ktm locking bolt 113080802

DaleEO · May 21st, 2011, 07:01 AM

Here is what I consider to be the easiest way to check, and or correct the valve lash settings.

Do yourself a favor and make sure the bike is clean and dry before starting.

Pull the tank.
Pull the radiators.

This gives you plenty of room to work without having to fight anything while you are trying to check/adjust.

The original procedure was to place the motor in the correct position, measure the clearances, and then if needed, pull the rocker shafts to gain access to the shims.

Then reinstall rocker shafts and re check measurements. This is the way that I did mine when one of my exhaust valves was too loose by .0005" (yes that is 5 10,000th's). This eliminates having to mess with the cam, or cam chain adjuster. The latter procedure has you pulling the cam chain tensioner, and cam.

Otherwise my valves have not moved in the last 100 hours of operation, which is typical for this motor.

Davo · May 21st, 2011, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by Chas

Out of adjustment valves in a new engine should qualify as a warranty item.

I spent a shit load of money water ski racing a 327 and a cracking 350 with solid lifters in the 80's. Valves always needed adjusting after an hour or two. Nothing to do with waranty.

DaleEO · May 21st, 2011, 08:23 AM

Regular maintenance items are not warranty issues. The three hour check is just a check to make sure all is right. The next check is at 15 hours, and the manual says every 15.

In practice, after the 15 hour check, you won't need to check them for another 40-50 hours, and that is just to be sure. I checked mine at 3 hours, and they were good, at 15 hours they had all loosened up a bit, and at like 60 hours is when I made my first change only b/c ONE exhaust was loose by .0005"

I will include this caveat, if you are using the rev limiter as a shift point indicator, then you should check them as the manual indicates.

I know pro level riders that ride the snot out of these bikes, and even after 120 hours the valves still have not moved.

Taffy · May 22nd, 2011, 12:45 AM

Originally Posted by DaleEO

I know pro level riders that ride the snot out of these bikes, and even after 120 hours the valves still have not moved.

that'll be at 9 "grand" on a bike covered in "bling" and riding the "arse" off it then!

about time you visited "landan tarn" mate!

regards

Taffy

DaleEO · May 22nd, 2011, 06:35 AM

Hey Taff,

Landan Tarn? Little help here with the English to American translation please

sparks · May 22nd, 2011, 09:06 AM

At a guess Dale i think he's saying London Town

, to why I don't know, even I would be interested in that one.

Regards

Sparks.

Taffy · May 22nd, 2011, 10:19 AM

our capital you 'plonker'!

try and watch a film called 'green road' sometime.

regards

Taffy

Duken4evr · May 30th, 2011, 05:15 PM

Just did my initial adjustment. I found sliding the cam out to be easy. My case is simplified by having a manual cam chain adjuster. Didn't even bother changing it's setting, just screw it out, screw it in. The manual adjuster is worth it, just for that simplicity.

My exhausts were both mid spec - one loosed from the tight end of the spec (checked at 3 hours) to mid spec (after riding for a week at Moab) so I left them alone. One intake was at the loose end of the spec and one shim size looser than the other, which was mid spec, so I went up one size on that one.

Dunno about these bikes, but in the old days with forked rockers, it was a very good practice to set the valves at the same clearance to avoid unnecessary torsion stress on the rocker, so I did that with my bike.