16000 Mile Valve inspection-here goes nothing!

Discussion in '8th Generation 2014-Present' started by Vulcanator, Aug 9, 2020.

  1. Vulcanator

    Vulcanator New Member

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    That's funny, however I feel like I did 5 rounds with Mike Tyson working on my VFR. :)
     
  2. stewartj239

    stewartj239 Member

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    Your 2 quotes exactly sum up my typical experience when performing any type of maintenance on my bike. I always start out being positive as stated in your first quote:

    "a great deal of patience"

    Then I very quickly delve into the point of no return as stated in your 2nd quote:

    "spent the next half hour swearing at the bike"

    Anyhow, great job. This is not for the faint of heart and you got through it. Thanks for the write up and pictures. When mine comes due, I will take your advice and have someone else do it :)
     
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  3. fink

    fink Member

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    Not so bad on newer bikes, but would agree wholeheartedly on 15 + yr old bikes that have been subject to the ravages of the British winter roads and subsequent piles of rusty bolts seized in place. New bikes are an absolute breeze, but no fekin space to work, takes 3 hrs to remove plastics for a 2 min job.
     
  4. John O

    John O New Member

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    Valve adjustment and cam replacement was a 4-hour job on my '83 VFR, less for a good mechanic I'm sure. Reading your report has convinced me to just rob another bank whenever my 8th gen is up for this service.
     
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  5. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    Sounds like the valve cover gaskets were a PITA for you. I have only ever replaced one on my old (1990, 130000km) ST1100 when that started weeping oil. A new gasket did not fix it, what I really needed was new washers for the hold down bolts as these compress over time and don't apply enough clamping force to the gasket. My 97 VTR1000F (nearly 95,000km) and 99 VFR800 (105,000km) are quite oil tight on their originals even with regular valve train inspection. My advice is to keep using old gaskets and not bother replacing them unless they actually get damaged. They seal across a wide area so don't actually compress much in use.
     
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  6. Vulcanator

    Vulcanator New Member

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    I certainly felt the same way. Now I've done the job once, my 32000 mile valve inspection is going to be quicker.
     
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  7. Vulcanator

    Vulcanator New Member

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    That will be my plan regarding the seals for the valve cover bolts. Live and learn though. :)
     
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2021
  8. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    Holy Crap! That my friend is a prodject. I am not a wrencher like you and would never take this on. But like you I called the dealer about the 16,000 mile service and found the same result of a qoute of $1200-$1300 dollars and was super bummed. I am glad I bought the bike at $7000 rather that the MSP of $11,999. The narrow little (Big Lady at 700+lbs) That I was trying to sell in May had takers but wanted a discount with this service coming up. She is at 14,498 and I found a way to keep here and said to all "Nope not going down on the price!" Thank God I did not, she is my only sanity!

    The reason that I am posting this is that this topic today was on my mind for at least week. The dealer quoted me 8hrs shop hours at $120 an hour here locally in Utah. Total $1200-$1300 without some of the following. 3 days ago a friend posted to me another option of a great Motor Sport shop locally owned by Women;-) and Family operated. I called the new contact and they quoted me 4-5 hours for the valve service and inspections. And added ones like flushing the clutch & rear brakes per request (had the fronts done 2,300 miles ago), and flushing the radiator fluid with ICE coolant and all of the required honda inspections like, Drive Train cleaning and adjustment, bolt insection, suspension inspection etc. Even with these add ones total with parts $750. HELL YA.
     
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  9. Vulcanator

    Vulcanator New Member

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    My decision to do the work is based on the job, the special tools required and their cost, and if it's worth the effort. For example I had a fork seal blow. The price for parts and labor compared to getting special tools, parts, and doing it myself made having the dealer do it more effective, so that cost me $500. $750 is a great price for all that work. I hope they know what they're getting themselves into. When you get the work done by all means post your experience on the forum.
     
