Valve Adjustments...to do, or not to do...that is the question ?

[MMR]

Cruiseman, can you please set up a poll, asking all GL1800 owners....if they do have their bike's valves checked/adjusted at the recommended interval, or do they decline to go through this suggested maintenance check?

Example, speaking only for myself (because that is all I can speak for), I made the decision back in 2003 to NOT go through this exercise, especially at the recommended interval of 32K miles.
However, I do change my own oil and filter much more frequently than most owners do, and I also have an electronic stethoscope (listening ears) to listen to the valve train, and attempt to find an abnormal noise in the valve train. (not a precise science...I admit)

Back in 2003 there was a large group of GL1800 riders in the north Seattle/Everett area, and we were all very good at comparing notes, sharing into, etc, on these newer Wings. What we found within our group of about 120, GL1800 Wings, was that those that did go through the exercise of checking/adjusting the valves, most at or close to the suggested interval of 32K miles, only an extremely small percentage found any valve clearances out of spec, and the vast majority found that their valve clearances were all still within specs. It was then decided by a large number of us...not just myself...that we would forego the suggested valve checking/adjusting interval, and wait until our engines had hit 60K miles. Of all the riders that did that, no one found any valve clearances out of specs. Of the ones that did not check their valves at 60K miles.....the remaining few decided to check them at 90K miles. I was in that group. Again, no one found any valve clearances out of spec.

Since that time, and having owned several of these GL1800 platform bikes, I have made the choice to not check the valve clearances on my engines, unless I hear a tapping noise with the electronic stethoscope.

Now, that is MY choice. I am in no way advocating that anyone else not check their valve clearances. You do what you want to do. It is YOUR bike.

But I am wondering if Cruiseman can take a poll on this matter, and see where others stand.

[TravelinLite]

On my 2004 with over 160k miles I have checked the valves three times and had to adjust them twice. I change my oil every 8k miles. I have no plans of checking them again. BTW, these valves get quieter as they wear.

I checked the valves (for the first time) on a 2003 with over 60k miles on it and all were within spec. That owner of that gl1800 changed his oil every 5k miles.

Happy shimming.

[MMR]

Thanks Richard. I should have clearly stated that I do change my Oil and Filter every 5K miles. That may add to the reasoning behind my bike's valves being within specs, as the previous owner of your '03 also did.

[bbalzer]

Cruiseman, can you please set up a poll, asking all GL1800 owners....if they do have their bike's valves checked/adjusted at the recommended interval, or do they decline to go through this suggested maintenance check?

Example, speaking only for myself (because that is all I can speak for), I made the decision back in 2003 to NOT go through this exercise, especially at the recommended interval of 32K miles.
However, I do change my own oil and filter much more frequently than most owners do, and I also have an electronic stethoscope (listening ears) to listen to the valve train, and attempt to find an abnormal noise in the valve train. (not a precise science...I admit)

Back in 2003 there was a large group of GL1800 riders in the north Seattle/Everett area, and we were all very good at comparing notes, sharing into, etc, on these newer Wings. What we found within our group of about 120, GL1800 Wings, was that those that did go through the exercise of checking/adjusting the valves, most at or close to the suggested interval of 32K miles, only an extremely small percentage found any valve clearances out of spec, and the vast majority found that their valve clearances were all still within specs. It was then decided by a large number of us...not just myself...that we would forego the suggested valve checking/adjusting interval, and wait until our engines had hit 60K miles. Of all the riders that did that, no one found any valve clearances out of specs. Of the ones that did not check their valves at 60K miles.....the remaining few decided to check them at 90K miles. I was in that group. Again, no one found any valve clearances out of spec.

Since that time, and having owned several of these GL1800 platform bikes, I have made the choice to not check the valve clearances on my engines, unless I hear a tapping noise with the electronic stethoscope.

Now, that is MY choice. I am in no way advocating that anyone else not check their valve clearances. You do what you want to do. It is YOUR bike.

But I am wondering if Cruiseman can take a poll on this matter, and see where others stand.

You could ask Greg on that other forum and he would gladly tell you that they must always be adjusted to,precisely center spec.

[MMR]

And that is why we don't have "Greg" here.....as he was rooted out as being a know-it-all, and yet...knew nothing !

