They do start to get a bit noisy the looser they get though. Some bikes sound like a coffee can full of nuts and bolts...
Got 650 miles on it so pulled the valve cover off and one of the intakes is at about .18-.19 clearance. It must be the one I can hear clicking. The others are fine. So yeah, I need a 2.20 shim. That should set it down to .12-.13mm. Are there compatibles for these? Or dealer only? Somebody said Yamahas are the same?
I'm hoping they are universal as well. Somebody posted back in this thread that they were 9.5mm OD. Be nice if a kit like below could be used. I don't want to be waiting days or weeks for a shim to ship to me. I would buy a set in the sweet spot (2.10mm-2.35mm) http://www.bikebandit.com/hot-cams-valve-shim-kit-refill-package-9-48mm-od
9.48mm diameter? Yeah, I think that's the ticket. Gonna get on the phone tomorrow and see if I can find one out here. I don't need a whole kit, just one to put it in spec. Should stay there for thousands of miles. I hope. Can somebody confirm this?
I bought a big kit of various shims from Hall's. The kit is from HotCams. It was about $90, but I have every shim size I'll ever need on hand. I figure it's a necessity, considering there's no dealer around here.
I was looking at this one, but my dealer is ~15 miles away and I can call him and he'll drop a shim in an envelope and I'll have it the next day... Only downside is that I checked valves on the Friday night before labor day and was without a bike til the next Wednesday...
Very helpful thread...I am hoping to check/do mine this coming weekend (I'm at 930 miles, so better get on it based on what I am seeing.) Seeking your advice on the following... I do not currently have a garage, so will be doing this at a friends house and hope to get it all done in one visit. Given this I am trying to anticipate what range of sizes I need to order. If I look at the Bike Bandit link above at the 9.48's, they come in size brackets, such as: 2.10 - 2.35 mm 2.40 - 2.65 mm ...and so on, about 6 or 7 ranges. Any advice for which range(s) I should order? I do not have a Honda shop nearby, and the Yamaha shop here never has anything (nor do they seem to know anything.) Once in there I'd prefer to get it done, as opposed to having to order. Thanks! Eric
I would take the larger set with them all. The ones with the shorter ranges are a 'refill set', with 5 of each shim and no one is gonna need that many of each. Dennis Kirk has the full range set for $56, has 3 of each size. BTW, my one that was short was a 2.15. The others were in spec so I didn't bother to check them. They are marked: 2,15 One of those parts retrieval magnets works really well for getting the shim out of the valve bucket. Stuff a rag into the cavity so nothing can fall into it. I used a piece of coat hanger wire to pull the keeper spring from the cam follower shaft. A shop manual makes it easy to figure everything out. I really didn't want to drain the coolant so moving the rads out of the way made it super easy.
Huge thanks CJ. I checked out the Dennis Kirk deal (as that sounds like a deal) but the kit of the 9.48's is 86.00 (Hotcams kit, part # 148752.) I shouldn't worry about cost...the complete kit sounds as though it's the best way to go into this to get it done in one visit to my buddy's garage.
Sorry, yeah, I think the $56 kit was for a smaller shim diameter for different bikes. Around $80 seems to be the going rate for the 9.48's. Motosportz has several referrals for a shim kit but I couldn't find them on their site.
Thanks CJ I didn't catch that. The full kit is definitely the way to go so you're guaranteed to have the size you need. I searched again and both BikeBandit and RMATV have them also for around $80. They make you search by bike so plug in '09 Honda CRF450 to bring up the 9.48mm shim kit.
I just found these shims online for $40.00: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.co...ne-Valves-Hot-Cams-Valve-Shim-Refill-Kit.aspx My bike did not require valve adjustment when I checked them at 700 and 4,000 miles FWIW.
With the new (old) dual cam head on the 630, those are going to be some of the easiest valves you'll ever get to measure and/or adjust. Just make sure the cam chain cavity is blocked off with a rag or something so you don't lose a shim down that abyss. I miss that easy feature since going to the x-lite engine. Have to remove the cam to change a shim now.
Super easy to check and change. Got a 2.20 shim and that took up the slack in the one intake. Buttoned 'er up and put it back together, runs nice and quiet. Changed the oil, screen had a bit of crap, new filter, going with petro oil 'till about 1500, then it's amsoil all the way baby! I did not pull the clutch cover to check the internal screen. Maybe next time. I was surprised at how dirty the oil was with 400 miles on it. I expect it to stay pretty clean now. Pulled the plug, color looks perfect. Gee, this bike is a dream!
Just checked and adjusted my valves on my 700 mile 630, 3 of the four where in need of new shims as the clearance was at its max of the range, this has got to be the easist bike to adjust the valves of any I have ever owned, very impressed, adjusted all of them to middle of the range, runs noticably better now Sethro