Excellent explanation great close up camera work one of the best I have seen so far have booked marked it so when I adjust my V star 650 Valve. I used to to this regularly on a 1960 VW beetle rag top I used to own it was a huge difference in performance always after adjusting the valves it would make it run so smooth and responsive cant wait to do this to my newly acquired V Star 650. Valve adjustments goes a long way on four and two cylinder engines I learned this from experience in the past, That and carb synchronization and fuel mixture adjustment. Thank you for your excellent video
No need to take the carbs off the bike completely, just get them up out of the way - that eliminates the need to take the throttle cables, choke cable, and half the wires off the carbs.
Do i need to remove them to take the cylinder head (plastic covers) off. It appears the carbs will be on the way for the front, maybe not so much the back side. Just want to check for oil leaks but seems like a lot of work for that upper portion lol.
when your turning the crankshaft and watching the rocker coming up off the valve, at the point where it stops rising if you turn the crank 1/4 turn more you'll be at or very close to the center of the cam heel, and hold the rocker arm against the cam heel with your finger when sliding the feeler gauge in to avoid fighting to get it in
Great detailed video. Years ago I was service manager for Honda of Waikiki Oahu Hawaii. I worked primarily on Honda machines and I would always set the valves .02 on the intake valves and .04 on exhaust at TDC. Now I am an old man with a 2011 Yamaha V-Star 650. With all that you have expertly shown on this video, I think when the time comes for rocker arm adjustment, I will just pay a mechanic 500.00$ to do the job because I have become lazy and just don't want to go though the hassle. Thank you for posting this video!
Thank you for the kind words. Adjusting the valves on this bike is extremely irritating. Especially since you worked on Honda's. I think it's just 8 screws to remove on some of those Honda's. Unfortunately for me taking it to the dealer takes even longer than doing it myself.
I have the same bike. I cleaned both the pilot and main jets thoroughly in both carbs. But the problem i am having is the bike just idles, and when i give it more throttle it shuts off. also when it idles the front cylinder is not working and the air is cold when i feel it on the exhaust. i opened the air filter. when i cover the air hole completely the bike works fine i can even ride it. for some reason its sucking in too much air (replaced the air filter but the problem persists). can you tell me what i need to do....please . thank you
SMB Engineering, LLC air leak on induction side providing too much air. Spray wd or soapy water around all induction areas will temporarily seal air leak, around any joint gasket etc
This is a very complicated operation just to adjust the valve clearance. I think that I will buy another type of motorcycle. If you have this type of motorcycle this is a brilliant video instruction.
Thank you very much! It is a very time consuming process. It goes by quicker with practice. I think each motorcycle will have it's own annoying qualities.
I noticed on my 1998 650 vstar that when I have the choke pulled out all the way only one of my exhaust pipes gets hot. Only when I push the choke in all the way do both pipes heat up. Is that normal for this bike or does it mean I have to adjust the carburetor or something?
This is an excellent demonstration, very methodical. But wow what a hassle! The problem is obviously how long it takes and how many things have to be removed in order to access the valve adjustments. I have this bike, as well as a vintage 1979 Triumph Bonneville. On the latter bike the valves are super accessible. It's very easy and takes me less than 15 minutes to adjust the intake and output valves, without having to remove the tank. For me, I just have to bite the bullet and take the Yamaha to a dealer shop.
Thank you I really appreciate that! It's amazing the work involved to adjust those valves. Like your Triumph, it's a lot easier to do on other bikes. If you can, let us know what the dealer charges.
I agree, a very good presentation on valve adjusting on a 650. I need to adjust my valves on my 99 V-Star 1100. I think other than the specs the procedure is pretty much the same. Thanks again, for the great video. Let me know if, in your opinion I can follow the same steps procedure.
