Setting Valve clearances on the Suzuki GSX 750 to 1150 engines

This video is on how to adjust the valve clearances in the Suzuki air cooled 16 valve 4 cylinder motors, that were found in a series of GSX or GS motorcycles produced in the first half of the 1980’s. Valve clearances were set in all these motors by screw adjustment. There engines range in size from 750 to 1150 cc. The clearances are the same for inlet and exhaust valves, but they differ slightly between engine sizes. The values for the various engines are as follows:
750 (actual capacity 747 cc) 0.09 to 0.13 mm
1000 and 1100 (actual capacities 998 and 1075 cc respectively) 0.07 to 0.12 mm
1150 (actual capacity 1135 cc) 0.08 to 0.13 mm
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[@davidferrari4917]

Silicone and no gasket. Leave overnight and tighten the next day. That's absolutely brilliant!! Thanks

[@Nightingale1887]

Brilliant explanation and good video. Glad people like you exist.

[@whitedoggarage]

Thank you.

[@Mirridoni]

Thank you so much for this video! I am currently working on my GS 750L 1980 16 valve 4 cylinder :D God Bless

[@whitedoggarage]

Thankyou for watching it. God Bless.

[@pkuudsk9927]

Excellent video,clean and clear . Exactly what I was looking for to forward to a friend. I do worry about the silicon on the inside of the motor falling off. Each to their own. When it might be a week to get new gasket you have to do what you have to do.I just order new gaskets ,in advance, and smeared a thin coating of black permatext ultra on them., allow to dry, then trim the inside/outside of any thing proud. Oil filter should catch all , but , 1 tiny bit can do alto of damage to a bearing . All of this is too much for this video ! So thank you for the proper steps. Some day you might try my method and make another video.

[@whitedoggarage]

Glad you found it useful and thanks for your comment. Yes, you have to be careful not to put too much silicone on. The critical thing is to let it set properly before use as it tends to self adhere if no oil hits it before then. If I have to turn the bike around and out the door in the same day I use a gasket alone. I find the early cam covers with just a gasket notorious for leaks however.

[@pkuudsk9927]

@@whitedoggarage I found the same problem with paper gaskets on my 1981 gs 1100. Thats why I coated them with ultra black permatext ,let dry then install. I always had 1 in stock and never had leaking problems after.

[@LeeMills]

Thanks for this video. I’m doing valve adjustments on a 84 GS 1150 with a new top end and this is super helpful.

[@whitedoggarage]

Glad to be of service, thanks.

[@jontysolomons8475]

Brilliant video, thank you, I remember could this 35 years ago, now I have another Katana 1000, looking forward to doing them again :) Why use sealant and not gasket or gasket and sealant?

[@whitedoggarage]

Gaskets are expensive to buy and are meant to be single use items. I can gut gaskets, but these are fiddly to do. I find the sealant works well. I just leave it 24 hours to cure before starting the motor.

[@jimmygurr620]

Thanks for the video. Great learning teach. Question clearances from 0.07 to 0.12. Why not go middle and set them at say 0.10.

[@whitedoggarage]

Good question! The problem with setting screw tappets to a set value of say 0.10 is getting the slide fit of the feeler gauge just right, the clearances are small and a loose fit could be 0.15 for example. I find it quicker using the range, with the two feeler gauge strips, the smaller one fits and the larger one does not, next valve and so on.

[@EricGuitton]

j'ai un gsxf pour entraînement piste classique je voudrais plus de chevaux en ligne droite j'ai envisagé d'installer un moteur 1127 gsxr est ce que dans le cadre du gsxf passe ?

[@whitedoggarage]

Je pense que le moteur GSXF est l'ancien moteur refroidi à l'huile de la première GSXR1100. Je pense que le dernier moteur GSXR1100 serait un échange facile. 👍👍👍

[@rickylarch]

Great video. Your illustrations are superb! My one quibble is that you are using waaaaaay too much RTV. You really only need 1mm absolute max. Proper cleaning is more important than gobs of rtv. With that much RTV you risk losing some into the oil galleries. The professionals smear a very small amount on each surface with a gloved finger. Another commentor mentioned permatex ultra. That's the same stuff I use and I never get oil leaks. Cheers!

[@iblacka1]

I have a 2013 GSXR 750 do they have the same set-up??

