Sure thing Zebra! Hopefully I'll be able to have some more to add in the future. I need to get to a competence level with the bike before I shoot anymore though! Riding this thing is just the best. Cheers.
If you put the transmission into 6th gear, you simply rotate the back wheel forward to index the cams where you need them. This way, you don't have to remove the clutch slave or the left cover, and mess with the gaskets, etc. The air-box and carbs do not need to come off. On a 1986, the Honda shop manual says you only need to move the radiator to the left side and hang it there with a piece of wire, but I just found out tonight that it's better to remove it completely otherwise it's in your way. Also, on the 1986 the intake and exhaust clearance is .006" all the way around. Thank you Matt for making this video, it gave me the confidence to order the tappet wrench and tackle this myself with great satisfaction and success. Tomorrow I sync the carbs, (I ordered the Pit Posse 90 degree screwdriver after watching your other video on the sync).
I've used the spin the rear tire trick on another bike--and I probably would have again if I wasn't replacing the gaskets anyway. I can see how you could get away without removing the carburetor to do the valve clearance maintenance, but I think it'd be a huge pain to try to do it without removing the radiator. Maybe it can be done--but if you're that far already, maybe tie it into a coolant flush anyway. There's just not a lot of clearance in there. Good luck on the valve adjustment and synch! Also, let me know how that Pit Posse 90 degree screwdriver works out. I bought the Motion Pro one, and I'm not totally sold on it. I will be using it soon to get the synch completed once I get the exhaust painted and back on the bike.
@@matttriestodothings The valve adjustment went perfectly, and I too found a small 8mm wrench to work, whereas the socket supplied with my square bit tool didn't have enough clearance. I used Carbtune pro 4 for the metering, and that worked perfectly...it uses metal tubes instead of mercury, and the readings are rock steady which helps. The Pit Posse screw driver is worth the investment. I've already used it on another project, as it has different length bits you can use, which is useful. However, it's not perfect for the Honda, as you have to fight for the right angle when adjusting carb 2, (on the right side), but it works. I found I had to wear a headlamp flashlight and lay on MY BACK on the ground beside the bike to see the damn screws....they didn't mention this in the 500 page honda manual nor the Clymer book. Now I have a fuel leak from a 35 year old o-ring between carb 3 and 4, so I will be pulling all the carbs tomorrow, cleaning them and doing a rebuilt....so the syncing will be much easier this next time around. I see I can get the full rebuild kits with new jets and screws for less than one fifty, from billysoutback. But for another hundred and fifty they will do the full cleaning and rebuild, so I might to that route.
Thanks for the video. How did it work in the long run? I did it the same way but woke up this morning with engine anxiety. A word of caution for others to consider: I was setting the VF750 valves yesterday. This is an unpleasant job on a 750. I did carbs, so I figured Id better do the valve clearances while apart. I'll write down my 2 cents worth for guys trying to do the job as there is little info for these old bikes now. You have to take the top radiator off to get access to the front bank or you will go crazy trying to do this. Use pieces of wire and bungees to pull hoses and wires out of your way in order to get clear access to rear bank, otherwise it will be a pain getting the the valve cover off and back on. Note valve cover tabs always face forward. That clearance to the frame is down to the mm removing that rear cover (rehears putting that rear cover on if you are using sealant on an old gasket. I put the sealant on the engine surface instead of the gasket so I didn't wipe it off on the timing chain as I attempted to put it back on). I pulled the plugs and put bike in high gear and used the rear tire rotation to bump the cams into position and used a long screw driver in spark plug hole to visually try and get TDC (i.e watch when it goes to highest point). Running only on coffee, I just could not see the point of worrying about TDC - just as long as the lobes are up on the valves I was adjusting. I did not want to take the cover off the side of the engine as the manual wants you to do to index TDC 1,3 and 2,4 marks (3 weeks to get a new gasket). It made sense to me just to point the cams upward (anywhere off the eccentric should be ok). After watching a couple of videos of guys doing it the same way (cam lobes up) yesterday I did the same. As it often happens, I woke up this morning thinking about it and here is a word of caution : TDC does not mean the cam lobes will point upward (the pistons will be upward but cams are only off the eccentric so they are not be pushing the valves down). That is why the manual wants you to take the cover off the side of the engine and turn the crank to the index markings on the power stroke to TDC. Some guys on the forums were saying it's just mentioned in the manual to index cam if you ar putting the engine back together. I think it is more than that. By doing wht the manual says, you are 100% sure that the .005 clearance is exactly between the cam and valve stem exactly when all 4 valves are are supposed to be seated. The clearance has to be exact there at that spot on the cam's rotation (anywhere else is unimportant) so that no valves are depressed when ignition occurs going into the power stroke. As the engine heats up, the clearance become less and you will burn valves if the expanding valve stem hits the rocker