SuzukiSavage.com - Adjusting valves

PBLover

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Adjusting valves
07/15/10 at 18:20:04

Adjusted valves today, followed procedure posted here. Only 1 valve needed adjustment, left exhaust, other three valves measured within spec. Put bike back together, it doesn't want to start and when I first push start button, there is one loud clank, then starter motor just turns over. Bike does not start now. Engine was rotated off TDC as per instructions, before starting bike. Per this forum, the alternator bolt was rotated clockwise to achieve TDC. I reached up after aligning marks, the one valve that needed adjustment had a little play in it. It was out of spec, I tightened it up. Questions are: Was rotating the alternator bolt the correct thing to do? Is the fact that there was play in one tappet and I was able to measure the gap on the other three valves, would that indicate I was at TDC on the compression stroke? No adjustment was necessary on compression release. It would sure be nice to know what could have gone wrong before having to take it all apart and start over again.

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spacepirates

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Re: Adjusting valves
Reply #1 - 07/15/10 at 19:37:01

i usually use my gauges to tell me when the valves need adjusting, not if they move or not.

i'm not sure what you mean by alternator bolt. if you are talking about the 17mm bolt that is under the timing cover which sits on the left side of the engine, just an inch or so from your left heel, then that is the correct "bolt" to rotate.

my method of finding TDC is to rotate the timing screw until the intake valves go down and just start to go back up. then i line up the timing marks and call that TDC.

i guess you have to go back through it all and make sure you did it right. and put everything back together right. i left the vacuum tube off my petcock once. felt like an idiot once i realized what i had done. so open her up again, find TDC and make sure you are at TDC, then use the gagues to let you know what is in and out of spec. tighten everything down, and try her again. if you removed the spark plug (which i do, it is nice to check it as well as see if the piston is actuall at TDC) make sure it is seated properly too.

let us know what you find...

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Digger

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Re: Adjusting valves
Reply #2 - 07/15/10 at 21:32:40

PBLover wrote on 07/15/10 at 18:20:04:

Adjusted valves today, followed procedure posted here. Only 1 valve needed adjustment, left exhaust, other three valves measured within spec. Put bike back together, it doesn't want to start and when I first push start button, there is one loud clank, then starter motor just turns over. Bike does not start now. Engine was rotated off TDC as per instructions, before starting bike. Per this forum, the alternator bolt was rotated clockwise to achieve TDC. I reached up after aligning marks, the one valve that needed adjustment had a little play in it. It was out of spec, I tightened it up. Questions are: Was rotating the alternator bolt the correct thing to do? Is the fact that there was play in one tappet and I was able to measure the gap on the other three valves, would that indicate I was at TDC on the compression stroke? No adjustment was necessary on compression release. It would sure be nice to know what could have gone wrong before having to take it all apart and start over again.

Did you rotate the bolt at the port end of the crankshaft? If so, that one is supposed to be rotated counter-clockwise (at least that is the case on my bike (see signature)). Rotating it clockwise may have caused the cam chain to jump time. Something to keep in mind as you troubleshoot.

Having said that, I'd check the easy stuff first:

Battery fully charged?

Float bowl primed?

Gas in tank?

Gas tank lines connected (fuel line, vacuum line)?

Spark plug connected?

Report back with results, please.

Good luck!

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Digger
2001, Metallic Glacial Blue, Raptor Petcock, Verslavy (first hole) (otherwise, mechanically, the bike is stock), 13,xxx miles
I don't own a cage.
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Phelonius

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Re: Adjusting valves
Reply #3 - 07/16/10 at 09:44:33

If you are turning the alternator bolt clockwise, you are rotating the crank in the oposite direction that it turns when running. Therefore if you stop on tdc just after the intake opens and closes, you will be one full revolution away from where you need to be to set valves. Your valves will be set incorrectly.
If you turn the alternator bolt to the anticlockwise direction, stopping juat after the intake valves open and close at tdc will put you in the correct position.
HOWEVER, turning the bolt anticlockwise may just unscrew the bolt!
PITA.
Therefore I turn clockwise and watch the exhaust valves open then close then watch for the tdc mark.
How many of you have unscrewed your alternator bolt learning this?

