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Just a question, when checking your valve clearances what if any changes have you noted. Ex/in, tight or loose and by how much ? Thanks.

When I adjusted my valves at 6000 miles the intake valves were fine. The exhaust valves were a little loose. I adjusted the exhaust valves and I did not adjust the intake valves. As for how loose maybe .001" to .002" at the most.


Roger L

Thanks for the reply Roger. I thought I would get a more robust reply from the members. Just wanted to get a picture of how badly do the valves need to be adjusted or is BMW revenue hunting. I just got done adjusting a friends R100RS' valves that had not been inspected in 19,000 miles I found that the exhaust were loose less than .001" and the intakes were one the money. I was very surprised.

When I adjust my valves, they've usually drifted vary little if at all. While I check every 6K, I think I could go every 12 and not have a problem. YMMV

Mine doesn't get too far out of whack, and I've gone up to 10,000 between valve adjustments. ( sorry I don't really remember or pay attention to which way the valves go out of spec) You can tell by the rough engine when she really needs it, I think 6,000 miles is just an average, or base number. YYMV
Not really late with oil changes though, sometimes on the road there just isn't time for little things like valve adjustment.

Unless something very bad and unusual happens to your cams, followers, or valve stems, valves will always get tighter over time. That is because the valve faces slam against the valve seats, and over time they "bed in," which puts the valve closer to the rocker arms, reducing clearance.

The factory may set them on the loose end of the acceptable range to begine with. That is the "safe" approach. So, you may find them loose when you check them, but they were even looser in the past.

People who want good performance and don't mind doing more frequent maintenance will adjust their valves near the tight end of the range. Those willing to give up some power in return for longer maintenance intervals will adjust to the loose end of the range.

You have to set the pistons to TDC when the engine's cold to adjust valves, right? How does one do this without having to open things up?

Turn the engine over until a) the marks on the right-side chain gear (visible at the rear of the right-side cylinder head when its valve cover is removed) indicate TDC, or b) remove the rubber plug from the hole in the right side of the engine case, and make sure the OT mark (also indicating TDC) is visible.

To turn the engine over, you may either a) put the bike on the centerstand, select 6th gear, and bump the rear tire around in the direction it regularly turns until the right marks are in the right place, or b) remove the engine's plastic cover on the front, and using a wrench or socket turn the crankshaft in the direction it regularly turns until the right marks are in the right place.

Whatever route you take, confirm that you're at the correct TDC for the side you're going to work on by making sure that all four valves on that side show some looseness before you actually start adjusting them.

More info and pics here: http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=35445

I think this tread covers only the single overhead cam and not the new DOHC engine, as far as I know the new engine requires bigger intervals between valve adjustment. The original poster doesn't specify which model bike he's inquiring about.

High cam engines, as in oilheads and hexheads is what I was talking about. What is the interval for valve inspections on the newer camheads?