Valve adjustment for the GZ250

[Chris]

My camcorder is an ancient VHS tape model. Works well, but now with a new grandbaby I need to upgrade to a digital model. But for the moment I still have a VCR and my camcorder works just fine. I am old enough not to like it when the world moves to new technology. My camcorder is at least two generations behind and today you cannot even buy a VCR!
My bike is now in tiptop shape and I am just waiting on warm weather. Time for me to oil up the chain and set a new speed record! 76.9mph on the last one, but I know I can do better than that. The guys online talking about 90mph are just lying. Unless they change the gearing, etc. a stock GZ250 would never do that. Maybe off a cliff!

Chris, retired, Atlanta

[alanmcorcoran]

Chris,

Given how far behind you are (I'd say at least four generations) your best bet is to take the tape to a video shop and have them make you a CD with an .AVI or other PC compatible file. For a while there, there were digital Hi-8 recorders that could read an analog tape (I have an old Sony TRV350 I've kept around for that purpose.) My unit will convert the analog to digital and transfer it to a PC via a Firewire port. I'm not sure they had any digital recorders that wrote to the full size tapes - but there were a lot of different options over the years.

Since yours was made there has been:

Analog on Video8 and Hi-8 tapes (a little bigger than a music cassette)
Digital on Hi-8
Digital on mini DV (probably the most popular format today)
HD digital on mini DV
Various "tapeless" contraptions that use flash memory, hard drives, and DVD-R's

Don't worry,as soon as you buy a new one, it'll be obsolete.

[music man]

You can use a program/plug in like this, I have never used this or any other program to do this, but I have a couple of friends who say it isn't all that hard to do.


http://www.easyvhstodvd.com/

[kaput]

Can someone tell me 2 things about the valve adjustment?...

1. How do I know when I am on the compression stroke?

2. Which 2 valves are intake and which 2 are exhaust?

This knowledge is in preparation for the arrival of my "special tool" tomorrow.

:rawk:

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by kaput

Can someone tell me 2 things about the valve adjustment?...

Do you know how an engine with valves actually WORKS?
Not so sure it is a good idea to be adjusting the valves without at least rudimentary idea of what is going on in there.

Do you have a shop/repair manual? There is one available here for download.

The manual should help a LOT.......including the answer to your two questions.

[kaput]

I had a 65 VW bus for many years so, yes Easy, I have adjusted valves before, many many many times , not rocket science :2tup:

This is however the first time I have ever worked on a motorcycle.

The manual says to adjust the valves on the compression stroke, it does not explain how to get there other than going to TDC which will not put you on the compression stroke every time.

I HAVE downloaded the Manual and I can not find this information.

Please answer if you know the answer, if you don't know, don't bother.

Thanks!

[music man]

2 valves on the exhaust side and 2 valves on the intake side.

[kaput]

cool, so the 2 in front are exhaust and 2 in back are intake.
Thanks for the help.

[patrick_777]

Originally Posted by kaput

I HAVE downloaded the Manual and I can not find this information.

Please answer if you know the answer, if you don't know, don't bother.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by kaput

cool, so the 2 in front are exhaust and 2 in back are intake.
Thanks for the help.

OK, that is true but how did you deduce THAT from this:

"2 valves on the exhaust side and 2 valves on the intake side." :??: :shocked:

As to the other question:
Take the spark plug out. It makes the engine MUCH easier to rotate.

You want to find TDC on the compresssion stroke. That occurs when the piston is coming UP and both valves are closed. They both stay closed as you go past TDC for a ways.

The other time the piston is at the top, the exhaust valves will be open (starting to close) and the intake valves will be closed and starting to open. That is NOT the spot you want.

If you have trouble telling what the piston is doing:
Drop a LONG soda straw or something similar into the plug hole. This will tell you the relative position of the piston. Be sure you use something long enough that it won't disappear into the chamber.

I'm guessing the straw trick won't be necessary as the marks probably only line up at the two above points......which are pretty easy to tell apart just by watching the valves.

Good luck!

And I'm not trying to be a smart ass but anybody who has really worked on 4 stroke gas engines much at all should know that already. They all work the same regardless of the size.

AND I am just trying to keep you from getting in over your head and making things worse......really. :cool: