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valve adjustment?

5K views 42 replies 21 participants last post by  gumbyred 
#1 ·
I just came from the service dept of my dealer and was told that 6 hours were needed for a valve adjustment on a 15 gl1800 with about 37000 miles. Is that about right
 
#2 ·
It shouldn't take near that long to just check them and I would be surprised if they were out of spec with that low a mileage. The two GL1800's I have owned were checked at around 60k the first time and neither were out.
 
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#10 ·
A 32,000 mile service is around 6.0 hours, and they are probably quoting labor on a complete service.
 
#5 ·
First time I did it, with the help of Fred's entertainment DVDs, it took 2 hours. The second time it took an hour and a half. When the dealer told me it would cost a minimum $800 or maximum of $1200 depending what they found, I got the DVDs. Best of luck with it. Ride safe and enjoy the ride.

Crabby Bob
 
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#6 · (Edited)
When I did the first valve adjustment it took well more than six hours, but when I'm working on my own vehicles I'm usually painstakingly slow. Getting the tension off the timing chain on the right side with ABS brakes probably took the most time as I had to make a tool. I also took the time to remove both cam shafts and then measure and record the thickness of each valve shim. This knowledge makes the next valve inspection and adjustment quicker as I'll know exactly what replacement shim is needed if another adjustment is required. I would expect that a certified Honda mechanic at a dealer who does valve adjustments on a regular basis with all the experience and tools should be able to breeze through this job in less than six hours, but maybe that's what the flat rate book calls for. If you have any mechanical experience at all it's not that difficult of a job to do. As Crabbywinger suggested, get Fred's DVD's and do it yourself. It will reward you with tremendous personal satisfaction.
 
#8 ·
When I did the first valve adjustment it took well more than six hours, but when I'm working on my own vehicles I'm usually painstakingly slow. Getting the tension off the timing chain on the right side with ABS brakes probably took the most time as I had to make a tool. I also took the time to remove both cam shafts and then measure and record the thickness of each valve shim. This knowledge makes the next valve inspection and adjustment quicker as I'll know exactly what replacement shim is needed if another adjustment is required. I would expect that a certified Honda mechanic at a dealer who does valve adjustments on a regular basis with all the experience and tools should be able to breeze through this job in less than six hours, but maybe that's what the flat rate book calls for. If you have any mechanical experience at all it's not that difficult of a job to do. As Crabbywinger suggested, get Fred's DVD's and do it yourself. It will reward you with tremendous personal satisfaction.
Agree that just checking the clearance is not mechanically challenging. But if one has to remove cam(s) and swap shims, it gets quite a bit more demanding in my opinion.
 
#7 ·
Who knows what the dealer was really quoting... they might be quoting the book flat rate time which includes adjusting the valves. Just checking the valves takes far less time and at most might reveal several valves out of spec - not all 12 of them.


For comparison the book calls for 7.7 hours to do this on a ST1300 but like a GW the valves are rarely out of spec.
 
#11 ·
My dealer gave me two quotes, first was for just checking to see if they needed adjustment, second one was if they had to change any shims.
I forget then exact numbers but something like 3 hours for checking and 6 hours to change any shims, they also admitted they rarely have to deep dive and change any shims.

I always take the bike in the bike in the day before and drop it off, so it is stone cold in the morning when the tech stats on the job, then pick it up later when done.

I need to read up on the checking procedure, when I get back to being retired again in I hope a few weeks, maybe I will tackle the checking portion of the job.
 
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#16 ·
As with most modern day PGM-FI systems, running poor pretty much means that a part(s) is failing in the system itself. Engines' today almost always start, accelerate, and perform well. However, the engineers say that 5th gens need their valves checked and adjusted every 32k because they wear in 2 places. The first is at their seat. Unfortunately, that wear cannot be seen unless valve work is being done. The other place is in their cam journals. This can easily be seen when the cam covers are removed. It can also be checked by using plastigage.

If the valves are set to center spec, quicker starts, better performance is often noticed. Nothing beats an even amount of air/fuel mixture entering and leaving the combustion chamber.
 
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#17 ·
Clearances get tighter, not looser so you won't hear a ticking warning you that adjustment is overdue. Performance will gradually decline but it will be hard to detect.
 
