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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Are these maintenance items done every 4000 miles?
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Message started by rong on 07/23/20 at 21:33:28

Title: Are these maintenance items done every 4000 miles?
Post by rong on 07/23/20 at 21:33:28

I have a 2015 LS650 and am just about ready to do another valve check/adjustment.

According to the owner's manual, the Clymer's manual, and the Suzuki shop manual, when the scheduled valve check/adjustment is done, there are also other maintenance items to do. One of them is to re-torque the 4 cylinder head nuts, the 2 cylinder-head-to-cylinder nuts and the 2 cylinder-to-crankcase nuts. And to get to the 4 cylinder head nuts, the valve cover has to be removed!

Do any of you really go through this at every valve adjustment?

Unless I have read all three manuals incorrectly, this is what they recommend with the same schedule as the valve adjustment ... around every 4000 miles. Doesn't seem right to me. Seems like a tremendous amount of work to do every 4000 miles!

Thanks for any advice you have.
Ron G

Title: Re: Are these maintenance items done every 4000 mi
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/23/20 at 22:36:22

I've never done it.
Most don't
It's not necessary.
Perfect opportunity to fix it broke.
Ride it.
If you start by checking valve clearance, and discover the gaps aren't changing much and staying in tolerance, then relax the schedule. Once the adjuster tips mushroom and work harden the gaps really slow down on how fast they change. The third time I did mine the gaps were so close to where I left them I just adjusted one more time and didn't worry about it.. but sold it before I needed to look..
Sure wouldn't be torquing head bolts..
Head gasket failures are almost unheard of. I think I've seen two in the 15 years I've been here.

Title: Re: Are these maintenance items done every 4000 mi
Post by eau de sauvage on 07/24/20 at 01:52:49

My GS500 owners manual suggest retorqing the head every 6000km which I do and it while it used to leak a bit at the base it eventually completely stopped.

On the other hand my S40 manual does not say to retorque the cylinder head and I've never done it and it does not leak, so maybe Suzuki know it doesn't need it. I used to do the valves every 6k kms but haven't done it for about 18k kms so far. But I do give the rockers a wiggle to feel that there is some room in there, not the most accurate but it works for me.

Title: Re: Are these maintenance items done every 4000 mi
Post by norm92de on 07/24/20 at 07:04:40

Ron,
I have a 2014 and have put over 10K on it. Never touched the head cover and don't intend to any time soon. :)

If it isn't broken don't try to repair it.

Title: Re: Are these maintenance items done every 4000 mi
Post by rong on 07/26/20 at 12:25:31

Thanks for your input. Eases my mind. All that work is unnecessary.

Ron G

Title: Re: Are these maintenance items done every 4000 mi
Post by norm92de on 07/26/20 at 13:47:29

Ron G,
When my bike was under warranty I was a bit uneasy about not doing the cover removal. Anyway, I certainly wasn't going to let anybody else touch it.

Stealerships: How do you know the skills of the particular mechanic? They might put the head cover back on upside down. :)

Title: Re: Are these maintenance items done every 4000 mi
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/26/20 at 14:33:19

I had no idea the oil filter could even be istalled bass ackwards,,
But, If ya try hard enuff,, Yes,, It Can,,
And it will almost every time, cost ya an engine