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

#21 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Ok so here's another stupid question... I'm thinking about starting this today, but I've only got about 3 hours before I've got to be done working for the day and getting ready for work. Can I leave the engine open but covered overnight without too much worry? Or should I be sure to be able to finish the job once I've started to avoid letting dust get directly into the engine?

Also, assuming an average mechanical ability, about how long should it take me to go from unopened bike to finished job? 2 hours? 4 hours? My local shop said the job is a 4 hour job, but the instructions just don't seem that long, so they might be taking into account the time it would take the bike to completely cool after riding it in...

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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#22 Unread post by Wrider »

It's fine as long as you cover it with a sheet or something.
And yes it is quite a time consuming job. The 4 hours they quoted you is the average time it takes a Master Mechanic to go from tools laid out, bike needing to be adjusted, to bike adjusted, everything buttoned up. Your first time should take you in the vicinity of 5-6 hours.
And make sure it cools for at least 8 hours before you do the valves, it has to be adjusted cold.
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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#23 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Sadly, I don't think anyone at my local dealership is a "Master" mechanic.... there is a reason (other than money) that I do almost all my own work, and that reason is they gave me back a bike after doing a 520 conversion without the master link properly attached. It was close, but had I been experienced at the time I would have seen it in a heartbeat. I made it 3 days before the chain broke and, luckily enough, just ran itself off of the sprockets. When I took it back, they told me they weren't responsible because the head mechanic had signed off on the work as being done properly and refused to pay for a new chain and the work to install it.



I haven't ridden the bike in like 5 months now, so its 100% stone cold for this job. I did find this video on youtube which has me a little concerned about how fragile engine parts might be. As one point he mentions that having single piece engine towers means that if you break them, you have to buy a new cylinder head... is this true? are they really that breakable? Do I have something to worry about here?

Thanks,
Greg

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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#24 Unread post by BuzZz »

The cam towers can be busted if reasonable care isn't taken. Mostly this means use a torque wrench and proper torque pattens to remove and re-install them. They are only aluminum and are part of the head, so if they strip, crack or break, it does mean a new head.

But they are not going to come off in your bare hands. Just use obvious care when working on them.
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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#25 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Ok, I'll keep that in mind. I do always use a torque wrench anyway, after I made the mistake of stripping my oil pan drain hole threads. Still, I wish they made some of this stuff out of more durable materials.

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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#26 Unread post by pilot_greg »

Ok, so here is a new twist on this crazy operation. I went out for drinks tonight with a friend who brought a friend who runs an auto shop. We were talking about this valve job and, after I described the noises my bike was making, he told me that he didn't think spending hours on a valve job was worth it right now. Instead I should wait a while and do it in another 1000-3000 miles. As a result, I'm not sure what I should do so I'm going to redescribe the situation here and see what you all think about it.

The tapping that I hear only happens when the engine is cold, fading away as the engine warms up until its completely gone. After an initial warm up, the tapping won't return again for the rest of the day until I've let the bike sit for at least 8 hours, after which time, the tapping will be there after startup again until the engine warms. I know this has something to do with my valves (I've had a bad timing chain tensioner and this is not that sound) and it is not knocking as if I was getting detonation or preignition. Is this cause enough to go through the process of checking clearances and doing the valve shim replacement? Or should I wait the extra miles until the engine makes the noise even while its hot?

Any thoughts would be appreciated here, as I'm not 100% either way. I've been getting myself psyched out and ready for this work for several days now, but I'm still open to putting it off if that is the best course of action in a time / cost / effort / benefit analysis. From those around me here, I've gotten everything from "it runs fine, don't worry about it till it starts running rough" to "just put it off another season and do it this fall" to "leaving it like that at all will cause damage... its like a hammer hitting a nail too hard all day...", all from mechanics, so I'm not sure who to believe...

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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#27 Unread post by fireguzzi »

I think the safe bet would be to just pop off the valve cover and check the clearances. Not too much work involved or time consumed if they are within spec. It would be worth it to me just for the peace of mind.
But then again I don't really have the experience to make an educated guess based on you description.
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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#28 Unread post by BuzZz »

I'm with Fireguzzi. Check the clearances, if they are not drastically out of spec, wait until winter.

When valves go out of adjustment, they normally get tighter, not looser, so the 'hammer effect' mentioned probably isn't a worry. Neither is some mechanical noise on start-up.... up to a point. You mentioned it was oil change time, it might be that the oil in it now is too light a viscosity, change it with 20W-50 motorcycle specific oil. That might keep the clatter down on warm up.

Check the camchain adjuster anyway. It is hydraulic, but worn ratchet teeth can still cause slop and noise. I've never experienced it, but have read about other's having the problem. You will be in there looking anyways, might as well check.
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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#29 Unread post by Wrider »

Yeah I'm with them. Might as well check your clearances if you are worried about them. If nothing else it will give you peace of mind. Plus if something is out of whack you'll catch it before it does anything bad.
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Re: Valve job for '02 GSX-R750 Questions

#30 Unread post by pilot_greg »

I'll keep that in mind then. Something else has come up in the meantime which I'm going to put in another post. If what I fear happened has happened, then I may not be riding for a while, valve job or not.

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