How To Adjust the Valves on a KTM RC390 and Other Motorcycles | MC GARAGE
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Adjusting the valves is likely the biggest maintenance procedure most motorcycles will ever need. In this video from the MC Garage, Ari Henning shows you how it’s done using his KTM RC390.
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Checking and setting your valve clearances is a hugely important piece of maintenance, and it's one that a lot of people dread because they know it's going to be expensive to get it done at the dealer or because they're not looking forward to doing it themselves. The job does entail working with vital engine components and screwing up any of the steps could be catastrophic, so now more than ever, it's really important that you study your shop manual!
We've already covered the simpler screw-type valve adjustment in this MC Garage video and we went over why you need to adjust your valves and how to get the motor to top dead center, so we're going to skip all those fundamentals and get to it.
Okay, with the engine cool and at top dead center on the compression stroke, it’s time to pop off the valve cover. But before you do, wipe down the engine so it’s clean. You don’t want any dirt getting into the engine.
Now select an appropriate feeler gauge and slide it between the cam and the top of the valve, or in this case between the cam and the finger follower. On the KTM RC390, make sure you slide the decompression tab over before you check the right exhaust valve. You want slight drag on the feeler gauge-it shouldn't feel tight and it shouldn't slide it super easily. Measure the exact clearances for all the valves and write them down on a sheet of paper, then compare the figure to the spec listed in your service manual.
Okay, so you found a valve or two that are out of spec. Don’t dump the bike on Craigslist just yet. When it comes to shim-type valve clearances, you set the gap using different thickness shims. Some setups have the shim in a recess on top of the valve spring retainer, while other times the shim sits under a cover called a bucket.
In any case, to swap out the shims you’ll need to remove the camshafts. This is the part that freaks people out the most. And it should. You could really screw things up if you drop a shim or bolt down into the engine, don’t tighten something to the proper torque, or worst of all, don’t time the cams correctly when you put them back. So read your manual, take your time, and check your work.
To remove the cams, double check that you’re at top dead center by making sure the reference marks on the rotor and the cam sprockets line up and then remove the cam-chain tensioner to slacken the cam chain. Now loosen the cam-holder bolts-making sure to do it gradually and in a criss-cross pattern-and then lift the holder straight up and off.
Now throw a zip tie or wrap some safety wire around the cam chain to keep it from falling into the chain channel and remove the cams and set them aside on a clean rag.
If you’re paranoid about dropping anything into the engine-and you should be-stick some paper towel in the spark-plug hole and the cam-chain channel.
Pluck the shims out using a magnet and put them on your sheet of paper, writing down the shims’ thickness, which will be printed on one side. If the numbers are worn off then you’ll need to measure the thickness yourself using calipers or a micrometer.
Compare your measured clearances to those listed in your service manual to determine what’s in spec and what’s not. To figure out what size shims you need to install to bring the clearance into spec you can either reference the chart in your service manual or do a little math using the measured clearance, the shim thickness, and the desired clearance. Shims come in 0.05mm increments, so you won’t always have the exact size you need, even if you bought a full kit. As a rule, it’s better to be slightly loose than slightly tight, so let that guide your decision.
With your shims swapped out, make sure the piston is still at TDC by checking to see that the mark on the rotor lines up, then reinstall the exhaust cam and then the intake cam with the timing marks oriented correctly. Put some tension on the cam chain with your finger and recheck the marks on the cams. If they look good, install the cam holder and tighten the bolts gradually in a criss-cross pattern, torqueing them according to the spec in your manual. Reinstall and set the cam-chain tensioner, then turn the engine over two revolutions and recheck the clearances. They should be spot on. If not, you’ll need to recheck your math and maybe swap out another shim.
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I aint doing that shit. Respect to those of you who do it yourself.
Fuck off tony, you're working on something with no fairing for a start with really easy valve access compared to the RC390 engine. Totally different level of time and energy needed for the ktm.