Thank you, much appreciated! The procedure for your 1100 is pretty much the same. You will have to move the ignitor assembly though. It's held down with plastic push rivets. To remove them use a small hex key or screwdriver and gently push the pin in the centre down. Don't push the pin all the way out, just enough that the rivet can be removed. To reinstall it, push the pin so it's sticking out the top of the rivet. Put the rivet back and push the pin back in so it's flush with the top. As for the specs, the clearances are actually the same for the 1100: Intake: 0.0028 - 0.0047 inches (0.07 - 0.12 millimeters) Exhaust: 0.0047 - 0.0067 inches (0.12 - 0.17 millimeters)
Hi, just want to ask a question about my v star 650. Cause i have a problem about how it sound. Mu exhaust sounds like a can. I hate it how can i fix this. I mean its not a whole tone its kinda thin sound like a can. Please help me thanks
Interesting video, however the arm holding adjustable screw dropped after you initially checked the clearance at 14:07. Doesn't that mess with your adjustments?
Good observation!! The arm will move, there is supposed to be some free-play. That is why we have minimum and maximum clearances. So when that arm moves, we're still within specifications. Think of it like a minimum and maximum line on an oil dip stick. Safe operation is anywhere inbetween.
This is a great video. Thanks so much for making this. I had a couple of trouble spots. The front upper cylinder cover is very difficult to remove because of low clearance. I finally figured out you have to remove it at a 45 degree path in order to clear the bolts inside the cover. It is possible to remove it. Replacement was much easier. Reinstalling the breather box on the carb is really hard. Any tricks to this? I didn't remove the throttle cables because once the carb was resting on the frame, I had the clearance I needed to work on the valves. Why did you remove them? Thanks again!
Hey no problem thanks, glad you liked it! There's quite a few annoying things to deal with doing this job. One of the good things is you really get to know the guts of your bike. That airbox takes practice for sure! What I do is keep constant pressure from the top and go back and forth between both clamps tightening slowly. You definately don't want to overtighten them. You want to look at the other side also, look around to make sure it's staying in place. I'd also recommend taking a peak every few rides to make sure they're still on. Thanks to the dealer I was riding for quite sometime with mine partially off and didn't realize it. I removed the carbs because I was installing a kuryakyn hypercharger and needed to rejet them. Figured I'd just add it to the video to show it's really not a difficult procedure.
I build a Yamaha star which I did not strip and I am having a problem with the cylinder head covers, they won't go on. I have the carbs and all the other stuff on, can you give me any tips on this, as I do not want to lower the engine, due the exhaust pipes being fixed on also? any help would be grateful.Thank You.
Douglas Taylor, my front upper valve cover was very difficult to remove as there was not enough space. I finally figured out that there is just enough room to remove it if you pull it out at a 45 degree path. So I pulled it towards where the air filter was mounted. You can just clear the protruding bolts but you'll have to bend the plastic cover a little. Putting it back was just the reverse and was much easier.
I left mine in first gear so when lifting the bike it wouldn't roll. If your rear wheel is off the ground it really doesn't matter. If your wheel is touching the ground, you'll want to have it in neutral or you won't be able to rotate the crankshaft. Excellent question! Thank you for mentioning that.
I like your video, a lot of good info, I have my bike half tore down to do this job and can not find the right feeler gauge all I have found is 0.007 and I have no idea what this is, but what I need to know is for example the intake on the V Star is 0.07 to 0.12, what should I look for closer to the 0.07 or 0.12?
Thank you earnest brown! I hope you didn't adjust them yet. It sounds like your feeler gauges are imperial, not metric. The clearances for you would be: Intake: 0.0028 - 0.0047 inches (0.07 - 0.12 millimeters) Exhaust: 0.0047 - 0.0067 inches (0.12 - 0.17 millimeters) Adjusting them closer to the high end "0.12mm" is better for low-end power but can be noisier. Having them closer to the low end can improve top-end performance but may increase wear. It's really up to you. Whichever you choose make sure both intakes are adjusted to match as close as possible, and the same goes for both exhausts. Also, you can always stack feeler gauges by adding them together to get the correct size. Just make sure they're nice and clean first. Take your time and have patience! It always takes quite a few tries to get the results you're looking for. Hope that helped, let us know how it goes!