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#14 ·
It's been a while since I watched Fred do his magic on the heads...but...it seemed to me like he went into great detail. I know it wasn't six hours though. I fall asleep in every movie and I was definitely awake the whole time. Maybe changing that disc out in the middle helped out?
 
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#15 ·
My experience and not a recommendation.....


My 2005, I always run full synthetic oil.
I had the valves "shims and buckets" first checked at 36,000 miles. All were within spec.
I later had them checked at 82,000 miles. Still in spec but getting closer to needing attention. Sold with 113,900 miles. Did not have any performance issues, even when riding from the Calif. coast to Rocky Mountain Nat Park and Beartooth Pass Over 11,000 feet and 111,000 miles on the clock.


Valves should be inspected and adjusted when needed. But I was amazed how they performed with all those miles.


Corventure Daev
 
#20 ·
It may take that time if a shim has to be replaced. The dealer has a special tool that most of us don't to hold the cam in place as we remove the cam shafts to get to the shim. I had checked my valves on my first GL1800 (2001) at the 40,000 mile mark in 2005 and had just one shim needing replacement. So, I ordered the special tool from the dealer and before it came in, a woman ran over my Goldwing and totaled it. Gosh, I loved that bike. The dealer gave me a refund for the tool since it was a Honda Part Number, and had not come in, yet.
 
#21 ·
If people would put there location on their profile, it makes it easier for others in their area to let them know of the best place ( Dealer or other Mechanic ) who might be better to take your bike to for minor or major work.
 
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#22 ·
You are 100% correct and I apologize. I am form a little town just south of Boston Ma. and the bike is at the closest dealership to me, Bettencourts in one of the Bridgewaters. Keep it there for the winter and have them do a few thing prior to pick up. I wish that I could do some of the things but I am not that mechanically inclined. I could remodel a house, or refurbish/build furniture, anything with wood, but I don't feel confident working on anything major on the bike. I think next time I will attempt a few things on my own following youtube.
 
#24 ·
I talked to my dealers service manger today about the 32k service. There price is 640. And includes all fluids changed
And a new air cleaner, and valve seat inspection. But after watching Fred Harmon videos I feel confident that I can
do the inspection and cam shaft removal and shim adjustments if needed. I would highly recomend Fred’s cd’s.
 
#25 ·
I have owned 4 GL1800s and have yet to have to make adjustments to any of them.
I had the dealer check my first one in 2004 but have done them myself since then. Just checking them is not a terribly difficult thing.
As already mentioned the cam chain tensioner on the right side of ABS bikes is the biggest obstacle.
 
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#32 ·
Theory aside, in 48 years of checking and adjusting side valve, OHV rocker arm, or OHC shim over bucket valves on cars, motorcycles, and boats I never had an instance where they wore more clearance over time, indeed valve clearances close over time. I suppose there are unusual circumstances where something is failing and clearance may increase but that hasn't been in my experience. I may have been doing it wrong but if I'm pulling a cam out to shim it I'm going to the high side.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Same experience and practice here. Valve recession does indeed occur, on Model 'T's, modern engines, and all in between. I thought everyone understood why and how that happens. Guess not.

Also, any change in valve timing due to max versus minimum clearance spec would have to be measured in minutes versus degrees.
 
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#36 · (Edited)
All were on the tight end of specification. (2) were Intakes and (3) were Exhausts.

You may very well be correct on the "seat vs journal" theory.

I, unfortunately, don't have a proper micrometer to check the journals. I use a digital Vernier so I guess I could check the bearing surfaces on the cam itself though. That would only rule on the cam itself.

I'm not prepared to remove the heads at this time. Only being off a maximum of 0.002 (and that only on one valve) dis-incentivizes me from mechanically checking those valves/seats.
 
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#38 ·
I'll bite on this one.

Wider??

Aluminum cam-bearing surfaces expand a bit more rapidly because they transfer heat more efficiently than steel.

But, more importantly, the aluminum supporting the cam has less mass (comparatively) than the head-proper.

Just an uneducated guess, mind you.
 
#40 ·
Extremely idle speculation:

Anodizing hardens the aluminum. At $540 per new head, I wonder if you could have it further colour-anodized then re-install the steel components?

Appearance AND function.

I must be up too late again.
 
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