Phelonius

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Phelonius

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ralfyguy Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 932	Re: Adjusting valves Reply #4 - 07/16/10 at 10:12:02 Mine never came loose. It turns easy enough with the plug removed. Turning clockwise makes a weird noise and has a somewhat scratching/grinding feel to it, so I avoid doing that. That probably comes from the starter clutch. It sounds terrible and feels terrible, so I just stick with CCW.
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PBLover

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Re: Adjusting valves
Reply #5 - 07/16/10 at 10:59:09

Phelonius wrote on 07/16/10 at 09:44:33:

If you are turning the alternator bolt clockwise, you are rotating the crank in the oposite direction that it turns when running. Therefore if you stop on tdc just after the intake opens and closes, you will be one full revolution away from where you need to be to set valves. Your valves will be set incorrectly.
If you turn the alternator bolt to the anticlockwise direction, stopping juat after the intake valves open and close at tdc will put you in the correct position.
HOWEVER, turning the bolt anticlockwise may just unscrew the bolt!
PITA.
Therefore I turn clockwise and watch the exhaust valves open then close then watch for the tdc mark.
How many of you have unscrewed your alternator bolt learning this?

Phelonius

Question for you...my understanding is that when you align the marks, you are either at TDC or 360 degrees off. My question is: if you are at 360 degrees off, is there a gap to measure?

The noise I hear when starter button is pushed does not repeat with revolutions of engine. Could this somehow be connected to the compression release? I assume that the compression release is activated electronically when the starter button is pushed? Could the compression release be causing the bike to not start?

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verslagen1

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Re: Adjusting valves
Reply #6 - 07/16/10 at 11:43:20

PBLover wrote on 07/16/10 at 10:59:09:

Question for you...my understanding is that when you align the marks, you are either at TDC or 360 degrees off. My question is: if you are at 360 degrees off, is there a gap to measure?

The noise I hear when starter button is pushed does not repeat with revolutions of engine. Could this somehow be connected to the compression release? I assume that the compression release is activated electronically when the starter button is pushed? Could the compression release be causing the bike to not start?

If you set the valves at 360° off, they won't have the proper clearance. at least mine were noiseier when set incorectly.

The compression release is deactivated 1/2 second after pushing the button. You can visually see it release on the left side front of the head. There's a little lever there.

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PBLover

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Re: Adjusting valves
Reply #7 - 07/17/10 at 21:20:55

Worked on my bike again today. It's fixed!!! The noise was coming from the solenoid. I took off the seat and tank, then pushed starter to see where sound was coming from. It turned out to be the solenoid. The decompression cable had become dislodged and caught on the outside of the hole it runs through. There was no play left. I think it must have happened when we put the tank back on the first time, I don't know for sure. Anyway, we unhooked the edge of the cable, now there was lots of play, so readjusted cable and noise was completely gone, so we rechecked all valve clearances just to make sure. They were good. Put it all back together and the bike started right up, runs great, sounds great, drives great. Thanks for all the ideas and thoughts everyone, it's great to know you all are out there to ask questions of when necessary, this is a fantastic forum! Now when the rain stops I can go riding again Cheesy

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Phelonius

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Re: Adjusting valves
Reply #8 - 07/18/10 at 12:50:31

verslagen1 wrote on 07/16/10 at 11:43:20:

PBLover wrote on 07/16/10 at 10:59:09:

Question for you...my understanding is that when you align the marks, you are either at TDC or 360 degrees off. My question is: if you are at 360 degrees off, is there a gap to measure?

The noise I hear when starter button is pushed does not repeat with revolutions of engine. Could this somehow be connected to the compression release? I assume that the compression release is activated electronically when the starter button is pushed? Could the compression release be causing the bike to not start?

If you set the valves at 360° off, they won't have the proper clearance. at least mine were noiseier when set incorectly.

The compression release is deactivated 1/2 second after pushing the button. You can visually see it release on the left side front of the head. There's a little lever there.

At 360 off time, the cams have a couple of thousanths of lift engaged.
after you set them you will have too much clearance.
To avoid unscrewing the bolt on the alternator, (One of my Savages did and one didn't), turn clockwise until the exhaust valves open then close. about one quarter to one third more will bring the mark into the window on proper time.
After adjusting, if you are paranoid,( I am), rotate the engine two times and check with the feeler gages again.If you get the same readings, you are good to go.

Phelonius

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Phelonius

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