Hi all and a happy new year,
I'm looking for some opinions on the shim check as part of the 26K service. I wondered if people who have had their shims checked needed to have them changed or not.
Money being tight as it is, i'm wondering if i can pass on the shim check as this is the only part of the service schedule that I'm not able to do myself.
Just wondered what the feelings were from you guys?
cheers all.
Personally I would get it checked, and adjusted if needed.
In my experience with other bikes, once the initial check/adjust is carried out, they never needed adjusting again after checking.
False economy skipping it.
Mine was running fine and it needed 3 changing.
Quote from: doebag on January 03, 2014, 07:50:01 PM
Personally I would get it checked, and adjusted if needed.
:agree:
Previous experience - Yamaha R1' 28000 miles, took to my local mechanic, not the rip-off dealer in Exeter that charges menu price whether shims needed changing or not - and measures show no change in clearances since it left factory. Piece of mind for £160 that was 2003 though!
Also shown rocker cover with date and dealer initials engraved on inside.
Now I don't know whether BK can give 2 quotes, one for the check only which won't require cam removal and another quote if the cams have to be lifted to replace shins. Seems stupid that most dealers quote one menu price for the valve clearance service regardless of whether the shims need changing or not.
I will ring BK closer to the time - maybe Debs had the shims checked at BK, what was the outcome cos I'd only go there when it's due and it's a long way from Exeter!
Simple fact is unless I see the work being done I won't trust anyone else especially the K dealer at Marsh Barton who has charged for the work which wasn't done!
With scheduled maintenance done and will do great with engine oil the first check valve at 50,000 miles, now 34,000 miles.
As the spark plugs not before 25,000 miles.
MGvalerio. :agree:
Mattye, keep the oil+ filter clean, ride it properly, dont over rev it. And it will go to the moon and back. Lots of folk have been brainwashed into thinking all sorts of stuff needs replacing/ checking. If it EVER needs the shims doing it will let you know, by either not starting, or running like a pile of :shit:. Leave well alone it will be fine. :yes:
Whilst on the subject, service schedule will tell you to change the plugs at 7500 miles :ohplease: When on a recent visit to the bike show I asked the NGK plug technicians if their plugs needed changing at that mileage, and they all fell about laughing. When pressed they said they wouldn't even look at them till 30000 and even then they would still be perfectly servicable.
I guess in an ideal world you get it done, especially if you have the cash...... but
:agree: with 100 miles.
My bike is getting up to the time when shims should be checked, but would've thought they can't be that far out to warrant all that work. If the bike was running rough or sounded like a bag of spanners then I'd be having a look at it. I think I'll leave well alone until I feel the need, then do it myself as there's no way I'm going to lash out that sort of money for it.
Did anyone who had the shims done honestly feel any difference to the bike?
Keep on top of the oils n lube, check the brakes and wheel bearings, and the rest should look after itself - spark plugs as 100 miles says, should be good for 30k at least.
I agree with the spark plug comments. Modern plugs are a lot different to the champions I used to replace on the LC regularly. No moving parts and the only factors affecting wear are temperature cycles, IR (insulation resistance) breakdown, electrode erosion.
Remember the generic picture of spark plug condition in all the early Haynes manuals?
a gtr owner over on the us site has done 112k before he checked his !
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=16175.0;topicseen
My blackbird had 62k before I had them checked, it ran lovely, one needed adjusting slightly, I did however drop the oil with every back tyre change about every 5k
Quote from: trousersnake01 on January 05, 2014, 01:14:28 AM
My blackbird had 62k before I had them checked, it ran lovely, one needed adjusting slightly, I did however drop the oil with every back tyre change about every 5k
That's good biking practice .....look after your bike and it will look after you :yes:
Agreed with comments above, I change the oil and filter along with the diff oil every 3k miles no matter what, I have (well not me exactly) changed the plugs at 10k but they won't be done again for ages.
As you have said, treat the bike right and it will be good to you.
Alan
ditto on the oil, I have always done my bikes midway between the dealer services , so it works out at about every 2.5 - 3k . A bit OTT but my bikes dont really do a lot of miles and the oil can pick up a bit of condensation through the winter months . I also put a magnetic oil sump plug in as soon as i get the bike
Speaking to Pete Extance about this. the majority of the cost is the labour in actually getting to the cams to measure the gaps and then to rebuild everything. The actual extra cost of pulling the cams is not that great if shims do need replacing.
My experience with Kawasakis and shims if a little different from some comments above. Over the last few years I have shimmed 10 different Kawas. All of them needed shims. A ZRX needed 8 shims at 15000 but nothing again at 42000.
a ZX9R needed 6 shims at 15000 and none at 30000. This seemed a common train of events
ALL engines sounded sharper, slightly noisier when shims had been changed and, after carb balancing, ran smoother than before.
The trouble with these engines is that they sound quieter and quieter as the clearance closes up and gives the false impression that all is OK. If you wait until the gap closes completely and the cam is actually holding a valve open, you will quickly burn a valve and valve seat and it WILL sound and run rough and will be an expensive hit on your wallet.
My 14 will need a shim service at the end of next year. I will either do it slowly myself or strip it down and take it to BK in a van for them to do the essentials
Thanks for all of the feedback and advice. I agree with keeping the fluids and filters changed on a regular basis which mine has as i ride about 10 - 11K per year commuting to work and back.
I'm going to go with the option of waiting to have the shims checked and maybe have them done at 45K when I have the plugs changed. As per others comments I had the plugs changed at 15K as I think every 7.5K is just a money spinner for K.
Thanks again all.
i did my own shim check and replacement on my zzr1200 when it had done 25k miles. 3 were out and i was able to swap 2 around , I had bought some replacemnt shims for just a few quid and ended up only using 1 of them
bike was no different before or after the check