Thank you for your comment! :) I think if you break it down in small steps it looks a bit less daunting. It’s not a difficult job once you’ve done it a couple of times :)
The chain must have jumped on the crank sprocket , not sure how we can stop this given the need to pull the cams with the chain connected. I suppose you can release the cams from the chain and keep tension on chain then re time the cams after. Which you had to do anyway. Either way it was a great video and the clearance is spot on now. Thank you for sharing , very informative. Cheers ✌️❤️
Hi there. Thanks for your kind comment and glad to hear the video was helpful 🙂 I think you can stop the chain from jumping teeth of you pay more attention. I didn’t expect that to happen and with filming and everything, it didn’t cross my mind. But if it does happen, it’s pretty easy to get it back right. 🙂 All the best! Vlad
@@garage_tales hey there! (happy new year by the way) I want to ask you the diameter of the valve clearance adjustment shims. Im going to check the clearence but first i want to search for aftermarket shims in case i need some. I´m from Argentina, and here oem parts are too expensive. Thanks
@@gustavoej6722 Hello. Happy New Year to you too! I’ll try to find some old ones and measure the diameter in the next few days. Sadly I managed to get sick so I’m banned from entering the garage at the moment.
Hey Gustavo. Sorry for taking so long. Diameter of the shim seems to be 29mm. Measuring between 29.00 and 29.02 to be more precise. Hope that helps! :)
Excellent video! I'm curious why you didn't check the shim thickness of the two good valves (LIN and REX). I like to keep track of what's in there for next time. If I know what is in there I can have the shims I will likely need on hand before I open the engine. I've found that the valve spec changes very slowly over time (last time I had to change a shim was about 40K km ago). Also, the change is usually to a thinner shim, so four spares on hand is probably sufficient. It really only matters if it is your own, not a customer's, bike. I love your clear and logical approach in this and your other F650GS videos. Long comment; sorry!
Hi there. Thank you for your kind comment! 🙂 As you say, this only makes sense if it’s your own bike. I do have a sheet with all the shims in my triumph. But the bmw wasn’t my own, and sadly, it’s a bike I’ll print never see again, as I’ve moved to a different area. But hope to start making some videos again soon and hopefully get some more BMW’s as well 🙂 All the best, Vlad
Hi, thanks for sharing this video (valve clearance adjustment). I am about to replace the rocker gasket so found the video very helpful showing what has to be removed to get to the cover. Can you tell me please what do you use to clean the cover? This seems really effective and I am going to have to clean up my engine casing as this is covered in oil from the leaky gasket. Many thanks. Mike
Hey Mike. Thank you for your comment and glad the video was helpful. It’s just brake cleaner in a pressurised bottle. Works pretty well🙂 All the best, Vlad
All do-able with vids such as this, BUT it seems ponderously detailed compared to the simplicity of air-and oil-head BMWs. I have to wonder if generated shop income was behind all this? You are right about learning to do this yourself! $140/hr here to mostly remove and install plastics, hoses, and clamps. Also, every 6000 miles seems a bit excessive eh? One could expect a $500 shop bill every 6,000 miles? Ouch! Great instruction, great process, good shop-craft. Thanks.
Thank you for your comment! :) You’re right, it’s a bit more involved than an old air/oil head but most bikes are. I don’t think shop income is their main concern regarding this particular aspect. It’s just a different type of engine :) Thanks again! Vlad
Hi thank you for the video, firstly I want to commend you on your video skills and mechanical ability, I recently bought a 2007 F650 Dakar 63000km and decided to check the valve clearance, what a fun job for big hands, I only had one issue in getting the cam chain adjuster back in, almost impossible to get your fingers in there while turning the adjuster nut as it is under spring pressure....I ended up drilling and tapping in a 6mm bolt in the end of it so I could use a 1/4 socket to push the adjuster bolt back into the housing....so much fun indeed, full day job on a Sunday. No wonder the valve clearances rarely get checked. I could do a full service on my R1100 GS in an hour and a half including valve clearances.
Im about to do my valves and I think I am going to attempt something based on the oil tank bungee strap idea. I'm going to run a bungie through the timing chain after I unbolt the camshafts and hang the chain from above so it will hopefully stay connected down at the crankshaft
Hey Donovan, hope it goes well :) It should work fine, but I was a bit too confident in the method and trying to film at the same time so not paying enough attention. But it’s all good as long as you spot your mistakes and correct them :) Thanks for your comment! Vlad
Hi, great skill and thank you for sharing. I've the F650 GS Dakar which doesn't start since I bought it a few years ago. It just cranks. When cranking, I put my hand on the exhaust to check the smoke. But what I felt is a suction on the exhaust. I guess the exhaust valve is stuck or something is keeping it open. What do you think?
