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Valve Adjustment Help Needed

10K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  Geo650 
#1 ·
I am having problems with the valve adjustments. I cannot get the chain tensioner to release.

I am following these instructions:
Suzuki V-Strom DL650 Valve Check and Adjustment

I have taken all of the tension out of the tensioner by backing the bolt all of the way. My problem is that i cannot get the little tab to release to release the tension on the cam chain. I have tried pushing on the tab with a screwdriver but nothing budges. From the videos i have watched, this looks like it should be easy. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
I'm not an expert, but I've done this work twice.

On my 2012 Wee, at least, I recall having to completely remove the tensioning bolt and spring from the engine (they come out together - not terribly difficult to get back in place).

Even then I recall having a bit of trouble getting the chain loose enough to remove a cam, but I eventually got it. I did this work about 10 months ago.

Hope this helps, somehow. Good luck.

:smile2:
 
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#3 ·
I got the adjuster to release. It just needed a little persuasion on the handle of the screwdriver to get it to release. I almost resorted to taking out the entire cam chain adjuster out of frustration. There is not a lot of extra room when it is released but there is just enough room to move the cam out of the way to remove the buckets.
 
#14 ·
Did the tensioner pawl snap back into place on the cam chain tunnel sidewall serrations during reinstallation easily when you retightened the 12mm cam chain tensioner bolt? Or did you have to do something additional to the pawl with your screwdriver for example?
 
#10 ·
I am having problems with the valve adjustments. I cannot get the chain tensioner to release.

I am following these instructions:
Suzuki V-Strom DL650 Valve Check and Adjustment

I have taken all of the tension out of the tensioner by backing the bolt all of the way. My problem is that i cannot get the little tab to release to release the tension on the cam chain. I have tried pushing on the tab with a screwdriver but nothing budges. From the videos i have watched, this looks like it should be easy. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks
Hello Jhat, I am considering a valve inspect/adjust for my 2018 DL650. Yours is a 3rd Gen also? So, that link you posted is good for 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen? Any other sites provide guidance? Thanks, Paul
 
#18 ·
Just wondering if you ended up completing the valve check/adjustment Paul? I have a 2017 and am going to be doing it soon, thought I'd reach out to see how yours went and if you found any differences between the info provided for the older generation and what you needed to do for your 2018. Cheers
 
#11 ·
I have a 2017+ and used the link to do the adjustment. The link's directions worked well and I did not find anything on the latest generation that was different from the post. My issue was getting the cam tensioner to release, I was just not pushing hard enough with the screwdriver to get it to release.
 
#17 ·
Glad to hear this. I was searching for (and made a new post) inquiring about whether there were any differences in the process for the valve check/adjustment for the 2017+ 650's. I, like you, can only find specific instructions for the older models, and was worried about there being any small changes to the process. Ideally, I would like the factory manual, but it proves very hard to get your hands on (for me in Canada at least - going to take a long time for the dealer to get their hands on it for me).
 
#12 ·
Yes the first clearance check seems to be the one where shims need to be changed. After that if you get them in the middle or at the high side of spec, you don't really need to change them again it seems. So you can pretty much do them with low mileage and not worry again.

I put Gladius cams in mine at around 7000 miles and never had to change shims again. Checked 2 or 3 more times. 50k + miles now.
 
#16 ·
Whenever I read these threads the engineer in me smiles. Specs are specs. If I check the valves on any of my motorcycles and I find them in spec, I button it back up and go riding. The amount of change in cam timing due to +- .002 inches of valve clearance is miniscule. The people that determined the valve clearance spec and the check intervals allowed for expected wear in between intervals. I also spent a career in the maintenance business. Every time a tech, even a very skilled one, takes something apart, there is a non-zero probability that he or she will break something. For maximum reliability and uptime, you don't take things apart to adjust things that are already in tolerance. That said, if I have a valve out of spec and I have to take the cam off anyway, I will probably re-center ones that are near the limit.
 
#23 · (Edited)
I am having problems with the valve adjustments. I cannot get the chain tensioner to release.

From the videos i have watched, this looks like it should be easy. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks
This is the rear cylinder looking from back of mc

look at the bottom and see the silvery pawel. It swivels on a small hinge pin perpendicular to itself in the case ( look hard) Push on the side closer to the back of the case. The pawel will pop up... now apply a little jiggling to the chain and it and cam shaft hops out...
 
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