I think it is actually very difficult to use the oil sight glass as an accurate means of measuring

I agree. I check the oil cold overnight. I'll check it on the rear stand then again while holding it up with a telescoping mirror. I just look for a consistent mark. I run my oil a bit high maybe but I have yet to see any in the overflow cup. I try and get it as close too the top hash-marks as possible. I check it at least 3 or 4 times. I move the bike around a little watching how it flows in the glass and then returns when I put the bike back level. I know what you mean. It's not an exact science.

No hurry on the pics Rook. I'm not going to start for at least another month. I'd like to get one or two more rides in if possible. I will send a bottle to ya. Sometime pm me an address where I can send it. Can you send Scotch to another state?

I tried the K&N filter just because it seemed a bit easier to take off the bike. I don't know about you guys but I tighten my filters to spec and usually have a hell of a time getting them off. The K&N looks easier with the nut on the front. I'll probably go back to kawi filters after this.

Hub, are you saying I should try some break in oil to "clean things up" in the engine? You have my attention. What brand ester based should use going forward? Not trying to start a debate. Is the Mobile 1 ok to stay with?

Its not very hard to do, just time consuming (expect a couple of days + time to get new shims) so this is a great winter project

.
I love winter bike work. I'm in my own little world out there and it keeps me out of trouble :)

* Last updated by: jmartin724 on 9/21/2017 @ 4:09 PM *

jm, it was maxima 530rr. Max also has a 'break-in' oil with a zinc base. I'm going to try mobil 1 as a syn base. Once I set the shims I'll know if the parts look as polished off as the max syn.

---

Hub, that stuff sounds good! I'll wait to see what you find before I switch.

No hurry on the pics Rook. I'm not going to start for at least another month. I'd like to get one or two more rides in if possible. I will send a bottle to ya. Sometime pm me an address where I can send it. Can you send Scotch to another state?

LOL Oh please! Don't worry about it. I have been planning to put all tutorial pics back up anyway so this will be some extra motivation. No charge on this one but if we ever meet in person, beer's on you!

---

I tighten my filters to spec and usually have a hell of a time getting them off.

I hear you there, I use a filter wrench (looks like a "cup" or socket) and a torque wrench to tighten the filter, and a strap style filter wrench to remove it. Pretty much every time I go to remove the filter it ends up getting crushed slightly but oh well, I've heard of people who have had to drill through the filter and put a large screw driver through it to break the filter loose.

I figure a crushed filter is better than having metal shavings and both are better than having a filter that comes loose while riding.

Rode yesterday and again no noticeable oil loss. I'm getting very curious as to what I'm going to find when I get the plastic off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYkg0oDUXs8

---

Very interesting! Thanks Hub!

jmartin724,

1 more thing, when you go to check/adjust your valves this winter, I highly recommend replacing the valve cover gasket and the cylinder/spark plug hole gaskets instead of reusing them. Also, at least for the 08 model, you will need some "RTV" sealant where there is a vertical split (the service manual will specify the location).

I reused my original gaskets which were in great shape however I started to get a bit of oil weeping through the gasket, not enough to leave drips anywhere but enough to make the side of the engine dirty and wet to the touch. Before anyone else asks... yes I checked the valve cover to make sure it was straight, yes I cleaned all of the mating surfaces thoroughly, yes I torqued the bolts in the correct pattern to the correct torque and in steps (finger tight, 5ftlbs, 10ftlbs, whatever the final is), the gaskets are all pretty cheap and you're already concerned about oil leaking so foot the $40 or so and replace the gaskets.

And the ring-os. The ringo-s and the valve cover gasket were both updated and they both wear out. The RTV goes in the round notch at the sides of the engine. The split in the case is down at the crankshaft cover and that can use some too if you want. I bought the manual recommended sealants but I think plain old RTV would work just as well. They all seem to be pretty close to the same thing- a soft silicone that is easy to remove and hopefully stays on until you want it off. The OEM stuff seems durable but RTV is probably about the same.

---

Thanks guys! I'll post back here when I'm ready to start. Probably early November.

the gaskets are all pretty cheap and you're already concerned about oil leaking so foot the $40 or so and replace the gaskets

And the ring-os. The ringo-s and the valve cover gasket were both updated and they both wear out

I'll replace everything that you guys think should be replaced. I'm just hoping I don't see any damage when I get in there. I'm thinking I would know if there was a major problem right?

You won't see any of the damage that could have been done by the valve clearances out of spec and the symptoms aren't exactly obvious (loss of power and excessive vibrations would be the 2 symptoms I can think of).

To my knowledge, the issue with not adjusting the valves is that the valves wear into the seats in the heads. This reduces the clearance between the bucket/shim and the cam lobe. When there is no longer any clearance the valve doesn't make full contact with the seat when it is closed which reduces the sealing ability of the valve (loss of power) and more importantly doesn't allow the valve to transfer heat into the seat/head. The valve will overheat and become "burned" which would require new valves and the seats to be reconditioned to mate with the new valves.

