good idea...just in case..! By the way...for those that think they can wait the whole 12,000 miles...I checked mine at "about" 4000 miles....all eight were well under the minimum recommended clearance. I'm glad I didn't wait....! After about 100 or so miles after reassembly...change the oil to get all the crud out that entered while you were changing shims. Mike | ||
| Xodot |
PTS | ||
| Duphuckincati |
Anyone else have the chance to check before 12000 miles? | ||
| Reepicheep |
Did something much like that on a KLR-250. 3 hours (no kidding) fishing with a magnet on a wire. Ouch. |
