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Message started by skrapiron on 07/26/07 at 14:34:42

Title: Three weeks????
Post by skrapiron on 07/26/07 at 14:34:42

I just called two of the three (remaining) dealers left here in western Pa.

I need to have three specific services done. One, I need to have the 7500 mile maintenance done.
Two, I need to have the drive tire replaced. Three, I need to have my state inspection done.

I first tried the dealer i bought the bike from (less than a month ago.) They're out of business. (drat)

I then tried the dealer at the bottom of the hill. They're so booked up that they're NOT taking any more service appointments THIS MONTH.

So I tried dealer number three (in Ohio, actually) and the earliest they can get me in is the 14th of August.

CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP.

So. I have some choices to make.

I can change the spark plug and oil myself, but would have to set my own valve clearance and cnage the tire myself. The inspection? That's going to have to be done at a garage.

So, how hard is it to do check and set the valve clearance? Is it something that I might be able to do without messing anything up?

Additionally, how hard is it to change the rear tire? Again, I don't have the maintenance manual to reference, so I need as much advice as i can get.

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by ALfromN.H. on 07/26/07 at 14:43:25

there are other motorcycle shops other than dealers.

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by verslagen1 on 07/26/07 at 14:47:01

Check the tech section I sure adjusting the valves is discussed. If you ever done a VW, you know how. The hardest thing is getting to TDC. There's a link for that too. Not hard just be patient and quad check your self.

I'd have the shop do the rear tire. Not that it's impossible but it's hard without the right tools. I tried and pinched the tube. I have a lot of experience with bicycles and it was the same thing. If I remember right I pinched the first one way back when. Just takes the right tools. Take the wheel off and take it in to them.

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by T-Mack1 on 07/26/07 at 15:21:49

Adjusting valves is more like checking valves. You'll need feeler gauge, available at Auto-zone. Needs to be the flat type, not the wire type used on spark plugs. Follow the instructions on the tech tips to get "top Dead Center".

If you are not mechcanical inclined, then I suggest you go to http://www.suzuki.com and do the dealer locator link. I just did and there 20 dealers within 150 miles of Pittsburgh. Maybe I should have done 100 miles. Don't want to have to get gas 2/3 of the way there.....

I'm from eastren PA and found that it's much nicer to have the inspection due in Fall. It's a ten minute wait then. My friends comes due in spring and he waits two to three weeks to get in and has to leave the bike overnight.

Those of you not in the state of PA, we need to get the bike looked at, once a year, to have a licensed mechanic say "yep, it stops", "Yep, the lights work", and "Yep, the tires have tread". The date your inspection is due is linked to the date your vehicle liscense plates come due (double zapper, got to love the gov't).

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by Ed_L. on 07/26/07 at 16:18:21

Remember the Pa state inspection well, they even inspect trailers over 3500 lbs. Had a camper in once, got it inspected and had a wheel fall off it 100 miles into the next trip. If you are in Upper Bucks county try Pheonix Motorcycles in Pipersville on 611. They always took good care of me, nice mom and pop motorcycle shop.

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by justin_o_guy on 07/26/07 at 17:52:08

In Texas there are few places that inspect bikes. I thik there are 2 in Longview. I was shocked when I stopped at a station & they said"we dont doo motorcycles" like I was sposed to KNOW that..

Valves are scarier than they are hard. The thing is thers just about no room. I take the blades out of the feeler gauge & bend them to go in there. With a little "ski tip" on the end & about an inch back I bend as close to a 90 in it I can without cracking it. Get an offset screwdriver, so you can hold the adjuster while you use the 10 mm to tighten the jam nut. The offset I got was a phillips on the other end, so I bent a rod & used a grinder & built an offset that would do the job no matter whioch way the adjuster was pointed. Anything to keep it from turning will do. Tighten that jam nut up good. I dont know how stout you are, but with a 10 mm craftsman end wrench, it is starting to get uncomfortable in my hand when I stop. Not pain, just discomfort. Pushing pretty hard. Dont strip it,
When you open the caps up, try to get a feeler in there & see if they need adjusted. If the 4 goes & the 5 doesnt, leave it alone. If the 5 goes, I would do it, even if the 6 wont. Now, if the 3 goes & the 4 wont on an exhaust valve I would feel,like it should be adjusted. Maybe its fine, but I would go ahead. On an intake, I would call itgreat. Just do it with the engine cold. Makes sense anyway, cuz you will be all over that engine & if its hot, that would just be impossible. Doing the tire is a major hassle, I did front & rear, took me OHHH 2 days. I just am not in too good a shape anymore. A young man should be able to handle it okay. Takes some ingenuity getting the old one off the bead. I used big C clamps & a hammer. Hoisted the bike with a come along to pull the wheel. Best bet is to pull the wheel & take it somewhere to have the tire mounted. You can do the valves if you reall want to.

