Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

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pilot_greg
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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#31 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Ok, so I've finally gotten to measure my clearances, and unless I did it completely wrong, it looks like everything is in clearance, with one valve being borderline, but I'm not sure if its worth the effort to pull the cam shaft out just to change one tappet shim that is right on the line. This of course means that I need to look at the cam chain tensioner as the source of the noises. If that is the case, it will mean ordering a part before I can put the thing back together, so I'm torn now between hoping its not the tensioner, and being concerned that it might be something else...


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All that being said, I'm having some trouble getting the rubber gasket off of the cylinder head. The problem is that there are some tabs that call for RTV silicon bonding compound that is very tightly attached to the aluminum. The gasket itself is in good condition, so I want to reuse it, but I don't know how to get it off without damaging it because of these tabs... any ideas?

pilot_greg
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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#32 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Ok, so when I tried to take the cam chain tensor assembly off, the mounting hex bolt immediately stripped. I did a visual inspection from the top down and it looks somewhat ok, which is good enough for me right now. For sanity's sake, and the fact that I can't find a single piece of this bike that doesn't require a 5-7 day delivery, I think I'm going to have to put the tensioner off for a month or so, so I can actually ride the bike before the season is over...

Thanks for all the help so far on this.

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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#33 Unread post by Wrider »

Good luck man! Glad you finally got it checked and back together!

On the other hand you may want to check for the source of oil in that top end there... There's not usually any...

Just kidding of course... haha
Have owned - 2001 Suzuki Volusia
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pilot_greg
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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#34 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Well damn... I'm having some serious problems getting the valve cover back on... it keeps hitting a wiring harness that I can't get off, or I get silicon gasket on something in the engine, or the gasket comes off, or some o-ring comes off.... seriously, this is ridiculous...

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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#35 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Ok, so I got it together finally, though I had to silicon gasket the whole rim of the cover to get the gasket to stay in place while I placed it over the engine. I know you mentioned this was not the best idea, but I've read some materials and spoken to some people who say it can be ok as long as you make sure there is not much slop... plus, by the time I tried applying the silicon gasket to the tabs I pointed out before and tried to install the cover, there was silicon gasket everywhere anyway, which I hope will work its way into my oil filter when I warm the bike up to change the oil.

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I do have some concerns though about whether or not certain parts of the cover installed correctly. The #3 O-Rings in the picture, which ring the spark plug holes to prevent oil from getting into them, kept falling off as I would try to place the cover in the correct place, forcing me to repeatedly pull the cover back off and try to reseat it. Also, the #6 dowels (hollow tubes) and the #7 O-Rings which go around them wouldn't predictably stick to either the cover or the cylinder head, so I'm fearful that they may not be seated properly. I'm currently debating whether I or not I should give the silicon gasket a day or so to dry out, and then open it up again to try again with my new knowledge of how to get the gasket and cover in place properly so that I make less mess and am able to double check that the o-rings and dowels managed to get into the right place. Alternatively, I can just go ahead and put everything back together and cross my fingers that the o-rings and dowels are in proper position when I try starting it up to warm the engine prior to changing the oil.

Thoughts?

EDIT: As usual with questions like this, the more I think about it, the more I think its a better idea to spend an extra hour now to double check it, than to spend who knows how much time and money later on because I didn't... after all, this is the first time I've ever opened up an engine of any sort, so it makes sense to err on the side of caution. Still please give me your thoughts, but I'll probably pull it open anyway.

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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#36 Unread post by PeterTrocewicz »

Just a tip on parts that may fall off during installation, such as o-rings: I find a dab of grease placed on them before I set them in place is sticky enough to hold them there while I put things together. It also helps lubricate them if necessary.
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pilot_greg
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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#37 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Well, I'm getting lots of practice installing and removing my valve cover. I got it all installed only to find out that a little silicon gasket that I smeared by accident on the cam shaft presents a critical problem, and I need to pull it again to completely clean the mess. At least I'm getting good at putting it in place without too much trouble...

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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#38 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Just wanted to report in that I got everything back together and, as best as I can tell, it seems to be running well. The original "ticking" noises I heard are still there, despite the fact that the timing chain tensioner is not worn and none of the valves are out of spec, again, as best as I can tell, so I'm not sure what other causes there might be. A friend of mine took a listen and seems to think that they are normal engine noises, but who knows... at this point I doubt I'll get a real answer without taking it to a shop and having them do an extensive (and expensive) evaluation, so I may never know as long as it runs well...

Thanks again for all the help!
Greg

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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#39 Unread post by Wrider »

Just keep in mind a certain amount of ticking is normal. They don't have the same sound insulation as car engines, so it sounds louder.
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