I know what "I" plan to do on all my GL18 bikes....but I want to open this conversation up, for newer riders to think about this. Us old-timers already are set in our ways...there is no hope for us.

[srt8-in-largo]

I think MMR knows the answer... but he's asking for a poll on THIS forum :D I've given up on the other place... if I want to be nagged and told what to do and say, I'd spend more time with the mother in law.

I'm coming up on 8,000 miles on my first GL bike... plenty of time before I need to worry about valves... but I'm trying to think ahead and interested in how others view this item.

[Cruiseman]

I will post that poll, but FYI, ANYONE can post a poll. Just click on the icon that looks like a bar graph.

[Buckwing]

I am certainly interested in this poll. I've been thinking about this as a project for this winter, but I don't have a detensioning tool, so I'll need to fabricate something. I've never done this before, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get it done; just might have to add a few choice words!

[bbalzer]

This was what I measured at 35,845 miles

Replaced spark plugs, NGK BKR6 E-11: checked valves, 1 IN .006 EX .0095, 2 IN .006 EX .010, 3 IN .006 EX .0095, 4 IN .006 EX 0085, 5 IN .0055 EX .009, 6 IN .005 EX .009


And this was my readings at 52,327 miles

1 IN .006 little loose, EX .009 little loose can FORCE .010; 2 IN .006 little loose NO .007, EX .009 can FORCE .010; 3 IN .006 NO .007, EX .009 can FORCE .010; 4 IN .006 little loose, EX .008 loose can FORCE .009; 5 IN .005 loose but NO .006, EX .009 but tight; 6 IN .005 loose but NO .006, EX .008 little loose.

[MMR]

BBalzer, did you give any consideration of using the NGK Iridium spark plugs....rather than the ones you did install ?

[bbalzer]

I didn't check into them. Just picked these up at the local parts house. What do you think makes the Iridiums much better? They are pretty expensive aren't they?

[RoadRat]

Since that time, and having owned several of these GL1800 platform bikes, I have made the choice to not check the valve clearances on my engines, unless I hear a tapping noise with the electronic stethoscope.

MMR.....the only thing I take exception to is with your above quote. My understanding of our valve train is that the clearance will tighten up (hence no tapping noise) instead of getting looser. If I am wrong somebody correct me please.

[MMR]

RoadRat, you may very well be right. However, if you look at the posting just above yours, you can see that BBalzer did a comparison of his bikes' valve clearances, taken at 35,845, and again at 52,327, and it appears that some got a little tighter, but a lot of therm got a little looser.

I think the idea I am suggesting with the idea of a poll, is to see how many of us that "have" done this work on our bikes...would do it again...or would not do it again...and to possibly show a pattern (which is hard to do with a large group of individually minded riders) that "may" be of some help when the newer riders that have not checked their valve clearances yet...when it comes time to make that decision.

Those riders that have done this maintenance job themselves, can tell others that this is not an easy job to do, even with the best of tools. A lot of riders end up taking their bikes to the dealerships, or independent shops, and paying someone else to do this big job. When they take their bikes to someone else to have the work done, the bike owners are never 100 % certain that the info they are getting from the shop is 100% truthful...about how many valve clearances were out of specs, and how many shims were needed, because the shops want to justify the work they did...even if they did not find a single valve clearance out of spec. That is simply human nature...to justify the shop work that was done, and make the bike owner feel like they got their moneys' worth.

Of course, I would prefer to have a shop be 100 % honest with me, and tell me if NO valve clearances were out of spec, so that I know the real world condition of my engine. To most of us, it would be worth the money spent, just to know that there were NO vlave clearances out of spec.

My reasoning for bring this all up...and I know this specific issue has been dealth with since 2001, when the new GL1800s came out, is that a large number of bikes that I have ridden with, and are friends with, found that "almost all of them" had no valves out of specs, and when that occurs, it seems like a waste of money, when the perponderance of the evidence was showing that less than 2% of the bikes that were checked...needed to have shims changed out.

If this is too OLD of an issue, and folks are not interested in rehashing it, I understand. Like I said, I know what I will be doing, but I thought it might be worth opening this book, and seeing what others have to say.

[MMR]

Bbalzer said "I didn't check into them. Just picked these up at the local parts house. What do you think makes the Iridiums much better? They are pretty expensive aren't they?"