I accidently found the right feelers gauge today! I don't want more noise, that is for sure, lol! I plan on getting the gaps a close as possible. But realizing that in the 2 videos I have watched , I really don't want to mess with taking the Carbs off, but I called a local Yamaha Dealers last week and the want $288.00 +and I will not go that route for sure! Thanks
Wow! That's why I started doing these videos. I bought my bike brand new from the dealer and to keep the warranty valid I took it in for the first 1000km service, it cost me $652. If you do remove the carbs make sure the throttle cables are secure when you put them back. The surge tank can be tricky to get back on. Lastly, the rear lower cylinder head cover is very thin brittle plastic. Use caution when taking it off.
Excellent video but doing this has stopped my bike running. Firstly I had oil leaking from two tappet covers and lots of white smoke shooting out these exhaust manifolds. After changing the O-rings and thread-locking the covers closed it seems to have stopped the leaking but I'm getting a lot of backfiring and barely any power on acceleration. Could there be any quick fixes?
@@volt8684 thanks. I went back in and checked the timing was right and then redid the clearances. Had to tap larger bolts into the covers because there was still oil leaking. Stripped the carb down completely and then tuned them by ear (between backfiring on idle and backfiring on deceleration). Probably a lot richer now but sounds great. Had a driveshaft seizure last month though so been off the road as I recover. Bike seems alright though
@@volt8684 thanks pal. Afraid i can't help you with that. Still trying to diagnose my problem, thought the splines on final drive coupling had been worn but despite the rust they were still in pretty good condition. Thinking to stick a virago final drive hub on to be safe.
That's awesome!! Wish that was was the case here. The RoadStar is considered a touring bike; designed for long trips. It would suck if you had to adjust those after every trip. Thanks for bringing that up, always go with your owner's manual!
James Kang unfortunately for the V-Star checking the valve clearance is very time consuming. When I had my first service done on the bike from the dealer, which included checking the clearance, it was over $600 Canadian. I would recommend shopping around, however I really don't know what kind of prices you'd see.
This comment is confusing and incorrect. For the V Star 650, the marks are for the rear and front cylinders. From the manual: For rear cylinder ("T|" mark) For front cylinder ("|" mark) The process that Motorcycle Manthony shows in this video is exactly right and I really appreciate the time and details he put in this video for us! As long as I'm sharing info from the manual, these are the clearances for intake and exhaust valves. Valve clearance (cold): Intake valve: 0.07 - 0.12mm (0.003 - 0.005 in) Exhaust valve: 0.12 -0.17 mm (0.005 - 0.007 in) For those of you wondering which are the intake and which are the exhaust valves, just look at where your exhaust pipes come out of the cylinders and those will be your exhaust valves. The two valves in the center, right under the carburetors are the intake valves. It's obvious, but it took me far too long to realize that.😊
Valve clearances: Intake 0.07-0.12mm. Exhaust 0.12-0.17mm
Excellent explanation great close up camera work one of the best I have seen so far have booked marked it so when I adjust my V star 650 Valve. I used to to this regularly on a 1960 VW beetle rag top I used to own it was a huge difference in performance always after adjusting the valves it would make it run so smooth and responsive cant wait to do this to my newly acquired V Star 650. Valve adjustments goes a long way on four and two cylinder engines I learned this from experience in the past, That and carb synchronization and fuel mixture adjustment. Thank you for your excellent video
we listen to the same music.
i'm sorry if you're depressed. :/ stay strong
No need to take the carbs off the bike completely, just get them up out of the way - that eliminates the need to take the throttle cables, choke cable, and half the wires off the carbs.
Do i need to remove them to take the cylinder head (plastic covers) off. It appears the carbs will be on the way for the front, maybe not so much the back side. Just want to check for oil leaks but seems like a lot of work for that upper portion lol.
when your turning the crankshaft and watching the rocker coming up off the valve, at the point where it stops rising if you turn the crank 1/4 turn more you'll be at or very close to the center of the cam heel, and hold the rocker arm against the cam heel with your finger when sliding the feeler gauge in to avoid fighting to get it in
I really appreciate it when guys like you take the time to make videos like this. Awesome job. Thanks!
Thank you very much. I really appreciate that. It really is a very time consuming process. Thanks.
Great how to vid. Also awesome playlist in the background. We must be the same age.
Thank you for making this video. You've done a public service!
Haha! Thank you!! Do I get a tax break?
СПАСИБО! Классное, детальное и понятное видео!