Damn, I had an old scooter that didn't run anymore. Also did this myself, but turned out i completely flipped it around. Thought it was on TDC but it was on BDC. Should have manually turned, bud didn't. Busted the valves and had to replace them
@@ariearie5054 Lucky you that it was just the valves...
4:06 Protip: Use wire or a ziptie to tie the chain to the gears of your camshaft.(by putting the ziptie through one of the wholes on the gears)
you can still lift the camshafts up enough to get to the chims and you dont need to time the cams correctly because they were always in the right position.
damn great idea thanks!
@@yurgon Yes !
holes
@@PeterBaumgart1a correct
How to adjust valves on the rc390
*Whips out whole engine*
Usually when my valve clearance needs adjusting I just push the bike over a cliff.
lmao!
Single adjustment guaranteed to last!
Fucking Amazing Mate! Will try pushing you off, when you require some attitude clearance adjusts.
Fuck it time to trade in
Only 6 years late to say damn good comment😂
as an MMI graduate and shop mechanic this video is spot on for anyone looking to diy, just be carful of the camshaft position
He makes it look easy with the motor on a bench, some bikes, especially big street bikes and sport bikes, take two hours to get the fairings and gas tank off then you have to just about lube up the valve cover to squeeze it out and back in praying the gasket didn't get jacked up or a wire under it where you can't see or even feel.If I had a job where people brought the motor and set it on my bench I'd adjust valves all day long!
Imagine this on a 4 cylinder. Respect to those who do it lol
Some of Yamaha's 4 cylinder bikes have 5 valves per cylinder :(
Yup I did it on my CBR1100xx. The valves themselves aren't that hard to adjust, it's all the work to tear into it and get to them, and then putting it all back together.
I ride a Yamaha fz6 and I can't even imagine what I'd have to go through to even get to mine lol
yep it's a fucking pain. i dropped one of the shims into the oil passages. holy fuck. i spent 2 hours nudging that fucker out
Dalton Williams cries because I have a 76 CB 400 f
I always put a few drops of motor oil on the cam bearings before installing the bearing caps. And also a couple drops on each cam lob and the shims is a good idea before rotating the engine.
Just a tip: if you remove the preload screw on the chain tensioner before removing it, then you can count how many teeth are out. This is a pretty reliable method to check the health (the elongation, actually) of the chain. If you find too many teeth out, then it's worth replacing the timing chain.
what do you mean by "how many teeth are out" im a noob sorry
@@bigdepresso_ if you ask, then yes you're a noob. If you're a noob you shouldn't touch these parts.
This is NO offense. Just a big warning to avoid expensively damaging your engine.
Cam/timing chains very rarely need changing, even on high mileage engines because they just don't wear much at all, due to the constant lubrication.
But you should push the CCT all the way in and reset it, on some engines that is 5 clicks out, then you turn the engine a few times to allow the CCT to set the correct tension on the cam/timing chain, this should have been explain in the video too.
I do it for my self on my Bandit 600. Without experience. Take about 3 hours, but i was proud when it is done and everything was ok :)
It's one of those jobs that is intimidating, but once you know how it's done it's really not difficult. Just very tedious.
As regards paper towels and holes, do it. I was warned on my bike (Ninja 300) that you'll drop something down there, and lo and behold I dropped an 8mm socket down that fucker. Luckily I had a telescopic magnet for just that eventuality, and it wasn't too bad to find, but that was a lesson learnt.
A socket is one of the best things you can drop, if you ever have to drop anything. Try dropping a shim inside. If it goes all the way down to the crankshaft, your only recourse is to split the cases. Ask how I know that :)
Just a small question -- the whole "accidentally dropping stuff into the engine", is that just due to general carelessness or is it actual near-inevitable butterfingers working with slippery, oily components the size of tiny pebbles?
Sullybiker is the process for the N300 same as the RC390 for the valve adjustment, I'm planning to do with mine!
Ari, as usual, all your videos are a masterpiece!!
Worth mentioning that when repositioning the shims back, it's important to place the thickness value facing down. this way next time the valves clearance is checked again the number won't ware off.
