is my head junk?

bought a bike in parts, the top end was off and it looks like a piston gernaded in one of the jugs- it came with new jugs and this head, is it still good? looks like there was some porting done on the head and the cams are made in the USA (my friend said prolly not stock..hehe) any way here it is guys .. next step?

Post edited by: School Teacher, at: 2007/11/07 13:30

well MY head is junk cuz i am having computer trouble

fast by gast can fix it for you but it might be cheaper to just have a new head done.
i'm sure ape/kzzone can also take care of you.
click on the link on the right of this page,
the essentials, and ask them.

kzzone.com/resources/sitewides/header.jpg
fastbygast.com/

Post edited by: kawsakiman, at: 2007/11/07 16:06

I can't see it clear enough but it looks like the bad part is inside the combustion seal. If it is, u can use the head no problem just smooth the rough edge around the inside with emery cloth. Let us know what cams u have, I aquired a set the same way as u and they are pretty good cams! Measure the lift from nose to heel and that should be all u need to determine who made them.

ouch!!!!!!!!! :S

heres another pic, and i will measure them

nads.com wrote:

I can't see it clear enough but it looks like the bad part is inside the combustion seal. If it is, u can use the head no problem just smooth the rough edge around the inside with emery cloth. Let us know what cams u have, I aquired a set the same way as u and they are pretty good cams! Measure the lift from nose to heel and that should be all u need to determine who made them.

well the nose to heel is 1.507 inches to 1.510 inches depending on how well i measured

they have k259
i-5 and c-1 cast into them along with USA and on the end they have khl-1 stamped in the end

I aquired a set of cams from a local salvage yard for bikes,(Fargo North Dakota), they were setting on top a head I was going to take some valves out of. The head was setting on a pile of parts against the wall with several bikes in the way. Looking over the bikes at the cams on top the head, I noticed the lobes were longer, at that point I didn't know if they were kawasaki cams. When I finally made it over and through the maze of bikes, I picked up a cam to see if they would fit a kaw head. I noticed pretty quick they were made for a kaw. Next thing I saw written on them, "made in usa". I turned the cam over in my hand and stamp into the core was K-259! The owner let me have the have them. Though I did not just take them, I did not tell him they were performacne cams. I had recently tuned and shimmed a 1300, put a new top end on a 900, and went through the carbs on a 650 for him. He sold all the bikes and got a pricely sum for each. I was actually there to pick out some cam chain rollers, A points cover, clutch nut, and whatever odds and ends I could remember that I needed, since I was putting my motor back together after back cutting second gear. I had installed a 1015cc piston kit the year before and finally got my bent valves I had worked so hard to get. When I got home I looked the cams over for any number or letters that could be helpful indentifying the cams. The end of the cam had c-1 stamped onto them! It's been to long to remember but the other numbers yours had on I believe were on mine too. A member of dragbike forum stated that they were .407 Norris cams, Megacycle bought Norris out years ago. I measured the cams at .407 myself (I kept getting .408, but I think was the way I held the caliper) anyway I wrote to Megacycle in Cali. They won't give you info over the phone (strange), but the Women wrote me a memo "We do not have any timing for part number k-259 for kaw. Attached is a timing card for a .407 lift cam that Norris made for one version of the kaw 900". She attached a timing card for the cams. Timing at .020 lift. Timing checked at zero lift. Intake: open 30 close 70. Exhaust: open 70 close 30. Vale lift .407. Duration: 280. Lobe center 110. Running lash .006. Basically these cams open the valve a few deg. sooner and close them a few deg. later than the stock cams, about 5deg or so. I actually measured this myself. I played with the stock cams in the head and degreed them to death. After I got the hand of what was going there, I put the Norris cams in the head and degreed them to death. I had a blast dong this Since I read all I could find on degreeing cams, bought Dale Walkers video, APE's degree wheel, slotted sprockets, gearing up to buy APE's 410 cams. Before I could put the cams in the head I had to do Alot of grinding, casting bosses, lifter buckets, even the valve cover including above the chain roller gear I think it must have been off of a 1000cc model. It was easy, and kind of fun too. Well I got them in and set lobe centers at 109in 111 ex. Someone once mentioned racers swear by 109-111, and I NEVER listen to anyone, so if you are reading this don't listen to me either,lol. I flipped the coin this time and put the heat on the competition. I slapped it together and took the bike down the block. It started to come on but I reached the end of the block, It had a nice lope to it and idled real low and smooth, I could turn the idle down till the motor barely ran, and it still ran smooth,(26mm carbs). The idle jets were stock but I had a big mains that I had made and drilled myself. I took it straight to the interstate. And ohh mann. It came on like a freight train. I was utterly AMAZED with the power, it was like able to leap Capital buildings in a single bound (twist of the grip). Since then (2yrs ago) I've waxed a cbr600 and had just a whole lot of fun. Cant say enough about the thrills I've had. When it gets cold outside the power goes through the roof! I can start the engine when it's 10 or 20 above (with points ig.) Give it just a few seconds to catch up, wack the throttle as fast as i can it sounds like.... the best I can describe it is VERY INTENSE. I lost my license (LOL) and have two summers to go. Latley ive been in the garage doing alll the detail work on the bike and its really loooking No wires showing, everything cleaned and polished, hey what better time to do these things right. People have won drag races with those cams. A member of Dragbike forum said those are "a good set of cams for that little 1015 motor". Sounds like you goty a winner. One last note: judging by the position of the cam sprockets attached (the slots) those cams were installed incorrectly, the exhaust cam was retarded too much. I got all exhaust valves that day at the yard and would not lap. They were bent. They came out of the head the cams were in with the exhaust cam way off. The cams probably never seen start up. After setting lobe center at 109-111 i had a ton of piston to valve clearance on both in. and ex. so not to worry, the lift Isn't that high. But I'm high, been high ever since that day in the yard. HEE HEE

