I've never done it before. I'm no expert mechanic, but I have worked on cars before. Always with a manual guiding me. Is this a fairly doable job or is it better to take it to the mechanic? A few warnings in the manual give me reservations about doing myself.

What can I expect to pay at the mechanic? (Dealer)

 

You should be paying about 350-500 depending on where you are and how many if any valves need to be adjusted.

Checking them will be no problem if you have some machanical skill.

Replaceing shims and the then gettin g the timing reset is prety hard, scale of 1-10 it is a 8-9.

Good luck.

 

Anything on a bike can be a DIY. Search the forums, ask questions, follow the manual and have the proper tools. Sometimes getting the proper tools will cost you half or more than to just take her in. But you will have the tools to do it next time. Always pros and cons depending on your expectations and if you planned on doing it again.

 

Well it depends if its a Shim under, Shim over, or a screw and lock nut, (screw and lock nut)all you have to do is watch the intake vavle open watch it close and next approaching "T" mark is TDCC, then take 2 feeler gauges slip the correct one in, and tighten the screw on the feeler till you have a nice drag, then tighten the lock nut, (Shim under) Just take cam chain tensor out, remove cam chain, remover cam taek buckets out, replace with shim reverse it, (shim over) this is the beast i dread these, you need a specail tool to place on the top of the bukcet and lift the cam up, get you a magnet slip out the **** replace with correct one, all of these adjustment are done on that vavle TDCC, watch it open watch it close, next t mark on the flywheel is TDCC, remember to time the beast when you done, double check your work, theres nothing worse than taking it all off again to give a screw 1/16 of a turn, good luck

 

What is this? TDCC is part of my question yes.

 

TDCC, Top dead center on compression stroke, that other part is telling him how to make sure hes on tdcc, but taking off the two screw caps on the clutch side cover using a wrench to turn the motor in normal rotation( away from cam chain tensor), he can veiw the marks on the flywheel, you understand now? if not just pm me glad to clear up any fuzzies

 

sorry, have not played with that one. Must be a new thing.

 

curious, what happened to ATDC and BDC? or is that old school? or are my defiinitions incorrect?

 

no no, there still alive and healthy,

 

Don't know what bike you are adjusting valves on, but if it's shim over bucket, it's easy. Bucket over shim is a PITA.

I'm not the most mechanically inclined person either, but I've done mine a few times. Another tip, instead of taking the pulse cover off to crank the motor by hand, just bump the starter until the cam lobes are pointing up. Check / adjust the clearance on those valves, then bump again etc. etc. I do all my exhaust valves first then the intake. It's just easier for me that way.