Anyone reuse valve springs on kz1000?

Is there a way I can test the valve springs on my 78 KZ1000 or is that a machine shop only test? I read in my book that the 900 springs can be checked by there lenth but there isn't a check for the 1000 except for a test with compresion.

Has anyone had there valve springs checked and they were bad? It's not that I don't want to get them but I don't want to spend money that I really don't need to.

You do need a special gauge for checking the springs. If you have a stock motor and you ride to cruse, and cruse to ride than old springs are fine. If however you hot-rod and bring the engine to or close to red line often, than I would definitely change them. They are quite cheap and yes they go bad with age and use.

Check out this link to my build thread:
kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...it=20&limitstart=180

It should take you to page 10, where I came up with a super simple method to check compression at a specified lenght. If anything doesn't make sense, then I'll be happy to talk you through the process. Heck my bike is a '78 so the numbers are all the same.

When in doubt, throw it out!

Go new, and be at peace

TeK9iNe wrote:

When in doubt, throw it out!

Go new, and be at peace

Valve springs should be considered an expendable item like used piston rings, gaskets, etc.

for less then $100, why would you fuck around with 30 year old springs ?

For starters, the old springs are often fine but need shims to get the seat & nose pressure correct after a valve job.

Even new springs are often not close to equal out of the package. You might be quite surprised how far off a brand new set of springs will be from spring to spring.

It's a crap shoot on any given day when you open a package. Sometimes they're not bad and sometimes you shake your head and wonder why they're not checked before they go in the package.

I recently had a set of new .500 lift springs that I couldn't even use 2 of them because the required .060" worth of shims to get the seat pressure right. That pushed them too close to coil bind over the nose.

I've never had stock springs that far off. Even very old ones.

If the cams are stock and the springs can be shimmed with thin shims to bring them into spec. Run 'em

larrycavan wrote:

For starters, the old springs are often fine but need shims to get the seat & nose pressure correct after a valve job.

Even new springs are often not close to equal out of the package. You might be quite surprised how far off a brand new set of springs will be from spring to spring.

It's a crap shoot on any given day when you open a package. Sometimes they're not bad and sometimes you shake your head and wonder why they're not checked before they go in the package.

I recently had a set of new .500 lift springs that I couldn't even use 2 of them because the required .060" worth of shims to get the seat pressure right. That pushed them too close to coil bind over the nose.

I've never had stock springs that far off. Even very old ones.

If the cams are stock and the springs can be shimmed with thin shims to bring them into spec. Run 'em

what he said!

I ended up getting new ones today, I'll use my old one's on the stock build I'm also working on....does it never end?