valve shim tool

hi,
can anyone tell me if the valve shim tool, (the one for holding down the buckets) is the same for all models?
my local supplier "yambits" has them for the 550, 650, 700, 900. but not listed for the 600,
yet the part number for all the others is the same, (that's their website numbers).
are they identical?
stu :?

 

I may be wrong, but I believe you have to remove the cams to adjust the valves on the 600. and that the tool is universal for the rest.

CN

 

No. OK, maybe but probably no.

Later bikes, and I think yours is late enough (but am nowhere near absolutely sure) use a different hold-down tool, because of a lack of a place to attach the "common" tool (the one you found, for the earlier bikes.)

If your valve cover only has 8 hold-down bolts, two in the center of each bank of valves, then you need the later-type tool.

That would be this one, or equivalent: http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0017/

I could give you 100% certainty but I don't have a link to a Euro-market fiche.

 

The '84 to '91 XJ600 is shim over bucket. The later pre-Diversion bikes had changes to the valve covers, and the mating surface on the head, but not to the basic design of the valvetrain.

Barring the avalibaility of the correct bucket hold-down tool, many people will use a zip tie, or a lenght of insulated, solid copper, wire, to prop the valve open from inside the combustion chamber. There are resaons to not use that method, but it's fine to do in a pinch.

The tool that Fitz linked to is the one the OP needs.

 

thanks for the replies,
my cam cover looks similar to all those posted on here, ie it has the 12 bolts, 8 large on the outer edges and 4 smaller on inner
heres the models covered by my Haynes.
as k.mote says the 1992 model was the "diversion" with revised engine,
although the pre' diversion was still built in 1992, so I have to be very carefull when ordering parts , that they are for the pre, diversion.


the Haynes pictures 2 types of holding tool using 2 different methods

and the one I'm asking about



I've never seen one like fitz linked to,
i'll see if I can find one
stu

 

If you have bolts the go into the outside of the head (so there's someplace to bolt the "traditional" tool to) then you can use the one that all the earlier "airheads" use; the one you initially asked about.

 

thanks" fitz"
I can get one like that for £12.50
another question I asked on another thread, but didn't get an answer to was,
"is it possible to bend a valve, whilst holding down a bucket by whatever method, zip tie, piece of wiring cable ,or homemade tool, and then turning the engine to release the shim,
and thereby raising the piston".
could enough force be applied to the crank bolt to bend a valve (or 4 in my case) without realising it,
cheers stu :roll:

 

While anything's possible, I doubt that's how the valves got bent.

Keep in mind that overheating can cause a valve to "distort" it doesn't require piston contact.

 

well now, a month later, and I'm rebuilding the head with 4 "used but good" valves from a spare engine I bought,
and I think I may have discovered a possible reason for the bent valves.
and as far as I know I've never seen this mentioned on here in the couple of years I've been on here.

whilst rebuilding the head I replaced the cams back on to get the valve clearances and replace the shims where needed, thus turning each camshaft to move to the next shim to check the clearance.
then removed cams again to swop shims , and then replaced cams to recheck gaps, and all now in spec, (except 2 which I'm awaiting 2x2.60 to arrive)
anyway that's when I noticed this




that by turning the camshafts individually, with a spanner on the camshaft hexagon, its possible to bind up the valves on one another.
I wasn't aware of this, as my primary concern was to not foul the valves on the pistons,
so now with the head removed I wasn't aware there could be any problem DOOH

so a heads up to anyone doing the same----- and I noticed Robbie robot has done this same operation on his last page, hope no damage was done

cheers
stu

 

yep that's deffinatly the reason of the bent valves.
the inake valve pictured above, (large one) is bent also.
the exhaust valve nhas pushed against it and bent it further up at the end of the valve guide. I had difficulty getting it back out.
so now replaced it with one from my other engine, lapped it in, and all built back up, even the clearance was in spec.
so that's 5 valves I've bent in total.
luckily my brother is an engineer and he has straightened the 4 exhaust valves.
i'll have to ask another favour to straighten the intake one.
so , be carful if turning camshafts whilst head is off engine.
stu