Ottawa Canada Valve Shims help

Is there anybody who lives in Ottawa Canada who can come over and help a new guy learn to do Valve shims. I don't have the right tools to even try. I'm at my limit for wrenching this part of the bike. I will break some thing.

I got the Valve cover off already but really don't want to do it with out some help to show me how to do it.

Bike in heated garage for the winter already.

If you can help me great, send a pm and we can set a time that is good for you.

do you have a kawasaki shop manual?

go to your freindly neighborhood bike shop and get them to order the motion pro shim tools for your bike that is a good start as wellas getting the proper manual. when you have that we can talk you thru the rest.

Here's the Z1E listing for Motion Pro valve shim tool.

Click > Shim Tool

Good Luck!

Okay, thanks guys.

i have a pdf version of the manual if you want...I don't know how I would send it to you though, it's kinda too big for email. I would recommend getting a real one though, it is really nice having a non-blurry book to look at in the garage...I got mine on ebay, shipped to canada (kingston) for 30 bones total...thats less than a case of beer.

Thanks for you posts guys. I have a shop manual. It seems a little over my capability. I really hate damaging stuff, some times it just cheaper to take it to a shop.

Looks like I will have to go it alone, hope fully it not to hard.

just take your time and we are here to help. it is a fairly basic job.

Have the existing gaps yet been measured with a feeler gauge? That's the easiest part, using a feeler gauge, when the engine is cold.

Sometimes the existing gaps are okay, whereby no shim replacement is required.

Other times, maybe just one shim, or only a couple of shims, needs replacing. Typically, the gap reduces with engine wear, so that a thinner shim is needed to regain the desired gap.

Removing the sparkplugs makes it easier to hand rotate the crankshaft when pointing the cam's high part away from the shim (the cam's position when gap is measured with feeler gauge).

Use a 17mm wrench on the fake nut under the points cover to hand turn the crankshaft. That's what the 17mm nut is designed for. And always go forward (clockwise) same direction the engine spins when running.

When attempting to hand-rotate the crankshaft, NEVER twist the smaller 13mm bolt head seen at end of the crankshaft.

Write down the valves' clearance measurements for future reference, and let us know what they are.

If there's any oil seepage onto the cylinder fins, now might also be a good time to replace the cam cover gasket, possibly also the half-moon end plugs, and maybe the tach shaft seal.

Good Luck!

All right sounds easy now thanks. I have the end plugs and cam cover gasket, I have all the gaskets for the bike.

I need to order the feeler gauge from Z1. I need to save up for some tools. I also need a cam chain breaker. I know I know but I don't want to take engine out of frame and split the case. I have the chain already just need to tool.

Thanks for the help, I will try.

Carbs were not as hard to do as I thought changed jets and moved needles in 30 min.

why do you need to split your chain it's not part of a tune-up.

timebomb33 wrote:

why do you need to split your chain it's not part of a tune-up.

I concur with tb.

Routine valve adjustments do not involve dealing with the cam chain.

After reassembly following valve clearance checking, and any needed shim replacements, might then want to perform whatever routine cam chain tension maintenance is specified for this particular bike.

Good Luck!