pricing work

[Wideboy]

i know this is a silly question and no one can give me a 100% answer but.....

if the local garage is charging £50 an hour and i need the cam chain tensioners looked at as well as the 15k miles valve clearance and shims doodahs done, how much am i looking at?

also how long would it take if i where to do it myself as i don't have much spare time at the mo

tar

[DarrenSV650S]

my 15k service took them from 9am till about 4pm and was about £280. But that was at the main suzuki stealers

[Wideboy]

Originally Posted by DarrenSV650S

my 15k service took them from 9am till about 4pm and was about £280. But that was at the main suzuki stealers

don't really want a full service as thats something i can do myself in a evening and i have plugs, oil, filters ect, just want the valves and tensioners looked at

is it possible to have the valves done with out a full service?

[northwind]

Oh yeah, definately. What's up with the tensioners?

Checking valve clearances isn't that hard a job, by the way... It's a bit scary sounding but all it really is, is taking the covers off the engine, rotating it a bit then measuring the gaps. Changing shims is not so easy, but that doesn't often need done.

[Wideboy]

Originally Posted by northwind

Oh yeah, definately. What's up with the tensioners?

Checking valve clearances isn't that hard a job, by the way... It's a bit scary sounding but all it really is, is taking the covers off the engine, rotating it a bit then measuring the gaps. Changing shims is not so easy, but that doesn't often need done.

well i noticed my cam chain ticking which i dismissed in a earlier thread but recently it has got more ticky (if that makes any sence), and with the marches ride approaching i'd like to get it sorted before i go all that way

i was thinking about taking it to a garage getting them to listen and tell me if it needs doing and then me go home and do it, trouble is i don't trust garages at all so i tend to do all the work myself, just this is my 1st bike bike and all other bikes i've worked on have been mopeds and singles where you can pretty much get to everything with out doing a strip down

i think i am lacking confidence

[embee]

Curvey you got there??

Just tweaking the tensioners isn't a scary job, you don't need to remove them, just take out the end bolt, slip in a thin screwdriver, turn a bit and release a few times. You'll feel some slight resistance as you wind it up against the spring, then just lift the screwdriver and let it flick back of it's own accord.

The only slightly fussy bit comes if you actually remove the tensioner from the engine, then you have to hold it retracted while refitting it, a simple tool is usually employed to hold it primed......and don't turn the engine with them out.

The rear one is reasonably accessible, and from what I recall isn't usually the problem one [a little oil will leak out, don't worry]. The front one is situated just under a frame member and is fiddly to get the end bolt out and tricky to get a screwdriver into, you need a long thin jobbie, but it's not difficult.

I've had to do this to mine a couple of times, though I can't remember when I last did it so it hasn't needed it for some time now. Give it a try, chances are it'll free off a sticky one.

[Wideboy]

Originally Posted by embee

........

cheers embee

so basically, take the nut cap off, turn the screw, retract it and let it spring out a could of times and this should put tension back into the chain?

so no need to remove the whole tensioner then?

[embee]

This is a previous thread on the subject with a little more info, should give you the directions you need
http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.p...hain+tensioner

No need to remove them as such, no. I used a wire coat hanger. Honestly it's perfect. Bend and snap off the bit that hooks onto the rail so you're left with the traingular bit, straighten it, put it on the ground and hammer one of the ends so that it's flat, like a screw driver. Bend the other side back on itself to form a handle.

Perfect. Works really well.

[Wideboy]

cheers lovers will give it ago at the weekend, will have it apart for service so 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak


I'm liking the beer cap on the end idea, although i have no emptys ohh well