MechNewb
XS400 Addict
It depends on the wattage of the signal lights. And posting this question in a thread about valve clearance isnt going to get you many answers.
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checking/setting valve clearance
- Thread starter xs400neophite
- Start date
It depends on the wattage of the signal lights. And posting this question in a thread about valve clearance isnt going to get you many answers.
Robsteeler66
XS400 Addict
^^^^^This. No one minds a little thread hijack from time to time, but keep it in the same family of questions. Try an electrical thread. If you look at the top left of your screen there is a google search. It only searches this forum, but gives better results than the other search. You can probably find the exact answer to your question...
Adjusted my valves today,it was so easy compared to the first time.Most of you veteran members probably remembered how I struggled with this at first.Know what they say practice makes perfect.
Well I didn't hold a stop watch while I was doing this but roughly 15 minutes sounds pretty close.
pff I thought I was doing pretty well but it took me about two hours on my DOHC.. excluding the time for two trips: one to get a micrometer at the tool shop (preparation is key?), one to get the new shims at the bike shop
but that's with shims, no adjusters unfortunately. Used bentwrench's amazing how-to
), one to get the new shims at the bike shop but that's with shims, no adjusters unfortunately. Used bentwrench's amazing how-to
The dohc bikes are faster but more difficult to work on than the sohc
yes, one could say they are the 'xs400 for experts'...
kindest
XS400 Addict
I nominate some1 to make a nice tutorial with really big colorful pictures doing the whole procedure.
The 20 year old haynes manual pictures are no good.
The 20 year old haynes manual pictures are no good.
Theres video online tutorials online at youtube
kindest
XS400 Addict
Theres video online tutorials online at youtube
well link the best one so we can add it to how to guide
jthiessen
XS400 Addict
Having the same problem. My gauges will be loose, then when I take them out of the gap they get stuck!
Tried it two times now using 45 degree gauges, just can't seem to get them!
Seems to me I am probably wrong person to answer , I am guessing that means its is too tight. So losen it up, and try it again.remember the feeler guage is meant to slide back and forth, till you feel/hear the FG is there, then tighten it a little bit more, slide in and out, then if its too free feeling, tighten it up some more till it stops, then back it up a hair, double check. Then Lock it down. Some where there is a photo of a Screw driver holding the screw in place while you use your imagination to torque the nut down. (do to lack of torques wrenches, My bike had a failure of me tightening that nut down tight enough. Then I never double checked it in the 6 months (2 seasons of operations) Then repeat 3 more times. use the correct specs per intake side verses exhaust side. (its in the manual) Good luck!
, I am guessing that means its is too tight. So losen it up, and try it again.remember the feeler guage is meant to slide back and forth, till you feel/hear the FG is there, then tighten it a little bit more, slide in and out, then if its too free feeling, tighten it up some more till it stops, then back it up a hair, double check. Then Lock it down. Some where there is a photo of a Screw driver holding the screw in place while you use your imagination to torque the nut down. (do to lack of torques wrenches, My bike had a failure of me tightening that nut down tight enough. Then I never double checked it in the 6 months (2 seasons of operations) Then repeat 3 more times. use the correct specs per intake side verses exhaust side. (its in the manual) Good luck!
Make sure the bike is stone cold; I wait a full 24 hours without running the engine to perform this job.
I had the best luck buying a cheaper straight feeler and bending it 90-degrees myself. I couldn't find a pre-bent set small enough locally.
Before you take a measurement grab the rocker arm with your fingers. There should be some play in it. When the adjustment is near spec the play in the rocker arm can only be felt, but probably not detected by your eyes. If the rocker arm is so loose that it moves a lot and you can see it, it's probably quite loose. Alternatively if there is no play it is too tight. The point of this is to give you a starting place; you'll know if the nut/bolt adjuster needs to be tightened or loosened.
The hard part when you've never done this before is knowing truly where to stick the feeler gauge because you're operating somewhat blind.
If you have no idea whether you're in the right spot do this:
Loosen the adjusting nut and "bolt." Open the gap a lot. Put your feeler gauge in there. Now tighten the adjuster "bolt" and nut onto your feeler, but not too tight. Now you know what "snug" feels like and this is often a good starting place for adjustment. When you snug the clearance onto the correct feeler (again, not too tight or you'll crush the feeler!) you'll be nearly in spec. This is useful if you get "lost."
Just make sure the motor stays at TDC for the respective side...
I had the best luck buying a cheaper straight feeler and bending it 90-degrees myself. I couldn't find a pre-bent set small enough locally.
Before you take a measurement grab the rocker arm with your fingers. There should be some play in it. When the adjustment is near spec the play in the rocker arm can only be felt, but probably not detected by your eyes. If the rocker arm is so loose that it moves a lot and you can see it, it's probably quite loose. Alternatively if there is no play it is too tight. The point of this is to give you a starting place; you'll know if the nut/bolt adjuster needs to be tightened or loosened.
The hard part when you've never done this before is knowing truly where to stick the feeler gauge because you're operating somewhat blind.
If you have no idea whether you're in the right spot do this:
Loosen the adjusting nut and "bolt." Open the gap a lot. Put your feeler gauge in there. Now tighten the adjuster "bolt" and nut onto your feeler, but not too tight. Now you know what "snug" feels like and this is often a good starting place for adjustment. When you snug the clearance onto the correct feeler (again, not too tight or you'll crush the feeler!) you'll be nearly in spec. This is useful if you get "lost."
Just make sure the motor stays at TDC for the respective side...
Tombo
XS400 Addict
Slip fit is an abstraction that can make valve adjustments in general more difficult - so I think people should not be afraid to take time with this, especially if this is their first rodeo.
I've adjusted many many valves in my lifespan - and the way that I can best describe "slip fit" would be to compare it to cutting cheese with a sharp flat edged knife. Pulling and pushing that knife will have a good amount of friction to it, but you make forward progress that can be seen and felt. You know you can get the knife through, but it has more resistance than running the same sharp flat knife through a head of lettuce or a tomato. (hope that helps!). If you are "cutting a tomato", your feeler gauge is a loose fit. If you are cutting a piece of wood (you can get the knife in but not through), the feeler gauge is too tight. If you can work it in, then work it all the way through with resistance, your cutting the cheese, and you've found your slip fit
People brag about taking 15 minutes for the adjustment - awesome, good for you! However - if it takes you 2 hours to do the job right, don't let this frustrate you. Your bike will thank you, and later on, your second guessing of yourself will be less intense if you have piece of mind that you've done it correctly.
For a rocker/tappet style valve train, I find this bike to be one of the more difficult bikes to properly adjust valves for (for a variety of reasons). The main reason is that you don't have much room to get the feeler gauge between the tappet and the valve itself. Bent feelers are necessary, but don't solve this issue, they only act to make this possible.
Because of the angle of attack, you can easily get a "too tight" reading if you fail to find the gap with your feeler.
My approach is to start with the smallest gauge within spec and see if I can get it through the tappet and the valve. I usually try to run the gauge from the inside to the outside (moving feeler AWAY from the center of the motor). If I can't, I go smaller until I can. Once I get it successfully fit one of the my gauge, I run the next size bigger sequentially until I find one that gives me the slip fit. (To me, slip fit basically means I can run the feeler from inside to outside, and get the feeler gauge to slip completely from inside to outside. If it fails to make it, or it is to snug to get the feeler all the way between the tappet and valve, then the clearance is somewhere between the one the didn't make it and the one that did. At that point, I adjust as necessary.
If adjustment is necessary, then when I like to do is to take my feeler that is inbetween the low end and high end of the spec. I loosen the lock nut, and snug the tappet until my feeler has the slip fit we're going for. Now the next step is important: Make sure you hold your flat head in place while you spin the lock nut tight. Even 1/90th of a turn from the tappet will change your clearance, so it is extra important that you maintain it's position while you snug the lock nut down. Make sure it is snug! (10nm should do it).
Now make sure the mid-range feeler you used to make the adjustment still fits with a slip fit. If it is too loose (no resistance) or too tight (can't get the feeler gauge back in) then you will need to repeat this adjustment. Once you get the slip fit with this guage, then you just have two more steps: 1) run the smallest in-spec gauge through - it should go easy. 2) Run the biggest in-spec gauge through - it shouldn't fit.
Now check and adjust the rest of your valves.
I am pretty anal retentive - so even after I have adjusted all four valves, I will do one last valve clearance check for each one, just to make sure all of my adjustments were proper.
Now go ride that mother fucker.
I've adjusted many many valves in my lifespan - and the way that I can best describe "slip fit" would be to compare it to cutting cheese with a sharp flat edged knife. Pulling and pushing that knife will have a good amount of friction to it, but you make forward progress that can be seen and felt. You know you can get the knife through, but it has more resistance than running the same sharp flat knife through a head of lettuce or a tomato. (hope that helps!). If you are "cutting a tomato", your feeler gauge is a loose fit. If you are cutting a piece of wood (you can get the knife in but not through), the feeler gauge is too tight. If you can work it in, then work it all the way through with resistance, your cutting the cheese, and you've found your slip fit
People brag about taking 15 minutes for the adjustment - awesome, good for you! However - if it takes you 2 hours to do the job right, don't let this frustrate you. Your bike will thank you, and later on, your second guessing of yourself will be less intense if you have piece of mind that you've done it correctly.