Great detailed video. Years ago I was service manager for Honda of Waikiki Oahu Hawaii. I worked primarily on Honda machines and I would always set the valves .02 on the intake valves and .04 on exhaust at TDC. Now I am an old man with a 2011 Yamaha V-Star 650. With all that you have expertly shown on this video, I think when the time comes for rocker arm adjustment, I will just pay a mechanic 500.00$ to do the job because I have become lazy and just don't want to go though the hassle. Thank you for posting this video!
Thank you for the kind words.
Adjusting the valves on this bike is extremely irritating. Especially since you worked on Honda's. I think it's just 8 screws to remove on some of those Honda's.
Unfortunately for me taking it to the dealer takes even longer than doing it myself.
Must agree try to do it your self.
Excellent presentation. Only essential info and no stupid music. Well done.
Music keeps him calm
I have the same bike. I cleaned both the pilot and main jets thoroughly in both carbs. But the problem i am having is the bike just idles, and when i give it more throttle it shuts off. also when it idles the front cylinder is not working and the air is cold when i feel it on the exhaust. i opened the air filter. when i cover the air hole completely the bike works fine i can even ride it. for some reason its sucking in too much air (replaced the air filter but the problem persists). can you tell me what i need to do....please . thank you
SMB Engineering, LLC air leak on induction side providing too much air. Spray wd or soapy water around all induction areas will temporarily seal air leak, around any joint gasket etc
@@volt8684 THank you Sir.
Damn !! That’s a lot of stuff to remove lol great vid 👍🏍
Seriously!! Just a few more steps and might as well remove the engine! Thanks man!
This is a very complicated operation just to adjust the valve clearance. I think that I will buy another type of motorcycle. If you have this type of motorcycle this is a brilliant video instruction.
Thank you very much!
It is a very time consuming process. It goes by quicker with practice. I think each motorcycle will have it's own annoying qualities.
Honda 1100 Shadows have hydraulic valve lifters and don't require adjustment.
ILL TAKE IT A PART BUT ILL LET MY 84 YEAR OLD MOTHER PUT IT BACK TOGUETHER...
THX FOR YOUR VIDEO.
MIAMI FL
1987 YAMAHA VIRAGO XL 1100
I noticed on my 1998 650 vstar that when I have the choke pulled out all the way only one of my exhaust pipes gets hot. Only when I push the choke in all the way do both pipes heat up. Is that normal for this bike or does it mean I have to adjust the carburetor or something?
Great instructional video mate. Good background soundtrack as well. Cheers !
everytime you pull out the gage it drops closing the gap
It will move a little bit. You just want it to stay within those clearances. Not too much, not too little
This is an excellent demonstration, very methodical. But wow what a hassle! The problem is obviously how long it takes and how many things have to be removed in order to access the valve adjustments. I have this bike, as well as a vintage 1979 Triumph Bonneville. On the latter bike the valves are super accessible. It's very easy and takes me less than 15 minutes to adjust the intake and output valves, without having to remove the tank. For me, I just have to bite the bullet and take the Yamaha to a dealer shop.
Thank you I really appreciate that!
It's amazing the work involved to adjust those valves. Like your Triumph, it's a lot easier to do on other bikes.
If you can, let us know what the dealer charges.
I agree, a very good presentation on valve adjusting on a 650. I need to adjust my valves on my 99 V-Star 1100. I think other than the specs the procedure is pretty much the same. Thanks again, for the great video. Let me know if, in your opinion I can follow the same steps procedure.
Thank you, much appreciated!
The procedure for your 1100 is pretty much the same. You will have to move the ignitor assembly though. It's held down with plastic push rivets. To remove them use a small hex key or screwdriver and gently push the pin in the centre down. Don't push the pin all the way out, just enough that the rivet can be removed. To reinstall it, push the pin so it's sticking out the top of the rivet. Put the rivet back and push the pin back in so it's flush with the top.