arm from a narrow gap (by the way, its a silent killer because the engine sounds smooth, no tapping) . I think you get at least .001 expansion at operating temperature. This is why your bike may start perfectly, but idle rough at operating temperature as valve clearances become small enough to keep a valve open on the power stroke. Doing it the way this guy and many others (including me) have done it is a gamble that the factory machining and/or wear on the cam radius is perfectly symmetrical so that you can take a valve clearance measurement anywhere except the eccentric lobe. Now that I think of it more clearly, I think its a big gamble and I wish I had just followed the manual procedure. I'll bet that radius has at least .001 variance, but the only part that is important is at TDC on the power stroke. I wish the manual would explain its reasoning behind the procedure. I'm going to gamble that it is close, but I think I'll check again in the off season. I am paranoid about burning the valves. Oh, and use 2 feeler gauges because there is rotation of the rocker shaft that will throw measurements off. The Dave Dodge method using one at .003 for each to compensate for rotation seems a bit dodgy. I tried it but the clearances were off. For a 1984 750 Interceptor they call for .005 on all valves, but some bikes have different exhaust and intake clearances due to differences in temperature and expansion of the metal. Hope this helps someone else owning and old V45 engine. By the way, my cams looked great still. I put a DRP oiler on the bike many years ago and it seems to have spared my cams.
It's working fine so far. I had the motor off the engine recently and replaced the tappets themselves--I'd seen another user on VFRWorld do it, and I got anxious mine needed it because they had been run really tight before. I probably could have saved myself the hassle though as there wasn't a huge difference between new ones and the ones I pulled out. I haven't done a VF750, but I did a 1986 VFR700 the same way recently (still locknut adjustable). Getting that valve cover in and out is also a bitch in geometry! From your explanation, it sounds like you're fine. It absolutely would be best practice to pull the cover and align the timing marks. But so long as you're taking your measurements when the eccentric part of the lobe is pushing the valve, your clearance readings should be accurate. It just takes longer to keep bumping the motor by spinning the rear.
There is no reason why you can’t just eyeball the cams and do the clearances the way you did, it is just a case of manuals giving you the TDC compression rather than exhaust, as that’s the best way to crank the engine to get the positions, but eyeballing as you did is just fine. You just need to see the valves are closed, or on engines where it’s not possible to see the cams, just wiggle the rockers and see if they’re loose. You’re right about the clearances being the same exhaust and intake, and it’s worth noting it’s likely because the valves are the same size, which is unusual, nowadays the intakes are much larger due to only having atmospheric pressure sending the fuel in, and compression pressure exhausting the gasses needing smaller apertures, leaving more room for larger intakes. Co incidentally I’m about to rebuild my VF750 engine and when the engine is out of the frame I’ll be checking the clearances first, before disassembling as I’m getting some slapping noise and I want to see what the readings are before doing anything.
Hi, thanks for this, had my 500f2 since 2015 and have been putting off doing the valves n carb sync, this is the first vid I seen for the valves, seems not too back, even if u have to take sooo much off, typically Honda vf, cheers. Jon from England
No worries Jon--It's like most of these mechanical operations on motorcycles. They're super intimidating at first and they take a while to walk through when you're getting acquainted with how everything works; however, you finish up and you think... "That wasn't so bad!". And then it goes 5x as quick the next time you do it.
Nice video Matt. If I could suggest a greater discussion of the tools and workarounds. I especially liked the square head deck screw in a piece of wood as a tool. Sometimes grinding tools down is also necessary. Thinking of buying just this kind of bike and realizing that the fewer cylinders the less work!
Thanks Jiro. The square head deck screw is something I'd read *somewhere* quite a while ago, and I think it's really clever. The cork I feel is a necessity just to keep that deck screw from falling into the engine. I struggle with how much extra to throw in because nobody wants to watch a super long video. Additionally, I hate to come off as if I'm an expert when I'm just a weekend warrior that's decent at following the instructions other people put together. These little 80s Honda V4's are awesome. I'd definitely recommend one if you're cool with a potential project because it's just such a neat package and unique to most things you'll find today. I wouldn't buy one as a primary mode of transportation though because you just never know what issues it may have that need to be addressed, and parts availability is nowhere near as good or affordable as something newer.
Matt, Great video. I have a VF750F with the valves as tight as yours. The cam looks good and I hope the valves haven't been burned. I have the same Clymers manual for the 750. I don't understand why the manual says to turn the engine 90 degrees to do each cylinder. It seems that 2 cylinders are at TDC at the same time requiring only 2 settins to adjust all the valves. I will use your method of visually watching the cam to determine when the engine is at TDC. Someone commented, "thanks for the VF videos. I will see if I can find your other VF videos.
