GL 1200 valve problem

[Paola Zago]

Hi everyone, we have a problem with my husband's GL 1200, the motorcycle is an Interstate with 360,000 km, which works like a Rolex! only recently, every now and then, it seems that a valve beats, makes noise, a noise like a small hammer beating, it is not constant, sometimes it does sometimes not. We turned to the Honda dealership in the city, but the mechanics, all young boys, had never seen a Gl 1200! The workshop manager inquired about the problem and according to him we need to change the "adjuster, hydraulic lash" and here some confusion begins because on the part list an adjuster is marked with the No. 4 and the other with the No. 4. / 6. and they also don't know which ones to order because they are no longer available at Honda and I have to look for them on the internet. I have seen in England, however, that cost about 100 euros each (92/93 dollars) each, and replacing 8 is a very high expense for us in this moment of coronavirus, where my husband is two months who does not receive a salary . I looked for the old Honda mechanic, who retired and moved to the Canary Islands, and reached by phone, he told me that you must not change the "Adjusters", but only change the "shim, hydraulic lash adjuster stopper "and we have these in the garage.
One last question, the "gasket, cylinder head" of the GL 1000, are they the same as those of the 1200 ?? I ask because we have the ones for the GL 1000 in the garage, while we have to order the ones for the 1200. What do you advise us to do? We are in your hands, we rely on your experience and passion for these marvelous motorcycles.
Paola

[Oldewing]

I would first do a reset of the lifters, as they are hydro and could have some air in the system.

there will be a step by step in the shop manual, unless some of the In House 1200 come along....

[ericheath]

There are shims and a specific measurement to use to determine whether another shim is needed. By the manual, you have use a specific tool from Honda but available from others for around $40.

You have enough kms to justify checking them all.

That said, you could just have dirty, clogged passageways for the oil. The adjusters are an odd duck to me. A manual is needed.

[Paola Zago]

meanwhile, thanks guys for the first answers, they are also a moral support.
we have 1.0mm "shim, hydraulic lash adjuster stopper".
Be patient, but I haven't figured out what the $ 40 tool is. if necessary I buy it immediately.

[ericheath]

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I bought the tool off eBay.

IMO it could be done with a good caliper, you just have to make sure you’re on the proper lip. Then subtract the differences from the chart.

[CYBORG]

I had the same problem with my 1200 (1986) , but not all the time. Only once in a while, sometimes after sitting for a few days, After changing oil a few times ,and riding more, it has stopped.

[ericheath]

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[Paola Zago]

thanks to all for your answers, I showed the manual page to the mechanics, but they spread their arms, both because nobody knows English, and because, according to them, it is too complicated a job to do and they don't have the equipment right. at this point I believe that for the moment we will let the engine occasionally beat like a small hammer, hoping that no more serious damage will happen. Waiting to find a solution or a more expert mechanical workshop, in the meantime I look for the necessary tool. this tool you need, has a code?
Paola

[ericheath]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GL-1200-GL-150 ... 1789322279

[jdvorchak]

2 of the 3 1200's I've owned did this. Usually after warmed up a little and after sitting at a red light then accelerating away. First the tapping was from the right side then the left side. In all cases it went away after just a few seconds. I never looked into it because the tapping means the valves are loose and would cause no damage. I did find that the more often I rode them was better. Sometime not tapping for an entire days ride. IMHO it was nothing to worry about and certainly not worth taking the valve covers off.

[Paola Zago]

2 of the 3 1200's I've owned did this. Usually after warmed up a little and after sitting at a red light then accelerating away. First the tapping was from the right side then the left side. In all cases it went away after just a few seconds. I never looked into it because the tapping means the valves are loose and would cause no damage. I did find that the more often I rode them was better. Sometime not tapping for an entire days ride. IMHO it was nothing to worry about and certainly not worth taking the valve covers off.

hi to all, in fact, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Gl 1200 had been stopped for about two months, such a long downtime had never happened for that motorcycle. Last year he had made that noise a couple of times, but lately it had occurred several times, even after a lap of about 130 km, but always for a few seconds, and then returned to normal.
Paola

[ericheath]

My guess is the hydraulic adjusters are a little dirty. They are not difficult to remove and clean, nor is the deforming chambers. Ifvyou want to try it, I’ll snap some pics for you.

Removing the mechanical adjusters was a little more daunting to me the first time. I didn’t find a good how-to to understand it.