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Busted Valve Shims
- cccampbe
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My question is where could the shims pieces go? How could they get farther down in the engine than the tops of the pistons? We pulled off the oil pan and it seems to be pretty clean. The two cylinder walls that we can get two are smooth(not scored). And the other two cylinders have clean tops other than a little carbon deposit.
I am thinking that if the cylinders and walls don't show any signs of damage, then we don't need to tear the engine down any farther. We are going to get a second opinion on it and a quote before we do anything. If the price is not to high then we will have a mechanic do it. If it is too high then I will wait til I have time and do it myself.
What do you guys think?
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- OnkelB
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If so I can't see how a shattered shim could go down the engine as long as all the buckets are intact and no valves are broken.
77 KZ 650 B1, 82 GPz 1100 B2.
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- Fergie
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Z650-F4 1984 UK Spec
JMC Aluminium swingarm.
Harris 4-1 exhaust.
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- Kawickrice
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- After Monday & Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF
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Dont think the bits would get into the cylinder. Small fragments may get into the oil-ways however and be transfered around the engine.
X2 I would think when it grenaded it did not run long enough to spread the pieces
73 Kawasaki Z1
07 HD CVO Ultra Classic
82 Suzuki GS 1100
74 Yamaha RD 350 (My two stroke toy)
77 Kawasaki KZ 650B-1 (My putt around bike)
80 Indian Moped (My American Iron)
1
Long Gone
75 Suzuki GT550
74 GT 380
79 RD 400 Daytona Special
72 Honda CL 175
74 Honda QA 50
Tampa FL
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- Fergie
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Fergie wrote:
Dont think the bits would get into the cylinder. Small fragments may get into the oil-ways however and be transfered around the engine.
X2 I would think when it grenaded it did not run long enough to spread the pieces
Hopefully!!
Z650-F4 1984 UK Spec
JMC Aluminium swingarm.
Harris 4-1 exhaust.
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- trianglelaguna
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- New and improved - extra strength
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you might find a low miles motor by calling around...then you could ride the summer and build the motor you have now back up as time permits.....if you put enough torque on the cams to break steel shims...you may have stretched the cam chain...hurt the tensioner and pully's....timing gears ect......what do the teeth on the cams look like?????
1976 KZ900
2003 ZX12R
2007 FZ1000
2004 ninja 250R for wife
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- Capt America
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If the shims exploded they may have reached the oil returns and gone to the bottom of your motor, I think that's a possibility.
It's not likely the sump would transfer any, but some could be floating around in your oil and get to bottom end parts that way.
Since you have the head cover off you could inspect the oil returns with a light for chunks. At any rate I'd suggest taking an old magnet and drag it around the underside of your oil pan and see if you come up with and shrapnel from the shims.. it will cost you the oil in her, but it'll sure beat a chunk of shim getting between something later on.
Capt A merica
1983 K1 750 twin
Ontario, Canada.
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- loudhvx
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Normally, the large oil passages will be blocked by the outside surface of the walls of the bucket, but I don't know how much of the passage way is exposed.
Here are some photos of the bucket area with the buckets, springs, and retainers removed. (There is a small silver spring there that i was using to measure cam lift.) I pointed out and circled the oil passages.
1981 KZ550 D1 gpz.
Kz550 valve train warning.
Other links.
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- loudhvx
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1981 KZ550 D1 gpz.
Kz550 valve train warning.
Other links.
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- cccampbe
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I remember when I put the cams back in and set the timing and all that we had some trouble getting the cams to go in because the journals contacted the bucket.
Maybe the bucket moved around while that part of the head was off and when I finally got the cams back on the shim had moved out of place or something and then when I ran it, it shattered?
We ran it several times since the rebuild, the longest time being about an hour from high to low rpms. At that time the carbs were out of sync and we attributed the rough running to that.
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- loudhvx
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Something had to be done wrong because those shims are very well contained and are strong as hell.
1981 KZ550 D1 gpz.
Kz550 valve train warning.
Other links.
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- cccampbe
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I did not do a full rebuild. The only reason I took it apart is to change the head gasket because it was slowly leaking.
I have a very good manual and I tried to follow it as well as possible but this was my first time messing with a motorcycle engine. I must have missed that part assuming it is in the manual. I know that this is a very rookie mistake and I am pretty embarrassed to have made it.
Since I didn't mess with the buckets at all(as far as i knew), I didn't think about needing to check their clearances.
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