TOPIC:

If you haven't been following my folly- when doing a valve adjustment check I discovered I had previously stripped a bunch of threads out of the camshaft tower cap bolt holes (7 to be precise) and needed to use "Time Serts" to re-build the bolt hole. Several of the stripped bolt holes included holes that also had alignment pins- I had to ream these out a bit to accommodate the "Time Sert" insets.

The heads that hold the lower camshafts bearings and the camshaft tower caps the hold the uppers are milled together at the factory for alignment accuracy, so I was highly concerned about wether my "time serts" and especially reaming the alignment pin holes on the head would cause a problem with the camshaft and bearing alignment.

Today, I started up the bike, a Kawasaki 2005 KZ1000P, CHP Motorcycle. The bike started right up and the engine actually sounded better than it has ever sounded. After some careful listening I noticed a bit of a "tapping" sound - I thought at first - not a problem just a valve with a little extra valve spacing - that's even preferred in some circles. I decided to use a 1/4 inch tube as a stethoscope and listen around.

Listening through the valve cover over on # 3 and 4 exhaust camshaft tower there is a pronounced tinking and tapping and a very unsettling growling. Listening at the other cam towers - they sound smooth and quiet. My prognosis is that the alignment on the exhaust cam and bearings did not make it through my "Time Sert" process (specifically #4.) It could be one that one of the bearings popped out as I was tightening (I checked them twice before I bolted the cam tower caps down) but I doubt it.

It was a beautiful day here, I would have loved to have gone for a ride. Instead, I will need to pull things apart and see what is going on. If it turns out a bearing didn't pop out then the entire head on my bike may be toast and I will need to replace it. I can't image that there is anything I can do to put things back in alignment.

The scope of my upcoming bike work my have just increased dramatically.

I hope all of you had a better day than that!

Kirk

Why didn't you use Heli Coils\?
Steve

That's messed up ... I've read a lot think the time serts are better but I had no problem with heli's or getting by the alignment pins

Larger pins now.
Steve

According to one of my reliable sources the cam tower caps to cam towers have an alignment tolerance of .05 inches. I knew going in that there was a chance that putting in that many "Time Serts" or Hellicoils (OK, I was embarassed, I understated it, 10 out of 16 not 7) could mean that one or more towers could go out of alignment.

With the head on the bike you are drilling the hole for the new thread - each one probably goes off a bit (more or less depending on how accurately you can do it) and when you multiply by two or three - .05 in can probably come up pretty fast.

I will be checking it out in the next couple of days and post.

Question-

If I disconnect the battery and remove the spark plugs, is there any reason I can't turn the the system over with a drill and 17mm socket at the timing hub. I'd love to see what's going on dynamically at the camshaft. (with the valve cover off of course.)

A couple of clarifications:

1. Time Serts and alignemnt pins. When I first approached several holes with alignment pins I checked to see if the Time Sert coutersink would fit the hole - it wouldn't. I bored out the top portion of the hole a bit larger and just deep enough to accomodate the counter sink. I Countersunk the Time Sert which when done resulted in room for play between the alignment pin and the hole. A couple of alignment pin holes later I had an epiphany and realized that the Time Sert could be inserted into the exsisting pin hole without boring for the countersink and would sit on the alignment pin shoulder in the hole. All I had to do then is grind down the alignment pin so that it was short enough to be accommodated in the hole above the time sert. The result is no pin misalignment - a much better solution.

I am doing a lot of learning the hard way.

From the research I have done, I think "Time Serts" are generally a better solution but in certain situations (similar to this one) Hellicoils would be the way to go.

Now you need larger pins. Suggest spring pins of the size required cut to fit. You'd have to drill the cap holes to match.
Steve

Thank you Steve. If I could salvage this job without replacing the head (and all the work that goes along with it) that would be a miracle. Can you steer me to where I can learn more about spring pins and how to use them and install them? I will have to think about how to make sure I get the best alignment on the cam when I get ready to drill.

Timeserts, Helicoils, they all work fine and in my own experience not a huge deal redoing stripped cam cap bolts. Look for exhaust leaks which is most common cause of ticking problems.

I think they're called roll pins. Like the one on your gas cap. They'll have them at the local HDWR store. I'd choose one that would have a slip fit not a press fit. I was thinking you could get one measured in inches not metric. They often are 1/2 size larger.
What do the bearings look like now?
Steve

Took a break yesterday. When I put the 1/4 inch tube (stethiscope) next to the valve cover I heard not only tinking but growling -so something isn't happy. I was just about to go out and open her up.

I'll let you know what I find.

I haven't heard any negatives (I mentioned yesterday) about turning the engine over with a drill and 17mm socket (with battery disconnected and spark plugs out) so i may do that to see what the camshaft is doing when turning.

Thanks
Kirk