'05 WR450f Valves...??

[laramieLC4-640]

what are you guys getting out of your valves? how long between servicing intervals? have you ever had to re-build your head due to wear?

my bike is easily pushing 20,000 miles, and im kinda wondering when its gonna happen?

initial valve shim from the factory on the intakes was a 186. i just adjusted the valves for the 3rd time and installed a 175 shim. so that's just over 1/10th of a MM. how much more do i got?

curious to here what everyone else has. maybe im just being paranoid???

thanks,

laramie ?

[SPLATT]

I'm going to say it's time to get the head rebuilt.

Steve

[laramieLC4-640]

I'm going to say it's time to get the head rebuilt.

Steve

based upon ???

[SPLATT]

20000 miles and three adjustments are a pretty good indicator.

Steve

[MaddogYZ]

Rule of thumb a lot of engine tuners use is after the 2nd adjustment its time for a full top end rebuild. I'd rebuild it now before it completley blows and causes damage to the castings and what not.

[tribalbc]

20000 miles and three adjustments are a pretty good indicator.

Steve

+1 ?

[Just_a_trail_rider]

what are you guys getting out of your valves? how long between servicing intervals? have you ever had to re-build your head due to wear?

my bike is easily pushing 20,000 miles, and im kinda wondering when its gonna happen?

initial valve shim from the factory on the intakes was a 186. i just adjusted the valves for the 3rd time and installed a 175 shim. so that's just over 1/10th of a MM. how much more do i got?

curious to here what everyone else has. maybe im just being paranoid???

thanks,

laramie ?

What... are you expecting to people to start chiming in with 50K miles on their WR???? That's probably not really going to happen.

I just rebuild my top end (piston, rings and timing chain) after 8K miles. I shimmed one valve only and put it all back together. It runs absolutely great and is smooth and torquey.

I change oil frequently and it would be rare for me to ever hit the rev limiter. I am glad to know I have at least 12K miles to go.

That being said, when I get to 20K, I would probably invest in new valves and such. After all those miles, I think the bike has demonstrated that its worth the investment.

[charliep]

HAAAAAA, I raced and rode the crap out of my 05WR450 for five years and shimmed my valves once. They probably will last forever.

You have 20,000 miles and are worried about doing a $500.00 valve job? If you are going to keep the bike, Just do it and be happy. I think you got more than your money worth.

We did a valve job on our brand new 07crf450r after less than one year of riding/racing. Shimmed it twice, than it was time. Yamaha valves rule!

[laramieLC4-640]

Ok, i suppose i should have asked my question a little differently....

i dont want an "opinion" on whether or not you think its time to do the valves. what i wanted were NUMBERS. something like this....." manual states a 0.015mm shim total." (which it does). that's what i need, not "gee man, i would totally do...."

so, the new tires i just put on have been taken back off, and the bike has been put in the corner to await further inspection/rebuild. although i haven't technically reached the total shim value, i agree that its time to dig deeper. this has been a very good bike and i have ridden the shit out of it. just wish i had more money. thank god i got more than one bike.

thanks,

laramie ?

[laramieLC4-640]

HAAAAAA, I raced and rode the crap out of my 05WR450 for five years and shimmed my valves once. They probably will last forever.

that's what im talking about. it would not surprise me one bit if this bike went another 20,000 miles. this thing has been a tank. the only issues it's ever had have been self-created. i've replaced the starter, piston, and rings. the piston and rings just because i felt it was time, not because it needed them.

laramie ?

[tribalbc]

Ok, i suppose i should have asked my question a little differently....

i dont want an "opinion" on whether or not you think its time to do the valves. what i wanted were NUMBERS. something like this....." manual states a 0.015mm shim total." (which it does). that's what i need, not "gee man, i would totally do...."

so, the new tires i just put on have been taken back off, and the bike has been put in the corner to await further inspection/rebuild. although i haven't technically reached the total shim value, i agree that its time to dig deeper. this has been a very good bike and i have ridden the shit out of it. just wish i had more money. thank god i got more than one bike.

thanks,

laramie ?

Popular thought is 0.010mm of shim difference is time for a valve job....

If you're questioning, take your head apart and inspect and spec your valves. I'm sure you will find they are in need of replacement.

At 450hrs and one 0.003mm valve adjustment on 1 valve, my valves were no longer in spec when I inspected them. Springs were also on the low side of spec.

[Just_a_trail_rider]

The service manual has a chart that will tell you how far you have to go. At some point, you will run into the smallest shim size. Check the manual if you have one. That will tell you exactly what the limit is.

Also, I have heard that once you start shimming, you should check more often because it will wear faster.

But 20K miles is both good and bad for me to hear. I'm waiting for my wr450 to wear out so that I can justify buying a new bike. It looks like I'll be waiting a long, long time.

[GCannon]

Once you wear through the hard surface coating on the Titanium valves they will deform the seat contact area more quickly If you reshim and then the time interval between reshims gets less then you known that the valve is deforming. It seems that the center intake gets the most abuse and should be watched most carefully.

[laramieLC4-640]

It seems that the center intake gets the most abuse and should be watched most carefully.

that's the one that has me worried....

thanks for the info.

laramie ?

[charliep]

that's what im talking about. it would not surprise me one bit if this bike went another 20,000 miles. this thing has been a tank. the only issues it's ever had have been self-created. i've replaced the starter, piston, and rings. the piston and rings just because i felt it was time, not because it needed them.

laramie ?

I wasn't trying to be a richardhead, I just miss my Yamaha and cannot believe I already replaced intake valves on the Honda...........But what Gcannon said, basically once you start shimming its time for a valve job. The seat on our CRF250r was starting to wear and the valve face was "very" thin. When I took the head off, I could see the right intake valve was seated much further in compared to the left. The left intake valve looked brand new.

Our engine builder told us the coating on the valve wears off and wears the seat unevenly. The valve doesn't cool correctly, overheats and deteriorates. We keep shimming and the valve and seat keep wearing.

I don't think there is any magic number. You can keep shimming until you run out of shims, but I believe this will wear the seat and destroy the valve. Eventually it could cause major problems.

After the first shimming, we got two or three races out of it before the right intake zero'd. I shimmed again and got one race. Then I had the valve job done. Of course this was on a Honda and not a Yamaha.

Good luck man, I wish I would have held on to my WR. Its nice to have two bikes.

[GCannon]

that's the one that has me worried....

thanks for the info.

laramie ?

If your worried then its time! with that many miles no one is going to tell you to not worry.

Now you can start a whole new thread Stainless Steel or Titanium Replacement valves?