I just ziptie the cam shaft to the chain throughout the sprocket holes (if applicable) and lift the cams up. That way u don't need to remove them and they stay on the timing marks. If there are no holes in the cam sprockets then removal is a must. Great video Ari
To get a good feel for valve clearance stick a butter knife in a jar of peanut butter and pull it straight out. That dragging feeling is pretty much what your looking for in valve clearance feel. Just a tip from a tech.
Also if anyone tells you to shove your feeler gauges in till it fits that’s not correct. Metal squishes, springs compress, wrong...
you’re welcome.
Make a vid on how to get the engine out and into the bench
We actually have a time lapse of the process, though no instructions to go along with it, sorry.
post the timelapse as an "extra" :P
That was one of the first things I did on my bike when I decided that I wanted to learn to work on bikes.
TBH, it's fairly straight forward. The main thing is to keep numbered and labeled bins of all the parts and to make sure you've got pictures of the cable and hose routing.
Also, it's a good idea to read the manual and pretend like you're doing the work before you d the work. I know that's kind of child stuff, but children play to learn.
These videos are dead handy. Clear and concise. I also happen to have the 390/690 so being a ktm it wont be long untill actually need to do this job.
Great work as always. You boys should make a video chronicling how you were able to turn your passion for motorcycles into careers that you love!
great video. I just zip tie the cam to the chain before removal of tensioner. that way you can just lift the cams out of the way instead of taking them all the way out. least that's how they taught us in school. try it. so much easier
Let me know if it works for you!
It's also a good idea to keep those zip ties on the gear as you start to turn the motor over. If you don't, the slack in the chain could cause the gear to slip a tooth. Had that happen to me and I had to waste time taking the cams out a second time.
Matt Kelly very true. but we put the tensioner back in place then remove the zip ties. it won't move after that. however this tip only works on cam sprockets with holes. solid ones well you gotta take em out.
I did the same procedure, put the tensioner in first and it still slipped. The second time I rotated the motor to take up the slack between the crank and cam on the opposite side of the tensioner and it worked a lot better. But you are right, it only works on sprockets that have holes.
Matt Kelly sweetness! haven't had one slip yet. I will definitely keep that in mind though. thanks
The shims should be measured regardless of whether you can read the label or not...you will want to be certain of its exact dimension so you can use the best shim size replacement.
i know this is a really old comment, but you answered the question I was wondering. I'd say im somewhat mechanically inclined and always thought going based off the shim's label was kind of iffy when dealing with trying to get the best measurements. After watching a few valve adjustment video's, idk why I was so scared to do it myself
Good things to know.. I've been learning alot from your videos.. Just got my first cruiser about 7 or 8 months ago. Now I have a 98 600 bandit I'm working on.
7 min video but takes an actual shop 2 weeks to complete hmmm
You have an incompetent shop.
Plus they've already disconnected and removed the engine from the bike?
and cleaned, drained... I could go on.
You don't have to drain anything... smart guy.
The Muscle Biker Obviously it doesn't take them that long to do it. They're just bad at managing/predicting time for all the work/jobs that they do (their workload). They tell you to drop your bike off... and it may just sit around for 13 days before they get around to working on it... then tell you its ready on day 14. The job itself may have taken them only about 45 minutes to do. Understand?
mc garage my favourite channel
Right on Teck! Glad you like the show.
Thank you for this explanation which I find much better than some, especially for the calculation of the new pellet. In the case where we have an exhaust clearance of 0.18 mm (max clearance) and a pad of 2.60. If I understood correctly, we must leave the 2.60 pad to have a wide clearance, rather than a tight clearance with a 2.55 pad to achieve a 0.13 clearance.
Sometimes I have to watch American English videos, which are much more detailed than French videos, to get concrete answers. Thank you in any case for sharing this with, for my part, the subtitles translated into my mother tongue which is French.
Another great video showing me stuff I shouldn't ever mess with. Thanks pal.
Dude that's easier then a timing chain replacement on a car motor any day.
I would do this without any fear at all. Still great vid on how to do it right!
My 1994 Yamaha FZR 1000 [sold] needed 2 valves adjusted at 98k miles.[Never before then] Change oil often, and air filter and don't beat crap out of motor. The first sign of "Tight Valves"is hard cold starting,and even worse at high altitudes.
i don't even own an rc390... but it was nice to know how to do this..
Best one cylinder bike I've ridden. Almost feels like a tiny twin
Ari, you are definitely my hero!
just adjusted the valves yesterday thanks xD
Afternoon watching this video it became more easy to work thanks for this video man 👍
There's a reason why I love your channel, and this is one of the reasons why! though not so simple task for a guy like me as I do not wanna mess things up, it's very informative and quite easy to understand & follow :D rock on~
Best valve clearance guide on youtube, May so be. Great done bro.
My bike needed this job right from the time I had it from the stealership. For the next 6 months, no mechanic could diagnose properly the problem.
The problem with engine rattling got so bad to the point I paid for the whole overhaul. Found out it was just the valves that were maladjusted.
I regret the missed joy of riding a new bike. I am now waiting for my next bike in five years (my normal turnover with bikes).
Hey Ari...can you do a video on basic tools to have a mini home maintenance garage?? also the tools brand you use?
That would be awesome, thank you for the amazing tutorials.
Thanks for posting this video! Very informative without all the fluff.
Glad I did this myself. Learn more about your bike that way.
Good video! It was also a pleasure meeting you today!
Thank you for this video, I know people have been asking for it. You guys did a great job.
First off, it was awesome meeting you and zack at COTA this past weekend! (i was the guy in the camo jacket talking about on two wheels/the ural adventure, GOOD STUFF. Doing valve adjustments is something i would love to do, im just not brave enough! Its gotten to the point though i wouldnt let any of our local or even shops in a 200mi range touch my bikes.
One of the easiest jobs on a BMW boxer engine
Honda CX500 and mostly moto guzzy's
i'd rather adjust the brakelever
Great video that is relevant even today. I think it's more job to remove the engine from the bike than taking it apart. I think if you did some wrenching on your bike before this job is not as hard and many think it is. Just time consuming and require a lot of attention to details.
You make it look easy ! One of the bikes in my garage is a 1985 Maxim-X with the 20 valve inline 4 Genesis motor. 5 valves per cylinder ! It's a sweet power metric cruiser.
$500 AUD at my local mechanic to do the full service, oils, coolant, clearances etc, brakes so this is the one piece of maintenance i get them to do.
Onoff314 where you located?
Yeah, who's your mechanic?
This, ladies and gentlemen is why I like Harley Davidsons so much.
I just did it on my zx10r, honestly the most annoying part is taking the fairings off 😂. It's not that difficult everyone. Just mark the tooth with a paint pen or use the cable tie trick if you're really worried about messing up the timing, make sure you are tdc for what ever cylinder the manual calls for and after putting the cams in and lining them up, double check the markings at the bottom too. That's it.
Oh and I had 6 tight valves and one that I changed because it was borderline. The bike ran fine before so if you think you don't need to do it, you do.
I did this to my FZ09... it was super scary... but when I started her and she ran fine, it was a HUGE relief.... I'm still half expecting her to die one day from something I did wrong in there....
very informative ! did it on my own bike and it running good
Very good and informative video, thanks!
Don't forget to oil the cam journal bearings on reassembly
Would like to see a video on adjusting the valve clearance on the Tuono v4. Would be a bit longer of a production...
klxklr nobody would want to sit through that lol
It ain't that bad if the engine is out. tearing the thing apart is the time consuming part.
I have an inline 4... fuck
lol
ezpzlmnsqz if you can get to the valvecover :p
is it r1?
Hi, could you do a video on how to install a manual cam chain tensioner? and the pros and cons between OEM and manual CCT?
