Valve clearances - K3.

[Dipper]

I checked them last service and the first time I've done valve clearances, if you're fairly happy wielding a spanner and a set of feelers and can follow a manual I'd say it's a piece of cake.

[jambo]

Chris is spot on, you need to check them as you can't hear, or feel when they're out (in fact as most of the time they tighten up the bike can actually sound fractionally more rattly when the jobs been done well, some thanks!)

Assuming you've rotated the crank so that the lobes are pointing squarely away from the buckets (my preferred method of checking, only worry about timing marks if you have to take something out), then it sounds like your best bet is to make an educated guess.

I can't think of anything that would accelerate a whole head by the same amount. Perhaps the cams were changed and someone didn't re-check the clearances properly previously?

Move them about as you've described and hopefully you'll be fine.

Jambo

[Sid Squid]

If they're horrifically tight, so much so as to stop a valve from closing completely, it can make starting difficult - particularly when hot. If it's got that bad though then things are really, really stuffed and some valve damage is quite possible.

As said above, checking easy, adjusting not so easy - so check them, that way you'll be able to decide what to do next - whether leaping in and learning how to do it yourself or finding someone to do it for you. Either way, get it checked - it's really not difficult.

OP; check again, check obsessively - make certain of what you've found before proceeding.

[Mark_h]

I assume you don't need to drain oil/fluids to do it. In general is it an "oily" job? Do I need to be prepared to catch loads of dripping oil from the head covers?

[yorkie_chris]

Not much drippage.

[Mark_h]

Cheers. Oh and YC, your skype icon is messing with the layout of the screen in the old school blue screen.

[yorkie_chris]

Try that, I'm never on there anyway

They often do go tight on the rear cylinder. If its a race bike id be checking them at half way through a normal 8 round series too.

[Sid Squid]

Originally Posted by Mark_h

I assume you don't need to drain oil/fluids to do it?

Not necessarily. Depending on which exact bike you've got there may be a couple of hoses that need to be disconnected, (PAIR system), but essentially all that needs to happen is you removing the the valve cover bolts, the timing and engine turning plugs, (6/8 & 10mm socket heads respectively, make sure the 10mm tool fits properly - the plug is aluminium).
Radiator removal certainly eases access, but it isn't truly necessary. That said considering the low annual mileage most modern bikes do anyway, it's quite likely that the coolant is due a change anyway, so removing the rad is no extra work.

Well it was easy-peasy on my SV1K3 - doable without removing rad or tank, but super easy if you do take them both off. Nothing seized or unreachable, although others have chewed up the removeable caps on the alternator cover. Checked at 15k and all exhausts were on the tight side of spec, inlets were OK.

Having done the easy bit, I then re-shimmed the exhaust valves - not difficult but more care is needed as the cams have to come out, so make sure you follow the manual for lining them up etc. when replacing.