[BadAssRX-7]

ok I checked my valves a while back and had 2 that will need shimed this coming valve check. So im looking for a shim kit but i dont know what size kit i need. Looking at the specs the valvestem is about 4.00 mm so i would guess the 4.5mm diam. shims is this right?
Thanks

 

[BadAssRX-7]

well i thought i had read all the posts from my search nope but did now so its the 7.48 diam. i guess i told myself.... is that like talking to myself?

 

[riverszzr]

you are correct in that the zzr600 uses the 7.5 mm shims (depending on manufacturer may be undersized to the 7.48 you posted)
I only use the oem shims, as the "aftermarket shims" tend to be less hardened and inconsistant in their thickness-with regards to the number stamped. But mic the thickness anyways on all shims.

 

[MJ939]

How many miles on your bike? Just curious how fast the valves go out of tolerance. I'm procrastinating on checking and fixing mine, or getting it done.

 

[riverszzr]

I have 25,000 miles on mine. Checked them when I got it home from the dealer (2.3 miles) and adjusted 13 of the 16 so they were "right"
Adjusted them again at about 800 miles, only had to do 7 of 16
Adjusted them again at about 7000 miles, had to do 5 of 16
Adjusted them again at about 16500 miles and had to do 6 of 16
Adjusted them again at about 23800 ( needs new cam chain and sprockets-pretty noticeable indentations on the sprockets now) and only had to change 2 of the 16 shims So I will be replacing those this winter
( the furthest any of mine had gotten off was about .0025" with my shortened intervals of adjustment) But I routinely see customers bikes (probably 8 out of 10 bikes) that are .003-.008" too tight, and that is a real problem.
But I am a suyper picky fuck, and just because spec says the clearance can be anywhere within the range of .0043-.0075 for the intakes and .0087 and .0122 for the exhuast. Each and everytime I set the clearance, all 8 intakes are at exactly( +/- .0002) .005" and all 8 exhuasts are at exactly .0095" (+/- .0002)

I work on motorcycles for a living (for over 29 years) and adjust valves on over 200 bikes every year, there has never been a bike come in that didn't "need" the valves adjusted . Along with the TPS and carb or throttle body sync, etc...people are always amazed that there bike runs so much better with "good" mainatainance. I am always amazed that people have no clue what a "good" running bike really is.

So although Kawasaki says to check them at 14,000, I'd do it sooner than later. Just make sure to take somewhere where they will actually do the job right, actually have the shims (ask to see them if you need to---I have over 13,108 of the 7.5mm shims in stock, as of dec 31,2008 inventory) nothing worse than paying for a service, especially expensive ones and then not really getting what you are paying for.
Or buy the manual, and learn to do it yourself. You can buy alot of shims and start to grow your own inventory of shim selection, for what the dealers charge. just my biased, jaded 2 cents.

 

[BadAssRX-7]

i agree with river mine are all set to the mid. of spec. this last time i checked was
@15k and i have 2 needeing changed but need to get a kit for the zzr.
Hey river got a ? 4 u. Im looking at a guy down the streets 92zx6d and after getting it fired up found a LOT of noise i was thinking overhead as has 16k on it. opened it up and i have no valves out of spec but a few are right at the min. so do you think this would make a lot of noise? most of my overhead work has been on diesels and you cant hear anything when its running.

 

[riverszzr]

no if the valve clearances are anywhere near close, they don't make noise. Check the cam chain, and the tensioner--a dead give away is if you can see the indentations of the chain on the sprocket teeth. Unfortunately on these, those sprockets are factory pressed on, and they require you to buy the cam and sprocket together. Unless you can find aftermarket ones, are able to do cam timing to get it right, after you press off the original. (alot of work, I've done it)

 

[BadAssRX-7]

are you sure on the 92 zx600d? its the center of the cam chain thinggy and they have 2 bolts in each gear into the cam. I figured id check the chain and then pull the cams and check the head out really good then drop the pan and check the bottom end. but i swear the noise was on the top of the motor and it was not repetative it was kinda random.

 

[MJ939]

Thanks for that good info, riverszzr

 

[BadAssRX-7]

the chain and gears look good. i did find something.The auto adjusting deal was stuck. i pulled it out and put the bolt back in and it wouldnt extent any more so i flicked the little lock and it poped open. i worked it a bunch and it seemed ok so i reinstalled it.

 

[MattR302]

How many miles on your bike? Just curious how fast the valves go out of tolerance. I'm procrastinating on checking and fixing mine, or getting it done.

My bike has 30k on it, and I just did them (possibly for the first time ever), and 15 of 16 were too tight. I didn't bother buying new ones, I just had one of the guys in the machine shop where I work grind the old ones down to size.

 

[rayzzr]

The service manual calls for this to be checked every 7500 miles on our bikes. Sad thing is, this bike is shim under bucket, so replacing shims means pulling cams, which to me is the biggest pain in doing the work yourself.

There is a sticky for those that want to try doing it on their own. This is the first bike I did the job on, and I did mine but it took me some time. Take a long weekend or do it when the weather is bad so you won't miss the riding.

 

[riverszzr]

my statement of the cam sprockets being factory pressed on, was in regards to the zzr600 (06 and newer for sure) mine is an 07 and I have seen a few 06's and 08's come through the shop. But I think the 97 has press on cam sprockets as well, I'll have to look next time I do service on it.
And my oem Kawasaki service manual says every 15,000 miles for the valve adjustment interval. But I would never do what the oems recommend.

When you are "pulling" the cams, zip tie the chain to the sprocket and only lift one cam up at a time, then re-installing them will be a bit easier, and cam timing shouldn't be an issue.

For the cam chain tensioner--yes I quite often see them "sticking", they are supposed to "self adjust" via oil pressure and the spring, but quite often they fail, and the teeth on the eadjuster( to keep it from going back) get beat up from the chain slapping it, then they wont adjust at all past that point, sometimes they are 'cleanable" sometimes not. For me it is usually more prudent to just replace them, or install a manual adjuster- but then you have to be on top of adjusting it often and not over tightening it.

For the guy that "machined down" his valve shims, they are hard faced only on oem shims and only surface hardened about .0005"-.001" on aftermarket shims. Its never a good idea to machine your shims thinner, for anything more than maybe .00025", otherwise they tend to "dent" on the valve head and loosen up your clearances. And I dont see how doing this could be cost effective at all, unless he did it for you for free. shims are just to cheap, and if it is something you are going to be doing, you will want to start to build a stock of shims anyways ( almost every current bike with shim under bucket made today takes the same 7.5 mm shims- so even when you change bikes, you'll still have shims. of course the range of thickness varies between the manufacturers and even the model of the bike. GSXR600 use in the 140-170 range, honda f-4i's are in that 190-210 range and our zzr,s are in the 280-305 range---so there is a big spread in sizing.)