As for the specs, the clearances are actually the same for the 1100:
Intake: 0.0028 - 0.0047 inches (0.07 - 0.12 millimeters)
Exhaust: 0.0047 - 0.0067 inches (0.12 - 0.17 millimeters)
Hi, just want to ask a question about my v star 650. Cause i have a problem about how it sound. Mu exhaust sounds like a can. I hate it how can i fix this. I mean its not a whole tone its kinda thin sound like a can. Please help me thanks
Cut out the baffles or get new exhaust. I have Cobras on mine and they sound GREAT
lol that SOAD in the background great song too
Are you Guyanese by chance? you sounding like it
!
Interesting video, however the arm holding adjustable screw dropped after you initially checked the clearance at 14:07. Doesn't that mess with your adjustments?
Good observation!!
The arm will move, there is supposed to be some free-play. That is why we have minimum and maximum clearances. So when that arm moves, we're still within specifications.
Think of it like a minimum and maximum line on an oil dip stick. Safe operation is anywhere inbetween.
This is a great video. Thanks so much for making this.
I had a couple of trouble spots. The front upper cylinder cover is very difficult to remove because of low clearance. I finally figured out you have to remove it at a 45 degree path in order to clear the bolts inside the cover. It is possible to remove it. Replacement was much easier.
Reinstalling the breather box on the carb is really hard. Any tricks to this?
I didn't remove the throttle cables because once the carb was resting on the frame, I had the clearance I needed to work on the valves. Why did you remove them?
Thanks again!
Hey no problem thanks, glad you liked it!
There's quite a few annoying things to deal with doing this job. One of the good things is you really get to know the guts of your bike.
That airbox takes practice for sure! What I do is keep constant pressure from the top and go back and forth between both clamps tightening slowly. You definately don't want to overtighten them. You want to look at the other side also, look around to make sure it's staying in place. I'd also recommend taking a peak every few rides to make sure they're still on. Thanks to the dealer I was riding for quite sometime with mine partially off and didn't realize it.
I removed the carbs because I was installing a kuryakyn hypercharger and needed to rejet them. Figured I'd just add it to the video to show it's really not a difficult procedure.
I build a Yamaha star which I did not strip and I am having a problem with the cylinder head covers, they won't go on. I have the carbs and all the other stuff on, can you give me any tips on this, as I do not want to lower the engine, due the exhaust pipes being fixed on also? any help would be grateful.Thank You.
Douglas Taylor, my front upper valve cover was very difficult to remove as there was not enough space. I finally figured out that there is just enough room to remove it if you pull it out at a 45 degree path. So I pulled it towards where the air filter was mounted. You can just clear the protruding bolts but you'll have to bend the plastic cover a little. Putting it back was just the reverse and was much easier.
What gear was the bike in?
I left mine in first gear so when lifting the bike it wouldn't roll.
If your rear wheel is off the ground it really doesn't matter.
If your wheel is touching the ground, you'll want to have it in neutral or you won't be able to rotate the crankshaft.
Excellent question! Thank you for mentioning that.
5:13 the service manual doesn't say to remove these, and I didn't. Why did you?
Initially mine were held down with tape and zip ties, I didn't want to cut them.
Thanx4thvideo. I too, have a 650 vstar and this is a great instructional.
Thanks! Ride safe!
Great video! Thanks for taking the time to do this for us visual learners! p.s. You're brave leaving that allen key on there when you were rotating!
I did exactly what you said, but the sound is the same.
Then your valves were in spec.
Hi , possible to tell me where you brought the o-ring or send me the valve numbers please.. thanks
Great video, this was very easy to follow. Cheers mate.
Thanks! Good to hear!
Do you need to remove oil from the engine to check the valves?
No you do not. Have fun!
I like your video, a lot of good info, I have my bike half tore down to do this job and can not find the right feeler gauge all I have found is 0.007 and I have no idea what this is, but what I need to know is for example the intake on the V Star is 0.07 to 0.12, what should I look for closer to the 0.07 or 0.12?
Thank you earnest brown!
I hope you didn't adjust them yet. It sounds like your feeler gauges are imperial, not metric. The clearances for you would be:
Intake: 0.0028 - 0.0047 inches (0.07 - 0.12 millimeters)
Exhaust: 0.0047 - 0.0067 inches (0.12 - 0.17 millimeters)
Adjusting them closer to the high end "0.12mm" is better for low-end power but can be noisier.
Having them closer to the low end can improve top-end performance
but may increase wear. It's really up to you.
