Xr650L Valve adjusting, torque wrench?

[bluerock5]

After I adjust the valves, should I use a torque wrench to tighten the valve adjuster nut ? ? Thanks

[michaeln]

I don't, I just snug them up good with a 12mm combination wrench. Never had one come loose in over 34K miles.

[dmrogers]

Same here, I tighten them up while holding a good grip on the adjuster screw. We have four bikes and adjust them all this way. I am afraid that if I would try to torq them down it might affect the clearance adjustment.

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[michaeln]

Same here, I tighten them up while holding a good grip on the adjuster screw. We have four bikes and adjust them all this way. I am afraid that if I would try to torq them down it might affect the clearance adjustment.

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Good point. I have never been able to hold the adjustment with a screwdriver and have it be the same after tightening the nut, so what I do is set them a little loose, then tighten the nut while trying to hold it with the screwdriver. I then measure the clearance again, and it usually will have tightened up. It's a trial and error process, and if you do it a lot you finally get to where you can set them right in one or two tries.

Blindly torquing the nuts after setting the clearances would undoubtedly change the adjustment.