Valve shims...Willing to let me borrow?

Yeah, with shim-under-bucket bikes, it's a bit of a pain. As mentioned above, if you don't have a manual--get one. You'll need it.

Here's a link to another thread that tells you where you can find an online manual.

BSKZ650 wrote:

also since you are wanting to do this in one day I would have Heli Coil sets ready to go just incase you strip out a cam bolt during the process

VERY good advice.

BSKZ650 wrote:

Your talking about doing the head, as in a valve job? or are you just going to adj the valves?

No valve job, just adjusting.

I have not taken the valve cover off to check clearances because I KNOW they need to be done. The valves chatter more than a 13 year old girl the day she gets her first cell phone!!!

I originally thought the noise was the cam chain, but after further investigation the cam chain is okay.

There is 9k miles on the bike, and the original owner never did the valves, he told me so.

I did a little research on the subject, and I do have the FSM, both online and paperback copy. I plan to use zip ties in order to avoid messing the timing up.

I guess I now need a magnet, zip ties, and a 6 pack, no wait a 12 pack!

you might want to post your location in your signature to see if there is a member close to you who can help or swap shims with you.

i'm really not trying to be rude here but that is a HUGE favor to ask when you are such a new member.

z1 sells the shims for around $5 apiece.
most of the members here have extra shims and some of us have a very large collection.

i personally have a set of well over 200 shims in every size offered. some more common one's of course.
at $5 a shim that's easily $1000 kit your asking to borrow.

i know you don't want any down time in the peak riding season, i understand that all so well.

like it has been suggested, measure and swap some you all ready have around and i'm sure someone will swap you for what you need to keep the old girl going properly.

who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and don't need any.

did you even measure them yet?

He said he has not, but is sure the bike needs them at 9K mi. Shims under buckets don't change much. I bought a '91 Zephyr 750 with 9K mi. Never had valves done, and at 20K still did not need it, even though two were near the limits. Eventually I decided to do it. I used the zip ties so did not have any problem. But gave myself a week. I do have a garage.

Even If I had had the shims. I spent a lot a time just scraping the old gasket residues off the head.

BSKZ650 wrote:

also since you are wanting to do this in one day I would have Heli Coil sets ready to go just incase you strip out a cam bolt during the process

You also need a small range torque wrench because the cam cap bolts torque to about 100 inch pounds which is only about 8 foot-pounds.

kawsakiman wrote:

you might want to post your location in your signature to see if there is a member close to you who can help or swap shims with you.

i'm really not trying to be rude here but that is a HUGE favor to ask when you are such a new member.

z1 sells the shims for around $5 apiece.

If your local dealers are not complete jerkwads, they will usually swap shims.