1987 Suzuki LT300E Valve Adjustment

[Lafytafy]

Is there another way to adjust the valves on my quad because I am unable to fit my hands between the frame to properly adjust the valves. I have the service manual but I don't want to remove the engine from the bike. Can somebody help me? Thanks!

[Gwbarm]

You might could get more access by pulling the gas tank.

[Mech]

I think they say to remove the back plastics, but I've always managed with everything in place, but I don't use feeler gauges..

Because the end of the valve gets worn into a dish it's not accurate to use a feeler gauge to set the clearance. It's better to use a dial gauge on the rocker, or calculate with feelers how far one turn of the adjustment screw adjusts the clearance, and then calculate how much of a turn of the screw it's going to need to give the correct clearance when backing off from zero clearance, or, you can set them by ear with a bit of trial and error as you get the hang of what the different clearances sound and feel like.

With a bike of that age, with a bit of wear everywhere, I'd ignore the book setting and just adjust then smaller and smaller till they stayed quiet after a run. I have found that those things, if the clearance is a bit too much, keep getting out of adjustment quick and get noisier. Once they are down to a close clearance somewhere near the book setting they don't get out of adjustment again in a hurry.

A valve with two thou clearance, if you lift the rocker and then slam it down as hard as you can in that confined space, and through that small distance, will make a tiny muffled click that is just audible, and will be barely feelable as a tiny travel if you have one side of a finger on the rocker, and the other side of your finger resting on the cover.  A valve set to four thou will make an easily heard, and clear, click, and that travel is fairly easy to feel even without a finger spanning the gap between rocker and cover.  These are all matters of perception though, and experience is important, so try adjusting them with feelers, then check it audibly and for play as suggested, then run it and see if it gets noisy again after a half hour or more, in which case re-adjust them a bit tighter, and always do all three checks, feelers, audial and feeling for play.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Mech

[Lafytafy]

I have removed the front plastics and the speedometer and I'm able to get to both intake and exhaust but I don't see a T anywhere from the inspection hole no matter how many times I pull it over. The T shows when the engine is at TDC and I just can't see the T stamped on the flywheel. Help me please.

[Gwbarm]

What do you see in the inspection hole, there should be a T and an F.

[Lafytafy]

I found it and adjusted them properly it was just hard to see it. Thanks guys!!

[Mech]

There should be a bung to take out so you can turn the crank with a socket.. That makes it easier to find.