I'm not certain of the exact procedure of where they want you to check the valves at exactly; however, since it's an eccentric lobe, there's quite a bit of area you can check each individual valve. It's probably quicker to find the two spots if you're going to take the side cover off, but I just didn't want to, lol. Just make sure you check the valve clearances again after spinning the motor a few times.
Thanks matt i found your video helpful as i too am restoring a 1986 VF500F that had alot of valve noise and hard starting issues, i pulled apart my bike to find a mouse nest inside the stock air filter, luckily none made inside motor, got a new uni filter, anyways im about to tackle the valves and i was unsure of how the clymer manual tells you put in tdc for each side. Did your method work well? Is it running great no noise? I might just do it your way, keep up the good work im subscribed 😄
As far as I can tell, it's worked well. I have run the bike for about 30 minutes or so, but I haven't ridden it yet. Just put on new tires and this week I pulled the exhaust off to remove all the rust and repaint it. The benefit to doing it the way the manual states is that it will put you in two distinct positions that can be used to measure all 16 valves without fear of measuring one incorrectly that the cam lobe was opening. The problem, however, is that you either need 2 people or a shit ton of patience to do it. You need to spin the motor with a 14mm on left side of the bike. On the right, there is a tiny porthole you can see thru to see the timing marks with a flashlight at the exact correct angle. This is super hard with one person. Alternatively, you could just take the entire right side cover off which I considered. But you'll want to make sure you have an oil drain pan nearby and a new gasket. My valves were mainly tight, so I was actually looking to get a little more valve noise. Exciting to hear you evicted the mouse and youre getting another one of these awesome 500s on the road! Good luck on the restore.
This is good recommendation. I use two feelers now whenever I'm setting clearances. In practice I haven't found that it's made a huge difference; however, if you're shoving a really tight feeler under one side, it definitely loads the other one maybe an extra thousandth if you're not using two feelers.
@@nexus7tablet610 I haven't heard of anybody doing the original Honda-specified method in years. What I gathered from reading past threads on VFRWorld was that the original method added more variability than it resolved and that the 2-feeler-gauge method should be adequate. I may be wrong, but I don't think I can find a single instance of someone doing it in the last decade.
It is my favorite engine. Just love it. I'd like to add one of the 700/750 or 1000's to the stable one day for some gear driven cam action, but I love this 500 engine.
The tool is a Motion Pro tappet tool. It has a 3mm square on it. If you're in a pinch, you can probably use a deck screw in a cork since the deck screw has a 3mm head as well. But beware to make damn sure the screw is glued into the cork so you can lose it in the engine! I'm thinking of making one the next time I do it to give me a little more access since the Motion Pro is just a wee bit short. It worked, but I wish it was 1/4 - 1/2cm longer. It worked brilliantly perfect for my Bandit which has an inline-4 and easier access to the tappets.
So you did the #3 cylinder intake valves with the two feeler gauges. Since the inner clearance was 5 and you adjusted the outer from 6 back to the spec of 5 you essential are finished with the #3 intakes. Correct?
Yep, I was adjusting the two intake valves on cylinder #3. Both tappets need to be set to the same specification. You use the second feeler gauge under the opposite tappet that you're adjusting to ensure that the rocker arm isn't pivoting and throw off your adjustment.
@@matttriestodothings thanks to your video this took me like 45 minutes. I already have the carbs and radiator off. None of mine were bad some a bit loose but maybe 6/16 required adjustments.
@@AICD1999 That's fantastic! Glad to hear it. And now you'll sleep a lot easier knowing you're not running tight on the valves. Thanks for the feedback as well.
I believe I did -- but you only need to if it's lost its pliability and no longer seals. The 84/5 is different than the 86 gaskets. In most circumstances they're still fine from what I can tell. But I just figured to be diligent about 35+ year rubber it might be time to replace. I dont think I replaced them on my buddy's bike and the old ones sealed fine. Just depends how much they've aged.
@@matttriestodothingsthanks. Ill probably go with revzilla or see if my local shop I like can get a similar price. When are you getting your vf500 put back together and back on the road?
@@TravisDoesGames I'm working on it. Hopefully I'll have the tank primed this week. Just got it back from chem stripping. I've got a pretty neat thing in the works regarding the decals that--if I dont fuck it up--should make it pretty unique and period correct. imgur.com/a/iD6lxPU Just taking a while since I keep running into hiccups and I'm splitting time the VF and other projects. Not to mention getting my ass whipped racing at Pittsburgh this last weekend 😅
@@gabe5360 that special cam tool was some bullshit they came up with to try to address manufacturing issues they had with the journals. I do not know of anybody that has used one. I'll see if I can find a recent post on vfrworld by someone much smarter than me addressing that special tool and post back.