  10. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    Of course I will, They are highly recommended for all makes including Ducati, Kawi, Suzuk etc. He did note a special tool for the Vtech valves that he thinks he can accomadate and manufature but if not he will order it prior to service. I do not know the cost but he gave me the impression that the shop would take it as a shop tool cost and not pass it along to me.
     
    Last edited: Feb 10, 2021
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  11. Vulcanator

    Vulcanator New Member

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    I bought the genuine tools, they cost me about $140.
     
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  12. Terry Smith

    Terry Smith Member

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    Wow...AFAIK the "special tools" for a fork seal change is a 6mm allen driver, a couple of 14mm spanners and not much else. A piece of PVC tube works great as a fork seal driver.
     
  13. fink

    fink Member

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    The slider pins cost about $30. Part no 07XMZ-MCEA100. I would check number as it may have been superseded.
     
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  14. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    So I am confused. I read this and if I am correct the U.K and Canada uses the metric system so is this actual U.S. Miles or metric Kilometers. Did they make a edit error on the measurment used in the country of enqire? 24,000 Kilometers equals just shy of 14912.908613696 American miles. Even though the service says 16,000 miles U.S. It would be good to know what reply Honda of America would respond with.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2021
  15. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    Well no, But I always have extra parts and no where to be a whrencher or a shop. Oh add tools. So Maybe!;-)
     
  16. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    That is why I did not take it on. But I am glad you did because I know how it feels to get shit done on your own if you are confident enough to do so. And have it done right. I don't like the idea of trusting someone i dont know work on what I love. But It is a nessisity for me because my skill set is not one to work on interal engine parts.
     
  17. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    Good thing is that they are not passing a shop tool of $140 on to me to do the job! The main thing for me is that if you cannot do it on your own, that you have or find a shop to trust and I am only going on referral here. But The dealer wanted $120 an hour at 8 hours to do a 16,000-mile service. That did not even include parts and quoted me $1,200 to $1,3oo without. Yes, the service included oil change, inspections and some adjustments. This shop looked it up and it was 4.5 hrs. to do the valves. The rest really would only take another hour with the body work off to do the rest. They quoted me $89 an hour and included all of the parts (gaskets, oil, filter, shop fees, disposals and this that and the other) for 800. That included checking out the wobble I get with the T30 evo tires with less than 2,000 miles. Yes, I am taking a calculated risk, but I was lied to by the local dealers and I have to go somewhere. I hope I found my Holy Grail of local, competent service techs. I found it very cool that it is Female owned and family operated. I thought of Anne Marie if she had here own shop.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2021
  18. fink

    fink Member

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    No you are not correct, I don't know about Canada, but in the UK we use the "real" imperial and metric so we can work in both. The distances and speed are the same as USA, its the volume bit that is different. 1 mile equates to 1.6Km . The service intervals in the manuals are quoted in miles speedo/odo can be changed between mph and kph. The differences between the service intervals/checks ( with the exception of the first one) are 6.4K km or 4k miles.
     
  19. Bubba Utah

    Bubba Utah Member

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    Ok, So I remember in England you have a name for people of Welsh dissent What was that name again? ;-) I am 65% English vs. 12% Welsh vs. 15% Dutch and 8% something in middle europe per ancestry.com just for reference! :) I just bring this up because I have been gone so long and found it funny if it was from you or someone that I forgot about a name for someone Welch . So many people are so polticaly correct that it sickens me and I found it funny. Ok continuing

    So my bike is in a shop for a expensive service that I did not need done? Correct? It is in process and I am screwed because I could have waited until next year or beyobd to do so if 24,000 miles is correct? I always love your response to my confusion. I was out so long that I did not see the revised service schedule from the group if correct. I should have gotten back to the forum before putting the bike into the shop. Ok $750 for no reason but it will let me wait for another 24,000 miles before I go back in.
     
  20. fink

    fink Member

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    I'm from Scotland so am Scottish. :)
     
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