Valve adjustment question on 450/510

[Eric Landstrom]

When you're lifting the valve cover off, did you find it easier to lift the gasket off with the valve cover or to leave the gasket on the head and just lift off the valve cover?

Also, the manual compression release cable looks to be in the way, can you sneak the valve cover out the right side with the cable still hooked up or should I remove it and get it out of the way?

[MorningRider]

I asked the left side right side question too here and got back take it out the left side but the hose looks in the way. I took it out right side and did a poor job of disconnecting re-connecting my de-compresion cable as I brute forced it back in place I think stretching it's setting up top instead of disconecting it up top to give necessary slack as a thoughtful mechanic might do.

the gasket peels off half way with the top so I just peeled it off all the way before I did the valve checking. and then placed it back on as I re mounted the top cover.

let us know how the clearances come out. how many hours on your bike or miles? I will be doing mine this week as well at 45 hours.

[flyred]

Gasket stays on the head. Just make sure it gets back in the groove during re-install. Take the cover out the left side. Just gently squeeze the radiator hose to gain clearance and wiggle it out. Clean everything first! Including the wire bundle on the backbone.

[Eric Landstrom]

If the cover comes out the left-hand side, I take it that you need to cut off the clamp on the vent tube connected to the valve cover and replace it with a hose clamp?

[MorningRider]

yeah those factory clamps are impossible to re set. I replace em with screwed hose clamps - hey that reminds me of another issue

[knewman]

I seem to have an oil leak on my 450. There's a trickle of clean oil drooling down the morot from the valve cover/head junction. I haven't gotten the tank off to look at it, but I am fairly confident that it is valve cover gasket. How could I have done this?

[Eric Landstrom]

I decided to take the cover off on the right-hand side and leave the stupid clip alone. Anyway, I'm leaking oil from that metal clamp so it'll get tossed the next time I check the valves.

The gasket uses permatex to glue down on the cam wells on the left side so I left the gasket on the head but the gasket also has a grove it is supposed to stay in on the valve cover. It looks like it was supposed to stay with the valve cover but oil leaks happened so the factory started using permtex to sort out the problem.

The valves themselves were in spec with the exhaust being 0.18 and 0.19mm and the intakes were both at 0.15mm. Hopefully these will tighten up and not loosen up and save me some hassles next time around.

My engine has 7.8 hours on it and most of that time has been high rpm zoom, zoom riding.

The spark plug tells me that my bike is jetted way, way too rich out of the box.

[TRAJISTO]

I take mine out the right side.....gasket left on engine.....and decomp cable in place.

I just had to adjust my valves for the first time on the '05 TE450. It had 38.3 hours on it when I did the adjustment.

@ 18.4 hours:

R/L Exhaust @ .007in(.178mm)-R just a bit tighter!

R Intake @ .005in(.127mm)

L Intake @ .006in(.152mm)

Still within limits and starting/running great!

@ 38.3 hours:

R Exhaust @ .005in(.127mm)

L Exhaust @ .006in(.152mm)

R/L Intake @ .004in(.102mm)

They all needed to be re-shimmed. Luckily, Husky had my bike shimmed with four different sizes(LE-2.25, RE-2.30, LI-2.35, and RI-2.40). Therefore I just had to move each one over one and throw in a 2.20 in the LE and call it good. Cost me a couple bucks and I had to do them all. Worked out slick like that. Just have one 2.40 I have no use for at the moment.

New measurments are:

R/L Exhaust @ .008in(.203mm)

R Intake @ .005in(.127mm)

L Intake @ .006in(.152mm)

If you haven't done your own yet don't be intimidated at all. It's really easy. I found that a pipe spring puller works real good on the rocker arm clips. Magnetic screwdriver on the shims. All the rest is a piece of cake!

Travis Epperson

[MorningRider]

thanks travis and eric for the the data. I suppose mine will need some shim work at 45 hours, but then again I'm not a high rpm guy....so we'll see what we'll see

[MorningRider]

my second valve check at 45 hours on my 05 Te-510:

My intake valves have not moved, still at an easy 0.005" maybe 0.0055 as easy as that 0.005 feeler guage slid in there. I recorded them at the same 0.005" at 12 hours. spec range is 0.004 to 0.006

My left exhaust valve clearance remains at 0.007" where I recorded it before. My right exhaust has tightened up just smigin to a clean 0.006" from what was an easy 0.006 or probably 0.0065 as I recorded it last time. The exhaust spec range is 0.006" to 0.008". Since I had no problem sliding in that 0.006" feeler guage under that right exhaust shim, I'm leaving it as is.

You do slided the feeler guage UNDER the shim correct? seems the only way to get it done. Ok ship shape all done. I'll look again at 80 hours, or if any hard starting develops.

I pulled the top cover out the left side, simply pushed that coolant hose out of the way - took a little wrestle to get it free, but I never had to disconect the rad hose or the de-compressor cable, only de doupled the crankcase breather hose as needed to lift the cover free. took about 10 minutes from cover bolts out till clearances checked.

Hooray Husqvarna. My valves are in spec at 45 hours, 700 miles, 2 months of ownership ?

[TRAJISTO]

You do slided the feeler guage UNDER the shim correct? seems the only way to get it done.

Actually you slide the feeler guage between the shim(OVER the shim) and the rocker arm. You must be doing it right though as I can't figure out how to measure under the shim.

Travis Epperson

[sharpie1]

I just checked mine between the rocker and the cam lobe, am I doing something wrong here?

[MorningRider]

well heck it slides in where it slides in. maybe I can't see it well enough, but it looks to be going under the shim to me......jeez what if i did it under the shim and I should do it over , does is that result in different mesurement?

darn and I was feeling like such a good beginner mechanic too.

[Eric Landstrom]

I just checked mine between the rocker and the cam lobe, am I doing something wrong here?

Nope. You're doing it right.

[TRAJISTO]

Nope. You're doing it right.

Now I'm confused! You're supposed to check it between(on top of) the shim and the rocker arm. I've never heard of checking it at the cam. Who's screwed up or does it matter?

Travis Epperson

[MorningRider]

who's on first? no who's is second, what is on first. what?

I need a nice isometric view of the parts in there with the feeler guage inserted properly or a photo... next time someone does this right please take a picture & zoom it up for us.

thanks

[HUSKYTONE]

I've always found it easier to check it between the rocker and cam. Things get very confusing with the noise of the engine and the oil spraying everywhere. So instead of trying to fit my fat fingers under the rockers and chance getting them pinched in the spring.

What RPM are you guys checking the shims at? I can't get it to run very well below "normal idol" to be able to get a shim in and out fast enough.

Plus: I have to keep filing the carb with gas while the tank is off.

These bike are much more trouble than I thought. But I'm getting the hang of it.

[Eric Landstrom]

Huskytone, you're a cruel man.

[TRAJISTO]

That's gonna help! Do you realize what you just did?

Travis Epperson

[HUSKYTONE]

There's some guy in Denmark right now with shims flying across the garage floor.