Hey there. Thanks for your comment. Big singles act funny sometimes. Without seeing the bike and feeling how bad it is, I wouldn’t jump to suspect engine damage before checking the simple stuff…air, fuel, spark. You can do a leak down test or a compression test to see if the engine is fine without opening it. Both pretty quick to do.
Hey there. To do the compression test correctly you would have to remove the rocker cover and restrain the compression release lever. I haven’t tried so not 100% sure, but for leak down you might be able to put the engine a few degrees before or after TDC so valves are still closed but decompression is not engaged. You can use compressed air, but at a lower pressure. It’s a good idea to put the engine in gear and rear brake on to stop the engine from moving and opening the valves.
Hello, What a great video!! Thank You!! I do have one question. This 650 appears to be the twin spark plug model. Am I correct about this? If I am, here is my question: I just bought a 2001 single spark plug version of the F650gs. Do I still have to go through taking half of the bike apart just to get to the valve cover?? I'm an experienced motorcycle mechanic (All the japanese brands plus the European two stroke MX bikes). I am real surprised that Rotax/BMW created such a labor intensive situation for something that has a 6000 mile maintenance interval!! I was quoted $500 for a valve clearance check and adjustment (if needed) at my local Beemer dealer. I thought that was outrageous, but after seeing this video, I still think $500 is high and that $350 is more realistic. Am I right about $500 being too much?? Despite my experience I am 64 and arthritis has beat me up badly in my spine and to a lesser extent my hands. Do I spend a huge chunk of money or go slow, rest when needed and do it myself?? Your opinion is greatly valued and appreciated! Bryan
Hey there Bryan. Thank you for your comment. Really appreciate it 🙂 It’s been a while since I’ve worked on that bike, but I’m pretty sure it was a twin spark model. $500 for doing that job?? No wonder I’m not getting rich doing this 😂 I asked for way too little. I’m in the UK, so can’t speak about the US. Here the BMW dealers charge just over £100/hour. I don’t think they can justify spending 5 hours to do a valve check. There is a bit of work involved to get to the cover, but to be fair to bmw, it’s pretty straightforward to disassemble the bike. I assume you should be able to find other garages than the dealer that will do it for far less, but if you’re happy to take your time with it, it’s not too bad to do it yourself 🙂
Hey there. Depends where you are in the world I guess. I got them from Motorworks and I believe they ship internationally, but any bmw dealer should have them 🙂
What parts and tools are you using to put the hose back on the valve cover? The manual says to use a BMW OEM plier and one-time-use clamp that is no longer available. Thank you!
I tend to reuse them if they’re not damaged. Didn’t even know BMW suggest replacing them every time, and don’t see why I should if they still function properly. The tool is just pliers for click-r / click collar clips.
the specs I looked up for my 2002 F650GS single spark is intake 0.10 to 0.15 and exhaust is 0.25 to 0.30 ..is this the same as you got? overall I have my intakes at 0.13 and exhausts at 0.30 does this work? I figure being looser on exhaust should tighten up more due to higher heat. damn good video by the way thank you
Hey there. According to the manual it’s 0.05-0.1 for intake and 0.25-.03 for exhaust. And you are correct, the clearance is for thermal expansion of the valve train. As the engine gets up to temperature, the clearance closes up (more on the exhaust as it’s getting hotter, while the intake is getting cooled by air/fuel) To my knowledge (could be wrong) there’s no valve clearance difference between the single and twin sparks. It’s the same engine made to comply with emission regulations. The bmw manual doesn’t suggest different clearance. But it’s always better to be on the loose side than the tight one :) So I’d say you’ll be fine with the clearance you have :) Thanks for your comment! All the best! Vlad
Thank you for your comment. This one was made in 2000 I believe, and as far as I know, the 2005 is the same. But whichever way it is, it doesn’t make it any harder :)
Hey Arturo. The thickness of the shim depends on what thickness you have in the valve train and what correction you need to apply. And where to get them from depends what country you live in. I imagine they’re not too expensive at a bmw dealer if you don’t have other options.
