Anybody close to NYC can do valve adjust?

[vadim]

OK.  I am mechanically inclined, but I don't have any experience working on engines.  When I first got my bike and it stalled out on me due to bad gas, I got the manuals, removed the tank, drained the carbs, etc.  No problem.  I installed the headlight and taillight modulators.  No problem.  But I just don't feel confident to do a valve adjust, plus I don't have a garage.  And I can't stand to trust my baby to a mechanic.  They all look like crooks to me.  So...  is there anyone here within an hour or two ride from NYC who has done this on his bike and would be willing to show me how to do this?  I will pay for your time.

Thanks,

-Vadim

[B12Teuton]

I'm no longer in the area, but if I were I would do it for you.

First thing you need to do is go to a Suzuki dealer and buy the valve adjuster tool.  Most have them in stock and it's only $5.  You'll also need some feeler gauges... also cheap at any autoparts store.

Then get on Amazon.com and search for "Bandit service manual".  You will find several from $17 up.  

If you did all the work you listed above, you will have no problem at all.  The first time is intimidating, but the inside of the engine is not much more complex than the rest of the bike.  Especially in this case since the valves on the bandit are extremely easy to adjust.  

The hardest part is getting the tank off and valve cover out.  This part is not really difficult but takes some time, and that's what you pay for at the shop.  Once you get that done, CHECKING the valves is simple.  Do that yourself.  If they need to be adjusted, you'll see how easy it really is.  You can always come back here and ask specific questions.

Remember that the engine needs to be stone cold.  24 hours of not running is a good rule.
 

[ridenclimb]

I am in Stamford, CT.  Have done four valve adjustments on my current Bandit 1200S which now has almost 35k miles on it.  In fact I just ordered the parts for the next one which I will be doing in a couple weeks.  I can give you lots of advice from my personal experience.  The first couple adjustments  were a pain in the ass but once you get to know the procedure and the potential pitfalls it does get easier.  Like you I don't have a garage so that does make it a little tougher

Some words of advice - First, read, read, read.  I have the Haynes Manual, Suzuki Service Manual and Printed out some great detailed info.   from

http://www.bladesbandit.com/cam.htm

The above link even has some nice pictures. but you can skip steps 21-31 since that covers the installation of cams.  Don't need to do this to adjust the valves.

Also use the search feature on this site and read about other people's experience doing their own valve adjustments.  Remember - a smart man learns from his mistakes but a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. :)

Adjusting the valves is really not rocket science and to be honest most of the work involves taking off the tank, cowling and misc parts above the valve cover and the cover itself.  Once you are in there it is pretty easy.  I would recommend you give yourself lots of time the first time you do this.  And keep track of all nuts bolts and parts you remove from the bike.  Nothing more frustrating than spending 30 minutes looking for a bolt that you misplaced.  ARGH!!!

Let me know if you decide to do this and when.  I might even be able to shoot a little bit of video when I do mine and send it along to you.   Can also give you lots of advice on things you can do to avoid pitfalls and where and what you will need to order to get this job done with a minimum of hassle.

Off the top of my head hear are ten

1.  Don't lose anything
2.  Make sure the valve gasket is properly seated all the way around the cover before you torque down the bolts
3. Tape the spark plug holes once you remove the spark plugs so you don't drop anything down there.   Have never dropped anything in there but I know from others it can be a SERIOUS pain
4.  If you get the Suzuki Manual don't be mislead by the picture of the cylinders - the picture is from the perspective of looking from the FRONT of the bike.  (that was 30 minutes of head scratching the first time I did this job)
5.  Make sure you have all parts (gaskets, gasket adhesive, etc) and tools (sockets, torqque wrench, feeler gauges, wrenches, etc ) to do the job before you start!   I can give you a list if you like.
6.  Label wires and hoses with masking tape as to what they are and where they go and do the same for parts, nuts/bolts you take off the bike..  Makes putting everything back together easier.
7.  Make sure the engine is Stone cold when you check the valve gaps - this means let is sit overnight to properly cool.
8.  If you have a digital camera take some pics of things before you take them apart - they can be very useful later.  
9.  During and after you do the job the first time make some notes about any pitfalls you encounterd so you can avoid them next time.
10.  Double check all the valve gaps before you put everything back together.  

