How long for shop to adjust valves???

[TeXR]

Man...I was going to do this myself but decided to take into the dealer to adjust my 05 Wr450f valves. Said it would be $90 for one hour labor after I took the seat and tank off. Jeez...every day they couldn't get to it. I finally showed up with the bike on the rack and said I'd wait in the showroom. So a lady comes in 30 minutes later and says the guy is going to need a few more hours because they need to be adjusted. I say, "I thought all you need to do is fit the right size shims for the right clearance and that shouldn't take long." Deer in the headlights look. So guys, how long should it take the professional to adjust valves start to finish with seat and tank off. I have to head back tomorrow once again. I love 20 minutes away!

[clark4131]

If you took the seat and tank off already, it should take someone who knows what they're doing about an hour, no more. You're being taken to the cleaners, my friend. It's really a very straightforward procedure, just intimidating. All you need are the right tools, an assortment of shims and your service manual. A couple of beers on the workbench also help. After the first time, it's easy...SC

[TeXR]

I think it's such a small job that I'm being pushed back to do other jobs. I wanted to go into the shop and say, "Dude, just stick the right size shims in there and give me my bike!" I wonder if he didn't have the shims he needed. This is the biggest dealer in the Bay Area! Off to Baja next week!

[NavyNuke]

I'd take my bike home, and do it. or another shop

[Punisher660]

I haven't looked at my manual yet.....does is state what tools are needed

[NavyNuke]

allen wrench's for the valve cover, 8, 10, 12 mm wrench/sockets. 17 mm socket to rotate motor, feeler gauges, magnetpickup, small or medium torq wrench recomended.

Just pull the cams, pull the buckets out, and label the shims/buckets with which valve they came from. I like putting them in a ziploc bag, and labeling the bag, sharpie marks wear off teh metal pieces. Then take your old shims to a small bike shop, and tell them you need one that is XXXX smaller, they will measure and sell/trade you the thinner shims. Or, you might have the thickness printed on the shim.

Oh, on a side note, my shims both stuck to the buckets when I pulled them, so be sure to look for them there, and be carefull not to drop a shim, or the c shapped piece from the cam or anything into the motor.

[TeXR]

Finally got the bike back and will definately never return. I will do it myself next time. Get this...the dude calls me Saturday and tells me he doesn't have the shims necessary!! He'll have to order them! Unreal! Biggest dealer in the SF area! I ended up going to another dealer and buying the right size shims and took them to their shop and said, "Here, put them in now and give me my bike back!"

[specialk6r]

As a side note, paid mechanics are like anyone else; They only do a good job when they care. And when some of them spend 2+ years at MMI becoming a trained professional and then wind up making $7.50 at a crappy dealership, it's hard for them to care.

I know I care about my bike and am going to be cautious when working on it. A few grains of sand in the engine aren't going to affect the mechanic down the line, but they'll decrease the life of my bike, and that's something that I think about. I think a lot of people need to quit thinking of shop mechanics as wizards. They're just normal people with knowledge of very logical machines - Nothing that can't be earned by a little interest and a few minutes of reading. If you read, ask questions, pick up a wrench, and care about bikes, you're one better than many of them.

Sorry for the preaching. Just seen one to many friends get taken by the stealerships due to a simple lack of confidence.

[Rip Wheeler]

All you need to know is how much is it going to cost. As far as taking the seat and tank off, I can do that is 5 minutes on my WR, so dont expect a mammoth savings there. I'd send you on your way, you dont need to "wait" for a dirt bike, as its not like you drive it to the shop. Hash out a price, pay it when you pick it up. If its really as easy as everyone makes it sound, "heck, just do it yourself", grab you a set of shims from Hot Cams"

[specialk6r]

I don't really get what Toyota is trying to say, but yes, it really is as easy as everyone makes it sound. Take your time and follow your manual's instructions and the pictorial on this site.

If we all whole-heartedly trusted the dealers there'd be no reason for a sight like this. We'd just give them a ring, cuz the mechanics know everything right?

[Moto_Mike]

I live an hour away from SF in Davis and have a really great and honest mechanic. Try Davis Motorsports next time. Only open on weekdays but the guy, Jeff, really knows what he's doing, is quick and totally reasonable. Last time he checked my valves it cost $65.

Have fun in Baja!

[NavyNuke]

I agree with the big dealership mentality, find a small local shop, hang out a bit, get to know the parts people, and the mechanics(often the same people) then when you need something, they take care of you. And because they know you, they look after your bike better. or, give you advice for issues, ect.

