Finally got around to checking my valve clearances today.
It looks like my exhaust valves are way too tight. 

Intake	0.18	0.18	0.18	0.16
Cylinder	1	2	3	4
Exhaust	0.15	0.12	0.18	0.25

How bad is this?


Where's the best place to buy shims?

You may be able to get some to swap at a Kawasaki dealer. The KLRs have same and the old Zs as well. Some will swap for a few dollars. Precision shims in Brizvegas can supply 29mm among many other diameters.
I have a lot of 250s and a few others (always seems to happen) and will be ordering some for the K75 soon from Motobins.

Thanks again Rick. How is this normally done? I guess I need to remove the shims first to measure them to work out the new shim size? Any other considerations?

The exh. clearance on 1, 2, & 3 seem extremely small. Will I get a small enough shim in there to bring those back into spec.? BMW shims only go down to 2.0. Can you use thinner? I see Precision Shims go down to 1.4

I should've waited till I got a removal tool before I pulled the cover off.

Those clearances aren't too bad for a while but don't go under 2.00mm or the lip of the bucket touches the cam. The Kawasakis can go down to 1.8mm.
record what sizes are where so that when you do need to change one you can get one without removing it and you know if it is changing rapidly and take action.
Use a micrometer not verniers to measure the shims as most of the time the size is long gone and the shims wear in the centre more and a vernier wont measure it correctly.
when you install the shim always install worn side to the cam or they can crack if there is more than 0.25 thou dish.
If you do detect any dish then give it the flick.
Some of the Yamahas had 29mm shims but with a chamfered edge, I am wary of using them in a BMW because the cams wear right to the edge of the shim and I'm not sure of how the cam would like the chamfer. Also don't try to resize a shim because if the two sides aren't parallel it sets up some strange wear patterns.  Don't ask
I am not sure but I think some of the Toyotas had 29mm shims but be careful as many have 29.5mm

I have the valve tool on order from Kenneth Lively in the US so should be able to get that sorted over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for your help Rick.

Valve tools arrived from Kenneth Lively in the US this week and managed to get my shims out to measure up. I thought that with the exhaust clearances way out I might have little latitude to adjust but there's no problem. Its all within tolerances of the shim. Have ordered shims from Precision Shims in Vic.

Details for purchasing the tools below

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/41449418@N08/sets/72157632081388219/
 
Valve tools in Use 
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/41449418@N08/sets/72157632085640060/
 
Other parts that have been made
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/41449418@N08/sets/72157632254450590/
 
Or investigate the entire photo stream.
   
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41449418@N08/        
 
For a video to see the valve tools in use,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUxkv08XwH0
 
 
NON USA CUSTOMERS
Reply for shipping costs please.
 
 
 
 

Just to close the book on this one. Finally got around to replacing those shims ordered from Precision in Melbourne. Excellent service. Exhaust valve clearances now within spec and engine now runs totally smooth with no popping or backfire, easily revs out and noticeably more power. The big payoff is my fuel consumption has dropped dramatically from an eratic 6.5 to 8 lit/100km down to a constant 5.7 on my 2500km trip over Dec-Jan

good result.

hmmmm Im thinking back to when I did my shims and Im unsure if I followed all of Ricks advise above.... 

I get the odd back fire on hard deceleration and my fuel consumption is 6.45/100 at best....

Thats with all new rubbers in the system and no discernible air leaks anywhere...

Mind you I did have the covers off the other day and I checked the clearances and they were in spec....

tighten up the exhaust flange to header pipes ?   not too tight though its a copper ring type gasket and crush easy

+1 that charlie. They do need nipping up now and again, especially new gaskets.

I was getting a lot of very loud backfiring way back last year. Sounded like a rifle shot. I put in a new set of exhaust gaskets which cured the backfires but I was still getting the odd pop and crackle out the back. All reasonably quiet now tho after the valve adjustment.
Ultimately, backfiring and poping is a fuel mixture/timing problem.

Floyd, I had a leaking injecter a few months back which was contributing to my poor fuel consumption.  It was difficult to guage any difference after the injector clean as at that stage my fuel consumption was all over the place due to the poor valve clearances but I worked out it did improve by somewhere around 0.4 lit/100klm.

That's a really good price for the shim tools.
Motorworks are charging £43.50 for theirs. $60-70?
Have to look into that. Even with the postage, it's still a lot cheaper.
Good advice on the shims, Rick.
I couldn't get my LT to tickover properly until I did the shims. Just could get the TB's to sync correctly.

John - unless you want a set for yourself, I've just ordered the valve tools and the clutch centre tool. You're more than welcome to borrow them.

Thanks, Dai.
I'll take you up on your offer sometime. It's a job that's so rarely needs to be done but does make a difference to the running.
Been reorganizing my shed and going to start to take bits off.
I'll maybe pull the cam cover soon just to see how bad the settings are.
Must admit, I've been tempted to spend a couple of days doing a service and a bit of tarting up and putting it on the road occasionally this year. There's always next winter to do a rebuild.
Now that I think I've solved the cutting out issue, a dodgy immobilizer, it's seems unnatural to just let it sit there.