Don't be afraid to ask questions either.  Have been greatly helped by the info many have posted here and elsewhere.

Also don't be daunted by the task.   Like I said it is not rocket science and if you are going to have your bike for a while then learning to do this yourself will save you some $$, give you piece of mind that it was done correctly and give you a bit of personal satisfaction. :)

Ask more questions if you would like and I will try and help if I can.

David
2001 Silver Suzuki Bandit 1200S
Helibars, Zero Gravity Windscreen, Suzuki Gel Seat, Holeshot 17" pipe and stage I jet kit, Hayabusa rear shock
35K miles and been in over 30 states with this bike

[PitterB4]

Two other somewhat random tips - one picked up reading the boards here, the other from very, very personal and painful experience.

1 - Be careful of the locator pins (little dowels that help align the cover on the head).  I've read of them falling down in the engine when lifting the cover off.  

2 - Be very careful torquing the cover bolts.  There are a couple of us around here that have stripped them which is a MAJOR pain!

If I can do the adjustment part, anyone can!

[vadim]

Guys,

Thank you all for encouragement and info.  I do get a great satisfaction from doing this myself.  Though my girlfriend gets jealous when I spend more then 2 hours working on the bike...  My 600 has 8200 miles on it, about 700 miles late for the adjustment according to the manual.  I got it used and the first owner who I trust said that the bike had its first (expensive) service at the dealership.  But I don't trust the dealership.  Hopefully they did the valve adjust, but who knows?  I'd like to do it as soon as possible, but my weekends are pretty busy right now, so I am afraid I may have to let it wait for another few hundred miles.  Hopefull I won't regret it too much in the long run.

David,

Would you be able to post a list of items that I need for this?  I have a mechanics tool set and feeler gauges.  I know that I need to get a torque wrench (and be careful not to use it on oily parts) and valve adjuster tool.  What else do you order for your adjustments?  I remember reading about sealant for the valve cover, maybe replacing some washers, etc.  If you only had the tools that I mentioned I have, what would you get?  What would you get in case something goes wrong (e.g. a magnet to search the engine).  Also, where do you order the parts?

Many thanks!

-Vadim

[land_shark]

Also don't be daunted by the task.   Like I said it is not rocket science and if you are going to have your bike for a while then learning to do this yourself will save you some $$, give you piece of mind that it was done correctly and give you a bit of personal satisfaction. :)

Ditto all that!  Take a picture of the stupid grin on your face when you first peek into the header     It's really fascinating to see, especially while you spin the cams to align the lobes.  I really gained an appreciation for the bike and what all went in to designing it...after owning it for 16,000 miles, no less!  

Sounds like you have all the right stuff, so good luck and be sure to report back.
 

[ridenclimb]

Vadim,

I am assuming that your Bandit 600 is second generation (year 2000 and up)
Here are the part numbers that I looked up for OEM parts for a 2002 GSF600

Bikebandit.com part descrip/   number      price
2: GASKET CYLINDER   475967-001     $22.58
7: WASHER           469907-001     $2.29
11: GASKET,SIGNAL G  477748-001     $4.37
5: FILTER,AIR           483673-001     $20.68

You can double check these part numbers for yourself by going to their website under OEM parts and inputting the year, make and model of your bike and then looking at the schematics under cylinder head cover and gaskets.

oil hose union o-rings – couldn’t find these on the bike bandit website but you can probably get them from your local dealer cheap enough.  

Manual recommends replacing the oil union o rings and gasket cylinder at each adjustment but I replace every other valve adjustment since I put on a ton of miles and only go 3-4 mths between adjustments.  The signal generator gasket usually tears when I take off the signal generator cover even when trying to be careful so I always have one of these on hand.

