85 to 07 V-Max Valve Spring Replacement

Our demonstration will be done on an engine stand but all these methods can be done in the frame.

Start by removing everything in the way of the valve covers. Remove your spark plugs, drain the coolant,

pull the radiator, all water hoses must go. Pull fuel pump and v-boost servo motor. Pull your valve covers

off. With the alternator cover off set the engine on TDC (top dead center) cylinder #1 (left rear)

compression power stroke (not the overlap TDC where all 4 valves are open) Line up the mark on the

flywheel with the split in the engine cases as shown in the photo above.

On the right side of the rear head you will see the small hole TDC spots on the wheels on the end of the

camshafts. They will line up with the casting line on the end cam cap as in the photo above.

The #1 cylinders cam lobes will look like this. The cam centerlines will point to 2:00 PM intake and 10:00

AM exhaust.

Take the 90 degree finder and place it over the flange on your flywheel bolt. After cleaning any oil

residue from the surface of the flywheel make a small line with a sharpie at the 90 point lining up the

other tip with the TDC line. We need this mark 90 degrees from TDC to take out the camshafts.

With the engine still at TDC #1 use the sharpie to draw lines front and back on the side of the cam

wheels using the head surface as a straight edge.

Turn the engine to the 90 degree mark you made with the sharpie. Line it up with the split in the

crankcase. Make sure you turn the engine in direction of rotation which is counter clockwise standing on

the left side of the engine (flywheel side).

Take your sharpie and make a short line to mark the 90 degree position.

Mark both intake and exhaust cams at this point.

This is what the cam lobes look like at 90 degrees past TDC on cylinder #1. All the lobes on the cams in

the back head are off the lifters at this point. There is no spring pressure trying to rotate them as you

take the cam caps off.

Take a 19 MM or 3/4" box wrench and remove the rear cam chain tensioner cap. You may want to

remove your exhaust system prior to this work because it will make it much easier to access the

tensioner and if your valve springs have failed badly enough to break into serveral pieces you should pull

your oil pan to clean out any spring coils.

Take your 5 MM allen socket and remove the cam chain tensioner body from the back of the head.

At this point start removing the cam cap bolts with a 10 MM, six point socket. Take your sharpie and

make a "R" on each cap so you know the are the rear caps. Also make note of the numbering system

Yamaha uses. On the rear head number 1 intake cap is on the right. All Japanese engines number

furthest left as #1. The rear head on your V-Max is a front head with the cam chain tensioner mounting

hole in the opposite side. This is why the positional numbering is reversed. Remember that when you

bolt it back together. Also keep your rear head cams separate from the front head. Mark them "R" if

need be.

Make sure you can read the position number and the "EX" or "IN". If it is stamped poorly, clean it and

mark the position with your sharpie.

If your cam caps don't pull off, gently pry the corners as shown and they will come off.

I use electrical pliers to gently remove the dowel pins. Don't squeeze too tightly or you will damage the

pin.

You can use a cookie sheet or just a piece of flat cardboard to create a grid to keep your lifters

organized.

I use a small magnet to remove each lifter from the head. Make sure you don't mix them up.

Put these somewhere safe for now.

You can now rotate your engine in direction of rotation 1 full turn (from #1 TDC back to #1 TDC) and

then another 70 degrees until the "2T" TDC mark aligns with the split in the engine cases as shown in the

above photo. You have to tie the rear cam chain up to the back of the frame so it can rotate with the

crankshaft, or you can simply hold with your hand while turning your engine. It is very important keep

the chains from binding down by the crankshaft. If they get stuck just back the crank up a little and they

will become free again.

On the front head it is the large round marks that will align with the marks on the end cam caps. This

shows you are on TDC #2 compression/power stroke.

This is how the front cams lobes should look at TDC #2.

Clean the oil of the end wheels and mark the TDC lines as you did with the rear cylinders.

Take the 90 degree tool and mark the flywheel holding the left pointer of the tool on #2 TDC mark.

Rotate the engine in direction of rotation to align the 90 degree mark with the split in the engine cases.

You can mark a #2 next to this line so there is no confusion which line is which.

Now make your 90 degree line on the end wheel of the front camshafts both intake and exhaust.

This is how your front cam wheels should look prior to removal.

Using the same method as we used on the rear head, remove the tensioner, remove the camcaps (make

sure you can read the positional stamping on each camcap. If not, ID them with the sharpie), pull the

dowel pins and create another grid sheet to keep your lifters organized.

Rotate the engine so #1 is at BDC (bottom dead center) by aligning the TDC #1 line on the flywheel with

the split 180 dgrees away from the normal spot out front.