One of the easiest ways to detect this would be to conduct a leak down test, which requires special tools (basically a measured amount of compressed air is injected into a warmed up cylinder and air loss is measured to determine if there's a leak in the valves or piston).

After you have completed the valve adjustment this winter, conduct a compression test and write down your results somewhere you can reference them later. A compression test will check the overall "health" of the cylinder (valves and piston) so if you see a particular cylinder that is out of spec then you can investigate further, your service manual will tell you what the correct ranges are but in general look for differences between cylinders more than the actual PSI readings.

Not trying to freak you out but just trying to answer your question.

I think the power is fine. How noticeable would it be? I do have some vibration at 100+ but I'm not sure how much is considered normal.

mines as smooth at any speed as it is at 25 but if you have some vibes, I would think it would be noticeable at a certain rpm rather than mph if it was engine related.

If you have 25k miles or less on the engine, I wouldn't worry about valve damage. You're pretty easy on the bike. I don't think I did any damage to mine. A lot of bikes never get a valve clearance adjustment. Just do the adjustment and a leak down test. I did a compression test. There's a tutorial on that too. It's easy but you have to have a tester with the right adapter to fit in the spark plug wells because there;s not much room under there. One like they show in the service manual would be ideal.

I'm working on your valve lash tutorial pics.

---

I agree with Rook in that I doubt there is any damage and I doubt the power loss would be noticeable if there was a burned valve since I would imagine (don't know for sure here) that the change would be gradual. How much vibration is normal is subjective and will depend on a LOT of factors. If the valves aren't adjusted, the throttle bodies out of sync, very dirty air filter, clogged injector, bad spark plug, various mods (risers/handle bar), etc can all add to how much vibration you would feel at through the bars/clipons. I would be really concerned if there was a lot of vibration even at lower RPM & speeds as I think what you are describing is probably normal or will improve after winter maintenance.

I would recommend starting with just a compression test as the testers are cheap, the one I have is a rubber hose with a metal adapter at the end, I was able to use that one to run the tests on my bike without too much frustration. As Rook pointed out there's not a lot of room above the engine. Also since the engine needs to be warmed up its a challenge to work in a tight space with a hot engine but the stock engine rubber heat/noise shield helps a lot.

If you find a cylinder that is out of spec (ie #1 #2 #3 #4 reads as: 220PSI, 215PSI, 170PSI, 223PSI) then put a little bit of oil down the suspect (#3 in this example) cylinder and rerun the compression test. If the compression jumps up to normal that suggests stuck/worn/damaged piston rings, if the compression doesn't change it suggests either a blown head gasket or problems with the valves. Again most likely you won't have any problems, just trying to provide info here.

2 key things about running a compression test: done after valves are adjusted and with the engine warmed up to normal riding temps.

Do read the tutorial. I used a tester with a rubber hose too and it was possible to get it in with a little finess but the adapter at the end screwed off when I removed the tester!! use locktight on any thread adapter you have on the end of the tester. I think a solid tube tester you can tighten in with a spark plug wrench would be best. A rubber tipped tester with a solid tube would be good too but you have to have one that will fit. Think of how awkward removing the stick coils is and now imagine if they didn't flex at the tip. You would not be able to get them in or out.

---

I ordered break-in oil and full syn. I drained the bike last night and am about to mix b-in and syn together. That level did not move after 220 slow miles. We'll see what happens 600 miles from now.

---

Hey guys! Sorry for the absence. This project at work ate up most of my time but now I'm free til probably mid Feb. Going to sort out the garage today and pull the plastic. I haven't had a chance to look through the pics and tutorials yet but I'll be getting to all that this weekend and finally getting started. Hoping to do some tool shopping as well. I appreciate all the feedback and I have to say that most of what I have learned so far has been from this forum. So here's to more learning! On to the valves! BTW I rode maybe 400 miles since we last spoke and no noticeable oil loss. Strange!

Check that there isn't smoke. Have a friend ride behind you. Run it up and decelerate. Pay attention to any puffs. Look at your air filter for excessive oiling from crankcase blowby. You're going to have to take body panels off to really look around under and behind the motor. A bit of oil can migrate everywhere in the airstream.
I have heard too many horror stories about K&N filters to ever use one.

Mad

---

Thanks Mad. I've been through all that. Haven't been able to make any clear determinations. The one thing I do know after getting some feedback here is that I'm way overdue for a valve clearance check. I'm guessing and maybe hoping they are out of spec. I will probably go back to the kawi filters too. I've heard good n bad about K&N but the only reason I've been using them is because they are much easier to take off and I can pick one up at the Autozone that is literally 5 mins from my house. So yeah, I'm hoping to get started this weekend. I'll post what I find. Any feedback I get here is appreciated.

I may be a dope, but I don't see how valve clearances would affect oil consumption in any way. Maybe if your valve guides were severely worn but an adjustment won't fix that either. Worn rings for sure can be a problem. Do a leak down test. Listen for air coming out the crankcase breather.
Keep us all posted on this mystery.

Mad

---

..but if you do the valve clearance check, you would have the opportunity to fix a valve cover leak --if it's leaking.

---