That would have been a good place to show shim under bucket arrangement since everything else is basically the same. Another good video.
this honestly doesnt look too bad of a procedure just the removing everything to get to the engine seems the hardest part
wow you did not stress how important the last steps are we spin the motor over with a ratchet 2 or more times to make sure if we screwed up we find it gently not with a starter bending valves or maybe even a rod..
thats why i love 2strokes
I'm checking the valve clearance on my Duke 390 2018 as part of the first 1000km service. If I measure between the cam lobes and the finger followers the gaps are tight, about 0.03-0.05.mm below minimum recommended. But if I measure between the finger followers and the valve shims the gaps are larger and just within spec, (on the lower end of the spec). Why am I getting different measurements above and below the finger followers? Which measurements should I go with to determine if adjustment is needed?
Would love to see a vid on the ducati desmodromic valve adjustment
Thanks, and by the way I love all your vids. Especially on two wheels!
Ari Henning that would be a fantastic how to though.
Ducati people don't turn wrenches ;)
Greg I think the contrary, because for the amount of money they pay for a valve job its better to learn to do it urself. After all there was a saying that ducati turn riders into technicians. 😜
I do all my maintenance on my duc excepting the valves and belt. For the 821 it's not a particularly expensive job, and I have a good shop. Maybe up the road, but for now it's worth it to me - and only every 20,000 miles so....
Best channel to know a bike more love this channel guys....can you post a video on oil leak repair?
I usually swap them around and don't have to buy any.put a loose one in place of a tight one and check the numbers on top, especially on 16 valve motors because you have 16 to play with, your bound to find a combination that works if you think about it
This is why older engines are easier, also DONT FORGET to place your shims with the size lettering, facing down, because if they get worn, the sizing numbers get scratched off!
Great Video again MC Garage... just about to do this job on my R1 and VFR. great help!
your videos are excellent clear to understand keep them coming
2.38 - BAJAJ 🔥
Whoa. I can relate to the hassle. Just had my 99 R1 through the procedure. 20 valves to check!! All within spec (63k kilometers). Valve cover gasket didn't line up properly when reassembling which I didn't see till AFTER I took if for a drive. Word of caution. Make sure ALL gaskets are in good order and if in doubt, replace or supplement with Hylomar/liquid gasket. Those extra 5-10 mins could have saved me 2-3 hrs work. Happy motoring!
You make it easy to understand. Good video!
Very good Knowledgeable video
Liked it as always...guys please come to India in near future
how much time it take to cool down the engine after running, to do Valve adjustment.
Just till it has normal room cool temperature. Don't adjust them after like 2 hours, better leave bike cool off in the night and then do the job
I would like to work for you to learn about bike mechanics. You make so easy! Thank you!
Worth mentioning that care should be taken to NOT over-torque the bolts when reinstalling the valve cover. Steel screws threading into aluminum can result in pulled threads if one gets too crazy with it, and remedies are not fun. Some bikes' engines are particularly prone to this (KLR650). Definitely a case where more is not better - book torques and no more.
Please make a video about: difference between O,X,Z- ring chains and tell us the pros and cons of each one of them.
253 likes. Zero dislikes. That's how you know about the quality of stuff being made.
Thanks for doing this vid Ari.
Thanks to YOU Ari.
Nicely done, Ari! Thanks!
one of the nice the advantages of a bmw flat twin... nice and easy to get to
I just bought an MT07 (FZ07), one of the reasons I bought it was the initial valve adjustment is around 40,000 kilometers. An equivalent Kawasaki is about 20-25K I think. Anyway I figure I will have sold the bike by that point.
Hey MC garage, isn't weird that the exhaust cam is not aligned ? Looks like it's one tooth off.
Now I know that I'll buy an RC390 in January! No I'm joking i would never do that by myself, but I'll buy an RC390 anyway, because i like it 😁
That's why i love my Honda CRF250l you dont need to remove the camshafts to remove the shims😊, my CB500f had also the same benefit.
always good ......your a great reference point for all thing motorcycle
You also want to check the cam oil jets (built into the bridge) are clear whilst you have the bridge off... those jets are tiny and could easily be blocked.