Valve Adjustment tool
As for the valve adjustment tool just do what I did – take a #2 square head screw and drive it partway into a section of small dowel about 2” long.  Will send you a pic if you want so you can see exactly what I am talking about.  Dealer didn’t have the tool and I didn’t want to wait so I tried this suggestion and it works great and you don’t need their $5 tool.  The screw costs like 5 cents and I am sure you can find a scrap piece of dowel for free.

Feeler Gauges
You already have the feeler gauges but check and make sure you have the right sizes – check manuals for specs since I don’t remember the tolerances off the top of my head.

Gasket Adhesive
You will also need some gasket adhesive – you can get this at your local auto store easy enough.

Needlenose pliers are handy for reaching in and compressing the fuel hose clamp on the petcock.
Various wrenches and sockets in metric sizes.

Hex wrenches in metric sizes
It’s handy to have both an allen type set and hex driver for attachment to a ratchet set.  The allen type set is needed for reaching into hard to get at places and the ratchet set makes removal quicker for the stuff that’s easy to get at.

Tape to cover the spark plug holes
Masking tape and marker to label stuff
A few small boxes to put parts in if you are not going to finish this all in one day and don’t want to leave all kinds of stuff lying around.
Two blocks of wood about 3-4 inches high to rest the fuel tank on so you don’t damage the petcock.

Also get a set of new spark plugs and air filter.  
Doesn’t take any extra time to change them since you are taking everything apart anyway.  I use Autolite 4162 or Champion RA6HC depending on what is available locally at the time but I have a 1200.  Don’t know if the 600 takes the same plugs but just check the FAQ since they specify in there.

Read through everything and take your time and it shouldn’t be too bad.  Might take a little longer but you are less likely to make a dumb mistake that will take 10 times as long to fix.  Don’t even ask me how I know this.

I am pretty sure that’s everything you will need but do some reading with the list handy and make sure there aren’t any parts that I forgot.

David

PS.  Mark the spark plug wires so you know which cylinders they go to when you put them back on.  Mine are marked with small pieces of colored tape that I just leave on their 1-4 from left to right if looking from the back of the bike.

[Red01]

The gaskets on the valve cover can be reused many times, regardless of what the manual says. Replace them if they are no longer supple and pliable, otherwise, you're good to go.

Personally, I never take the signal generator cover off. The cams have big notches on the right ends. Point the notches of the cams toward each other, adjust half the valves, then turn the motor over by spinning the rear tire (with it in gear & on the centerstand, of course) until the notches point away from each other and adjust the rest.

[vadim]

David, your info is great.  You are filling in the gaps left over by other sites, manuals, etc.  A post of the picture would come in handy for me as well as for the other board members, I am sure.  

I think I am going to take a day off from work so that my girlfriend doesn't complain about me babying the bike over the weekend and do this once I get the parts.  Hopefully it'll give me enough time to work at a slow pace, mark everyting well, make sure I don't drop anything into remote parts of the engine and top it off with a carb sync.  Wooho, I am looking forward to it.  :)

[B12Teuton]

If you get hung up, just ask the question.

Someone is bound to have the answer you need and be able respond in short order.

 

[ridenclimb]

Vadim,

There is a 3mm square post that needs to be held while loosening up the locking nut to adjust the valves.  I used a 2 and a half inch stainless decking screw with a 3mm square head which I just screwed into a 1.5" length of scrap  3/4" dowel.  This set up holds the post perfectly while you loosen the locking nut.

Will post a pic for you on Monday and if I have time will even snap a couple more which should help you in the diassembly.

Like others have said you don't need to necessarily replace the gasket cover when you do the job but I would recommend having one on hand just in case.  If you get it all apart and then find you need to replace it for some reason and don't have one you are f#$ked since the dealer will tell you they don't have one in stock but would be happy to order it for you.  Have the right parts on hand and chances are good that you won't need them - take a chance that all will go perfectly and Mr. Murphy will feel obligated to give you some unwanted attention.  

Will give you some more info and pics on Monday.  Gotta run.

David

[vadim]

Just placed an order for parts.  I took David's advice and ordered everything I might need - just in case.  I found the o-rings too, btw, their are a part of the oil pump assembly diagram if I remember correctly.  