"Early designs were not machined using a line boring technique (pre 86), where the head and cam holder were machined together for the cams and always stayed married to each other. The early models were machined to a tolerance and employed semi "floating" cam caps. Sometimes a particular group of parts came together where the tolerances of the mating parts all ended up being perfect together as a system. Sometimes tolerance stack allowed the opposite to happen, leading to odd wear and difficulty adjusting the valve lash. Honda came up with some BS "Cam Holder" tool, but it was just a PR move. Just use 2 feelers at the same time as straycat suggests." -Captain 80s, VFRWorld Oct 24, 2024 Post #3 in this thread: vfrworld.com/threads/1985-vf500-first-bike-concerns-etc.62043/
@@matttriestodothings I'm going to tackle this next season. I almost have my bike on the road. I already got the carbs off sent back to me and put on from billy's v4 outback you suggested and the gas tank is being restored with white vinegar as we speak. fork oil and the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder rebuild left for necessary things and then i'm gonna plug the gas tank in. its been a journey. this bike is really awesome. I unfortunately live in the northeast so the season is just ending but the feeling is still great. I was stuck on the carbs wondering what to do and you suggested billys outback and that was the catalyst I needed to start working on my vf500f again!! cheers!!! just replaced the water pump and I saw gasket material on that engine cover, the previous owner did his valve adjustments! thanks again dude it will be a short winter haha
@@TravisDoesGames Awesome progress dude. I've heard great things about BIlly's service, and I'm really happy with the carb service kits I've bought from him in the past. Realistically I should probably rebuild my clutch master. The slave almost 100% always needs it by now, so I've done that. Sounds like we'll be getting the bikes back to road ready for next year! Yea, there are flurries in the sky today and i'm trying hard not to get depressed by that fact, lol. I'm finishing up with the racetech emulators today. Then the tank is going to a shop near me to chemically strip it. I decided I"m not doing that myself and taking the years off my life with all the aircraft stripper I'll need to use. Excited for you and the bike! awesome to hear the update.
@@TravisDoesGames the aircraft stripper is methylene chloride I believe, yes. I hate using it. I'm guessing an industrial shop probably has MEK that'd make short work of the paint in a heated bath. But yea, nasty stuff.
@@matttriestodothings dang, paint strippers can kill. Im reading some osha incidents of methylene chloride. Some stuff is always better left to the professionals. Which tank? The lime green one? Don't fret about the winter, perfect time to get other stuff done. Tell me about the emulators when you get back on the road. I would rebuild the clutch master cylinder real quick, I thought i could get away with not rebuilding it but it stopped pumping right the second time I bled it and when i took it apart it was all gunked up and the washer was seized. i hope to have a long and happy future with my vf500f, and you really help me out. Thanks again for being the one to make videos working on this groundbreaking mid 80s machine 🏍️🏍️
Be very careful on those since I actually bought the wrong ones first go and sent them to somebody else on vfrworld. The 84-5 is different than the 86. The 86 has the mickey mouse ears or half moons on em. The 84-5 is flat. I found a pair of vesrah gaskets on ebay for $30/ea. The description on the gaskets was: "NEW HONDA CYLINDER HEAD COVER GASKET VF500 OEM 12391-KE7-000 VESRAH"
@@matttriestodothings I found one OEM and a Vesrah. I did see an entire Vesrah engine kit and probably should have bought that. When you tightened down the valve lock nut did you torque or just tighten it? No locktite?
@@AICD1999 the entire vesrah kit may be the one with only 86 valve covers in it, fyi. That's what I did first. I just torqued, no locktite. Can't say if that was the right decision or not.
I believe it is better to use two feeler gages at the same time so the rocker doesn’t swivel. Good job. Thanks for the videos, I’m in the market for another one of these, I bought one new in 86 and rode all over Europe.
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
God bless you for these VF videos
Sure thing Zebra! Hopefully I'll be able to have some more to add in the future. I need to get to a competence level with the bike before I shoot anymore though! Riding this thing is just the best. Cheers.
If you put the transmission into 6th gear, you simply rotate the back wheel forward to index the cams where you need them. This way, you don't have to remove the clutch slave or the left cover, and mess with the gaskets, etc. The air-box and carbs do not need to come off. On a 1986, the Honda shop manual says you only need to move the radiator to the left side and hang it there with a piece of wire, but I just found out tonight that it's better to remove it completely otherwise it's in your way. Also, on the 1986 the intake and exhaust clearance is .006" all the way around. Thank you Matt for making this video, it gave me the confidence to order the tappet wrench and tackle this myself with great satisfaction and success. Tomorrow I sync the carbs, (I ordered the Pit Posse 90 degree screwdriver after watching your other video on the sync).
