The shop manual suggests the special cam tensioner stop tool. Haynes says nothing about it. Anybody out there that does there own valve adjustments please clue me in!!! This will be my first at 24,000miles...Thanks (99XX)

find the online manual here in the forum. use search.

How about if you want to help, then give information and not say "use search".

I did a search and nothing came up. Sorry I don't know.

I didn't use any special tools when I checked my valves. IIRC you do have to either remove the Cam chain lifter or relieve the tension. A small flat head screwdriver will do this for you. Do a search for Cam Chain Tensioner or CTT for more info.

My shop manual is at work otherwise I'd give you more info.


At 37,000 miles mine needed no adjustment.

This does the trick just fine-

IIRC, the manual has instructions for making the CCT locking tool. I literally said WTF when I read that. Anyway it's not necessary. Screw the CCT all the way in and hold it in place, ala the Redbird method. I clamped the screwdriver to the frame, a slight variation on what Redbird's photo illustrates.

You don't need to do anything like that to check the valves. If removing the cams to change the shims, just remove the tensioner(and BEST to replace it with a manually adjustable one from APE!)

If you get a new CCT it comes with the tool. Keep it.

I've always locked mine with the tool for clearance checks but has anyone done it without and with and seen a difference in the clearance #'s?

Can the CCT actually pull down on the cams and give a tighter number?

24K? I just did mine at 41K and 3 were out by 1/1000ths. They don't even make the shim I need to make it perfect (199), so I ended up with what I started with. I consider the whole thing a colossal waste of time and took a chance on bending valves and god knows what else.

Nothing would have stopped me from doing it but I learned my lesson

I had two or three out of spec when I checked mine at around 40k (there's a thread somewhere around here with numbers). There have been others that have found out of spec tolerances at under 30k. Just because some, or even most of these bikes aren't in need of adjustment until higher mileage isn't really a good argument not to check.

I'll admit 16k is a little premature, but if you're at 30-40k and haven't checked them, my opinion is it'd be a good idea to do so.

+1

At 37,000 I did have a couple that were on the tight side, but still within spec. I'll probably check them again soon just to be safe.

I checked mine at 32k, none were out. A couple of exhausts were on the tight end but not enough to make room for a bigger shim.

From all the empirical data I've seen on this and the "other" forum, I don't think I'll
bother to check my valves until at least 50,000 miles. It seems almost no one has
to make any major adjustments until then, and those that have needed it, it was not
yet out of spec. Maybe I just have my head in the sand, but it seems like a waste of
time and effort (and money) to do it before.

Let logic rule here...unless you ride the tar out of the bird it should get 30-40 k before it needs a valve adjustment. I agree with the last few posts on necessary adjustment / checkup intervals...

That was just as helpful as my reply. Yet oddly seems aimed at me rather than the one with a question. hmmmm?