The feeler gauge snapped off. :(

TwistedKestrel said:
Ooooohhhhh... the valve cover has ports in it! Suddenly things make a bit more sense. I guess they want you to do valve adjustments often. :P Sometimes valve covers can be a bit sticky, there's usually a tab on them that lets you pry them off (albeit CAREFULLY). Yours looks like it has such a tab on the rear right side.
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I've rolled the bike away for today. I'm going slow on this because I don't want to **** **** up. So where I stopped was the conclusion that my hand does not appear to be enough to separate what is probably a form of silicone which acts as glue. The black goop. So I wondered if what is needed is a rubber mallet or some other tool.
 
You should still be able to pry it off, silicone makes a nice seal but it doesn't adhere very well
 
Yep, tap lightly with a soft mallet, all around the valve cover. Be patient, it'll come off.
 
Is there a hidden stud/ nut/ screw? Do you have a manual? Are there YouTube vids available to do this on your motor?
 
Jayell said:
Yep, tap lightly with a soft mallet, all around the valve cover. Be patient, it'll come off.
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This. Work slowly. The broken piece could very well be still jammed between the adjuster and the valve. Either way, once you have the cover off, I'm betting you'll see it in there quickly. This is how you learn to wrench, through necessity. :)


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TwistedKestrel said:
silicone doesn't adhere very well
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I think it does. I use a very small smear of silicone to hold wheel weights. It's such a bugger to get off that I may quit using it.
 
Next time get some mac tools or snap on feeler gaauges bend like a mofo and I think only 15 bucks or so. If u have all the bolts out then yeah just ripp that thing off maybe a tap here or there with a rubber Mallet you'll be good. Make sure you clean it good before u put it back together and get all the oil off the surfaces before you re silicone

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inreb said:
I think it does. I use a very small smear of silicone to hold wheel weights. It's such a bugger to get off that I may quit using it.
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Yep, they use silicone to glue aquariums together.

OP get a credit card or plastic chisel for automotive interior work, jam it there then gradually pry.

Try not to use a screwdriver against the sealing surface
 
Alright, I misspoke. I was thinking of RTV specifically when I said that
 
I haven't yet done it. I bought a no-mar Estwing rubber mallet on sale at CT. I'll most likely get to it on Monday in part because I need to study and in part because I don't want my neighbour turning on his laundry duct while I'm doing stuff. He tends to run it a lot on the weekend due to electricity rates. So all I can do is see how it goes. Not sure if the black Suzuki sealant stuff is RTV or silicone. I do know it is important to not scratch the surfaces because then you get oil leaks. I took a look at Dan's MC pages and for crankcase splitting he says that if the mallet is not enough then what you can do is use a planer blade and very carefully insert and give it a light tap and very slowly do stuff. The theory is that the splitting then begins. The advantage of the planer blade is that one side is flat and the other side is angled. Of course I would hope it doesn't get to that point. I will feel much better about things once the cover is off and the piece is located. It is not under the screw.

One thing for sure, I won't be buying those motion pro 0.08mm feelers again. The size is great but apparently I am not the only one who has had them snap. It's metal fatigue, like when you work a pop can tab. The alloy used could also play a part. Like if you have too much carbon in steel your steel becomes more brittle and prone to cracking.
 
Well, if you have a good working micrometer, you can get away with the cheapest feeler gauges you can find. They don't even have to match the thicknesses they're marked with
 
TwistedKestrel said:
Well, if you have a good working micrometer, you can get away with the cheapest feeler gauges you can find. They don't even have to match the thicknesses they're marked with
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Not everyone can use a micrometer, lol. I ju recently discovered how to use one
 
Jimsun said:
Micrometer for valve adjustment....
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In a setup that uses shims, sometimes the printed thickness is worn completely off the shim, so it's handy for that too. Obviously does not apply to OP
 
RTV is room temperature vulcanizing silicone.

Try to avoid prying up on the cover to remove it. If you warp it during removal it will leak down the road. Your best bet with the hammer is to tap it from the side. I usually use a piece of wood across the side and hit it with a heavy hammer. Let's say your looking down at the valve cover from the top. You want to hit it directly left to right or right to left if that's how you like to roll. Basically you want to sheer the silicone.

If you try to hammer or pry the cover up and off you will end up breaking something or warping your cover.
 
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