i found this in the bottom of my oil pan!

donthekawguy wrote:

Probably part of the cam chain guide. Pretty common on the older 1000's and 900's.

Yep, and I believe that the cam chain guide has a small metal plate inside the plastic/rubber body. Also, those rubber pieces get rock hard over 30 years.

EricHa, He has a J motor bike with a different type cam chain bumper in the front. I am not sure that there is any metal in the thing you have pictured anyway. I have had them broken right up to the fingers that fit in the slot... the end the screw goes in is metal but you are looking at all of the metal in the picture and it can't come loose because of the M5 screw.

Kano, I don't recognize that thing... it isn't a key from the keyway on your stator as that isn't as big and is shaped differently as I recall... It probably fell in when the valve cover was off. I don't recall a part of that sort coming from inside the engine but could be wrong as I don't work on nearly as many J motors.

wiredgeorge wrote:

EricHa, He has a J motor bike with a different type cam chain bumper in the front. I am not sure that there is any metal in the thing you have pictured anyway. quote]

Whoops, an ELR. My bad. I do believe that there is metal inside the Z1 guides, but I have been wrong before.

Could it be from somewhere in the the clutch basket area? the J's baskets are aluminum arnt they.
How about the back of the basket where the springs go in , is there anything that shape back there?
How about the end of the cam chain tentioner? the kz has a metal pad on the end ,how about the J's?

had the clutch apart yesterday all is well there,
replaced the springs for some ape one's i just got and buttoned it up.
this weekend ill take off the rocker cover see if all is well there.
plus have a ape cam tensioner on its way.
bike isn't going anywhere for a few weeks anyway.

on close inspection the piece of metal has a even wear mark about a 1/8 on both ends.
but is not damaged in anyway,
so if it did come down through engine it dropped right through not damaging anything on its journey.:huh:

would the ware marks hapen to corraspond with the width of the cam chain?