Royal Enfield Himalayan Valve check 

Hi there, Dave-in-France here, again ! I reckon that for me, this is the definitive RE Himmie valve check video so I'm going to scrap all the others I saved. Not only do you dedicate sufficient time to explain which way is best to turn the crankshaft, but there were a number of little but important hints and tips to include when doing this job; such as lifting the FRONT of the tank to access the LHS pipes. You have inspired me to do the valves on my 2022 Himmie now as she has 10+ kms on the clock. Thank you very much for helping me. Dave

No opinion on clock- or anti clockwise. I take out the plug, put the bike in fifth gear and move the rear wheel in the direction of drive.

Hey man, well done and right told!! In germany we say "lange Rede ,kurzer Sinn" (Long Story, short content). Well, I turn the engine with the rear-wheel in drive - direction.. it's the best way to find the mark in the hole, mostly I find the mark at once: I have a look to the wakling valves and I see the moment, when both are closed. I have a look into the spark- plug - hole and I see the piston in the highest position... that is the right point and when I look to the flywheel - mark, - oh wonder, it's correctly!! So the plate behind the Engine-cover-bars can stay in place. I think, when you let the engine run with 0,2 mm on the outlet- valve, it works well. if it's my bike i would have a look every 5.000 km to this point and have a control... I think,it will be good for 20.000 km or so. thanks for making this good viedeo, it's coplete mymind... Stay healthy, Peter

I also have worked on motorcycles for years and I agree with you completely and have been using the counter clockwise rotation with adjusting the tappets. Interesting to note Royal Enfield has some RU-vid videos on doing your own servicing and there they actually state to turn it in a counter clockwise direction which is a contradiction to what they have there Manuel.

I've been working on motorcycles since the mid-1960's and we never turned any engine opposite the normal running direction that has a cam-chain tensioner.

For a complete newbie who bought this motorcycle to learn a little bit more about mechanics and doing the servicing myself, I SINCERELY APPRECIATE the time and effort that you have made to CLEARLY explain WHY YOU THINK that the rotation should be anti-clockwise, especially when there are so many 'opinions' expressed in posts. For me your logic wins out. Thank ypu again👍👍👍

You’re the 2nd RU-vidr that said it should be turned anti clockwise. Nick from Nick & Jodie's Episodes did a video on his Scram 411 a few months back and says the manual is wrong it needs to go anti clockwise like all other engines and it could cause issues going backwards. He’s also a professional mechanic. As a small engine mechanic everything you’re saying makes perfect sense. RE really needs to adjust their info in their Manuel and use a left handed threaded nut witch would cost nothing to change over to.

I've got the seat and the tank off because I just bought a new battery and am fitting some heated gloves so I thought whilst we're here let's check the tappets. And I remembered seeing your video a short while ago about CW/CCW, so here I am watching a bloke who's clearly done it more often than me and whose advice I'm going to take. CCW it is, simply because that's the direction I have ALWAYS done it since my first go at valve clearances back in the early 80s, you always turn the crank in the direction of travel. It 's nice to have somebody explain it correctly. Your camchain tensioner reasoning inter alia makes absolutely perfect sense. Thanks !! Also, I agree that 0.23mm is frikkin massive, you could get a bus in there. You talk a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I am looking forward to getting my TEC cam soon. Shame about the chocolate valves but, hey, it is what it is. I suspect Hitchcock's will be getting a fair bit of my hard-earned Euros sooner rather than later. But I'm loving not only my Himalayan, but also the superb worldwide Himalayan community and people like yourself who stop me making an absolute twat of myself 😂🤣😂🤣😂.

Interesting thoughts about this chain tensioner. This explains why some have problems with noisy tensioners . I had this problem at 7500km. Extrem loud noise. It’s not a single case. Some people had this already with overjumped chains and damage at the engine. 👍

I always get the correct TDC by turning the rear wheel in the direction of its rotation engaging in 2nd gear.(In compression stroke).

Thanks for this, I just purchased a new Himalayan last week. Still running in. I received the adjuster tool today and will do check once I have done a few more miles.

My comment is exactly the same as Dave below, just put this in to help the algorithm or whatever. I particularly like the rubber tube adjuster trick. I am now fully confident my TEC cam and Hitchcock (proper metal) valve installation will work as yours has. Many many thanks for your patience!

I totally agree with you that it's anti clock wise. BUT did Royal Enfield think its clock wise because they are looking at it from the right hand side of the bike?

Good stuff here. Thanks for the clarity of instruction and information. I did my 300 mile valve adjustment turning the engine clockwise. Next time I'll do it clockwise!

Very well explained. Thanks.

I have done it your way for years as I was taught. I agree with the comments on the thread on the nut. Well done.

Great video, subscribed! I particularly love the way you explain things fully, which is great for someone like me with less experience.

Spot on with your comments about which way you turn the crankshaft , why R/E say to turn clockwise I don't know because someone in the engine design side of things even put an arrow on the flywheel in the anticlockwise direction

WOW ! YOU are AWESOME ! PERFECT. 10/10. I LEARNT a LOT. THANK YOU sir. ALL the VERY BEST.

Nice demonstrational video , I do agree RE are a little on the minus side of quality but it works and works well,since the 80s I've been working on different bikes , Bsa , Tri, Norton , Honda ,Kawasaki , Ural , MZ ,BMW ,Ural brill once mods are done.Modern oils play a big part in today's engines lasting longer be interesting to know if one was run on straight oil vs modern engineering , love your tappet tool tube . Great Video.

