1975 Z1b Valve Timing - Timing Without a "Mark"

DO NOT LINE UP THOSE LINES ON THE SPROCKETS AS YOUR TIMING MARKS. They are for positioning the cams for checking lash.

The mark you want is a little >

The timing mark is on the bolt head side of the sprocket.

Look at the sprocket from the right hand side [where the heads of the bolts that hold the sprocket onto the cam are].

Point #4 exhaust lobe back toward #4 intake cam lobe.

Look at the sprocket bolt that's in front, 180 degrees opposite #4 exhaust cam lobe. There will be a little mark like this >

That's the mark you line up to the edge of the valve cover gasket surface.

It should be in front of the bolt I drew the yellow line around in this picture. Get a good closeup photo of that section of the cam and post it.

...Ahhhh

The book shows the mark on the other side, but it IS on the side with the bolt heads.

Of course, it helps that I just cleaned them up! The "mark" was buried in burned oil!

I appreciate the help though, this place is invaluable!

Better safe than sorry I say, especially with a Z1

Good to hear. I said earlier that you were looking at the wrong side, marks are with the bolt heads.
Now you will be able to help someone else through the process.
Get it going and have some fun.

Here's a couple of pics for y'all to feast on. If you're anything like me, you could look at Kaw pics all day.

The exhaust...

This stuff isn't in bad shape for being rescued (in pieces) from a shed.

Beatpoet wrote:

...Ahhhh

The book shows the mark on the other side, but it IS on the side with the bolt heads.

Of course, it helps that I just cleaned them up! The "mark" was buried in burned oil!

I appreciate the help though, this place is invaluable!

Better safe than sorry I say, especially with a Z1

Cool

Make sure you oil the threads of the cam cap bolts and have the tapered end of the dowels pointing up. Little oil on them is a plus as well

Sofar the manual has disappointed me sorely. I have literally only used two pages of it and it has contained three major errors!!

Sofar the book has:

1) Indicated that mark on the wrong side of the exhaust cam


2) Insisted that the 'T' timing mark was between the '1/4' when it is actually to the left

3) Told me to torque my cam cap bolts at a full 13.5 ft/lbs, which is apparently well above stripping/bolt snapping torque.

Yes, I am now stuck with a bolt snapped off deep in the head now from torquing them to book spec... Actually I started off at @11 ft/lbs to be "safe," and I oiled the bolt threads to get a more accurate torque reading... *snap*...

I'm just hoping that I can repair this damage for cheap enough. This happened to my kz1000, and the backout ended up breaking off deep in the bolt. After about 5 hours, I gave up on it and rode it.

I don't mean to sound bitchy, but dang this book is really leading me astray. I'd like to meet whoever wrote it and kick them in the gonads.

Not sure which manuals you're refering to....

As provided in the other thread, the image out of my OEM manual depicts 105 inch pounds or 8.75 foot pounds...

Same time, even the OEM manuals have errors...

I'll post this agin just in case, if nothing else you can compare to your manual specs... What I used on mine no issues/snapping bolts...

Maybe will help... Sorry for the misfortune...

arrrrgggghhh... clearner image for zoom....

Hey Beat... Almost forgot....

Kawi OEM Z1 Manual in the file data base.... Pretty much idnetical to the KZ900 and 77-79 KZ1000... Some models may vary of course but pretty much the same throughout....

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_docman&...d&gid=434&Itemid=108

Just in case...

OMR

www.amazon.com/Kawasaki-900-1000cc-Fours...id=1274815857&sr=1-1

This is the evil book. No image online, but the cover is a cartoon of a guy leaning a Kaw inline-4 into a corner with the #54 on the number plate.

Stay away!

Thanks for the link!

Doing a test fit while I wait for a couple of parts...