Valve Adjustment?

[groundeffect]

1. Measure and order from BRP the new shims. TIGHT valves (small clearance) are open longer and the motor breathes better and makes more power but the valves don't last as long. LOOSE valves (lots of clearance) are closed longer, run cooler (due to ability to transfer heat to head), last longer but don't make quite as much power.
2. This is not happening overnight, the clearance is getting tighter and tighter between 2 measurements.
3. Overheating/burned (most likely exhaust) valves may result.

THANKS doc!

I think you may have answered this, but:

A. Does the valve clearance gap usually get looser (say for example a clearnace of FROM .0087 TOWARDS .0114in ) with time and miles?

OR

B. Does the valve clearance gap usually get tigher (say for example a clearance FROM .0114in DOWN TOWARDS .0087 ) with time and miles?



B, correct?

Thanks.

 

[bikeguy]

After reading that Doc had to wait for them to get shims in---- :gaah:

Why on earth would they do a valve check without the shims READY and ON HAND to fix it? :shocked:

I used to think exactly the same thing, Firefly, especially when my dealer wouldn't even have something like a clutch or brake lever in stock for my dirt bike. Then a good friend bought a dealership and my wife became his parts person. A very good parts person, I might add. They sold Hondas and Yamahas. I quickly learned that it was simply impossible for them to keep all the parts for every model for the past x number of years in stock. The store would not have been big enough to store them, let alone the cost of inventory.

BRP lists 31 different valve shims for the Spyder RT engine. I didn't check to see if the RS had any different ones but I wouldn't think so. It would require 248 shims to be sure that each one was available for every valve before a valve adjustment was started. My Can-Am dealer also sells Suzukis, Kawasakis and Yamahas. So multiply that 248 by who knows how many different models of the other brands that require different shims and it's easy to see how hard it is to keep everything in stock.

Having said all that, I still agree with Firefly that it would be extremely frustrating for me to have a dealer begin a valve adjustment and then have to wait on shims to complete it.

Cotton

 

[docdoru]

B, correct? Thanks.

B. correct (allways)!

 

[groundeffect]

B. correct (allways)!

Thanks, Doc. And that goes for both intake and exhaust, correct?

Thanks
Dean

 

[WaltH]

In addition, as I understand it, the tank has to at least be loosened and moved back (or removed for more space) to access the rear cylinder valve cover for the check or adjustment of the valves.
Thank you.
Cheers.

No, you don't have to move the tank to get the rear valve cover off, or on. It come off, if you wiggle it some. Getting in back on again is more difficult because you have to protect the new gasket. You can do it.

 

[ARtraveler]

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn::agree:with Scotty, Doc, and Bikeguy. This is some very good information. Its obviously very important to have a good relationship with your dealer. I am sure that over the process of time the dealers that are unsroupulous (spelling?) are going to be exposed and weeded out. I do believe that this number is low to begin with and will get lower. Lots of opinions to check or not to check at lower intervals. My dealer is using his two Spyders (an 08 RS and a 10 RTS) as a test, and based on his advice so far, I am not doing valves on my two bikes until higher mileage. I did do early valve check per the manual on my first 2008, but we have not done it on the 2009 (17K miles now) and the 2010 RTS (11K miles now).

 

[groundeffect]

No, you don't have to move the tank to get the rear valve cover off, or on. It come off, if you wiggle it some. Getting in back on again is more difficult because you have to protect the new gasket. You can do it.

Which tool do you use to access the bolts in the rear of the rear cylinder, as a normal socket and ratchet will simply not fit in there or will be able to be turned.

Thanks.

 

[Capt John]

If they have to adjust your valves when they do the clearance check, it is going to cost you considerably more. It is not quick. The parts they use should be specifically listed on your work order. I expect you will know.

Scotty I agree with you, but I just have to tell you what one service mgr told me and I didn't want to argue with him. "it's the same price to check the clearance of the valves or adjust them" BTW he quoted $359...this was last year.

 

[NancysToy]

Scotty I agree with you, but I just have to tell you what one service mgr told me and I didn't want to argue with him. "it's the same price to check the clearance of the valves or adjust them" BTW he quoted $359...this was last year.

Two possibilities here. Either they failed to see that there were two separate flat rates...one for checking clearance and another for adjustment, or there is only one flat rate listed. Frankly, if it includes the parts, $359 might not be outrageous for actual adjustment, depending on their labor rate. Others have been charged much more.

 

[Firefly]

I gotta say--- when I had mine checked at 6,000 miles I was under the strong impression that they would adjust them too for the price of the whole service I was quoted... which was like $520 for the whole 6,000 service. If they had come back and wanted more $$$ to actually DO the adjustment----- they would have had a not-so-happy customer!