TOPIC:

I wouldn't do that if it doesn't have a idler sprocket. Could bend some valves.
Steve

Hi,

Well interesting developments. First - I am getting really good at taking apart the bike and getting the valve cover off. It took me about 1/2 hour yesterday (The seat and tank were already off.)

I removed the suspect camshaft cap #2 (removing both #1 and #2) and inspected. Nothing, Nada. No metal in the camshaft area, no odd wear on the camshaft, no odd wear on the bearings on either #1 or #2, everything seated as it should be. The pins in Cam Cap 2 looked fine. Cam bearings aligned in the bearing seats just fine, shims all in place, oil on the bearing and the lobes so no dryness. In short everything looked fine.

This time when progressively tightening down the cap bolts I started on the #2 cap instead of the #1 cap. I figured that I would allow alignement of the #2 cap to camshaft to take a little preference over the #1 as they snugged down (since there were more Time Serts in #2.)

I did the valve measurements. All of the intakes were fine. A couple of the exhaust valves needed .06 larger shims- I used the cable tie technique to remove and install one that I had and I have one valve open now to slip a shim into when I get the proper size shim tomorrow.

So the tinking and the growling- this is my current thinking on that. I wrecked the gasket on the reed valve above the intake cam tower #2. I wanted to put the bike together so I used the black gasket goo to seal the reed against the valve head. However the thickness is not the same so I am sure there is play between the valve reed assembly and it's cover (called a fitting - the thing with the fitting for the rubber tube on it.)
The reed assembly could be bouncing around in there (the tinking) and the poor seal could be sucking air - vibrating the reed assembly (the growling.)

This would be amazing, incredible. The fact that I didn't find anything is a very good sign but it doesn't mean for certain that there isn't a problem, however I am a whole lot more optimistic going from probable disaster to possible motorcycle nirvana.

I wish I could pick up a reed gasket tomorrow. I will have to order one. In the meantime I will try putting something between the reed assemebly and the fixture to keep it from virbrating. We shall see.

The cable tie trick is awesome.

Kirk

Steve what did you mean about the idler sprocket- I didn't wind up doing the drill thing- but I would have done it with the cam chain tensioner spring in place (I don't think my bike had an idler sprocket.)

Sounds like everything is A ok in the valve train. As long as the chain idlers are all good then your engine is just fine. "Growling" noises can come from a bad chain idler rollers.

These air cooled motors are noisiy compared to mdern stuff, if your not used to the tapping, ticking, growling, and so forth you could be chasing a gohst.

When its back together if it still sounds funny post a video if you can.

Kawasaki went all out on tensioning the cam chain on the KZ1000P - it has a sping that pushes on a plunger, the plunger pushes on a piece of plastice and the piece of plastic pushes on the chain. No idler- no idler mechanism, no guides, no gears.
A five inch piece of black plastic hinged on one end, pushed toward the chain in the middle by a spring loaded plunger - very sophisticated. Seems to do the job.

If it is still making noise when it is back together, I will try and attach an audio/video file.

Thanks

Kirk

The later ones have a guide in the valve cover. If it is not there, there will be too much slack. That could lead to skipped teeth and bent valves.
Steve

Yes - mine has a stationary plastic guide across from the one tensioned by the plunger and spring and also a stationary guide in the valve cover.

Kirk

Without it the cams will be out of time.
Steve

In this application you wouldn't use the countersink for setting the Timeserts. There is a lot of vertical clearance in the dowel holes to allow room for the Timesert to sit on top. If you don't countersink everything remains in alignment and correct. Use the long Timeserts - 17mm if I remember correctly. I did this in all the cam cap holes. Never have to worry about stripped threads again.
Regards,
Art

Hi Art,

Although only a month or so back - a lot of water has passed under the bridge and there have been a few new and different challenges since then. From what I remember:

I countersunk the timesert holes because the upper lip of the timeserts were larger than the bore of the dowel holes on the head and they would not seat down into the bottom of the dowl hole. From what I remember, the timesert lip would not go past the upper ledge of the head surface- no less receed down in to the dowel hole.

I could be mistaken however. I used the boring tool from the timesert over the dowel hole to determine if the dowel hole needed to be bored out. I did not try and fit the timesert in the dowel hole by itself (without using the boring tool) so that may have been a critical waste of time and alignment worry - based on my skipping a simple check.

If so, probably won't be the last time I make a fairly simple job a lot more difficult.

Kirk