Hi, i have just bought a 1995 bmw f 650 with 63k kilometers, i have your same engine. The bike is in really good shape but i don't have idea if the manitance was done correctly so i want to ceck the valve Clarence, i want to buy a shim kit before start with the operation, can you tell me the diameter of the shim? Thanks and cheers from italy ;)
Hi Ale, congrats on your new bike and hope you’ll enjoy it! :) Unfortunately I don’t have the old shims anymore and I don’t know the diameter. Sorry about that. All the best! Vlad
Man, that was a lot of work. I don't think I can do it. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for your comment! :)
I think if you break it down in small steps it looks a bit less daunting. It’s not a difficult job once you’ve done it a couple of times :)
The chain must have jumped on the crank sprocket , not sure how we can stop this given the need to pull the cams with the chain connected. I suppose you can release the cams from the chain and keep tension on chain then re time the cams after. Which you had to do anyway. Either way it was a great video and the clearance is spot on now. Thank you for sharing , very informative. Cheers ✌️❤️
Hi there. Thanks for your kind comment and glad to hear the video was helpful 🙂
I think you can stop the chain from jumping teeth of you pay more attention. I didn’t expect that to happen and with filming and everything, it didn’t cross my mind. But if it does happen, it’s pretty easy to get it back right. 🙂
All the best!
Vlad
Excellent job. I recently bought a 2002 f650gs Dakar and I´m absorbing all the info I can about servicing this bike. Thanks!
Thank you for your comment! Hope you’ll enjoy your new bike! They are lovely machines :)
@@garage_tales hey there! (happy new year by the way) I want to ask you the diameter of the valve clearance adjustment shims. Im going to check the clearence but first i want to search for aftermarket shims in case i need some. I´m from Argentina, and here oem parts are too expensive.
Thanks
@@gustavoej6722 Hello. Happy New Year to you too! I’ll try to find some old ones and measure the diameter in the next few days. Sadly I managed to get sick so I’m banned from entering the garage at the moment.
@@garage_tales Ok, thanks a lot. I hope you get well soon. Regards!
Hey Gustavo. Sorry for taking so long. Diameter of the shim seems to be 29mm. Measuring between 29.00 and 29.02 to be more precise. Hope that helps! :)
Thanks a lot for that very clear tutorial, greetings from Marseille !
Glad you found it useful!
All the best!
Vlad
Excellent video! I'm curious why you didn't check the shim thickness of the two good valves (LIN and REX). I like to keep track of what's in there for next time. If I know what is in there I can have the shims I will likely need on hand before I open the engine. I've found that the valve spec changes very slowly over time (last time I had to change a shim was about 40K km ago). Also, the change is usually to a thinner shim, so four spares on hand is probably sufficient. It really only matters if it is your own, not a customer's, bike. I love your clear and logical approach in this and your other F650GS videos. Long comment; sorry!
Hi there. Thank you for your kind comment! 🙂
As you say, this only makes sense if it’s your own bike. I do have a sheet with all the shims in my triumph. But the bmw wasn’t my own, and sadly, it’s a bike I’ll print never see again, as I’ve moved to a different area. But hope to start making some videos again soon and hopefully get some more BMW’s as well 🙂
All the best,
Vlad
I'd like to point out your neat trick with the oil tank. Most people I have seen set it on something. The bungee is a much better solution!
Thank you for your comment! :) I’m glad you found it useful! :)
Thank you for the clear video, I’m trying to get an old ds650 running again and the shims are kinda weird for me.
Hey there. Glad the video was helpful and hope you got the bike running.
Thanks for your comment!
Vlad
Thanks for reminding me why I bought a Honda.
😂 I haven’t worked on many Honda’s to be honest, but it’s still a job that needs doing and not that much easier than anyone else 🙂
I was thinking the same thing😂
Nice one mate!
Teacher like quality over here 🤜🏻🤛🏻
Thanks mate! :)
Hi, thanks for sharing this video (valve clearance adjustment). I am about to replace the rocker gasket so found the video very helpful showing what has to be removed to get to the cover. Can you tell me please what do you use to clean the cover? This seems really effective and I am going to have to clean up my engine casing as this is covered in oil from the leaky gasket. Many thanks. Mike
Hey Mike. Thank you for your comment and glad the video was helpful.