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by Savage_Rob on 07/27/07 at 05:11:42

justin_o_guy wrote:

In Texas there are few places that inspect bikes. I thik there are 2 in Longview. I was shocked when I stopped at a station & they said"we dont doo motorcycles" like I was sposed to KNOW that.

May be just a local thing. In my area, a high percentage of full-service gas stations (those with bay doors and lifts) do inspections and a lot of the quick oil change places do too. One of the quick oil change places near me has had someone qualified for motorcycles on site for the past several years, at least. Just got mine inspected last week, in fact. I noticed the fee went up to $14.50 this year but that's still less than half the cost of an inspection for a cage.

Title: Hasta La Vista Noisy Valves
Post by skrapiron on 07/27/07 at 11:48:54

Well, I took a chance this morning. After calling around to 3 more dealers and two independet cycle mechanics, I came to the determination that the only way to get the valve job done, was to do it myself.

Thanks again for the repository 'o knowledge in the tech section. I read through it (three times, just to be sure I could do it) and then took my laptop down to the garage with me (just in case).

I let the bike cool down overnight and then went tool shopping.

Of course, I did not have a 17mm offset, 10mm offset, 18mm deep well socket or a tappet feeler guage (down to .004"). While I was at Sears (tool country! I love it!) I got several other 'missing' metric scokets that I'm sure I'll need somewhere down the road.

The teardown was really straight forward and I had the bike in pieces in under 20 minutes.

Where I ran into problems was determining TDC on the compression stroke. I did the screw driver in the spark plug hole trick and even lined up the timing marks on the inspection nut. What I did not realize was that the timing marks indicated TDC for BOTH the compression AND the exhuast stroke. I found this out after setting the intake valves and realized that the exhuats valved were fully compressed. (D'oh!)

So I spun the engine again and tried the adjustment a second time.

I set all 4 valves to .004" (I figured it was right in the middle of spec), replaced the valve covers, the timing nut inspection cover and started the bike.

Oh my gosh, what a difference! The engine is so quiet now!!

I refitted the gas tank and seat then took it on a short test ride.

The valve tap is gone! I can't believe how out of adjustment they were, but i found 2 of the 4 lock nuts to be loose. I tightend them VERY well, so that should no longer be a probelm.

On an even better note, I found an independent cycle shop that's going to change the tire and do the inspection for me on Monday morning. SWEET!

Life is great. Now, if it would just stop raining!

Thanks again for all your help! You guys ROCK!

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by justin_o_guy on 07/28/07 at 11:19:30

Independence feels good doesn't it? Congratulations..

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by verslagen1 on 07/28/07 at 12:52:31

Congrats and welcome to wrenchers anomimous!
We're all habitually awstruck at the unavailability, ungracious, inept, and uneconomical service that's available to us. So we learn to do it ourselves.

I guess one of the tips we should add to adjusting anything... is if it's more than a half turn out, double check where you're supposed to be. ;D

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by barb36jack31 on 07/28/07 at 13:15:36

Loved my old /2 BMW motorcycles where the jugs hung out the side! Take off the valve cover and everything was right in front of your face. Have not tackled my S40 yet, but I will some day.

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by theikeman on 07/28/07 at 13:20:53

Hey Skrapiron,
Good for you!
Aint this board the s**t!
If it's broke we can help you fix it and if it aint broke we can advise and guide you to make it run better. Welcome aboard.
Ike ;D

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by skrapiron on 07/29/07 at 15:40:19

There is something immensely satisfying about being able to do the job yourself. It doesn't matter if it's installing a new curcuit breaker and recepticle in a bathroom or adjusting the valves on an engine yourself, it's just such a sense of accomplishment....

The super cool thing is, I can do it again, any time I want to. I'm so inspired, I have my lawn tractor in pieces and am in the process of rehabilitiating it's 27 year old briggs and stratton engine. I LOVE old tech. I can actually understand what's going on AND have a prayer when it comes to fixing it!

Title: Re: Three weeks????
Post by YonuhAdisi on 07/29/07 at 16:45:41

Its always great when something goes wrong and your first thought is. "Oh well, I can easily fix that." Then you proceed to fix it without much trouble.

Then you kick back and smile just before you jump on the bike and ride around confident that what ever happens next, the bike is in capable hands to repair it.