EMS shim quiestion

[caperix]

Both of my Bikes are closing in on valve adjustment time.  I plan on ordering an EMS shim kit but have a question.  EMS lists different shim kits for 2 & 4 valve bikes, many of the other sites that sell EMS shim kits say that the 4 valve kit will work on newer 2 valve bikes with 7mm valve stems.  I will be doing the adjustment on a '07 695 & an '08 848 so I wanted to confirm that the same shim kit will work on both bikes.

[He Man]

im not 100% sure, but the 695 should be 8mm stem, for the older monsters, only the DS1000 motor had 7mm stems.

if i were you, id skip the kit and go with MBP collets instead. you can usually get away with trading shims around on you're bike and end up only purchasing 2 or 3 shims.

[Scotzman]

Both of my Bikes are closing in on valve adjustment time.  I plan on ordering an EMS shim kit but have a question.  EMS lists different shim kits for 2 & 4 valve bikes, many of the other sites that sell EMS shim kits say that the 4 valve kit will work on newer 2 valve bikes with 7mm valve stems.  I will be doing the adjustment on a '07 695 & an '08 848 so I wanted to confirm that the same shim kit will work on both bikes.

Yes, but if you're doing it yourself it would probably better to do the measurments and then buy the individual shims you need. The issue with the shim kits are they're different sizes (no duplicates) so if you need two whatevers then your screwed.

[Novelo]

I agree buying the shims you need will be the cost effective way to go IMO, I bought the whole kit but never use the bigger ones. Looks like both your bikes are 7mm valves so you could get away with ordering a few and building your own stash of shims.

[He Man]

the manufacturing tolerances will cause different stocks of shim to be used.


the shim kit (IMHO) isnt designed to be a parts kit it is best used as a feeler kit. EMS builds their shims on a very very strict machining standard so you use the kit to determine which one you need, and then order it. this way you always have EMS shims to refer to. If you start mixing in shims from the bike, then you get inaccurate shims. especially since ducati tolerances are different and sometimes someone else might have already sanded them down.

[Latinbalar]

I don't know if I am making any sense, but i know ordering specific shims is a pain, especially if you accidentally measured wrong or what ever.  So why not order larger than what you need and sand down to where you need?

[EEL]

You never want to order more than .05mm larger than what you need otherwise you'll be sanding for eternity. Also the more you sand the more chance that you'll have discrepancies along the shim in terms of actual measurements. Your hand is NOT as perfect as you think.

I always level check my surface for level before I sand to ensure I am flat and not placing uneven pressure during the sanding process. A simple bubble level can make a big difference.

[Desmo Demon]

the shim kit (IMHO) isnt designed to be a parts kit it is best used as a feeler kit. EMS builds their shims on a very very strict machining standard so you use the kit to determine which one you need, and then order it.

I have both kits and have done over 20 valve adjustments on several different bikes. The kit, for me, paid for itself in one valve adjustment compared to the dealer doing it and 2-3 adjustments out of the inconvenience of having to go to the dealership, swap shims, find out that for some odd reason the one I thought I needed didn't work out how I thought it was going to, and then have to go back to swap again. Not only this, but with the kit, I can do a valve adjustment on a 2V in about an hour, where as it takes me about 45 minutes, one-way to get to the dealer.....and they aren't open past 6 pm, or on Mondays, or Sundays, and some holidays...my shim kit is available 24/7/365 including all major holidays.

Additionally, I replace the EMS shims with EMS shims, since they are typically a bit cheaper than OEM Ducati. If I want to fill voids or have duplicates in sections of the kit that seem to be used more often, I pick up a few shims through eBay. I wouldn't doubt it if I have a more comprehensive kit than my local Ducati dealer, which.....prior to purchasing the kit, they didn't havce a shim I needed, I drove an hour and a half to get the one I did need from another dealer, and had my bike up and running for the weekend.

I agree buying the shims you need will be the cost effective way to go IMO, I bought the whole kit but never use the bigger ones.

Initially, I had shims that were no where near the range that I needed, and I also felt that I may have wasted money on an ovely comprehensive shim kit - until I bought more Ducatis and started helping friends do the valves on their bikes.