Post edited by: nads.com, at: 2007/11/08 03:13

I would not use that head. I had a head that was nowhere near as bad as that and cleaned it up. What happened is that the ruff surface stays hotter durring opperation. This than caused the cylinder to detonate. Cylinder heads are cheep to buy today. You can pick up a perfectly good head for about $100. If you consider that if the chamber looks like that some of that material which caused that dammage also got under the valves and bent them also. Those now are $25 a pop also, if not more. I am sure that there are many of us on this websight who have multiple spair heads which we can part with that are in perfect condition. A valve job allone on your head will cost you a $100.

my post belongs under the topic 1075kit. Sorry and i hope it gets moved over there. As far as that head goes if it was me id cleanitup, jb weld it and USE it. The jb cant get cooked under the gasket. I would not like to see that it turns out it did not work. Im just saying it is something I would try and I do BELIEVE it will work. Many opinions on this would be nice. And maybe a closer look at the damage. I would clean it and completely derease it, apply jb weld and use a sanding block to smooth the weld, finishing by smoothing the inside diameter. JB can take 600deg (supposedly), but ive seen what happens to it when use on exhaust pipes, it cooks into worthless crumble in your fingers composite. I dont think its gona burn up in this situation as it has to be exposed to more air. Just my opinion though. Another head is sometimes a pain since u dont always get a perfect piece, though not always the case. I guess the best thing to do would be to have it repaired then u wouldnt have to worry about thermal breakdown, detonation, or the cost and hassle of setting up a new head.

Post edited by: nads.com, at: 2007/11/08 06:47

Post edited by: nads.com, at: 2007/11/08 06:49

I've seen worse. I'd clean it up with a sanding drum in a dremel, grind the valves back in, shim it and run it.

Stock motor and no money to do it properly- maybe clean it an run it.

Anything with compression - no way. Get it fixed or get another head.

"Only a farmer can start with shit and end up with something"