1981 KZ CSR 650 H1 cam questions.

hello. i have a stupid question... how do you reinstall the cams on the kz? i know how to physically put them on, but i'm clueless as far as the timing and position relative to the cam chain and pistons go.
what i do know:

1. the 1st and 4th pistons must be at TDC.
2. the cam has to be postitioned in such a way that it aligns a mark with the side of the engine.
3. the marks on my cam read: "Z6EX" "Z7EX" and "EX"

other than that, i have no idea about what to do or how to align them. i think that the cams might have been replaced by the previous owner with aftermarket ones, not sure, but my haynes manual says that they should be marked with a "T"

any help would be appreciated, i just finished rebuilding the engine, and would hate to blow it all just because of a stupid cam mistake that i know i can avoid.

You rebuilt the engine without a manual? What did you use for a reference? Ed

I used a Haynes manual to get all the info I needed.

but i still need help, the haynes doesn't tell me how exactly to put the cams in, not to mention the different markings on the cams themselves.

On the front (exhaust) cam sprocket there will be a straight line and it will say EX next to it. That gets lined up with the front edge of the head.

Rear (intake) cam will say IN with the straight line lined up with the rear edge of the head.

Count the pins on the cam chain starting at the first pin above the straight line on the exhaust cam sprocket. Count 46 pins and the 46th pin should be jest below the straight line on the intake cam sprocket. As a quick check the front (exhaust) EX line will be between two links, the rear (intake) cam sprocket IN line will be in the middle of a link.


T is on the timing advancer and is for TDC.

Haynes manuals don't even make good toilet paper.

Actually it's the 36th pin on the 650.
Here's the procedure from a factory service manual;











img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/rstnick/...items/Camshafts1.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/rstnick/...items/Camshafts2.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/rstnick/...items/Camshafts3.jpg
img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/rstnick/...items/Camshafts4.jpg

another question, what if i can only count to 22 when counting the chain links?

You're not supposed to count links, you're supposed to count pins.



rstnick, you didn't notice that it's an 81 with a link plate (HyVo) chain and not an early model with a roller chain?
The pages you posted cover the early models


The give away was when he described the Z6 and Z7 on the cam sprockets :laugh:

I just set up the cams on a 750 for a friend of mine last weekend, so it was still fresh in my mind. Two weeks from now it may not be

Wow! thanks for the help. that was really racking my brain.... i will post again if i still have problems. thanks to you all.

i'm feeling really stupid now btw.... :woohoo:

Emberblade wrote:

i'm feeling really stupid now btw.... :woohoo:

Nope, can't feel stupid unless you bend valves, and you wouldn't believe how easy those valves will bend.

If you screw up, and you feel a "thunk" while gently turning the motor over by hand, you bent at least two valves. And if you then rotate the motor the other way and feel a "thunk" you just bent two more.

well i haven't done that yet thankfully. i know that the valves have proper clearance, because i measured them. i've been doing all right with the repair until the camshaft. but now i hope i can get it right.