Valve seat recession

[milkman]

Evening all
Started to get smo evalve seat recession on my left cylinder.
the valves have "moved" out of adjsutement slightly three times or so in 6 months, more thasn would normally be expected.

Any thing I can do to prolong the decay? I haven't been using any valve lube in my fuel, and I'm told that helps (maybe a preventative not a cure)

Am I looking at valve seats soon? Any idea how much that would hurt?

thanks

[airhead]

By adjustment moving, I'm assuming you mean the gaps are closing up.
Valve recession could be the problem, though also be advised that the 65 valve stems are thinner than the other Airhead models, and can start to stretch with age/heat. If it gets to this stage the valve head can eventually part company.....with obvious results, and not particularly uncommon.
Is it just the exhaust closing up, or both valve clearances?
If it's just valve recession then upper cylinder lubricants maybe can help, but by now something may well be happening that needs attention. Alao check that that side isn't running unusually hot, or the intakes aren't leaking air, leaning out the mixture.
New valve seats are fairly routine for competent shops, and shouldn't be ultra expensive, though with new valves, guides etc for both sides, could come close to a grand I'm guessing.

Bill.................;-)

[trolle]

If you have to adjust the valvesetting for every 1000 miles it is time to have a valve job done.

I had mine done two years ago and payed appr. £200.

greetings from a not quite sunny north but with good driving conditions

trolle

[airhead]

Milkman is in Oz Trolle. A $1000 is about the ballpark here depending on what needs doing. We'd love it to be around 200 quid (AU$500) believe me!! LOL

Bill..................;-)

[trolle]

He He   poor aussies. At last I have found a country more expensive than my own.

greetings from a ..., never mind, as long as the driving conditions are good!

trolle

[milkman]

Thanks Bill
I think it is mainly the left exhaust valve
Its geting to that pont where a few things need doing, spline heavily worn, this is rattling, thats cracking, and my bike is one of teh best R65's i've seen!  

Expecting i might need to the valves done - but for around a grand, wit the bike lucky to fetch two grand, i might have to weigh it up if it comes to that

[suecanada]

The actual valve job cost me $571.00 CDN which is virtually on a par with the USD. The final bill was $725.00 as we now include shipping, taxes and packaging for transport. Remember that it was the valve keeper grooves that were about to let go on my leftside exhaust valve.

[Bob_Roller]

Milkman,

It's a tough call to figure whether it's worth putting a large sum of money into an old bike.

I had my heads done in 1998, cost was around $500US, plus all of the other things I did, while I had the bike apart that far.

I just went through a costly maintenance cycle this last year, I put in just under $2000US into my '81 R65, with 80,000 miles on it, I don't think it's worth $2500US tops.

But I 'live' on my bikes, I ride to work just about every day and do a large portion of my errands on the bikes, on average, I fuel up the cage once every 6-8 weeks, (6-7 US gallons) and it saves wear on the cage, my '91 CRX just turned 100,000 miles, probably would have over 200,000 miles on it without the bikes.

So I guess you have to figure out for yourself whether the bike is worth the money and effort.

 But from what I've read, most R65 owners regret selling their bike afterwards.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I had my heads refurbished last September.  For around $550, I got 4 new valves, seats, guides and springs (and labor).  I am pretty sure he reused the retainers and spring caps.

I just looked at the currency convertor, and $550USD comes out to 592AUD.  (Wall Street had a good day, I heard...)
Of course, labor and parts prices could vary wildly.


Bottom line, though, is it is MUCH less expensive to fix it now, than later...  And if you sell the bike as is, can you keep mum about the issue to the new owner, and still sleep at night?

[milkman]

Well exacly Rob, thats my issue
I like to sell things knowing they work, alwyas give them a service first
I like my R65LS a lot, even when its crook it keeps going, its an admirable old donkey

I'm about to do all the easily done seals, as I'm gettig an unacceptable oil leak, that seems to be found running off teh sidestand and the curve n teh centre stand - can't work out where it originates, a lot around teh oil pressure switch. Its like having a British bike at the moment!

One teh heads are off though, then I may awel do them too, and I jsut payed for anothr years rego and throttle tube, so I may aswell ride it for a while.

Problem is I got offered a Triumph Scrambler at a great price!......oh oh conflicted

[trolle]

Hi milkman

have you checked the crankcase ventilation rubber hose - the one going from the ventilation valve at the top of the engine housing to the airfiltre house. If that hose has any cracks at all, the oil from the crankcase will blow all over your engine.

greetings from a snowy and cold north - definitely bad riding conditions

[milkman]

I'll have a look Trolle
Ther was a lot comingout from around the Oil Pressure switch.
Changed that today, so I'll see how it goes