Item  Description  Quantity  Price  Extended Price  
09161-11008  WASHER  8  $2.14  $17.12  
11173-27A02  GASKET CYLINDER  1  $21.02  $21.02  
09280-14011  O RING  2  $2.22  $4.44  
09482-00410  SPARK PLUG CR9E  4  $7.39  $29.56  
13780-31F00  FILTER,AIR  1  $19.20  $19.20  
11491-27A30  GASKET,SIGNAL G  1  $4.06  $4.06  
11179-27A02  GASKET HEAD COV  2  $3.55  $7.10    
11178-27A01  GASKET HEAD COV  2  $3.30  $6.60  

Hopefully I didn't forget anything...  Btw, is it really necessary to remove the cowling and/or carbs?  Or is removing the fuel tank and clearing up the space above the cover sufficient?  Any tips on how to make sure that nothing falls into the engine?  Also, how do you degrease the cover screwes to make sure the torque wrench works correctly?  

Thanks,

-Vadim

[Red01]

Don't remove the carbs for a valve adjustment/check.

At least on a 2G bike, you don't need to remove any stock fairings.
I remove the tank, then the valve cover breather (the silver box-like cover on the top middle of the valve cover). I removed the PAIR system before my first valve adjustment, but if you've still got it, you may need to move some of it out of the way.

[B12Teuton]

vadim,
Pick up a tube of liquid gasket.  It helps to use a LITTLE of this stuff on the gaskets/o-rings to keep them in place when putting it all back together.  It will help avoid pinching and misalignment.

[ridenclimb]

Vadim,

Sounds like you ordered everything you will need.  It's unlikely you will wind up using everything you ordered but it doesn't hurt to have it all on hand.  You will use it all eventually.  I have never actually inserted a pic into a post but if someone can tell me how I will post a couple pics that should help you out.  

As for removing the fairing - I have done the adjustment without removing it and also with removing it.  With the faiiring in place it is a tiight squeeze to slide the valve cover out because the inside section doesn't have much clearance against the cam chain on the inside.  Taking the front cowling and brackets off gives you more room to work with and makes things easier but does take a little more time.   For me personally I like to take the cowling and brackets off - also use the opportunity to give things a quck cleaning.  

If you have never taken the body work off your bandit here is how the little black tab buttons work - take a small phillips or even a ball point pen and push the center of the tab in, then you can get a fingernail under it and pull it right out.  When replacing make sure the center is sticking out,  press the edges of the tab into the hole and then push in the center and it will make a clicking sound securing the button in place.  Like a lot of things this seems obvious once you know how it works but if you have never done it before and don't know the trick there can be a bit of head scratching and cursing. :)

If you are going to take the day off to do the valve adjustment and are not doing it in a garage here are a few things to remember,

1) check the weather forecast - you don't want to just get the cover off and have it start to pour
2) what I like to do is take off lots of stuff the night before you do the adjustment.  You can't check the valves until the engine has been sitting cold overnight but as soon as you have the bike parked whereever you are going to do the valve adjustment you can get to work pulling off the tank, cowling, pair etc so that in the morning there is that much less to do and allows you more time during your day off to get things done.
3)  if for some reason you have to leave the bike to run to the store or whatever slip the valve cover back on and make sure the spark plugs holes are taped - you don't want anything blowing in there or falling in there!  I left my bike for 15 minutes once to run to the store and came back just in time to see the landscapers at my condo pulling out the leaf blowers to sweep out the parking lot - would have been horrible if they blew a bunch of sand into an open valve cover!!!!


Always try and think ahead and if/when things do go wrong try and have a sense of humor about them.   If nothing else you have to give that Murphy guy credit for creativity sometimes.  Also keep in mind they do happen to everyone so if you do make a boo-boo here and there don't beat yourself up about it too much.  Chalk it up to a learning curve and just go on with things.

If someone can tell me how to post a pic I can help you out a little more or if not just send me your email and I will send you more pics and info.

David