Is Valve clearance necessary motorcycle?
Valve clearances are important, but having them done by your dealer can be very expensive; it’s one of the main reasons a lot of bikes are traded in. But ignore them at your peril as over time your engine can be seriously damaged.
Where do you check the valve clearance on a motorcycle?
Unscrew the valve tappet covers of the head cover, depending on your engine’s design. Remove the cover to get to the nut on your crankshaft. Bring the cylinder your are checking to TDC (Top Dead Center). Watch for the “T” mark near the spark advancer. When it lines up to the engine case timing mark you are in the right position.
Why does my motorcycle engine need a valve adjustment?
Overheating is another possible sign of an engine in need of a valve adjustment. This can be caused by valves with too little clearance. This lack of clearance causes the valves to close slower than they should. In other words the valves are open too long.
Why are valve clearances important in an engine?
In the engine, there are a number of valves that control the intake flow of the much important air and fuel mixture into the engine and also to divert exhaust gases out. Simply put, it’s how the engine breathes and they’re one of the most hardworking parts of the internal combustion engine.
How many valves does a motorcycle engine have?
All engines will have at least two valves per cylinder, one intake for taking in a mixture of fuel and air, and one exhaust for removing air and any leftover fuel after the combustion stroke. Equally important to your engine is the valve’s seal when it is not open.
Where is the valve clearance on a bike?
The valve clearance generally points to the gap between the cam (or rocker) and the valve bucket. In order for you to this successfully, you’ll need some feeler gauges. Determine the clearance using trial and error by seeing which gauges can slip under the cam freely.
What to do if your motorcycle valve is out of Spec?
For the clearances that were out of spec, remove the bucket and check the size of the shim that rests between the bucket and the valve tip. The shim’s size will be stamped on the top, but can wear out overtime. You can confirm its size with digital calipers. Replace it with a new shim that will get you to the proper clearance. Advertisements
How does valve clearance affect the engine performance?
More gaps will be remaining, and it can’t lock the valve somewhat, which may burn the other parts while having a combustion process. And on the other hand, if you fit a small size valve, there will be more gaps, which couldn’t suit the engine. Keep a perfect gap to allow the air fuel and restrict the extra ones.
What to do if your valve clearance is outside your tolerance?
If your valve clearances are outside of the preferred tolerances set by your bike’s manufacturer, you’ll need to change the shims on the valves. To remove the cams to access the buckets and shims, you’ll need to loosen the timing chain. Most bikes run automatic cam-chain tensioners.
What happens if my valves are too loose?
If the valve clearances get too loose, this will lead to a noisy running engine. Consequently, this will eventually damage the camshaft lobes; rocker arms ( if equipped ) and the tips, of the valves themselves.
Will loose valves cause hard starting?
In most cases as the valve seat and valve head wear they start to pocket into the head, This reduces the clearances ,if the clearance is reduced to nothing the valve is held open slightly,this reduces the compression of the engine and in turn it will be hard to start .
How to adjust valve clearance on V-Star 650?
There are three bolts that hold the speedo pod onto the tank. There are two electrical connecters and the speedometer cable. The speedometer cable connector has flats for a 14mm open end wrench to fit on it. Use a wrench; it helps spare the skin on your fingers.
Is the Yamaha V Star 650 air cooled?
The Yamaha V Star 650 is one of the lowest-maintenance motorcycles you can buy. The combination of a shaft drive, an air-cooled V-twin, and a low compression ratio of 9.0:1 mean that there’s little to do on the V-Star 650. (No fuel injection, though!) There were a few variants of the V Star 650 (much like the V Star 1100 ):
Where are the mark on a V-Star 650?
The mark for aligning the front sprocket is the 1 mark and the mark for aligning the rear camshaft sprocket is the T1 mark. Here is one of the rocker arm covers. There are four of these, one over each valve. Remove the valve rocker covers to gain access to the valve stems and adjusters.
What kind of oil do I need for a Yamaha V Star 650?
You need SAE80 API “GL-4” hypoid gear oil such as Lucas Oil 80W-90. Tighten the bolt to 23 Nm / 17 lb-ft. Below is the maintenance schedule for the Yamaha V Star 650 (a.k.a. the XVS650) range of motorcycles. From 24000 mi (37000 km) or 36 months, repeat the maintenance intervals in the patterm shown.