Valve Rocker Arm

[tagordon]

Finally got to checking the end play on rockers. Airhead advised that possibly end play @ rocker could be source of the knock I hear. Left side = one rocker with no end play & one with much end play. Right side = both rockers have end play. All rockers with end play have .25mm approx. I am guessing as I did not measure.
I read Clymers & it says some rockers can be shimmed to eliminate end play.
Anyone shimmed out end play on rockers?
I have looked @ parts fiche @ Max's BMW http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/MainDiagrams.asp?mospid=47851
& think these are the shims:
 17  11331337718   spacer ring  (0,30)  BUY   1   $1.00  
 17  11331337719   spacer ring  (0,25)  BUY   1   $1.00  
 17  11331337720   spacer ring  (0,20)  BUY   1   $1.00  
 17  11331337721   spacer ring  (0,35)  BUY   1   $1.00  
 17  11331338190   spacer ring  (0,50)  BUY   1   $1.00
  
Thanks for any & all replies

Troy

P.S. I am starting to think bike repairs are like dating. Hope the ride is worth it.
BTW. I been with the same wife for 30 years.

[Bob_Roller]

Troy, I shimmed all 4 of my rocker arms,, after I replaced the needle bearings, as I had to replace one rocker arm, and it required shimming, so I went ahead and did all of them. I tried to get equal thickness of shims on each side of the rocker arm, and also tried to get the rocker arm centered on the valve tip, or at least as close as I could get it. I tried to leave about .002 in. clearance between the rocker arm shims and the support 'block' that the rocker shaft goes through, to allow for metal expansion when up to operating temperature. It will quiet down the noise a bit . These bikes will go through some expensive maintenance cycles, I'm just about through with my latest maintenance, and it's around $2000 at this point, but this is about the only money I've put into the bike in 26 years and 80,000 miles of riding, other than the usual consumable type items.

[tagordon]

Bob
Can you tell me if I am looking @ the correct parts?

[Bob_Roller]

Yes those are the correct parts, the .20, .25 etc. are dimensions in mm. So be sure to convert to metric dimensions, as the parts listed are mm.

[Chris_in_BC]

Bob what year bike are you riding?
Not sure I understand what you did . On my 78 and 81 bikes, I just use a large C-clamp with a couple of sockets bigger than the rocker shaft to squeeze the rocker support blocks so there is no end play PRIOR to tightening the cylinder head nuts.

I loosen the tappets and check the rocker moves freely but has no end play.  Then set the valves - loose  .

No shims used.

The plastic/ metal one hand squeeze clamps sold in all hardware stores now ,work even easier than a C-clamp

[Chris_in_BC]

Bob, I just read one of your other recent posts. I see you have upgraded rocker arms which is why you have done the shimming.

In Troy's case, with an 81 as long as the bearings are OK etc. all he needs to do is slacken head nuts and take up slack between rocker blocks and rocker arms.

I don't thimk you can use the shims on the original 1981 rockers.

But I have been wrong many times.

Chris

[Bob_Roller]

Chris, I only replaced one rocker arm, because it was damaged, I put shims on the other rocker arms just to keep everything the same. I was concerned that the shims might wear and fall apart, but with about 70,000 miles on them, they have yet to give me any problems.

[Chris_in_BC]

Thanks, Bob, Didn't know you could do that.  Are you happy with significant noise reduction?

[Bob_Roller]

Chris, it reduced the noise a bit, but I didn't have excessive end play to begin with. It almost wasn't worth the effort, but at the time the shims were 25 cents each, so I think it cost me no more than $2 for the parts, and I had the rocker arms off anyway to replace the needle bearings, so I just went ahead and did it.