[@whitedoggarage]

Unfortunately they don't. On those motors they used shims between the valve and the cam. To set the clearances on them you first measure the gap between the cam heel and the shim. I don't have the exact specifications for your model to hand, but will be in the region of 3 to 7 thou on the inlet and 7 to 11 thou on the exhaust side. If the clearances are out, adjustment is by putting in thicker or thinner shims. First measure all your clearances (you need to have the crank at set positions for this) and work out if any need to be changed. You will probably need to buy extra shims if adjustment is needed. Replacement is done by removing the exhaust or inlet cams to enable access to the shims and a pencil magnet is your best tool for getting the shims out. There used to be a special tool you could use to depress the valve to get the shim out without touching the cams, not sure if that tool works on the post 1990 models. I have skimmed over the basics of the job here and you might want to look at a manual before you do any shim work 🙂.

[@bmit4u]

Just what I was looking for. Awesome video with a lot of detail.

[@whitedoggarage]

Thank you and I hope it helps you out with your bike.

[@robbenalfans5501]

Hello can the valve cause a outfunction of the spark plugs?

[@whitedoggarage]

No, any problem with the spark plugs will be due to a failure in the ignition system. This video kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZCZamyAq7hme5o may be of help in solving a spark plug problem.

[@glennhall793]

Just wanted to note that you cannot use silicone on models with the tachometer cable in the valve cover as the gasket is required for the cable to fit.

[@glennhall793]

but with the oil leak issues it might be better not to run a tach and opt for silicone anyway

[@whitedoggarage]

Useful information, thanks for sharing.

[@derekv275]

Hmmm I was planning on just soliciting the cover. But the gasket came off in one piece minus I tear. Can i reuse it?

[@Ultravox5600]

Very helpful! Would this same sort of screw-adjustment procedure work for an '83-86 gsx550? Its a 16 valve i4 like this one.

[@whitedoggarage]

My understanding is that the GSX 550 has screw adjust tappets and this method will work equally well for it. Check the specification for the valve clearances, I believe inlet and exhaust clearances for that engine are 0.10 - 0.15 mm (0.004 - 0.006 inches), but you should confirm that. Hope that helps.

[@Ultravox5600]

@@whitedoggarage Ah well that's great to hear man, I appreciate it! Definitely gonna give it a try myself then. And You're probably really close on that, I think it actually says it somewhere underneath the seat. Will have to check. Thanks again!

[@brufnus]

You say "top dead centre" on cyl 1 and 4, what you mean is "compression stroke"... they're both at TDC at the same time. Great video, however! 😀

[@derekv275]

Hello Sir I have a 81gs1100E . I have the position 1 and 4 I cant even get 5 thousands filler in ...... can this be possible? On most of them?🤨😵

[@whitedoggarage]

5 thousands - for that model, 3 to 5 thousands is the imperial setting. So you should be able to slide a 3 thousands feeler in, but not a 5 thousands one. Hope that helps.

[@derekv275]

Yes! Yes it does ! Thank you sir🤓

[@derekv275]

@@whitedoggarage one more question on the timing Mark's....so I go to the line at 1.4 and then rotate 180 degrees?

[@whitedoggarage]

@@derekv275 Great 👍👍👍

[@whitedoggarage]

@@derekv275 Yes, as a further check the indents at the cam end should either point directly at each other or directly away from each other with the indents in line with the surface of the head where the cam cover goes.

[@shadowboybass]

helow ...i search everywhere the service manual for my gsx s125 for making this service ( valve clerance ) i don find them...any idea what is the specs for my valve clerance?

[@whitedoggarage]

I do not know the valve clearance specifications for the GSX S 125. Have you tired asking the bike shop? I don't know this bike, although I believe it is sold in Australia somewhere. Most modern 125 motorcycles I see are Hondas. However all of the liquid cooled Suzuki's with bucket and shim valve adjustment (like this bike) that I do have specifications for, require the following clearances: inlet 0.10 to 0.20 mm, exhaust 0.20 to 0.30 mm.

[@shadowboybass]

@@whitedoggarage thx man i wil go searching at the bile shop ..;)

[@whitedoggarage]

Correct 👍👍👍.

[@jimrunereiten7320]

thanks for a very detailed and informative video

[@jumar360]

Thanks for sharing!

[@PMSCOTT68]

Great Bob

[@mopetnmax892]

Thank you! Very informative.

[@whitedoggarage]

Glad you found it useful, thanks.

[@mercedesbenz1457]

What about the GSX-R 750 from 1985?

[@lriper4702]

You are a painter too!

[@whitedoggarage]

No I am not a painter, I do restoration work and can paint, but my background is the metal trades.

[@aca192maric]

9:30 to much bro :/

[@jd8052]

all that slaz makes me cringe a bit too

[@realpremier]

some like silicon in the engine, some not ;)