QM200GY idle problem, valve clearances.
Although very happy with my Qingqi-Qlink-Sinnis-Pulse adrenaline-Superbyke, etc QM200GY super motard so far,
I was never comfortable with the abscence of valve clearance check and/or adjustment in the makers handbook
maintenance schedule.
The Spanish importer tells me it's not required, EVER. Having ridden and
maintained bikes and cars for over 30 years I know this is pure bullsh*t, but
finally managed to get the settings out of him.
They told me 0.5 inlet and 0.8 exhaust. When I laughed at the ridiculously
large clearances for a Japanese-derived bike engine, the service manager went quiet,
consulted some papers and came up with the more reasonable 0.05 and 0.08. This, I reluctantly accepted.
As I am unable to locate a workshop manual for the Qingqi I bought one for its nearest equivalent,
the Suzuki DR200SE and learned there that Suzuki's clearances for both inlet and exhaust are 0.08 to 0.13 mm.
Thinking this was strange I searched through many forums, in several languages
and using the various names Qingqis are sold as in different countries.
I came across contributor "Catastrophyx" advice, backed by Qingqi Sweden,
concerning the problem with burned valves and advice to set them at inlet 0.10 and exhaust 0.15 mm.
Like all information that could be useful for future reference I copied the
messages to my desktop and forgot about it.
From 500 km onwards the bike started dying out ocassionally on stopping for
traffic lights, junctions, etc, and it re-started with some difficulty and in a
lazy sort of manner, being reluctant to rev up or respond properly to the
throttle. There was also a sort of low speed jerkiness. At speed, once under
way, it ran well and also from cold starts.
The idle speed was also badly affected by turning on the lights, making it
necessary to set the idle speed high with them off to avoid the idle becoming
too low with the lights on.
This is fairly normal on small engines with a low power output, but I thought
that a 200cc 4-stroke would have enough torque at idle to cope with an
electrical load of about 50 or 60 watts.
After wasting several days re-adjusting carburettor, cleaning and dismantling,
checking float chamber level, air leaks, ignition system, changing plugs,
testing breather hole in petrol cap, fuel flow from tank, etc, etc, I was about
to give up and just accept that I was beaten when I remembered my notes
about valve clearances. These I did not think to check at such an early mileage.
Before doing so I searched the Net to see if incorrect clearances could affect
things like the tickover and finding that it definitely could, I rushed to my
garage to check them out.
I found that they were at 0.04 and 0.06 respectively, probably adjusted to
the standard 0.05 and 0.08 in the factory, but due to initial valve seat settlement or recession,
they had closed up in 660 Km.
I decided to reset them to the figures according to the advice of the Swedish
Qingqi importer and forum contributor "CathastrophiX" (IN 0.10-EX 0.15mm).
I'm happy to say that this has cured all the troubles, the bike runs like a
sewing machine and the idle speed is now steady and totally reliable.
It also pulls much better from low revs.
I just hope that I caught it on time, avoiding a burned or damaged valve seat,
but for now hope that this advice is read by others with similar symptoms and acted upon without delay.
Valve clearance adjustment QM200GY
I can reproduce a post from the same chap that gave the clearance advice. I hope he doesn't mind.
The procedure is just right with the exception that I took off the tank as it doesn't take long and you can see things better:
Adjusted the valves on my QM200GY today. You donīt have to remove the tank or plastics to do this, (itīs fiddly but doable).
You need:
17 mm ring spanner
10 mm ring spanner
Screwdriver bit
10 mm Allen wrench
17 mm socket
0,10 and 0,15 mm measure blades?
Remove the two valve inspection caps on the top of the engine (17 mm)
Remove the chrome inspection bolt on top of the left crank case (17 mm).
Remove the allen cap (10 mm) in the center of the left crank case.
Use the 17 mm socket to turn the engine over until the mark on the fly wheel matches the TDC mark on the crankcase. (Make sure youīre on the right stroke).
Then you can adjust your valves to these clearances:
IN 0,10 mm
EX 0,15 mm
The locking nut is 10 mm, use the screwdriver bit to turn the pin.
If your hands are too big, itīs easier if you remove the right tank plastic (3 philips screws), the gas wire from the carburettor and the rubber hose (that goes from the "EGR" valve to the air box) from the air box.
By the way his signature is "Failure is always an option", but don't let it worry you:lol8:
Valve clearance adjustment
Although for a different bike, there's a good tutorial on a thread in another China bike forum. The engine and adjuster layout is very similar to the Qingqi:
http://www.chinariders.net/modules.p...ewtopic&t=1655
200cc official valve clearance specs...
This just in....
The official valve clearance spec for the QingQi 200cc motor is...
<drum roll>
.06 to .08mm for both intake and exhaust.
In other news, they have finished testing their new 250cc motor and sent some specs which need to be translated.
More on this later...
CC