I've used the spin the rear tire trick on another bike--and I probably would have again if I wasn't replacing the gaskets anyway. I can see how you could get away without removing the carburetor to do the valve clearance maintenance, but I think it'd be a huge pain to try to do it without removing the radiator. Maybe it can be done--but if you're that far already, maybe tie it into a coolant flush anyway. There's just not a lot of clearance in there.
Good luck on the valve adjustment and synch! Also, let me know how that Pit Posse 90 degree screwdriver works out. I bought the Motion Pro one, and I'm not totally sold on it. I will be using it soon to get the synch completed once I get the exhaust painted and back on the bike.
@@matttriestodothings The valve adjustment went perfectly, and I too found a small 8mm wrench to work, whereas the socket supplied with my square bit tool didn't have enough clearance. I used Carbtune pro 4 for the metering, and that worked perfectly...it uses metal tubes instead of mercury, and the readings are rock steady which helps. The Pit Posse screw driver is worth the investment. I've already used it on another project, as it has different length bits you can use, which is useful. However, it's not perfect for the Honda, as you have to fight for the right angle when adjusting carb 2, (on the right side), but it works. I found I had to wear a headlamp flashlight and lay on MY BACK on the ground beside the bike to see the damn screws....they didn't mention this in the 500 page honda manual nor the Clymer book. Now I have a fuel leak from a 35 year old o-ring between carb 3 and 4, so I will be pulling all the carbs tomorrow, cleaning them and doing a rebuilt....so the syncing will be much easier this next time around. I see I can get the full rebuild kits with new jets and screws for less than one fifty, from billysoutback. But for another hundred and fifty they will do the full cleaning and rebuild, so I might to that route.
Thanks for the video. How did it work in the long run? I did it the same way but woke up this morning with engine anxiety. A word of caution for others to consider: I was setting the VF750 valves yesterday. This is an unpleasant job on a 750. I did carbs, so I figured Id better do the valve clearances while apart. I'll write down my 2 cents worth for guys trying to do the job as there is little info for these old bikes now. You have to take the top radiator off to get access to the front bank or you will go crazy trying to do this. Use pieces of wire and bungees to pull hoses and wires out of your way in order to get clear access to rear bank, otherwise it will be a pain getting the the valve cover off and back on. Note valve cover tabs always face forward. That clearance to the frame is down to the mm removing that rear cover (rehears putting that rear cover on if you are using sealant on an old gasket. I put the sealant on the engine surface instead of the gasket so I didn't wipe it off on the timing chain as I attempted to put it back on). I pulled the plugs and put bike in high gear and used the rear tire rotation to bump the cams into position and used a long screw driver in spark plug hole to visually try and get TDC (i.e watch when it goes to highest point). Running only on coffee, I just could not see the point of worrying about TDC - just as long as the lobes are up on the valves I was adjusting. I did not want to take the cover off the side of the engine as the manual wants you to do to index TDC 1,3 and 2,4 marks (3 weeks to get a new gasket). It made sense to me just to point the cams upward (anywhere off the eccentric should be ok). After watching a couple of videos of guys doing it the same way (cam lobes up) yesterday I did the same. As it often happens, I woke up this morning thinking about it and here is a word of caution : TDC does not mean the cam lobes will point upward (the pistons will be upward but cams are only off the eccentric so they are not be pushing the valves down). That is why the manual wants you to take the cover off the side of the engine and turn the crank to the index markings on the power stroke to TDC. Some guys on the forums were saying it's just mentioned in the manual to index cam if you ar putting the engine back together. I think it is more than that. By doing wht the manual says, you are 100% sure that the .005 clearance is exactly between the cam and valve stem exactly when all 4 valves are are supposed to be seated. The clearance has to be exact there at that spot on the cam's rotation (anywhere else is unimportant) so that no valves are depressed when ignition occurs going into the power stroke. As the engine heats up, the clearance become less and you will burn valves if the expanding valve stem hits the rocker arm from a narrow gap (by the way, its a silent killer because the engine sounds smooth, no tapping) . I think you get at least .001 expansion at operating temperature. This is why your bike may start perfectly, but idle rough at operating temperature as valve clearances become small enough to keep a valve open on the power stroke. Doing it the way this guy and many others (including me) have done it is a gamble that the factory machining and/or wear on the cam radius is perfectly symmetrical so that you can take a valve clearance measurement anywhere except the eccentric lobe. Now that I think of it more clearly, I think its a big gamble and I wish I had just followed the manual procedure. I'll bet that radius has at least .001 variance, but the only part that is important is at TDC on the power stroke. I wish the manual would explain its reasoning behind the procedure. I'm going to gamble that it is close, but I think I'll check again in the off season. I am paranoid about burning the valves. Oh, and use 2 feeler gauges because there is rotation of the rocker shaft that will throw measurements off. The Dave Dodge method using one at .003 for each to compensate for rotation seems a bit dodgy. I tried it but the clearances were off. For a 1984 750 Interceptor they call for .005 on all valves, but some bikes have different exhaust and intake clearances due to differences in temperature and expansion of the metal. Hope this helps someone else owning and old V45 engine. By the way, my cams looked great still. I put a DRP oiler on the bike many years ago and it seems to have spared my cams.