They are a little more expensive, yes....but they are good for at least 75K miles in the engine. The ignition system on our bikes is excellent for using Iridium spark plugs, and what I do is change my air filter at 25K, installing a K&N air filter at that time, and the spark plugs at 25K,installing the NGK Iroidium spark plugs at that time, so then I can leave them both alone until the bike hits 100K on the odometer. At 100K, I replace the saprk plugs again, and remove...clean...reoil...and reinstall the K&N air filter. While the spark plugs are easy to get to, the asir filter is not easy to get to, so I would rather use the K&N air filter, and plan both maintenance issues at the same time.

BTW, then the NGK Iridium spark plugs come out with 75K miles on them, they still loook great. But I insatll new ones anyway.

[HBarlow]

I precisely follow the Honda service schedule only because I have chosen to purchase and then renew the prepaid maintenance plan offered by the local Honda dealer. The Goldwing tech there is a very knowledgeable motorcycle tech who genuinely respects Goldwings as Honda's "flagship" model and enjoys his job. He does the valve clearance check as prescribed but told me after the first one at 32,000 or 36,000, whatever was prescribed, that Goldwings rarely ever require valve adjustment and mine did not when he checked them. I trust his judgement and opinions completely.

[MMR]

HBarlow, thanks for that info. The end result on your bike is that the tech said they rarely ever require the valve adjustment, and that your bike did not require any valve shims be replaced.
It adds to my believe about these engines.

Also, it is GREAT that you have a tech that you can trust. Those are few and far between. While I do almost all of my own work, I too have a dealer/tech/shop owner that I can trust. He owns two Honda dealerships in this area, and despite that he is the owner, he chooses to work out in the service dept, hands on, and he is as honest and forthright as the day is long. He also has one heck of a great personal shop at his house, whyich is only 7 miles from my house, and he fabs really nice stuff for other bikes that he owns, and sells his nice parts.

[Yellowbird]

I to know some people with high miles on there wings who say the the same and have never check there valves but do the maintenance just as MMR describes. I have just turned 40,000 miles on my 2010 wing it runs great, do my oil every four months or 8000 miles. Going to change my spark plugs soon just to get new ones in, for me the reason i got the wing is its one of the most dependable motorcycles out there.

[Pizza Man]

I had mine checked at 36,000 miles and they were ok. I also change my oil and filter every 6,000 miles (sooner if we are going on a long trip)

[jmohme]

I precisely follow the Honda service schedule only because I have chosen to purchase and then renew the prepaid maintenance plan offered by the local Honda dealer. The Goldwing tech there is a very knowledgeable motorcycle tech who genuinely respects Goldwings as Honda's "flagship" model and enjoys his job. He does the valve clearance check as prescribed but told me after the first one at 32,000 or 36,000, whatever was prescribed, that Goldwings rarely ever require valve adjustment and mine did not when he checked them. I trust his judgement and opinions completely.

I think your Honda tech is correct. In fact, I really think that those few GL's that do require adjustment have either not been well maintained overall, or were not correct when they were delivered.

On that note,I have taken a different approach to valve adjustment on my past two wings that I have owned. I pulled the valve covers and did my initial check early. In the case of the one I have now, I did so as soon as I got it home. My reasoning is that if they are out of spec when new, I would rather adjust them early before wear patterns are established. When you disturb established patterns, wear can be accelerated. Of coarse, this applies only to the contact area of the cam and bucket, not the valves and seats.
I guess I'll let you know if that worked in a few hundred thousand miles.

[MMR]

On that note,I have taken a different approach to valve adjustment on my past two wings that I have owned. I pulled the valve covers and did my initial check early. In the case of the one I have now, I did so as soon as I got it home. My reasoning is that if they are out of spec when new, I would rather adjust them early before wear patterns are established.

What you are doing makes a lot of sense. I have not heard of anyone doing it "early" before, but....it completely makes sense. Very smart !

[TrikeBiker]

I bought my bike with 34K. I knew the valves hsd not been checked so at 52k I checked them. All were in spec but I brought them all back to mid spec. Don't plan on checking them again until 100k and if they are in spec not going to bring them back to mid spec as the GL 1800 will still be going strong when I am gone.