Valves adjustment

OK, i know what you guys thinking now : there is already hundreds thread of this. Yes, I know.

I've used the search option on the forum, i've check on youtube but i've not seen a post answering
my question yet.

In fact , i'm looking for a HOW TO , or a video with complete details and image. The thing is that Im not good in english and having picture or a video to detail the process would really help. I dont know if you guys know where i can find this or i one of you guys would do one.

Thanks a lot

BTW im a noob in the motor world.

In fact my real issue is getting the motor on TDC. Thats where the video would really be helpfull.

Hey Oli,

what i normally do to find TDC is:

-Pull both spark plugs out
-Take off your covers
-Use your 17mm socket wrench (or normal wrench) to turn the motor (counterclockwise)
-At the same time have your finger covering the spark plug hole (first the left side, since you adjust your left valves first)
-As your turning the motor (counterclockwise) you'll feel pressure building up at the spark plugs hole, like air is pushing your finger
-That means you're approaching TDC on the left side (since you're going to do the left side first)
-Watch for the marks (LT) as your get closer to the LT mark be ready to use some bungee cords to hold the wrench in place (this is when i normally switch over to a normal wrench instead of a socket, because you DO NOT want it to move clockwise)
-Once you have it lined up at the LT mark with the wrench held by bungee cords (so it doesn't move) you can do your left side valve adjustments.
-Once you're done with that rotate the motor with your finger over the right side spark plug hole and rotate until you feel the air pressure on your finger again (RT mark is approaching)
-Again line it up at the RT mark using your wrench (held still with bungee cords) and then do your right side valve adjustments.

do you left side first (intake and exhaust), then do the right side.

the intake valve is the one closest to your carburetors, the exhaust valve is the one where your headers come out (at the front of your engine)


if someone spots a mistake in my post, correct me please!

Thanks Jon ! Perfectly detailed , exactly how i need it !

Another question, is it OK to adjust the valve with the valve cover off of the bike ? Because the gasket is leaking so i would change it at the same time ?

valve cover?

do you mean the cylinder head cover? I've never done that to my bike. I normally just take the 4 valve caps off and do it that way. Someone else may need to answer that one, but i don't see why not.

No. The valve ( rocker box) cover needs to be on the bike to adjust the valves.

Nope that aint going to work. The Valves are rocker type, pivoting on the head portion. So if you take off the head, you wont be able to do do anything at that part, until you put it back. Now that you have the head off, check the cam chain guides. take off the cam chain tension-er. and put it back. I think it will save you a head ache later.
Tobie

arfstrom said:

Nope that aint going to work. The Valves are rocker type, pivoting on the head portion. So if you take off the head, you wont be able to do do anything at that part, until you put it back. Now that you have the head off, check the cam chain guides. take off the cam chain tension-er. and put it back. I think it will save you a head ache later.
Tobie

Click to expand...

This would help prevent what kind of problem Tobie ? Is it part of a regular maintenance ?

And thanks for the answers guys !

http://www.xs400.com/forum/showpost.php?p=119421&postcount=8

I can not prove that if I would have pop'ed the head when I did the bottom rebuild, would have given the tensioner a new lease on life, or with my novice, neeed for speed, was doomed from the day one of me driving this bike.

I have one suspicion that if I had removed, and put it right back, that tensioner works on a principal, of loose-ness on the chain, so any time that happens, ie high rev-ing will create a space, enough for the tensioner to sense, which means it will squeeze down, every time I punken-ly over rev-ed. This tensioner has no way of resetting or re-evaluating if it needs to be let loose.

So does it matter, I don't know, but I suspect.
http://www.xs400.com/forum/showpost.php?p=119421&postcount=8
this photo shows a right angle on a stick that is suppose to be straight, then the other side, I don't remember was shown or not, was actually broke in half.
http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11533

arfstrom said:

http://www.xs400.com/forum/showpost.php?p=119421&postcount=8

I can not prove that if I would have pop'ed the head when I did the bottom rebuild, would have given the tensioner a new lease on life, or with my novice, neeed for speed, was doomed from the day one of me driving this bike.

I have one suspicion that if I had removed, and put it right back, that tensioner works on a principal, of loose-ness on the chain, so any time that happens, ie high rev-ing will create a space, enough for the tensioner to sense, which means it will squeeze down, every time I punken-ly over rev-ed. This tensioner has no way of resetting or re-evaluating if it needs to be let loose.

So does it matter, I don't know, but I suspect.
http://www.xs400.com/forum/showpost.php?p=119421&postcount=8
this photo shows a right angle on a stick that is suppose to be straight, then the other side, I don't remember was shown or not, was actually broke in half.
http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11533

Click to expand...

Thank you for the help
Ok So getting the tensioner out is just to make sure they are all right ? Should i order a new pair ?



So there's a video of my problem at the moment. At 0.44 you can here the valve if im not wrong ?

You can also see that i need to pull the gas throttle to keep the bike alive. Is all this could be solved with a valve adjustment or there's more than that to my problem.

The tension-er is just a cautionary thing. I dont know if it would help, but I suspect it might have saved me another year before my bike went Kapoue.

From the sound of the video, could tell if its a spark thing, or Float issue, or just clogged up passensges on the carb.
I found this on my computer by Alex and Uszuschnigge.

arfstrom said:

The tension-er is just a cautionary thing. I dont know if it would help, but I suspect it might have saved me another year before my bike went Kapoue.

From the sound of the video, could tell if its a spark thing, or Float issue, or just clogged up passensges on the carb.
I found this on my computer by Alex and Uszuschnigge.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice ! And wow that's exactly what i need to adjust my valves since i'm a motor noob!

No worries, we are were, at one time, or we are in another area of non-expertise

So this is a video after the valve adjustment. The left side sounds better then before the adjustment but the right side sounds the same. So right side is still noisy.

After the adjustment the bike didnt want to start with the starter. There's was nothing happening when the starter wash pushed. So we started the bike by rolling it. The bike finally started and after a little run the starter started to work. But the bike was backind firing a lot and now the Neutral light isnt working properly !

Sometimes when the bike is on gear the light says neutral and when it's on neutral the light says "in gear" what could have caused this ?

I think your close enough, but I had my adj screw pop though the inspection cover. I will let others tell you what they think.

The non-movtivation of the bike, I am inclined to think that the wire, just needs to be shorten. I noticed you had ngk caps, I suspect .5 ohm resistor caps?

Cheapest fix,/ test is to put fresh wire onto the coil, plug cap. So on both sides, cut off .5 inch, and re-insert it. If you have new wires. I dont know then. I did take my coil into the motorcycle shop, and for $10 bucks, I had them tested, like the manual suggests, but I have never seen a vid of it. The maintenance guy, who did mine, remember it a year later, and said it shocked him.
Some thing to do. (I didn't need to order new ones. I was being overly cautious. I didn't destroy mine like I thought I could have.
Tobie