Now it's time to put the air pressure in #1. We use out 12 MM adapter for the Snap On compression

gauge part # MT308L. Works great. Use at least 80 psi here. With the motor at BDC it won't try to rotate

on you like it would on TDC.

Mount the "Ozie" stand (named after the guy in our machine shop that designed it) just as it's shown in

the above photo.

Gently push down on the retainer to free the valve keepers. Use a small magnet to retrieve them. Please

be careful at this point. Do not drop these down in the engine. If the retainer is stuck on the keepers so

the tool lifts the valve off the seat and your air escapes close the valve and wiggle the retainer with the

tool to loosen it. It will pop free.

Pull the old springs out and inspect them for all of their coils. Fish at the bottom of the lifter bore for any

fragments if you think you don't have them all. If your springs are blown in six or eight pieces it's time to

pull the oil pan on a search mission. Valve springs are super hard and can cause problems if left in the

bottom of the engine.

After installing your new spring, carefully replace the keepers on the valve stem. This takes some

practice and lots of patience. By the time you replace all the springs you will be good at it.

After you finish the intake springs on #1 move the Ozie tool to the exhasut side of #1 and follow the

same format as the intake springs.

To do #3 cylinder (right rear) turn the engine back to TDC #1 and that will put the #3 piston at BDC. The

picture above is at TDC #2 which puts #4 at BDC so in this position you can change the springs in the

right front cylinder. To do #2 or the left front cylinder rotate the engine so the #2 TDC mark is facing

rearward and aligns with the case split.

Now that you have all your new springs installed carefully replace your lifters in the proper spot.

Rotate your engine to align the 90 degree mark for the rear cylinder #1 on the case split.

Install the cams into the rear head aligning the 90 degree mark on the cam end wheel with the surface

of the head. Cams are not the same! They are marked intake and exhaust. Very important to get this

right.

Once your rear head cams are in place push with your finger inside the cam chain tensioner bore and

take all the slack out of the cam chain. When the chain is snug your cams should look like this. If you are

off a tooth just hop the chain on the sprocket until you get them to line up as in the above photo.

Install the camcaps in their correct order. The rear head has the #1 caps on the right hand side (clutch

side) and the front head has the #1 caps on the left or normal side of the engine.

Don't forget the chain guide which mounts on the coolant tube side of the head.

Torque all your camcap bolts to 104 inch pounds.

Install the cam chain tensioner body on the back of the head. Make sure you replace the gasket. You can

reset the tensioner by tripping the lever and pushing the center post back into the body of the

tensioner. Tighten the 2 screws at 104 inch pounds.

Install the spring and cap. Tighten down with your 19 MM or the 3/4" box wrench. Do not over tighten!

Once the cam chain tensioner is installed turn the engine backwards past top dead center slightly and

then rotate the engine in direction of rotation to the TDC #1 mark aligning with the split in the engine

cases. Your TDC marks on the cam end wheels should line up just like the above picture.

Here is the real trick to this job. You need to rotate your engine a full 360 degrees back to TDC #1 and

then rotate it forward another 70 degrees to the TDC #2 mark. The intake valves on the rear head

should be open on cylinder #1 when #2 is at the correct TDC. Once you reach this point slowly turn the

engine forward to the sharpie drawn 90 degree mark for cylinder #2.

At this point with the #2 cylinder's 90 degree mark aligned with the split in the cases you are ready to

install the front heads lifter's and drop the camshafts in place.

Here is your 90 mark aligned with the heads mating surface. Make sure you put your finger in the

tensioner bore and press on the chain to remove all the slack. With the chain tight these marks should

line up. If not, hop the cam chain around until they do.

After installing the camcaps, cam chain guide between the cam sprockets, and the cam chain tensioner

in the same manner as the rear head again making sure your camcap positioning is correct and torque

the caps to 104 inch pounds. Back the engine up past the TDC #2 mark and then turn the crank in

direction of rotation until the TDC #2 mark aligns with the split in the engine cases as in the photo

above.

With #2 at TDC your end wheels on the front head's camshafts should look like this. Turn the engine

over several times to insure everything is fully seated and check your valve lash. Stock engines run well

with between .004" to .006" intake and .008" to .010" exhaust. The 03 PCW .380" lift cams work with

.005" to .007" intake and .008" to .010" exhaust. Any questions please call the shop: 518-346-7203

PCW Racing, Inc.

112 Henry Street

Schenectady, NY 12304

518-346-7203, pcwracing.net, vmaxpcw@msn.com