[UncleErnie]

Just wondering why my manual says that.
What IS the rocker clearance- .10mm, right?

And why doesn't the exhaust valve have a bigger clearance than the intake- like most other bikes?

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

As I understand it, you set it to zero. I remember seeing a picture of someone using a feeler and it saying zero.
Just make sure it has no up and down movement, but has some twirl.

[UncleErnie]

There's a picture in the manual of a hand holding a feeler guage in there.
How do you use a guage to adjust to zero?  That makes zero sense.

I'm going to look at every page.  That has to be a mis-print.

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

There's a picture in the manual of a hand hoding a feeler guage in there.
How do you use a guage to adjust to zero?  That makes zero sense.

I'm going to look at every page.  That has to be a mis-print.

That what I thought. WTF? But I read elsewhere zero is correct.

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

read this:

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,2384.0.html

[scoTTy]

i take off the side cover.. arm myself with 2 wrenches .. (3 hands would come in handy) and check the up and down play on the pushrods.. and spin the adjustments.. till I I have very little friction..  it's easier than taking the tank and valve covers off and fooling with a feeler gauge..   takes a while to get the feel down..  but you will..  hang in there..

[longstrokeclassic]

The reason there is no difference between the recommended zero clearance when cold between the valves is that everything expands more than the pushrods as the engine reaches operating temperature and both pushrods end up running loose with adequate clearance, the inlet just ends up with a little more slack than the exhaust.

[UncleErnie]

I'm no scientist, but this goes against everything I've been taught.  Every other bike I've had requires valve clearance.  And the exhaust valves are always a little looser than intake.

I'm twitching here.  I don't know if i can adjust my own valves.  Someobady shoot me.

[ace.cafe]

I'm no scientist, but this goes against everything I've been taught.  Every other bike I've had requires valve clearance.  And the exhaust valves are always a little looser than intake.

I'm twitching here.  I don't know if i can adjust my own valves.  Someobady shoot me.

Longstrokeclassic has the explanation corrrect.
The clearances are only nil when cold. As the engine warms up, and the valves need to sit longer on the seats for cooling, the thermal expansion of the head creates the valve clearances. As long as the valves can seal when cold, they really don't need any clearances for cold-starting. They just need to seal.
As the engine gets hot, the clearances grow to about .012". If you put a clearance in there when cold, you'd lose more valve lift, and have a lot more clatter.

As for "other bikes' needing different clearances, they are other bikes with different designs and perhaps different materials, and different thermal characteristics.
And even then some engines have the same clearance spec on intake and exhaust..  And some get adjusted hot, and others cold. For example, Triumph sports cars have the same clearance on intake and exhaust, and MG sports cars have clearances with the exhaust having more clearance than the intake. It all comes down to the design.

Since it's been done on the Bullet this way for more than half a century, I think we're ok with it.

[Chasfield]

An engine warming up ride indicates that the zero-when-cold approach to valve clearances is reasonable for the Bullet. My Classic is as quiet as a Honda OHC when started cold. Once the engine is nice and hot, something for sure opens up because I then get plenty of reassuring valve train clatter - but not as much as my old Triumph twin had!

[UncleErnie]

Hmmm...
At 500 miles, I adjusted the valves.  I THOUGHT I read somewhere that the valves were to be set at .10mm- so that's what I did.
Now at 1500 miles, I'm changing all the oils and re-torquing the head nuts.  The valves have sclosed up (can't get a feeler guage in there), but the push-rods spin freely.
I haven't experienced any excessive noise.  Maybe having old Indians had inured me to excessive noise. ?

Also, I have ingrained in me the BMW routine of exactness.  Hearing all this sounds like saying, "Throw the rockers at the side of a barn, and if they bounce once- you've got it!"

However, this old dog shall attempt to learn a new trick at the urging of this august group.  I shall gird for battle, hold my nose, and jump in. 
Very scary!   

[UncleErnie]

OK- the last time I mushed around in there, I did pretty good while Earl was supervising.  Now, 1000 miles later, I can't remember what i did.  I remember using a 13, 10, and 8mm wreches all at once.  What do the different nuts do?  One is a lock nut, one does the adjusting, and I don't know what the 13mm does.  Which is which?

Eureka!  Found this;  http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php?topic=1832.0
No one seems to know what the 8mm nut does.  Well- when in Rome...