Salute to the mechanics!
yep ok, you've just convinced me I definitely can't do this. i will avoid riding the bike for another few months until I can afford to take it to a shop
Great video.. love the photograph idea it really makes sense.. Thanks
Do a video on how to install a big bore kit on a DRZ400 sm.... you never give supermotos love bro
hi , your videos are great, ive watched nearly all of them. are you planning to do any live broadcast over youtube in the near future. it would increadibly fun to watch you and zack live talking over random motorcycle stuff.
Hey Ari, youtube has recently allowed live broadcasting over youtube just as you can over facebook :) We would love to see it broadcasted to both places. Where would i be able to get notified about when you will try to get the scooter going, If you do.
Speaking of engines, could you do a video explaining the differences between v2, v4, I3 & I4? And why they sound the way they sound?
Hello! I reallllllly love my Duke390 (named Duky!) and I decided to do the valve clearance job by myself over this winter. I watched this video over and and over to make sure I can do the job without any mistake!
The thing is.. If I do the job I wish I could give the valves the clearance that stays within the spec for a long long period till the next check interval.
You have mentioned that it is better to stay on the loose side than the tight side. I wonder why ..IF i think about it with my very rudimentary knowledge I think the more I ride the wider the valve clearance gets because I believe parts worn out contributing to widening the gap.
so I think when the exhaust valve clearance spec is between 0.13-0.18, why not try to be on the 0.13 side? So let say when the exhaust clearance of 0.12, instead of getting it 0.17 as in the video, just keep on riding riding it because the gap will be wider. (Why the heck is is the gap narrow from the first place? The motor is brand new??)) aww somebody englighten this curious soul!!!
Ohhhhhh I just came up with a thinking that valve ports and valves constantly get into contact that they worn out which pushes back the valve very slightly outward compared to a brand new engine. This explains and counters my hypothesis that valve clearance gets wider not tighter. Very interesting!! Somebody clarify all my out of blue sky 1:30am brainstorming!!!
I really need help!! My bike is in my room and Ireally have to finish this job. Some might not believe and think it is funny but I am very worried that I would make mistakes or something so I am taking months for this job...Thank you and Thank you all for giving me advice and comments!
Difficulty depends on the engine design. But there is more to it. There is "within tolerance" and there is "ideal tolerance." I had an FJ 1200 and was lucky enough that the Big Wrench at the dealership drag raced FJ's. He set my valve clearances so ideal that my FJ ran beautiful and Very Strong. Then they promoted the Big Wrench to management (Murphy's Law) but it didn't matter because the initial setting is the important one and I never had to adjust the valves again and I put 34000 miles on that great bike.
KTM have crazy schedules for their valves the 1290 needs it done on the 2nd service
my R3 and R6 its 40,000km or 25,000 miles
I changed the oil, filter, coolant, brake fluid, chain, broket, tires, etc. I am not sure if I can put the engine back after adjusting the valves. I usually save some parts after I re-install a device, lol.
Is there a video showing how to flow match carburetors? That would be great to do since you have the tank and airbox all disassembled.
I think that's a job that would be worth more spending the money then taking as much time as it would take me to do.
(And you are right Ari, you can't bitch when you get a hefty bill after seeing what it takes to do this job.)
Thanks, always good info.
thanks for these videos Ari.
Unless you have a Moto Guzzi classic V7 with opposing cylinders on a V valves are right there it's beautiful. PS love your videos.
My BMW GTL 1600 requires valve adjustment at 17K miles, and every 17K miles thereafter. A 6 cylinder bike, this is quite an undertaking. Which is what they'll have to do to you when you die from the bill.
I am by no means a master mechanic, but wanted to get opinions about a thought I had about making sure the reference lines line up at 6:05. How about marking the chain and gears with something, and line the marks up upon reassembling?
The chain can basically be in any position. By loosening it when taking teh cams out and letting it hang, the chain could jump a tooth on the bottom sprocket on reassembly. You really want the cams at the correct position relevant to the crank. I usually mark the cams flush with the valve cover sealsurface.
please make a video for sohc tappet valve adjustments