Noise! Horrible Noise!

Hey Guys,
I have a 1980 KZ750H1 LTD and it just started making some nasty noises. I dunno where they are coming from, whether it's top end or bottom end.

It sounds like a slapping/knocking noise and I'm wondering if my piston is hitting my valves. Sometimes it's worse than others. I think it's louder when the bike is cold and I can really hear it when I quickly let off the throttle at about 6000rpm (which is what makes me think cam chain).

They got progressively worse. I started hearing them and then about a week later my buddy and I spent an afternoon riding around town. After that they got louder and more noticeable.

Any other ideas? Could I have spun a bearing? Could the cam chain be stretched? could it have jumped a tooth on the sprockets?

I just took my cam chain tensioner out and I disassembled it. Other than a wear indent on the shoe it looks ok.

There is NO mention of adjusting the tensioner in the manual.... do I just put a pin in to block the spring and throw it back in? Do I tighten that bolt on the side or is that just there for disassembly?

I just got this bike on the road, I don't want to do a top end rebuild :S

Your cam chain is slapping the guides.

KZCSI

A Kawasaki manual will tell you how to adjust the cam chain. It's tricky putting the tensioner back together. On the 650's I'm not sure on the 750's but you slide the bearing piece all the way down then put it in the tensioner and tighten the bolt. After it in the motor you can let the bolt lose and it should snap in then you still need adjust it.
Mark

If your stock cam chain adjuster is in question, you can get a APE manual cam chain adjuster from jeff at Z1 enterprises. I have manual adjusters on my 77 kz 650, and 74 z1 900. In my opinion they are far more superior than the stock adjusters. The manual adjuster keeps constant tension on the cam chain, were the stock adjuster does not.

So you think it's just the cam chain slapping? Nothing really to worry about?

Those manual tensioners look like they would be really easy to make.

The cam chain slapping means it has alot of slack, if that is the case you need the manual adjuster so it will take the slack out of the cam chain. Ya the Manual adjusters look like they can be easly made by a person with the right tools.

OK, Hopefully a manual tensioner will fix thing right up. I have a KLX650 too and guys rave about manual tensioners. I might as well fab up two!

most likely loose cam chain if your pistons where hitting the valves you wouldn't be going anywhere and you would probably be spitting parts out the bottom of the cases. expensive parts

It's comforting to know that it's a simple problem.

Well, here's my $50 APE tensioner




All I have left to do is welding the one nut to the inside of the plate and continue the threads through the plate with a tap.

Wallybanger wrote:

Well, here's my $50 APE tensioner

All I have left to do is welding the one nut to the inside of the plate and continue the threads through the plate with a tap.

gasket?

I'll make one up