Mike's vavle Tappets

Hyde

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So when I rebuilt my motor I did not go for the elephant foot upgrade. Just didn't feel like digging into the grinding at the time and...well I ordered Mike's valve tapets....I'm sure you already know where this is going....starting the motor and idling it in the garage (and trying to figure out carb problems) I was wondering where the onset of vavle noise was coming from as I'd adhered to the recommended settings here. So I popped the covers and checked...there was a black film between the tapet and valve and they were waaaaaay out. Alright, so maybe a seating session to level out? So, re-adjust. They were slightly pointy when I got them,'I'd taken the point down with a file cause it was pretty sharp.

After fixing the carbs up (finally) I've been running arround the block, not even 5 KMs on the bike and she was poping from the exhaust and rattle had come back in the head. Intakes were fine, the exhaust however...

IMG_5108.JPG

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I've since put the originals back in for the exhaust and cleared all my popping problems. I know I know...Mike's....my own damn fault but to be fair I'd read a couple of posts here recommending to get them there as they had a convenient alen head. So fair warning to anyone else who comes across this post in the future.
 
Yes, more crap parts and its all so common, with those Chinese products that Mikesxs sells.
Its old news on this site that the tappets for a VW bug car work very well.
Be sure to feed back to the aftermarket seller!
 
When you filed them you might have filed away some hardening. Possibility? But the adjusters from the VW Bugs work perfectly. Advance used to be able to order them, but I don't think they can now. All years from the '50s thru '70s used them. Maybe the microbus too (was always a sure ride when the old thumb was out).
 
XJW, I'm talking like pointy man. If the tip was hardened we're talking a small divot in the head of your valves. I just wanted to round them out a bit as it wasn't sitting with me. Take a peak at that beaten down exhaust tapet, we're talking less that 5kms including "piss off your neighbors while carb tuning".

After making a 1.5 hour "road test" this afternoon I could hear the clatter back in the top end. I'll put money on the table the intakes are just about flattened to nothing and the original exhaust tapets are still spec to my adjustement this morning.

I will be reporting it back to Mike's but let's all be honest here.... it won't make a lick of difference. As RG said, they'll just find more and more sources for poorly made parts in foreign factories. It just too cost effective to make dollars on pennies.
 
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Virago valve adjusters with Allen heads fit our 650's - they are slightly shorter but plenty of thread to engage the lock nut - P/N 4X7-12159-00-00 - used on large V'gos and V Stars from1981 through 2014
 
Not so long ago I purchased some screws for a VW to use on my XS. When they arrived they were black and pointy and a file easily touched them. I returned them. Next I ordered what were called Genuine VW valve adjuster screws. They were completely different with polished faces. After 200 miles they still looked perfect.

Be careful and only buy the Genuine VW product. They are only slightly more expensive (£6 compared to £4.50 on Ebay UK). The slot in them was so much easier to use than the stock square ends. I can imagine the hex ends being even better.
 
So I figured I'd throw an update up with further mileage on the intake tapets I left in.

Left = intake, further road testing, approx 220kms since last adjustment.
Right = exhaust, pulled before road testing approx 5kms since their last adjustment. These were no in the bike during recent testing.

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The rate of decay slowed as the faces became larger, however, they did continue to erode as previously hypothesized. Before pulling them this morning gap was measuring 0.010

Not that anyone needed further "proof" on the product being poor, just potentially interesting for some.

Ty for that tip Paul, ordered up a set of the genuine VWs last week.
 
Wow, I just looked those up and they're expensive, nearly $10 each. That's a lot of money for junk, lol. Genuine Yamaha Virago screws are cheaper. And the elephant foot screws are even cheaper still, only about $5 each. I can't complain about mine. They've been in there a good 10 years and 10K+ miles with no problems. Add in the other 4 or 5 sets I've installed in other motors and their accumulated miles, and we're talking tens of thousands of miles. Yes, it takes a little grinding work to install them but I now feel (I know) it's well worth it.
 
Wow, I just looked those up and they're expensive, nearly $10 each. That's a lot of money for junk, lol. Genuine Yamaha Virago screws are cheaper. And the elephant foot screws are even cheaper still, only about $5 each. I can't complain about mine. They've been in there a good 10 years and 10K+ miles with no problems. Add in the other 4 or 5 sets I've installed in other motors and their accumulated miles, and we're talking tens of thousands of miles. Yes, it takes a little grinding work to install them but I now feel (I know) it's well worth it.
Catch me up, 5Twins. What kind are you using again?
 
So far, all I've used are the cheaper EMPI brand screws. 2M did some comparing of some of the different ones available a while back and found the machining in the ball/foot area on the EMPIs not quite as good as some of the better ones. But like I said, they've worked fine so far. I do recall them getting loose and needing a re-set a few hundred miles after install. I'm guessing they need to seat in or bed in a little bit, then they seem fine. I now have a set from CB Performance I'm going to try next. They're a bit better made and don't cost much, if any, more .....

http://www.cbperformance.com/product-p/1518.htm
 
I saw on a VW forum where someone used knock off screws and they flattened all the way to the thread! The genuine VW ones I fitted recently show no wear after 200 miles i.e. the gaps have not changed.
 
5Twins, do those CB elephant feet in your link above require rocker modification or rocker removal for fitting, or do the feet detach to allow for fitting? It is just that in the photo the feet seem to be similar diameter to the thread???

There was another brand of elephant foot type from Germany/Japan that required no modifications/grinding/dismantling when fitting, they cost approximately £15 each and the name is Kedo:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XT-TT500-...141973?hash=item48976ce715:g:LoIAAOSw-0xYd3uR
I do not know if they have proved successful but the sellers usually only guarantee them for XT/TT/SR 500s.
 
I haven't tried test fitting one of the new screws but I doubt the threaded hole in the rocker is large enough for the "foot" portion to pass through. No, the foot doesn't come off so rocker or whole top cover removal would be required. Grinding the rocker isn't for putting them in, it's to allow them to retract enough for assembly and disassembly. As you probably know, when you tear one of these down, you loosen all the adjuster screws way up before removing the top cover so none are forcing a valve open. When installing the top cover, you don't want any of the adjuster screws hitting valves or the cover won't sit down all the way onto the head. I suppose you could use the head bolts to pull it down but I wouldn't want to run the risk of warping the cover or breaking something.

I used to grind the whole bottom off the rocker but that required removing them from the top cover ......

d4GSTWu.jpg


I use a different technique now, I just bevel the hole in the bottom of the rocker with a tapered stone in a die grinder. This has a couple benefits - you're removing less material and hopefully less strength from the rocker, and it can be done with the rocker still installed in the top cover. I just wrap the rest of the cover in a big rag to keep the grinding grit out .....

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The tapered hole allows the angled portion of the "foot" to be drawn up into the rocker, providing the needed clearance for assembly/disassembly .....

9PEULFb.jpg


Here's a pic before grinding that illustrates the problem. The screw won't loosen enough before the foot hits the rocker .....

msKWsAr.jpg
 
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