Question about 600 mile service

[BiggKKat]

What exactly do they do at the first service....pretty expensive from what i've been told...........Is it a bad decision to skip and have a friend change filter and oil......

[woobie]

It depends on if they go by the book or not.

The 600 mile service includes checking the valves and adjusting if needed. Oil and filter change, and torqueing all bolts to spec.

The valve adjustment is the big Cost, they want $3-400 (Cdn) to do it locally.

The dealer I bought my Kat at only does the torque check and oil change at 600, if the valves are noisey they will check them, otherwise they said they check the valves at the next service interval.

Regardless of what you decide, I would strongly recommend getting your self the factory service manual.

[trinc]

the 600 mile service is the most important one.

you need to get all the breakin metal out ( change oil & filter )
but the valves MUST be re-adjusted now that they've seated.

inspect & adjust all the cables - brakes - re-torque all the bolts etc.

tim

[Matt]

but the valves MUST be re-adjusted now that they've seated.

+1

Do not blow this off, it makes a biiig difference.

Both my bike and my wifes (both bought new) came back from their service quieter than they went in.

[BiggKKat]

Thanks guys.............I didn't realize the importance of the first service

[WildKat]

Yeah, the first one is the most important.. since it affects the life of ur bike more than any other service interval.

[harrye]

...The valve adjustment is the big Cost, they want $3-400 (Cdn) to do it locally...Regardless of what you decide, I would strongly recommend getting your self the factory service manual.

That would be about $240 to $320 in US funds. Is that really what it will cost? I've got 260 miles on my Kat and the 600 mile mark is approaching.

Where does one get the service manual? Suzuki's web site? Clymer?

Any special tools needed for the valve adjustments?

I'll do a search here too. Maybe its already covered.

[trinc]

...The valve adjustment is the big Cost, they want $3-400 (Cdn) to do it locally...Regardless of what you decide, I would strongly recommend getting your self the factory service manual.

That would be about $240 to $320 in US funds. Is that really what it will cost? I've got 260 miles on my Kat and the 600 mile mark is approaching.

Where does one get the service manual? Suzuki's web site? Clymer?

Any special tools needed for the valve adjustments?

I'll do a search here too. Maybe its already covered.

read my how-to

http://www.pacifier.com/~trinc/katana

[harrye]

Trinc, I found your How-to in Mechanics 101, I think, last night. Color pictures are a giant step forward from the shop manual diagrams. The valve adjustment seems like open heart surgery to me at this point. But there's a lot of stuff in your how-to that I now know I will be able to do. Like changing the oil.

One of the instructions that I read from another source said "never put on the new oil filter using just your hands." It said use the filter tool. You use the filter tool as well. Do you know why one can't hand tighten the new oil filter?

Your posting is invaluable. Thanks very much.

Harrye

[woobie]

Remember to do the valves you have to strip off the farings, Gas tank, Throttle, choke cables, and oil lines, Stator cover, then the head cover. So you looking at about 30 minutes(give or take a few) to strip it down, then another 30 to put it back together. So there's an hours labour rate there.

Now figure what they will charge to check each valve and adjust if needed so it can add up. Parts wise your looking at a few gaskets Stator ($10 cdn) head if you don't reuse it and a few O-rings (oil return hoses).

IMHO stripping it down is easy, putting it together is easy (if you keep your parts sorted ). The hardest part is doing the ajustment and knowing the right feel for checking the spacing of the adjuster nut.

BTW they get checked/adjusted every 12000kms (7500 miles). So it could be if you ride alot a yearly(if not more) item to have done.


BTW if you have a digital camera take pictures as you go, that way if you forget how things are routed you can look at the pics.

[katman05]

I had my 600 mile check done last week,it came to $319.00 cdn,he also put in semi synthetic.Like you said taking off the fairings and adjusting the valves take time.I asked how much the 1000 mile check would be and the dealer said about $125 cdn.But the first one is the most important.

[KatDan]

these engines won't necesarily make noise if the valves are out of adjustment, sometimes they tighten up rather than get loose. it's really not that bad of a job on the 98+ Kats, just take your time and have someone help double check your work. check out page 3 and 4 here, there's not much to it once you have the plastics off.

http://members.tripod.com/katana1998/oem_service_manual.htm

[The CyberPoet]

One of the instructions that I read from another source said "never put on the new oil filter using just your hands." It said use the filter tool. You use the filter tool as well. Do you know why one can't hand tighten the new oil filter?

The OEM oil filter is designed to be turned a full two turns after contacting the seal to the block. Your hand simply isn't that strong, and as a result, hand-tightening it the way you might with an old chevy engine will result in a poor seal that can open up under high-RPM oil pressures, resulting in oil leaks and unexpectedly low oil levels.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[bwink]

It cost me $136 for the 600 mile service. The invoice listed oil, oil filter, air filter, and labor. Does that mean my valves did not need adjusting or did I have to ask them to? When I left the bike, I told them I was there for the 600 mile service. Now that I have 1450 miles on the Kat, what should I do if anything. Not exacly sure what it sounds like if the valves are not correct but I do not hear anything out of the ordinary.

What should I do?

[The CyberPoet]

It cost me $136 for the 600 mile service. The invoice listed oil, oil filter, air filter, and labor. Does that mean my valves did not need adjusting or did I have to ask them to? When I left the bike, I told them I was there for the 600 mile service. Now that I have 1450 miles on the Kat, what should I do if anything. Not exacly sure what it sounds like if the valves are not correct but I do not hear anything out of the ordinary.

What should I do?

Call the dealer's service manager and ask him point blank if the service included the valve adjustment. If it's a Suzuki-authorized dealer, get it on tape if possible. The price is too low to have included the valve check unless they are discounting at more than 50% or their hourly shop rates are about $25/hr. Then contact Suzuki America and ask them what they think of a dealership skipping this crucial check-up step. My guess is they will ensure you get the service -- probably for free, but at least for no more than the balance of what it would have cost you to get the right service in the first place.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet