ok. i'm measuring my valve clearances. rather than go by the number stamped on the shims (most rubbed off anyway), i measured them all with a micrometer.

if i use the look-up table in the service manual, i don't have to replace many shims.but that table has quite a bit of slop in it, so i've been using a spreadsheet. you input what valve lash you want, what clearance you measured, and the current shims. it calculates a new shim size and then you type in the nearest size shim you're going to put in and it will tell you the actual lash you're going to get. i get different results depending on whether i dial in the tightest valve lash verses the loosest lash....(and different results from the look-up table).

so... that brings me to my question: is there a general guideline for what i should shoot for? tight both intake and exhaust, or tight on one and loose on the other, or middle-of-the-ground on both?

thanks alot.

I have one of the older screw-type oiler heads on mine... so I don't have to deal with the shim-thing. ...still... being the lazy unit that I am, whenever I have to actually change anything, I usually set it to the large side of the allowed range because over time, they close-up and the larger it starts out at, the less-likely I'll have to change the same valve again next time.

set them up loose, they will close up with miles

i guess the shim thing was confusing me. when i go to the tighter setting, it means the bigger shims, so i was thinking more in terms of shim-wear vs. valve wear. (i.e., bigger shims being better)

so as the valves wear, they're making the lash tighter, correct? (pushing up more on the shims and requiring thinner shims the more the valves wear away)

thanks for the heads up - wasn't thinking clearly.

forgot to ask: do you all use the look-up table in the book, or use the math?

because after measuring all my shims with a micrometer, a 1.55 can mean anything from 1.53 to a 1.57, and when rounding up or down in the 'present shim size' column, and then rounding when choosing the new shim size you build double round-off into the mess.....

but maybe it's just all in the noise and i'm being anal?

Not like I do this for a living or anything... but I've never seen a shim that had any appreciable wear on it (from a healthy engine). My impression is that the valve-seats recess over time, and that's why the clearances change (get tighter). For the bikes in the garage that do have shims(FJ12, ZX6, ZX12), I always just do the math to get everything sorted out - I don't worry with any tables.

PS - I usually get away with only needing to obtain a few new shims from a shop/dealership... usually I can swap shims around to new positions such that the ones that are too large for their current valve will work for a different valve. It used to be that I could find (a) local shop(s) to swap shims out even-steven, but lately, everyone wants to charge me a $ or three just to swap a shim. I've had shops ask for as much as $9.95 ea. to purchase them outright.

...I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I'm not as cute as I once was? LOL!

set the intake at .005-.006" and the exhaust at .007-.008....that to the loose side of things so as the seats settle you will be in the middle of the recommended range...we have shims in stock if you need them...thanks!!!

dwayne