It’s just brake cleaner in a pressurised bottle. Works pretty well🙂
All the best,
Vlad
@@garage_tales
Thanks Vlad. It works very well! I’ll give it a go. Cheers. Mike
All do-able with vids such as this, BUT it seems ponderously detailed compared to the simplicity of air-and oil-head BMWs. I have to wonder if generated shop income was behind all this? You are right about learning to do this yourself! $140/hr here to mostly remove and install plastics, hoses, and clamps. Also, every 6000 miles seems a bit excessive eh? One could expect a $500 shop bill every 6,000 miles? Ouch! Great instruction, great process, good shop-craft. Thanks.
Thank you for your comment! :)
You’re right, it’s a bit more involved than an old air/oil head but most bikes are. I don’t think shop income is their main concern regarding this particular aspect. It’s just a different type of engine :)
Thanks again!
Vlad
Hi thank you for the video, firstly I want to commend you on your video skills and mechanical ability, I recently bought a 2007 F650 Dakar 63000km and decided to check the valve clearance, what a fun job for big hands, I only had one issue in getting the cam chain adjuster back in, almost impossible to get your fingers in there while turning the adjuster nut as it is under spring pressure....I ended up drilling and tapping in a 6mm bolt in the end of it so I could use a 1/4 socket to push the adjuster bolt back into the housing....so much fun indeed, full day job on a Sunday.
No wonder the valve clearances rarely get checked. I could do a full service on my R1100 GS in an hour and a half including valve clearances.
Thank you for your comment! Yes, the job can be a pain, but It’s worth doing.
Hope you enjoy the bike! :)
At 63000km did your bike require changing shims? Very curious to know I have a 2005 Dakar with 10k miles, thanks Mate.
@@guy7670 I checked it at 75k km and no adjustment was needed. But I don't really know when it was done last time, I bought the bike with 60k.
Great job, thank you for teaching us ! :-)
Thank you for your comment! Glad is was helpful! :)
You are my hero!!! Thank you so much!!!
Glad it was helpful! :)
Im about to do my valves and I think I am going to attempt something based on the oil tank bungee strap idea. I'm going to run a bungie through the timing chain after I unbolt the camshafts and hang the chain from above so it will hopefully stay connected down at the crankshaft
Hey Donovan, hope it goes well :)
It should work fine, but I was a bit too confident in the method and trying to film at the same time so not paying enough attention. But it’s all good as long as you spot your mistakes and correct them :)
Thanks for your comment!
Vlad
@@garage_tales mine checked out. Thinking my "valve train noise" must actually be something broken in the exhaust from a fall I had
Hope you find it and it’s nothing serious :)
Hi, great skill and thank you for sharing.
I've the F650 GS Dakar which doesn't start since I bought it a few years ago.
It just cranks.
When cranking, I put my hand on the exhaust to check the smoke.
But what I felt is a suction on the exhaust.
I guess the exhaust valve is stuck or something is keeping it open.
What do you think?
Hey there. Thanks for your comment.
Big singles act funny sometimes. Without seeing the bike and feeling how bad it is, I wouldn’t jump to suspect engine damage before checking the simple stuff…air, fuel, spark.
You can do a leak down test or a compression test to see if the engine is fine without opening it. Both pretty quick to do.
Thank you.
Can I use a compressed air at TDC to check the leak down test?
I was just thinking, at TDC the decompression is active. So I can't tell if the exhaust valve is stuck.
Hey there. To do the compression test correctly you would have to remove the rocker cover and restrain the compression release lever.
I haven’t tried so not 100% sure, but for leak down you might be able to put the engine a few degrees before or after TDC so valves are still closed but decompression is not engaged. You can use compressed air, but at a lower pressure. It’s a good idea to put the engine in gear and rear brake on to stop the engine from moving and opening the valves.
Thank you very much for your support.
Hello, What a great video!! Thank You!! I do have one question. This 650 appears to be the twin spark plug model. Am I correct about this? If I am, here is my question: I just bought a 2001 single spark plug version of the F650gs. Do I still have to go through taking half of the bike apart just to get to the valve cover?? I'm an experienced motorcycle mechanic (All the japanese brands plus the European two stroke MX bikes).
I am real surprised that Rotax/BMW created such a labor intensive situation for something that has a 6000 mile maintenance interval!! I was quoted $500 for a valve clearance check and adjustment (if needed) at my local Beemer dealer. I thought that was outrageous, but after seeing this video, I still think $500 is high and that $350 is more realistic. Am I right about $500 being too much??
