Broken camshaft cap (Z1000) !!!

Arrrrggggggg !!!!!!

Today, I broke a camshaft cap on my KZ1000ST ! Shame on me !!! I didn't centered the camshaft properly before tightening the caps... For sure, a mistake I won't do again ! :blush:

I know the caps are made at the same time than the cylinder head. What can I do ? Is the cylinder head dead ? Is it possible to repair the cap ? Can I put a cap coming from another engine ?

:blush: :blush: :blush:
Thanks for the help.

Get another cap from someone, bolt it on, check the clearance with plastigage, go from there. Don't worry, be happy. And watch out: Here come the scare stories!

Conti wrote:

Arrrrggggggg !!!!!

I know the caps are made at the same time than the cylinder head. What can I do ? Is the cylinder head dead ? Is it possible to repair the cap ? Can I put a cap coming from another engine ?
:blush: :blush: :blush:
Thanks for the help.

If you have access to a "bunch" of heads it is possible that you can find a cap that will fit. However it is "highly unlikely" you will find one that really fits correctly. If you want it done correctly there is a fellow out east "Stan Gardner" that does this repair www.grccranks.com/

I'm fairly sure I recall Ape Jay saying it's common to find other caps that fit (there is a tolerance spec), and I suspect he has more experience building 1000 motors than probably anyone else.

When Ape Jay speaks, I'm inclined to listen

Most competent automotive machine shops can take any cap, and line bore it to your head for a perfect fit.

Most competent automotive machine shops can take any cap, and line bore it to your head for a perfect fit.

steell wrote:

I'm fairly sure I recall Ape Jay saying it's common to find other caps that fit (there is a tolerance spec), and I suspect he has more experience building 1000 motors than probably anyone else.

When Ape Jay speaks, I'm inclined to listen

Huh? kzrider.com/component/option,com_joomlab...w/id,110037/catid,2/
This applies to any "close tolerence" previously line bored parts. Like I said if you have a bunch of spare or junk heads you might get "lucky" but that is not "my common experience". Take it for whatever it's worth

Post edited by: modprod, at: 2007/10/29 10:50

See what happens when you get older and get a case of CRS :laugh:

See, I'm not always right, and I do appreciate it when someone corrects one of my mistakes

But being the stubborn person that I am, I'd still see if I could find some used cam caps and measure the clearances to see if I could find one to fit.
Plastigauge is cheap.

Some news... On today, I went to the best engine workshop in town (Paris) with the broken camshaft cap.

One of the guy looked at the cap, and sadly looked at me. He asked me what happened. I explained I didn't centered the camshaft before tightening the damn cap.

He told me the best solution is to find another cap and then work on it. He told me that would need around 4 hours of work !!! Moreover, I have to search for a cap which fits as good as possible on the cylinder head. He can adapt any cap, but it would be far far easier if the cap I bring in fits approximately on the cylinder head. If I find a cap which fits nicely on the cylinder head, less work would be needed.

Anyway, the cylinder head isn't dead. I know the guy know what he talks about, because the workshop is very very good. They have an excellent reputation in France, and their workshop is huuuuuge with a lot of people working there.

Now, the problem is to find caps. I'll ask some of my friends. Do you know where I could find some other caps (of course I'd pay for the shipping to France) ?

I don't know about the availability and price in France, but here in the US, it would probably be cheaper and easier to buy a whole new head than to try to find a cap and pay for 4 hours of labor.

I don't understand what happened. Don't your cam caps have alignment dowels that you would set in place and press the cam caps onto before tightening?

Post edited by: wilk, at: 2007/10/30 21:23

wilk wrote:

I don't understand what happened. Don't your cam caps have alignment dowels that you would set in place and press the cam caps onto before tightening?<br><br>Post edited by: wilk, at: 2007/10/30 21:23

From reading the first post, it was the cam shaft that was not centered when he tightened the caps, not the caps themselves.