It's working fine so far. I had the motor off the engine recently and replaced the tappets themselves--I'd seen another user on VFRWorld do it, and I got anxious mine needed it because they had been run really tight before. I probably could have saved myself the hassle though as there wasn't a huge difference between new ones and the ones I pulled out.
I haven't done a VF750, but I did a 1986 VFR700 the same way recently (still locknut adjustable). Getting that valve cover in and out is also a bitch in geometry!
From your explanation, it sounds like you're fine. It absolutely would be best practice to pull the cover and align the timing marks. But so long as you're taking your measurements when the eccentric part of the lobe is pushing the valve, your clearance readings should be accurate. It just takes longer to keep bumping the motor by spinning the rear.
There is no reason why you can’t just eyeball the cams and do the clearances the way you did, it is just a case of manuals giving you the TDC compression rather than exhaust, as that’s the best way to crank the engine to get the positions, but eyeballing as you did is just fine. You just need to see the valves are closed, or on engines where it’s not possible to see the cams, just wiggle the rockers and see if they’re loose. You’re right about the clearances being the same exhaust and intake, and it’s worth noting it’s likely because the valves are the same size, which is unusual, nowadays the intakes are much larger due to only having atmospheric pressure sending the fuel in, and compression pressure exhausting the gasses needing smaller apertures, leaving more room for larger intakes. Co incidentally I’m about to rebuild my VF750 engine and when the engine is out of the frame I’ll be checking the clearances first, before disassembling as I’m getting some slapping noise and I want to see what the readings are before doing anything.
Thank you no one does these videos on these old vf 500
For sure. I wish more people did, so I could watch their videos. I've pretty much exhausted the entirety of youtube's search results for "vf500".
Hi, thanks for this, had my 500f2 since 2015 and have been putting off doing the valves n carb sync, this is the first vid I seen for the valves, seems not too back, even if u have to take sooo much off, typically Honda vf, cheers. Jon from England
No worries Jon--It's like most of these mechanical operations on motorcycles. They're super intimidating at first and they take a while to walk through when you're getting acquainted with how everything works; however, you finish up and you think... "That wasn't so bad!". And then it goes 5x as quick the next time you do it.
Best not to put it off, my dad's vf500c wore away the tappet adjuster and the tip of the valve stem
Nice video Matt. If I could suggest a greater discussion of the tools and workarounds. I especially liked the square head deck screw in a piece of wood as a tool. Sometimes grinding tools down is also necessary. Thinking of buying just this kind of bike and realizing that the fewer cylinders the less work!
Thanks Jiro. The square head deck screw is something I'd read *somewhere* quite a while ago, and I think it's really clever. The cork I feel is a necessity just to keep that deck screw from falling into the engine.
I struggle with how much extra to throw in because nobody wants to watch a super long video. Additionally, I hate to come off as if I'm an expert when I'm just a weekend warrior that's decent at following the instructions other people put together.
These little 80s Honda V4's are awesome. I'd definitely recommend one if you're cool with a potential project because it's just such a neat package and unique to most things you'll find today. I wouldn't buy one as a primary mode of transportation though because you just never know what issues it may have that need to be addressed, and parts availability is nowhere near as good or affordable as something newer.
Matt, Great video. I have a VF750F with the valves as tight as yours. The cam looks good and I hope the valves haven't been burned. I have the same Clymers manual for the 750. I don't understand why the manual says to turn the engine 90 degrees to do each cylinder. It seems that 2 cylinders are at TDC at the same time requiring only 2 settins to adjust all the valves. I will use your method of visually watching the cam to determine when the engine is at TDC. Someone commented, "thanks for the VF videos. I will see if I can find your other VF videos.
I'm not certain of the exact procedure of where they want you to check the valves at exactly; however, since it's an eccentric lobe, there's quite a bit of area you can check each individual valve. It's probably quicker to find the two spots if you're going to take the side cover off, but I just didn't want to, lol. Just make sure you check the valve clearances again after spinning the motor a few times.
