Valve Adjustment - 450r won't start

[Alpine47]

Here is the deal I have a 2007 TRX450r with less then 20 hours of riding time. I bought the bike new 3 months ago but it probably has been sitting in the crate for over a year at the dealership.

About a few weeks ago I took the bike out to Durhamtown and was riding the trails and catwalking here and there for a good 6 hours. On one of the catwalks the bike stalled and it kept cranking but wouldn't turn over. After my friend flipped his bike we called it a day and towed both bikes home.

Last night I finally got around to tearing the bike down to figure out the issue. i'm assuming it's the vavles cause when I took of the intake filter it seemed there was little suction at the intake. Then I did a compression check and it read 60 psi???? I have never done a valve job with shims so my question is how do I figure out what my valves are at right now.

I tried checking the clearence for both exhast and intake but I can't get the thickness guage in either granted I only used the guage needed for each (.006 intake and .011 exhaust) do i keep using a lower guage until it slides through and use that as my calculation??

cliffs: how do i find out what my valves are at right now and is a 60 psi compression reading normal for valves that need to be adjusted?

[Sjorge450R]

get the .005 and the .010 gauges, they may fit, but you are saying you cannot get the others to fit which leads me to say the valves are out of adjustment. use your feeler gauges, figure out how far out you are and plug your numbers into the formula that is provided in the manual. Make sure you order a Hotcams shim kit just because its nice to have all sizes on hand.

[Alpine47]

thanks I figured that was the case, but it seemed like nothing would fit. I'll try again tonight when I get home. I should be getting the shim kit today ordered it from Rocky Mountain as well as a new grab bar. :D

[TRX450RACER174]

Is it a Kicker or a ER? If it is an ER the cranking compression is about right, I set it to crank between 60-65 cranking psi, If it is a kicker they like a little more comp like 70-75 cranking psi. I would highly doubt its your valves i would pull of your carb take the bowl off and blow out all of the jets and passages and reassemble then see if it starts or not. JMO

Erik

[rideracelivemx7]

well my crf is an 03 and still had a stock top end, when i got it i went over it before i went nuts on it, i was gettings 62psi with a older compression tester, so it sounds like your on the money, its that low ecuase of the built in auto decompression release

[venom450r]

Keep going down on the gages until you get one that's tight, but moves freely. Also, check out this link. (http://webpages.shepherd.edu/ghott01/valveadjustment/valveadjustment.html) It's a great write up & should make adjustments a little easier for ya. There's also a link in there to a shim calculator

[st8jacket]

at 20 hours I dought its gonna be running fine then just outa the blue die on ya,and not fire back up..You would see the effects of the valves getting out of spec before hand..Hard dtarting,back firing,long before cutting out on ya....most likly like said above its in the carb..If you where dragging the grab bar the float may have got hung up..either pull aprt or give the bowl a few taps

[Alpine47]

Update... okay last night I tried taking my feeler guage to the lowest one on the exhaust side .003 and i still could not slide it in between the rocker arm and shim. I am 100% sure I am at TDC I checked the marks on the crank and cam multiple times and rotated the motor a few time to make sure counter clockwise of course still can not get the feeler guage in there so how do I know what the differece is??

Using this formula

A: New shim thickness
B: Recorded valve clearance
C Specified valve clearance
D: Old shim thickness

A = (B-C) + D


Exhaust....... A = (0.00-0.11) + D


Also I'm definetly going to check the carb tonight as well just want to get the valve adjustment out of the way first.


also I appreciate all the help, i just can never justify taking my bike to a shop I've personally seen how they treat customer vehicles and the techs at the dealership near me are all 18 year old kids who have no certifications at all.

[TRX450RACER174]

Best way to make sure you are a TDC is make sure your intake cam lobes are pointing to the rear, .003 seems awfull tight for a bike with less than 20hrs of ride time and especially on the exhaust side, The intakes are the ones that usually tighten up first but huh anything can happen i guess. And i always mic my shims unless you by factory Honda ones i have a Hot Cams shim kit and i always double check them before throwing them in.

[st8jacket]

to rid any doughts you have try this out..
http://crfsonly.com/calculators/crf450-valve-shim-calc.php

[Alpine47]

*Update*

Not my valves, all are within spec.

Checked my fuses

Not my kill switch relay the spark plug is getting a bright blue spark.

Tried spraying starter fluid in the intake and the bike still wont crank.

I'm nervous about taking the carb off but looks like its my only choice and next obvious place to check

[TRX450RACER174]

If you dont have a repair manual you should download one.

[Alpine47]

I already have the service manual and I have walked through the trouble shooting and none of it worked.

[TRX450RACER174]

I would suggest taking the carb apart and cleaning it out as well.

[budman1]

Damn, still nothing!!! Durhamtown is calling man!!! question: if it didn't start w/ the starter fliud, could it still be the carb? I have faith you'll get it. Keep digging!!:)

[TRX450RACER174]

Well i am not really a fan of starting fluid and this has a flatslide carb so i am not sure how it will affect starting with starting fluid.
Ok i dont know if this has been discused but have you checked all the plugs in and around the carb as well as the thumb throttle area. This has a sensor system that if the thumb throttle and carb are not synced together it will not start, so double check all your connectors as well. If it has spark it is a it has to be a fuel problem.

[Alpine47]

I'll say this though seeing my bike naked definetly turns me on

:blah:

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0202.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0203.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0204.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0205.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0206.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0207.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0208.jpg
Throwin in a pic of the new grab bar
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0209.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0210.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0211.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0212.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0213.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0214.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0216.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0217.jpg
Limited tools i'm workin with (hair dryer is not mine)
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk154/Alpine47/IMG_0220.jpg:D

[budman1]

man i hope mine looks that good w/ no clothes (plastics and seat) on. Did you check out the connectors on the thumb throttle.? your carb doesn't look bad from the pics.

[st8jacket]

starting fliud ''either'' is ok in small amounts,,,When you start flooding the engine with it is when damadge can occur,,It washes the cylinder down of the oils than lube the rings,,then you have hardendend rings riding on bare steel...But a shrt burst with the throttle open to get it past the slide is ok...dont waist your battery trying to start it with out a filter on it..most lkely it wont start cuz rhe idle passages are open t no vacume..There the little holes under the ventury..

If it has spark like you say. its is in the carb somewhere,most likly the float,,,

[smo0oth1]

lol is your bike actually in the house? How you get it in there if so?

[st8jacket]

thats too funny,didnt even notice that..My wife has a fit when I use the tub as a parts washer...I guess it would make a great foot rest

[venom450r]

I'd say spray the carb down really good then try starting it again. Also, what kind of shape is the cam chain in? Does it look stretched or is it kinked anywherel? It might have jumped a tooth or 2...