Replace cam chain at 35,000 miles?

I just revived a 1980 KZ750E that hasn't been running since 2003. I adjusted the valves because I had no compression on two cylinders because valves were to tight. I ended up grinding down the shims instead of replacing them. Well after putting about a hundred miles on it doing 55-65mph I have some valvetrain ticking when hot and a slight miss, so either the built up carbon is now cleaned off the valves or it doesn't like the ground down shims. I am going in to recheck them all again and will replace the two I ground while in there. My question is, will the cam chain be pretty stretched at 35,000 and should I replace it while I am in there? Anything else while in there. Thanks guys!

Aaron

I don't think a cam chain needs replacing at 35k unless the engine is severely abused.

I would NEVER grind a shim because the one for my KZ are surface hardened.

Definitely replace the valve seals anytime the head is being worked.

Grinding the shims is a bad idea. Getting them accurate is nearly impossible, but even if you do they will not be worth using. This is because their original surfaces which were hardened have been ground away leaving them unhardened.

The cam chain should not need any attention at a mere 35k miles unless someone ran the bike with no oil. Use the instructions in your Kawasaki Service Manual to measure the length of a section of the chain to ensure it is still within service limits, but it really should be fine with that low mileage. Ed

Is it normal to get a lot of valvetrain noise when these engines are warm and the oil is thin? Everything just sounds loose when oil is hot.

These engines do make some noise. I don't know what type cam chain tensioner you have, but if is the type that is set manually have you adjusted it using the instructions in the Kawasaki Service Manual? Also, have you sync'ed the carbs? Either of those items not being correctly performed can contribute to noise at idle. Ed