[Oasis_Flame]

Open the owners manual, read then apply. Adjusting valves is not spliting atoms, I can do the whole job in one hour. And that includes warming the motor after the job is done. I know you guys can do it.

[Rip Wheeler]

I don't really get what Toyota is trying to say...

Well, what I was trying to say was "if its so easy, why take it in". If you cant do it yourself, then expect to pay someone else and dont complain when they do charge you. If you think you can run a buisness by giving everything away, great, give me your location address, I'll send all my work your way until you go out of buisness. As for removing the seat for a big savings, a 5 minute job isnt going to help that much. Heck, you say how quick and easy a valve adjustment is, what would you say about a seat and tank removal.

[Beejay]

The more often you do it yourself the easier it becomes.

[trueblue426]

shoot im a diesel mechanic....i tore into mine for the first time and adjusted the valves did the yz timing and changed the oil in three hours(that includes a trip to the shop for 2 185 shims) all you need is the right manual some tools and a little common since....dealers are a ripoff

[specialk6r]

People take their bikes in because they lack the confidence to do even simple jobs themselves. The internals of an engine are a mystery to them, so they end up on their knees before the Great and Mighty Dealership Mechanics.

And yes, work isn't free and there's nothing wrong with paying someone to work on your machines, but there must to be a fair price to pay for a given job. By hearing the huge variance in prices different shops are charging, I'd say it's quite clear that some places are taking advantage of their customers ignorance. My brother's girlfriend just got charged $500 to replace the spark plug wires on her car at the dealership. She was on the road 2 hours later, telling you that it was roughly a 1 hour job. It's not fair to say "If she's not able and willing to do the work herself, expect to pay." That's taking advantage of a desperate person, and I hope everyone involved dies a slow and painful death.

Whew! I feel much better. Good talk. Thanks fellas

[Rip Wheeler]

People take their bikes in because they lack the confidence to do even simple jobs themselves. The internals of an engine are a mystery to them, so they end up on their knees before the Great and Mighty Dealership Mechanics.

And yes, work isn't free and there's nothing wrong with paying someone to work on your machines, but there must to be a fair price to pay for a given job. By hearing the huge variance in prices different shops are charging, I'd say it's quite clear that some places are taking advantage of their customers ignorance. My brother's girlfriend just got charged $500 to replace the spark plug wires on her car at the dealership. She was on the road 2 hours later, telling you that it was roughly a 1 hour job. It's not fair to say "If she's not able and willing to do the work herself, expect to pay." That's taking advantage of a desperate person, and I hope everyone involved dies a slow and painful death.

Whew! I feel much better. Good talk. Thanks fellas

I'd be willing to bet the $500 included diagnostics also, which is "just finding the problem". "Customers States, vehicle runs rough at times of under load". Then we can assume it was bad plug wires, they recommended new cap, rotor and all plugs, maybe a few other tune up itmes, ie air filter etc. Who knows, it might have been platinum plugs. And when you take all that into consideration, $500 isnt bad. What I see here is the same old deal. Everyone thinks the labor only includes replacing parts, and no troubleshooting which is the most time consuming while replacing a part can be easy. Visualize a shorted wire harness, can literally take hours to find, but 5 minutes to repair. Then you get a bill for $500 to fix wire laying on hot EGR pipe" and say, "heck, I could of done that in 5 minutes". (monday morning technician) Valve adjustment prices can vary, some may have a price for inspection only, while others might have a set price, wether a valve needs adjustment or not just to keep the price a flat fee. We have a fixed price, we figure in "X" amount of shims, labor valve cover gasket. If we have to change one shim, every shim on th engine or none at all, still the same price. We do this so you know exactly what the cost will be. If someone wants to charge you for just an inspection and a "per valve" adjustment, you will be paying for exactly what is needed. Fixed price can be good if all of your valves are out, but not so good if all your valves are in specs. Just trying to shed a little light on what really goes on behind the scenes.

[bluemax250]

I just wouldn't trust anyone else working on my bike. They will never take as much care of it as you will.

The manual does a good job of walking you through it.

You probably have a friend who has done it already. Ask them for advice.

If you have any questions or need tips, there are many here who have torn their entire bikes down and posted how to do it.

And yes...dealerships should have a box of shims so they can do the work.

I went into a Yamaha dealer to buy some shims, and they said they couldn't sell me any

They want to charge you $100 for a relatively easy job.