Whichever you choose make sure both intakes are adjusted to match as close as possible, and the same goes for both exhausts.
Also, you can always stack feeler gauges by adding them together to get the correct size. Just make sure they're nice and clean first.
Take your time and have patience! It always takes quite a few tries to get the results you're looking for.
Hope that helped, let us know how it goes!
I accidently found the right feelers gauge today! I don't want more noise, that is for sure, lol! I plan on getting the gaps a close as possible. But realizing that in the 2 videos I have watched , I really don't want to mess with taking the Carbs off, but I called a local Yamaha Dealers last week and the want $288.00 +and I will not go that route for sure! Thanks
Wow! That's why I started doing these videos. I bought my bike brand new from the dealer and to keep the warranty valid I took it in for the first 1000km service, it cost me $652.
If you do remove the carbs make sure the throttle cables are secure when you put them back. The surge tank can be tricky to get back on. Lastly, the rear lower cylinder head cover is very thin brittle plastic. Use caution when taking it off.
Yeah it's a ripoff if you ask me, but I am very careful , lol
I have it at TDC but no free play and actually I have to go to the parts store and get the right allen's
Awesome!!
Subbed
Excellent video but doing this has stopped my bike running. Firstly I had oil leaking from two tappet covers and lots of white smoke shooting out these exhaust manifolds. After changing the O-rings and thread-locking the covers closed it seems to have stopped the leaking but I'm getting a lot of backfiring and barely any power on acceleration. Could there be any quick fixes?
Damien Lockhart yeah do it again uve got timing wrong
@@volt8684 thanks. I went back in and checked the timing was right and then redid the clearances. Had to tap larger bolts into the covers because there was still oil leaking. Stripped the carb down completely and then tuned them by ear (between backfiring on idle and backfiring on deceleration). Probably a lot richer now but sounds great. Had a driveshaft seizure last month though so been off the road as I recover. Bike seems alright though
Damien Lockhart bloody hell! Hope ur ok. Mine vibrates my fillings out. Done carbs/ valves , still cant stopit. Very excessive i think.
@@volt8684 thanks pal. Afraid i can't help you with that. Still trying to diagnose my problem, thought the splines on final drive coupling had been worn but despite the rust they were still in pretty good condition. Thinking to stick a virago final drive hub on to be safe.
Damien Lockhart good luck and speedy recovery matey
My road star manual says check every 16k and adjust if needed
That's awesome!! Wish that was was the case here. The RoadStar is considered a touring bike; designed for long trips. It would suck if you had to adjust those after every trip.
Thanks for bringing that up, always go with your owner's manual!
I know right lol
how many miles does the bike have? mine has 13800 miles and people are telling me to get this job done. costs like 400 dollars...
Valve clearance should be checked every 4,000 miles (6,000 km) or every 6 months.
Motorcycle Manthony is it normal to cost that much for the job?
James Kang unfortunately for the V-Star checking the valve clearance is very time consuming. When I had my first service done on the bike from the dealer, which included checking the clearance, it was over $600 Canadian.
I would recommend shopping around, however I really don't know what kind of prices you'd see.
ah thats a bummer. thanks for the info though. i appreciate it
You only need to adjust the valves when you don't hear the valves tapping. If you hear the tapping your good.
fyi the manual states that check intake timing mark should be I and exhaust is the T...
This comment is confusing and incorrect. For the V Star 650, the marks are for the rear and front cylinders.
From the manual:
For rear cylinder ("T|" mark)
For front cylinder ("|" mark)
The process that Motorcycle Manthony shows in this video is exactly right and I really appreciate the time and details he put in this video for us!
As long as I'm sharing info from the manual, these are the clearances for intake and exhaust valves.
Valve clearance (cold):
Intake valve:
0.07 - 0.12mm (0.003 - 0.005 in)
Exhaust valve:
0.12 -0.17 mm (0.005 - 0.007 in)
For those of you wondering which are the intake and which are the exhaust valves, just look at where your exhaust pipes come out of the cylinders and those will be your exhaust valves. The two valves in the center, right under the carburetors are the intake valves. It's obvious, but it took me far too long to realize that.😊