Grinding Shims.

Tyler wrote:

Guys understand I am just thinking out loud here. Of coarse a surface grinder will produce a very accurate part, my pondering is if it is really needed for this type of application.

The thickness accuracy is good enough. If it is shim under bucket and the "not quite flat" side is against the flat of the bottom of the bucket, the shim will rock a little.

Tyler wrote:

Still I am going to try test the hardness of a factoy shim tomorrow.

Are you going to test the Rockwell 'C' hardness? Let us know what you come up with!

we had a local shop make some up for my friends bike. He used 1050 steel they turned out awsome. Hes got 6kon them shims and not even a hundreth of an inch of wear (we took them out and measured them the other week, bordem) I think he paid $100 dollas for the first couple but the guy said now that he has everything in the computer hed only make him pay $4 a shim if he ever needed more.

j_bizach wrote:

we had a local shop make some up for my friends bike. He used 1050 steel they turned out awsome. Hes got 6kon them shims and not even a hundreth of an inch of wear (we took them out and measured them the other week, bordem) I think he paid $100 dollas for the first couple but the guy said now that he has everything in the computer hed only make him pay $4 a shim if he ever needed more.

If you friend can turn out 32mm shims, he'll definitely have a corner on a small market...the 13mm and 29mm shims are still readily available.

Mcdroid wrote:

j_bizach wrote:

we had a local shop make some up for my friends bike. He used 1050 steel they turned out awsome. Hes got 6kon them shims and not even a hundreth of an inch of wear (we took them out and measured them the other week, bordem) I think he paid $100 dollas for the first couple but the guy said now that he has everything in the computer hed only make him pay $4 a shim if he ever needed more.

If you friend can turn out 32mm shims, he'll definitely have a corner on a small market...the 13mm and 29mm shims are still readily available.

Let me give that double emphasis: I regularly see the 32 mm shims on ebay for $15 - $18. If people are paying that price plus shipping, I absolutely guarantee you could sell them all day long for $10 or more. BTW: the shims were made in thicknesses from 2.20 to 3.20 mm as I recall and the most needed range is about 2.45 - 2.85mm and I never see tham advertised for sale, it's always the very thick ones which are USELESS now since these are old bikes which have had the valve seats cut and need the thinner shims, not the thicker ones.

Z1 Enterprises has a standing offer to buy used 32mm shims. If I was your buddy, I'd ask them if they want to sell new ones. Like I said, I don't think anybody would blink at paying $10 each for them because that's lower than the Kawi OEM price and they don't sell them at all.

If thats the case I could start taking orders soon... :whistle: Yeah I figured about $4 a shim with material and tooling costs, and a moderate wage for my time.

Tyler wrote:

If thats the case I could start taking orders soon... :whistle: Yeah I figured about $4 a shim with material and tooling costs, and a moderate wage for my time.

The fellow at Z1 is a really nice guy. Give him a call and see if he wants to sell them. The thing about 32mm shims is, if you need them you REALLY need them and you have no place to get them. But, I am not sure what volume there is for the need....?

Eh, if I get an excuse to play around with a lathe a few nights a week and help out some Kawasaki enthusiats, that is good enough for me.

Tyler wrote:

Eh, if I get an excuse to play around with a lathe a few nights a week and help out some Kawasaki enthusiats, that is good enough for me.

Just to be clear, you do know that 32mm shims ride on top of the bucket, and the shim is the cam follower?

I dont think you could produce a shim at the 4 buck price, there is too many steps involved, the material, the machine rough, the heat treating, the final grind and polish, lazer etch the size. also I think its going to have to go thru a centerless grinder to get the shim round after the heat treat

and yes the under bucket shims would be harder to make due to the small size.

I am curious to the harness of a shim, my guess its going to be in the 70c range

BSKZ650 wrote:

I dont think you could produce a shim at the 4 buck price, there is too many steps involved, the material, the machine rough, the heat treating, the final grind and polish, lazer etch the size. also I think its going to have to go thru a centerless grinder to get the shim round after the heat treat

and yes the under bucket shims would be harder to make due to the small size.

I am curious to the harness of a shim, my guess its going to be in the 70c range

BSKZ650 wrote:

I dont think you could produce a shim at the 4 buck price, there is too many steps involved, the material, the machine rough, the heat treating, the final grind and polish, lazer etch the size. also I think its going to have to go thru a centerless grinder to get the shim round after the heat treat

and yes the under bucket shims would be harder to make due to the small size.

I am curious to the harness of a shim, my guess its going to be in the 70c range

FYI, we used to build Jaguar engines way back when that went into the old XK-120's and XK-140's. They used a shim under bucket that rode on the valve stem.... and their shims were not hardened. As the shims got used, there would be a visible dent worn into the shim by the end of the valve. At which point, you could flip it over and put the dented side toward the lifter flat and run it some more.:laugh:

Hence the reason for surface hardening on new shims.....