Despite my experience I am 64 and arthritis has beat me up badly in my spine and to a lesser extent my hands. Do I spend a huge chunk of money or go slow, rest when needed and do it myself?? Your opinion is greatly valued and appreciated! Bryan
Hey there Bryan. Thank you for your comment. Really appreciate it 🙂
It’s been a while since I’ve worked on that bike, but I’m pretty sure it was a twin spark model. $500 for doing that job?? No wonder I’m not getting rich doing this 😂 I asked for way too little. I’m in the UK, so can’t speak about the US. Here the BMW dealers charge just over £100/hour. I don’t think they can justify spending 5 hours to do a valve check.
There is a bit of work involved to get to the cover, but to be fair to bmw, it’s pretty straightforward to disassemble the bike. I assume you should be able to find other garages than the dealer that will do it for far less, but if you’re happy to take your time with it, it’s not too bad to do it yourself 🙂
@@garage_tales Thank you very much for your insight. I'll give it a go myself.
Very useful, thanks
Thank you for your comment. Glad it was helpful 😊
great video !!!
Thank you for your kind comment! 🙂
Donde comprar las pastillas nuevas para el correcto ajuste??
Hey there. Depends where you are in the world I guess. I got them from Motorworks and I believe they ship internationally, but any bmw dealer should have them 🙂
What parts and tools are you using to put the hose back on the valve cover? The manual says to use a BMW OEM plier and one-time-use clamp that is no longer available. Thank you!
I tend to reuse them if they’re not damaged. Didn’t even know BMW suggest replacing them every time, and don’t see why I should if they still function properly.
The tool is just pliers for click-r / click collar clips.
the specs I looked up for my 2002 F650GS single spark is intake 0.10 to 0.15 and exhaust is 0.25 to 0.30 ..is this the same as you got? overall I have my intakes at 0.13 and exhausts at 0.30 does this work? I figure being looser on exhaust should tighten up more due to higher heat. damn good video by the way thank you
Hey there. According to the manual it’s 0.05-0.1 for intake and 0.25-.03 for exhaust. And you are correct, the clearance is for thermal expansion of the valve train. As the engine gets up to temperature, the clearance closes up (more on the exhaust as it’s getting hotter, while the intake is getting cooled by air/fuel)
To my knowledge (could be wrong) there’s no valve clearance difference between the single and twin sparks. It’s the same engine made to comply with emission regulations. The bmw manual doesn’t suggest different clearance. But it’s always better to be on the loose side than the tight one :) So I’d say you’ll be fine with the clearance you have :)
Thanks for your comment!
All the best!
Vlad
@@garage_tales Thank you so much for clearing this up! It helps big time!!!
No worries. Glad to help.
What year is that F650GS?
Does the 2005 F650GS have over bucket (as your bike) or under bucket shims?
Thanks for the great video.
Thank you for your comment. This one was made in 2000 I believe, and as far as I know, the 2005 is the same. But whichever way it is, it doesn’t make it any harder :)
How did the chain jump teeth on the cams when you had it zip tied?
Hey there. Thanks for your comment. The chain probably jumped teeth on the crankshaft sprocket :)
Did you ever solve the issue of the lean condition? Seems this was the last video.
Hey there. Yes, it was the icv valve. There are 2 videos on me solving that issue before this one 🙂
I got a 2001 f650gs bmw dakar what size of shim I need and where can I order please let me know
Hey Arturo. The thickness of the shim depends on what thickness you have in the valve train and what correction you need to apply. And where to get them from depends what country you live in. I imagine they’re not too expensive at a bmw dealer if you don’t have other options.
How many shims on a 2001 bmwf650gs
Hey there. Thanks for your comment.
4 valves - 4 shims.
Where do you buy your parts?
Hey there. For bmw’s I get them from Motorworks.
🇧🇷🏍🤝👏👏
Thank you!
Hi, i have just bought a 1995 bmw f 650 with 63k kilometers, i have your same engine. The bike is in really good shape but i don't have idea if the manitance was done correctly so i want to ceck the valve Clarence, i want to buy a shim kit before start with the operation, can you tell me the diameter of the shim?
Thanks and cheers from italy ;)
Hi Ale, congrats on your new bike and hope you’ll enjoy it! :) Unfortunately I don’t have the old shims anymore and I don’t know the diameter. Sorry about that.
All the best!
Vlad