K1100RS Valve clearances

[Snowy]

Looking at the OEM manual, changing the buckets is a right pain. Having checked mine, all of them are at the tight end of the specified range, but only one is actually outside it. There's one exhaust valve (range is 0.25mm - 0.35mm) where a 0.25mm guage won't fit, but a 0.20 will. I have to decide whether to do this job with the associated possibility of screwing something up or just buttoning it back up again and riding it. Is this 0.05mm problem a deal breaker or not?  Thanks in advance.

[Duc750]

A few couriers I have spoken to that have run K1100s to 300K plus have told tales of exhaust valves burning out so it probably is a good idea to keep the exhaust in scope.

I'd hate to do the job without the cam shaft locking tool though

[frankenduck]

I'd hate to do the job without the cam shaft locking tool though

Not really necessary: http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,971.0.html

[wmax351]

You want the exhaust on the loose side of spec, intake on the tight. The exhaust recede, and for the most part, the intakes don't.

[Scott_]

I've had a couple of burnt exhaust valves on my '97 in '08. At less than 30K miles. It was at a time prior to me doing my own wrenching yet, so I'm guessing the dealer hadn't checked them as they were supposed to have.

I've done a bucket swap on my '95 once. One was tight and another was loose by the same amount, so I swapped them. Probably shouldn't have, but it hasn't melted down and is still running today.

And no, I didn't have one of those cam locking tools at the time. I just zip tied the cam chain to the cam sprockets in 2 places of each gear, and then reinstalled everything. Worked just fine.
I have since picked up one of those cam alignment brackets, found it real cheap on flea-bay.

[Duc750]

I'd hate to do the job without the cam shaft locking tool though

Not really necessary: http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,971.0.html

Duck, that bit I can do (in fact I just took the tensioner out!) by the time I'd faffed around with that a few times it ended up being easier plus I thought it would be a good idea to check the chain anyway given how royally the PO screwed up the cam timing.
I was reffering to the tool the slots into the grooves on the end of the cams when cyl1 is at TDC to lock them all in position.

My local dealer lent me theiers (as they aren't supposed to have it anymore anyway!) but I do actually have a route to getting one of those tools new if anyone feels the need for one. I may eventually get around to buying one myself to be a bit more self sufficient but there are plenty of other things to spend £75 on at the moment !