For a rocker/tappet style valve train, I find this bike to be one of the more difficult bikes to properly adjust valves for (for a variety of reasons). The main reason is that you don't have much room to get the feeler gauge between the tappet and the valve itself. Bent feelers are necessary, but don't solve this issue, they only act to make this possible.
Because of the angle of attack, you can easily get a "too tight" reading if you fail to find the gap with your feeler.
My approach is to start with the smallest gauge within spec and see if I can get it through the tappet and the valve. I usually try to run the gauge from the inside to the outside (moving feeler AWAY from the center of the motor). If I can't, I go smaller until I can. Once I get it successfully fit one of the my gauge, I run the next size bigger sequentially until I find one that gives me the slip fit. (To me, slip fit basically means I can run the feeler from inside to outside, and get the feeler gauge to slip completely from inside to outside. If it fails to make it, or it is to snug to get the feeler all the way between the tappet and valve, then the clearance is somewhere between the one the didn't make it and the one that did. At that point, I adjust as necessary.
If adjustment is necessary, then when I like to do is to take my feeler that is inbetween the low end and high end of the spec. I loosen the lock nut, and snug the tappet until my feeler has the slip fit we're going for. Now the next step is important: Make sure you hold your flat head in place while you spin the lock nut tight. Even 1/90th of a turn from the tappet will change your clearance, so it is extra important that you maintain it's position while you snug the lock nut down. Make sure it is snug! (10nm should do it).
Now make sure the mid-range feeler you used to make the adjustment still fits with a slip fit. If it is too loose (no resistance) or too tight (can't get the feeler gauge back in) then you will need to repeat this adjustment. Once you get the slip fit with this guage, then you just have two more steps: 1) run the smallest in-spec gauge through - it should go easy. 2) Run the biggest in-spec gauge through - it shouldn't fit.
Now check and adjust the rest of your valves.
I am pretty anal retentive - so even after I have adjusted all four valves, I will do one last valve clearance check for each one, just to make sure all of my adjustments were proper.
Now go ride that mother fucker.
jthiessen
XS400 Addict
Its probably been 7 months since I did mine,I plan on rechecking them in the spring when it gets closer to riding season.It was brought up in another thread where I made a sound clip and sounded like my top end had too much noise.This is one procedure I double check and triple check and take my time doing.If it wasn't so fricken cold it give me something to do right now as I have severe case of 4 wall fever
So Totally worth it! I wish I would have last year
jthiessen
XS400 Addict
So I finally successfully completed setting my first valve clearance! It was a big moment for me. After my first go around, I rotated my engine a few times and went to double check my clearances - boy was I blown away when they were all good!
I followed Tombo's advice with what a slip fit feels like.
I also devised a trick to easily keep your motor locked to TDC.
1. Rig up a system that will hold your wrench at 12 o'clock and will stop the engine from rolling forward (for the left side, backwards for the right). For me this meant having a strap on my foot peg that went to the top of my wrench. (For the right side it was a strap on my exhaust)
2. Start rotating your engine, watching your valves open and close. As soon as your intake valve closes, watch the rotor (?) through the small gap at around 5 o'clock. As soon as you see your LT, apply your wrench so that it directly lines up with it.
3. Now continue to rotate your engine, and as soon as your wrench comes up to 12 o'clock put your strap on it! Voila, Left TDC!
I followed Tombo's advice with what a slip fit feels like.
I also devised a trick to easily keep your motor locked to TDC.
1. Rig up a system that will hold your wrench at 12 o'clock and will stop the engine from rolling forward (for the left side, backwards for the right). For me this meant having a strap on my foot peg that went to the top of my wrench. (For the right side it was a strap on my exhaust)
2. Start rotating your engine, watching your valves open and close. As soon as your intake valve closes, watch the rotor (?) through the small gap at around 5 o'clock. As soon as you see your LT, apply your wrench so that it directly lines up with it.
3. Now continue to rotate your engine, and as soon as your wrench comes up to 12 o'clock put your strap on it! Voila, Left TDC!
Tombo
XS400 Addict
Nice buddy! And great tip. Never thought to line the wrench up and let it spin (I never take off my foot peg for the adjustment and my wrench will hit it)
Congrats on doing it right, and I'm glad my post was helpful.
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Congrats on doing it right, and I'm glad my post was helpful.
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