Hello, I am hoping you all can help me out. I have a 199 KLX300 that has been very hard to start. I figured I would start with checking the valve clearance. First I noticed that the last person to service the motor had the intake cam 1 tooth off. After fixing that I attempted to check the clearance with no luck. I could not get a feeler gauge in it. So I pulled the thing apart and found the following.

Shim sizes:
Right: 2.65
Left 2.15

I need any help with what sized shims I might need to start getting this bike back in specs. Any other info you all can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

You need to get some smaller shims in there so you can get a reading, then you will know where you are. A lot of moto shops will swap out shims till you get the right one.

I would suggest you recheck your cam timing again before you start the bike. Make sure you have the engine in TDC on a power stroke, otherwise you could be 360 degrees off and your valves will have no clearance.... see! that is where you are now.

I would seriously doubt that the cam would be one off, so double check that too.

 

Not to suggest ignorance, so forgive me in advance, but are you sure the cam was at the base circle for the valves you were checking? If the lobe was pointed up and you could not get the smallest feeler gage(.002') in between the bucket and cam I would be concerned about possible valve damage, especially for exhaust valves. Hopefully more experienced machinist types will pipe in. If it was my bike I'd get smaller shims installed to get valve clearance in spec then run compression and leak-down tests to ascertain valve sealing quality.

 

Disregard, I was being an idiot. So far I have everything together. I will try to start it tomorrow.

 

Your going to need to get an engine mechanic involved. Don't do any more. Really, just tell him you messed up and ask him to fix it cause I think u have issues beyond your control.

Is this a troll joke?

 

Also might consider if someone did the MCM mod... I think I've read of some folks doing just one cam.