Shims??

[lucky rsm]

Hi was told that in my service i should check the shims, or adjust them.

What are shim's and what do you do with them??

Non mechanic terms pls, i aint that mechanicaly minded
____________________
cb500s, er6f, er6f, Gsx650fK9

[nokiakeys]

A quick google can do many things:


EDIT: My bad, thats what no sleep for over 24 hours will be to you.... I need redbull!!!
____________________
CBT: 04/2010 -> Theory: 09/2010 -> MOD1 & 2: 10/2010 (That's right baby, both on same day)
Honda CBF125 -> Honda CB600FS

[serlant]

[weasley]

And that demonstrates the difference between having information and having knowledge; Google can only provide the first!

In the context of bikes, I would say that if someone talks about shims needing checking or adjusting then they ate talking about the valve clearances. For many bikes, this means taking the camshafts out to make any changes, although some are serviceable with the cams in place.

Symptoms are usually a king of tapping/ticking sound, worse when cold.
____________________
Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[fiery tupp]

Shims are hard metal discs of varied thicknesses, often used to set the valve clearances of some engines
____________________
If you can't fix it with a hammer , use your head .

[MaybeGuy]

[Rowey]

Please do not listen to the people posting pictures of gaskets.

Shims determine the lift of the valves. They need to be checked to ensure they offer the right clearance when the engine is operating to let fuel in the cylinders and exhaust out. There are a few types of shims such as shim under bucket and shim over bucket.

To check them you use a feeler gauge to check the clearance and then put in a thicker or thinner shim to raise/lower the bucket to give you the correct clearance.

Get a Haynes or workshop manual if you decide to do it. It's pretty strait forward but often time consuming if you have limited access to the engine. Also, doing it wrong can destroy your valves, pistons and head.
____________________
ZX6R C6F.
Never argue with an idiot. They'll only bring you down to their level, and beat you with experience.

[Ichy]

[Jim Mc]

Yeah the pic above does not show a valve shim.

[Teflon-Mike]

Err... yeah!
Shims are ANY bit of 'packing' used to level something up.
So, when you fold a beer-mat in half and shove it under a wobbly table leg.... That's 'Shimming'!
Are we clear now?
On motorcycle engines, common for shims to be used to adjust the valve clerances. Rather than have a heavy screw and lock-nut adjuster in the cam-train, to adjust the gap between valve stem and the cam that increases with wear, they have a thin bit of metal, usually in a 'bucket' over the valve stem.
If you have direct acting cam, bearing directly on the valve, it makes for a very light valve train, therfore more reliable at high revs.... provided the arrangement isn't prone to the shims slipping out!
On some engine's, there may be loads of shums used in different places, and I think that tha gear-driven cam honda's use shims to adjjust the running clerances between the cogs taking drive to the cams. More often they are found in the oil-pump...

In your case, its most likely they were reffering to the valve clerances though....

Two thoughts which went through my mind:

1/ Does the Honda CB500 actually HAVE shim adjusted valves?
(CB750 has hudraulic, self adjusting tappets, would have thought Honda might have used them. Other Hondas tend to use screw and lock-nut adjusters.)

2/ as adjusting the valve clerances is a fucking service procedure, if you have HAD a 'full service' WTF is a mechanic doing, (or actually DONE) handing your bike back to YOU with the instruction YOU need to do work to it!?!?!?!?!?
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Ichy]

[multijoy]

[V2]

Got a gap in something? Shim'll fix it for youuuuuuuuuuuuuu and you and you and youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[Ingah]

Yes, CB500 is shims. Annoyingly.

It's not too hard/long to check it though, at least. Personally if i was offering a "full" service, i'd at least bloody be checking them and informing the owner as to how bad they are* (as nothing is lost if they're fine - it's only a labour-intensive job if they need doing - which would be up to the owner as to whether they'd be willing to pay for it, having been informed as to why it might be a good idea and how much it'll cost).

* Note: I can understand that time is money and can see why many places will not do it, but i don't agree with the idea that a "full" service should be anything less than FULL.
____________________
-- Ingah

[lucky rsm]

ok, cool

I do most off the servicing myself, every 4000, i do the oil and filter, and every 12,000 i also do the air filter. had the sparks done at 24,000 by garage as i tried but couldn't get them out.

Bike is a GSX650F K9 it's know done 33,000, motorway miles, do you think they would need doin??

Thanx
____________________
cb500s, er6f, er6f, Gsx650fK9

[battleaxe]

clearance on an over head cam engine do not get louder as the engine bed in and the v/v seat get hammered, if they do get louder your cam shaft is probably in a bad way and needs replacing,
B-A
____________________
It's better to say nothing and appear an idiot, than open your mouth and prove the point

[owl10]

without meaning to disrespect...

without being tecnically minded, and not knowing what they are...

This job is probably not one you should attempt.

Start with something easier first, like doing your own oil and filter changes and work your way up...
____________________
DanceLikeAMonkey says: "An infinte amount of web pages available
Yet I still end up reading crap like that"