Thanks matt i found your video helpful as i too am restoring a 1986 VF500F that had alot of valve noise and hard starting issues, i pulled apart my bike to find a mouse nest inside the stock air filter, luckily none made inside motor, got a new uni filter, anyways im about to tackle the valves and i was unsure of how the clymer manual tells you put in tdc for each side. Did your method work well? Is it running great no noise? I might just do it your way, keep up the good work im subscribed 😄
As far as I can tell, it's worked well. I have run the bike for about 30 minutes or so, but I haven't ridden it yet. Just put on new tires and this week I pulled the exhaust off to remove all the rust and repaint it.
The benefit to doing it the way the manual states is that it will put you in two distinct positions that can be used to measure all 16 valves without fear of measuring one incorrectly that the cam lobe was opening. The problem, however, is that you either need 2 people or a shit ton of patience to do it. You need to spin the motor with a 14mm on left side of the bike. On the right, there is a tiny porthole you can see thru to see the timing marks with a flashlight at the exact correct angle. This is super hard with one person. Alternatively, you could just take the entire right side cover off which I considered. But you'll want to make sure you have an oil drain pan nearby and a new gasket.
My valves were mainly tight, so I was actually looking to get a little more valve noise.
Exciting to hear you evicted the mouse and youre getting another one of these awesome 500s on the road! Good luck on the restore.
Weirdly, I found a mouse had been nesting in my airbox too, they must like VFs!
Measuring one at a time allows the rocker arm bore clearance to skew your measurement
This is good recommendation. I use two feelers now whenever I'm setting clearances. In practice I haven't found that it's made a huge difference; however, if you're shoving a really tight feeler under one side, it definitely loads the other one maybe an extra thousandth if you're not using two feelers.
@@matttriestodothings iirc the Honda tool actually lifts the arm so that it contacts the cam that way valve contact is synced
@@nexus7tablet610 I haven't heard of anybody doing the original Honda-specified method in years. What I gathered from reading past threads on VFRWorld was that the original method added more variability than it resolved and that the 2-feeler-gauge method should be adequate.
I may be wrong, but I don't think I can find a single instance of someone doing it in the last decade.
Awesome tutorial! Thanks for sharing
Absolutely. Thanks for the kind words!
supercool 500 cc V4, today very rare ,
It is my favorite engine. Just love it. I'd like to add one of the 700/750 or 1000's to the stable one day for some gear driven cam action, but I love this 500 engine.
What is the tool that your using to hold the valve stem in order to tighten the locknut? And where did you get it???
The tool is a Motion Pro tappet tool. It has a 3mm square on it. If you're in a pinch, you can probably use a deck screw in a cork since the deck screw has a 3mm head as well. But beware to make damn sure the screw is glued into the cork so you can lose it in the engine!
I'm thinking of making one the next time I do it to give me a little more access since the Motion Pro is just a wee bit short. It worked, but I wish it was 1/4 - 1/2cm longer. It worked brilliantly perfect for my Bandit which has an inline-4 and easier access to the tappets.
did you have to use the offset box wrench for the other valve on that same rocker arm or did you use a regular 8mm wrench for all the valves?
I use a regular 8mm wrench on all of them. I can't quite get the offset to fit.
So you did the #3 cylinder intake valves with the two feeler gauges. Since the inner clearance was 5 and you adjusted the outer from 6 back to the spec of 5 you essential are finished with the #3 intakes. Correct?
Yep, I was adjusting the two intake valves on cylinder #3. Both tappets need to be set to the same specification. You use the second feeler gauge under the opposite tappet that you're adjusting to ensure that the rocker arm isn't pivoting and throw off your adjustment.
@@matttriestodothings thanks to your video this took me like 45 minutes. I already have the carbs and radiator off. None of mine were bad some a bit loose but maybe 6/16 required adjustments.
@@AICD1999 That's fantastic! Glad to hear it. And now you'll sleep a lot easier knowing you're not running tight on the valves. Thanks for the feedback as well.
Did you need to replace the valve cover gaskets? Should I?
I believe I did -- but you only need to if it's lost its pliability and no longer seals. The 84/5 is different than the 86 gaskets.
In most circumstances they're still fine from what I can tell. But I just figured to be diligent about 35+ year rubber it might be time to replace.
I dont think I replaced them on my buddy's bike and the old ones sealed fine. Just depends how much they've aged.
@@matttriestodothings where did you score the gaskets? I got an 84. If you don’t mind
@@TravisDoesGames I got them as part of a Vesrah compete gasket kit for the vf500f on ebay a few years ago. The seller was "Parts_Giant".
@@matttriestodothingsthanks. Ill probably go with revzilla or see if my local shop I like can get a similar price. When are you getting your vf500 put back together and back on the road?
