Can anyone recommend asource for a decent set of metric thickness gauges? I have a set and can use combinations to get fairly good resolution but would like to get a reasonably priced set with a fair number of increments in the appropriate range.
Ross
Try Napaonline.com or Sears.com to start...... you could also try buying individual blades at your local automotive industrial supply. You only need a few.
Wow. Timely advice - 15 months later
. I ended out with a set from Canadian Tire. They have both metric and SAE. The metric set will give you everything you need but you have to use combinations of 2 or more blades for some measurements. Depends if you want to do "Go - NoGo", or if you want an actual measurement.
Glad this topic came up again; I needed a reminder. I did mine last August and they are past due for the next one (over 30,000 mi.). I had 3 or 4 valves at the minimum spec when I did my first check last year at 50,000+ miles. If I didn't have some on the borderline, I would wait longer. Winter project; not while there is a little bit of riding weather left.
Ross
Another good source is a tech day. We have done a couple dozen checks over the years at the PNW tech day. Here are some
Photos from Fall PNW tech meet. We still have yet to have one that needs adjustment, but there are a handful of us who know how to make the adjustments. Even if you have to travel a little ways to get there, it is worth it to learn how to do these. If you make arrangements ahead of time, I'm sure the organizer will make sure your bike is one of the ones that gets a valve check/adjustment.
A tech manual for your bike is a must. Spend the $100 and get it, you will use it all the time.
It does take about 2-1/2 hours to get into the valves, check and button it up with help from someone who has done them. Add another 1/2 to 1 hour for the CCT change out. The Gen 1 cover is the biggest PIA to get off and put back on. Especially if the main wire harness is routed wrong like it was on BikerSkier's '05 at the last tech day.
Our tech days have evolved since the beginning to reflect current needs of riders in the area. The last tech meet had two sets of forks completely torn down and rebuilt. We did two more sets last weekend.
One last thing, if you do take it to the dealer, demand they provide the valve check sheet showing the clearances measured and the parts replaced. Specifically, the valve cover gasket. I have a friend that paid a local dealer to do the valve check (due to time constraints - he couldn't wait for the tech day). They told him the vlaves were "within spec" on the invoice and that's it. Well 5,000 miles later his gen 1 started ticking (35,000 miles on the bike). I went over to his house to help him replace the CCT. As part of the process, I always remove the valve cover and zip tie the cam chain to the cams so they can not move.
We discovered the valve cover has never been removed. It had the original gasket in place and it stuck to the head and ripped the gasket when removing. Also the hose clamp on the left side of the themostat in fornt of the water tubes was in an inaccessable place as assembled in the factory. The bolts holding the water tubes down to the head had never been removed because they get crusty and corroded with the only marks inside the hex head were from me removing the bolts - no tightening marks. In addition, the cover over the end of the crank, which is painted, was never removed to spin the crank for the valve adjsutment. How can we tell, it is a painted surface and will have tool marks in it if it was removed and the gasket under the whole side cover was still original.
Short story - the dealer's mechanic pencil whipped the valve check. We did check and they were all in spec, but he now has a vavle check sheet to know exactly where they are, and he now knows how to do the check and what it feels like when the feeler gage has proper tension on it for the reading. He is out $700 for the valve check - but he will be having a discussion with the shop owner soon about it.
