how do ya know when your valves need adjusting

how do u know when your valves need adjusting... got my quad last april and have never had the valves adjusted??

yea, i dont know when to do it, or how, so anything is appreciated!

I think they recommend doing it every 6 months. Its not that hard the only special tool you need is a feeler gauge. I got one at sears for 7 bucks. I would recommend getting a service manual it details it out in there with pictures. Its not that hard just takes a little time, but there are alot of steps so kinda hard to tell in a post. A service manual be the best $25 bucks you spend, shows how to do anything and everything to your quad ;D

yea, i got the service manual, i am just to lazy to dig it up, and look it up until im ready to do it lol

Adjusting the valves is actually quite easy. Just like bberck said you need a feeler gauge set, and a flathead screwdriver, and proper sized wrench, and it's a snap. i don't know the warrior specs off hand, but i have done it on a honda recon many times (same setup). Once you get into the head you'll understand, but just insert the feeler gauge at TDC on the compression stroke, and check the valve clearance with the different feeler gauges. Check the spec in the book, and adjust accordingly. If it is out of spec, loosen the lock nut with the wrench, insert the proper gap dimension (using the feeler gauges), between the rocker arm and the valve stem, and rotate the screw using the flat head screwdriver until you have a little tension on the feeler gauges (as you try to pull the feeler gauges in and out). Then tighten the lock nut on the adjuster and re-check. Alot of times, when you tighten the adjuster, the gap will change, so you might have to do this a few times..... but you will get it!!
Here's a performance tip: If you set the valves a little (and i mean a very little) loose, (meaning slightly more gap than the spec) you will pick up a little torque! If you set them right on spec, maybe a VERY LITTLE on the tight side, you will see a little HP increase!! Don't forget!! A little goes a long way!! DO NOT GO OVERBOARD HERE YOU CAN DAMAGE PARTS IF YOU GO TOO FAR ON THE TIGHT SIDE!!

thanx man, how do ya know how to tell if u need to adjust them

Ideally, you should do what the manual says.... 6 months the first time. After that check them every 6 months to 1 year. If they start to get loud, you should at least check them. You will know if they get loud, because the top of the motor will begin to "tick". it sounds like hitting a piece of aluminum with a steel hammer at a rapid pace.

so u would hear it like loud... not like a normal motor sound??

Honeslty there is no real way to know until they are really out of wack, so you just adjust them at every oil change, most likeyl you won't have, but check anyways. The first time at 20 hours is important, thats when you valves "settle" so you have to adjust them then.

Checking your valves every oil change is WAY excessive. If your like me, i change my oil every two to three hard weekends. Thats not enough to check your valves. I do, however agree with the first 20 hours of use. After that maybe every 4-6 months depending on the amount of riding.

k man thanx for the help... you gotta be the coolest person with a 400 cause all the others are like your warrior sucks and same with the new rappy 350's haha ;D

Ok man. Heres a lil tutorial about how to tell and how to adjust them. Death u better count this cause I wanna be a mod soon haha. Ok here goes:

Generally if youre a major motorhead like me and race, I check them every 4 races. Thats 1 time a month maybe once every 2 months. If you have an aftermarket cam, it will be noisy no matter what so just check em. Once you get used to adjusting them you will know what a "loud tick" and a "normal tick" with a cammed up engine is. Stock engine, mine will never sound the same, but just check youre valves as said so by the rest, every 6 months till ya start moddin it up ;D.

How to check and maintain:
You will need:
17mm socket and ratchet set.
10 mm socket.
5mm allen wrech.
feeler guage set that has stock sizes (6-8 thousandths on the exhaust, 4-6 on the intake valve)
BIG flat head screwdriver
4mm wrench
now youre ready.

Take off the crankcase timing mark cap, cam sprocket engine sidecover thing(on head), and valve covers.

Now while you have the socket on the bolt that is holding the cam sprocket on, spin the engine over with that while looking in the timing check hole on the crank. wait till the T (tdc) mark on the mag. lines up with the line on the case. The look up at youre cam sprocket and make sure that lines up with the line on the head. (make sure its a compression stroke).

Now while everythings lined up, take the 10mm and loosen the jamnuts on the tappits on the rocker arms. This will allow you to adjust the tappits up or down.
take youre feeler guage (stock specification clearance) and put it between the tappit and valve stem. then tighten the tappit down with the 4mm wrench and tighten the jamnut. Once done with both intake and exhaust valves, make sure jamnuts are TIGHT, and make sure you can fit the feeler guage you used back under the tappit but noting smaller or bigger.
Then put the valve covers, head side cover, case timing plug, and the tank back on and fire it up.

I would put this in the tutorial section with some images and more in depth description of some of the terms that you used. For a n00b most people wouldnt understand wtf you just said bro lol - Good job though!

a friend of mine has a rappy 790 and he said it is a ticking engine more notisabe when it is warm it kind of sounds like a car when it kneeds a oil change but most people dont bother with it B/C you kneed to take the front plastics off to do it

a friend of mine has a rappy 790 and he said it is a ticking engine more notisabe when it is warm it kind of sounds like a car when it kneeds a oil change but most people dont bother with it B/C you kneed to take the front plastics off to do it

Click to expand...

Its simple to do all you need to do is pop the gas tank off and the gas tank cover plastic on a warrior nothing else.

Adjust it after your first few rides, then again after about a month, then move onto every 6-8 months. For some reason I always find the intake valve on the average to be more out of spec then the exhaust.