@@TravisDoesGames I'm working on it. Hopefully I'll have the tank primed this week. Just got it back from chem stripping. I've got a pretty neat thing in the works regarding the decals that--if I dont fuck it up--should make it pretty unique and period correct.
imgur.com/a/iD6lxPU
Just taking a while since I keep running into hiccups and I'm splitting time the VF and other projects. Not to mention getting my ass whipped racing at Pittsburgh this last weekend 😅
So you’re supposed to do this method instead of using the stupid special cam lifter Honda tool that costs over $40, correct?
@@gabe5360 that special cam tool was some bullshit they came up with to try to address manufacturing issues they had with the journals. I do not know of anybody that has used one. I'll see if I can find a recent post on vfrworld by someone much smarter than me addressing that special tool and post back.
"Early designs were not machined using a line boring technique (pre 86), where the head and cam holder were machined together for the cams and always stayed married to each other. The early models were machined to a tolerance and employed semi "floating" cam caps. Sometimes a particular group of parts came together where the tolerances of the mating parts all ended up being perfect together as a system. Sometimes tolerance stack allowed the opposite to happen, leading to odd wear and difficulty adjusting the valve lash. Honda came up with some BS "Cam Holder" tool, but it was just a PR move. Just use 2 feelers at the same time as straycat suggests." -Captain 80s, VFRWorld Oct 24, 2024
Post #3 in this thread: vfrworld.com/threads/1985-vf500-first-bike-concerns-etc.62043/
Thank you 🙏
For sure man.
@@matttriestodothings I'm going to tackle this next season. I almost have my bike on the road. I already got the carbs off sent back to me and put on from billy's v4 outback you suggested and the gas tank is being restored with white vinegar as we speak. fork oil and the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder rebuild left for necessary things and then i'm gonna plug the gas tank in. its been a journey. this bike is really awesome. I unfortunately live in the northeast so the season is just ending but the feeling is still great. I was stuck on the carbs wondering what to do and you suggested billys outback and that was the catalyst I needed to start working on my vf500f again!! cheers!!! just replaced the water pump and I saw gasket material on that engine cover, the previous owner did his valve adjustments! thanks again dude it will be a short winter haha
@@TravisDoesGames Awesome progress dude. I've heard great things about BIlly's service, and I'm really happy with the carb service kits I've bought from him in the past. Realistically I should probably rebuild my clutch master. The slave almost 100% always needs it by now, so I've done that.
Sounds like we'll be getting the bikes back to road ready for next year! Yea, there are flurries in the sky today and i'm trying hard not to get depressed by that fact, lol. I'm finishing up with the racetech emulators today. Then the tank is going to a shop near me to chemically strip it. I decided I"m not doing that myself and taking the years off my life with all the aircraft stripper I'll need to use.
Excited for you and the bike! awesome to hear the update.
@@TravisDoesGames the aircraft stripper is methylene chloride I believe, yes. I hate using it. I'm guessing an industrial shop probably has MEK that'd make short work of the paint in a heated bath. But yea, nasty stuff.
@@matttriestodothings dang, paint strippers can kill. Im reading some osha incidents of methylene chloride. Some stuff is always better left to the professionals. Which tank? The lime green one? Don't fret about the winter, perfect time to get other stuff done. Tell me about the emulators when you get back on the road. I would rebuild the clutch master cylinder real quick, I thought i could get away with not rebuilding it but it stopped pumping right the second time I bled it and when i took it apart it was all gunked up and the washer was seized. i hope to have a long and happy future with my vf500f, and you really help me out. Thanks again for being the one to make videos working on this groundbreaking mid 80s machine 🏍️🏍️
Where did you find the valve cover gaskets? I found two separate ones on ebay.
Be very careful on those since I actually bought the wrong ones first go and sent them to somebody else on vfrworld. The 84-5 is different than the 86. The 86 has the mickey mouse ears or half moons on em. The 84-5 is flat.
I found a pair of vesrah gaskets on ebay for $30/ea. The description on the gaskets was: "NEW HONDA CYLINDER HEAD COVER GASKET VF500 OEM 12391-KE7-000 VESRAH"
@@matttriestodothings I found one OEM and a Vesrah. I did see an entire Vesrah engine kit and probably should have bought that. When you tightened down the valve lock nut did you torque or just tighten it? No locktite?
@@AICD1999 the entire vesrah kit may be the one with only 86 valve covers in it, fyi. That's what I did first.
I just torqued, no locktite. Can't say if that was the right decision or not.
I believe it is better to use two feeler gages at the same time so the rocker doesn’t swivel. Good job. Thanks for the videos, I’m in the market for another one of these, I bought one new in 86 and rode all over Europe.