Great video and agree 💯%👍

All common sense what you said there. Thanks for sharing your valuable experiences and this very practical approach in resolving those problems. Karl from Tasmania

Honestly brilliant video very well explained. Made sense even to me

Excellent, much appreciated.

Well done, nice work. Max

Take a plug out put in gear and turn back wheel , l do it that way on my V85 tt .

You do not have to be worried about the camchain tensioner .It will be fixed right and straight in the plastic chain guide when it is attacked on the cylinder. And the spring is hard enought to do the job. I have manual tensioner on my bikes and the force on the camchain is just fingertight. no more. If it is harder force the chain can brake of when it is hot.

Hi Ian....I keep watching your videos over and over so to digest and learn as much as i can because i want to undertake any work needs doing myself. The bike is only 7 months old and 8500 miles and just started to get noisy compared to what it was....There is a klonking sound if the engine is under any stress or laboured and i can hear valve rattle and sometimes a ticking noise from the oil pump chain area and yes all the areas you have covered in your videos so i am going to order the Tec Cam the Hitchcock valves and see if the oil pump sprocket needs a shim. Because of the mileage its had 3 main dealer services already at £200 a time and would be coming up for the fourth at 9000m, what's the point of buying a cheap bike at a bargain price to then give that same price straight back to them in service cost what a false economy... when i mention any issues to the dealership they never attempt to sort any out but tell me that's how these bikes are and all they do is the general oil and filter change and a possible valve check but who knows on that one? So all though i have over 2 years warranty left ive decided not to take it to them anymore im going to sort it all myself and i wouldn't attempt this without your videos. the 2 breather pipes under the petrol tank why does one of them have a steel spring clip on and one doesn't? When mine came from the dealership after the last service i noticed one of those rubber cable ties was sitting on the engine underneath the rectifier so i looked under the tank with a torch to see if any wires were loose or hanging down and i noticed that the pipe with the clip on was hanging loose not connected to the tank and the steel clip was missing?? So i took the tank off and re connected it i found it a tight squeeze as tho it wasn't long enough but i managed to get it on just wondered why that one was clipped and not the other? Sorry this took so long to ask a simple question just wanted to give you a dealership story and the kind of issues we are sometimes faced with. These are great videos nothing else comes close

I am not sure why it’s a discussion point. Any mechanic will tell you to turn the engine anticlockwise after you have removed the plug(s). It will make no difference to the valve position whatever way the engine is turned, but as you correctly point out turning it clockwise puts undue pressure on a relatively delicate tensioner that ratchets out and can relatively easily be forced back in past the delicate ratchet mechanism causing damage. Books, even technical books can have errors. RE have an error in their manual. They don’t make the manual readily available so luckily only trained mechanics who will use their knowledge to do it right.

and if you think you maybe have loosend the bolt you can still tork it back down after adjusting the tappets. Just put it in gear hold the rear wheel and tight the bolt ....

The clearance on your inlet valve in now set under 0,08 mm, since you are turning both parts without holding the inner part during fastening.

You’re right! Sweet sounding engine there.

Like others and yourself I turn it counter clockwise. I have wondered also two things - as the cam chain stretches and before the spring pushes the foot adjuster onto the next indent does the cam chain add to 'the noise'? Also as the miles rack up is there a service tolerance on the spring wear ? Great tip with the rubber tube - I was advised to put a crease in the feeler gauge so the gap was true on the basis if the gauge goes into the gap at an angle it will possibly give a slightly larger gap if bend it slides in square- if that makes sense? Thanks again for the very good video and the tips - including the 12nm for the locknuts - i could not find that spec .

Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Can I ask if you bought the stage two cam or the re profiled oem cam. I'm seriously thinking about this modification myself. Secondly, would you recommend setting the exhaust valve gap to 0.20 on an engine with the standard valves and cam. Just ignore any trolls, they haven't got a clue, you on the other hand, obviously do. You're creating accurate informative videos that will help a lot of people.

Great informative video. I’m a new subscriber. If i can ask a question? I’ve always installed an in line fuel filter on my other bikes but they’ve not been fuel injected. Mainly single cylinder 2 stroke engines. In your opinion is an in line fuel filter suitable or necessary for the Himalayan where fuel quality could be an issue? Thanks in advance

Also want to add re turning engine over, dont use the nut, With plug out and bike in high gear rotate the wheel

Will be following your example ref new valves etc and checking end float on the oil pump

Hi There , Another good interesting video thanks for that , can I ask where the torque value for the tappets came from please because I couldn't find this anywhere . I agree with your concerns with overloading of the cam chain adjuster and sprag clutch, I will watch with interest cheers mick.

I've done the valve clearances three times on mine now,always turned the engine in direction of travel. Never even suspected that the crank nut had loosened,it is way too tight. If you were concerned,when finished,torque the nut back to 80nm,bike in gear back brake on. The spring in the camchain tensioner I think they stole from a Parker pen.

At last my wife is wrong 😂😂😂 I did the valve adjustment on my previous himalayan and could never get it right, I sat on the floor with head in hands telling her the engine must go in the direction of travel She told me enfield must know what they are doing 😂😂 Keep doing what your doing as you do it well Wife can now do the walk of shame 😅

Hello from Bavaria, I have a question!? How did you attach the ammunition box to the luggage rack?

Hello Ian, I will be doing the valve clearance check tomorrow. I removed the tank but did not note the order of the overflow and breather tubes. Am I correct in assuming that there IS NO ORDER (each can be inserted on either side when replacing the tank) or is there a left and a right?

Majority of engines run clockwise and motorcycles as viewed from the Right hand side its just the way they work so its as you say just a typo .

I'm going to try that 2 pipes from the front thing on the tank next time.