KZ650 F1 camshaft timing questions

Hi!

I just discovered that my B1 has been fitted with an F1 engine, making my manual for camshaft timing useless since this newer engine use a HyVo cam chain.

With the engine at TDC, the IN mark for the inlet cam isn't quite horizontal/in line with the head (it's below) and the same goes for the exhaust cam, which sits a tooth above. I have 32 pins from the EX mark on the inlet cam and the IN mark on the exhaust cam. It seems to me I should move both cams one tooth - is that a correct assumption?

Use the 750 four manual to set the cam timing, it's the same as the 650 with the hyvo style cam chain.

I'm pretty sure there should be some slack in the chain between the cams when it's properly installed, check the 750 manual to make sure.

First if the engine is a North American market F1 it would not of come with the HyVo cam chain. In the US the F1 still had the older style chain. It is my understanding the HyVo was used in the F1 in non-north American markets though.

It is my understanding that for the HyVo chains you should have 45 pins between the 2 marks not 32 you as you indicate.

I have attached a few pages related to cam timing from an 81 FSM (this would cover the F2 and not the F1) Hope they help you answer your questions.

Excellent, thanks "good day for now"(?) - I probably have 45 pins counting that way, too as I only counted partway to some other marks on the sprocets. I will probably advance both cams one tooth so they align up with the head. Or perhaps the chain is so shot there is a full tooth of slack? But wouldn't that make noise? The chain is dead silent when the engine is running.

I forgot that not everyone knows you're a bleedin furriner :laugh:

Inside the cam cover directly above the cam chain is a slider that pushes down on the center of the cam chain. If you have the chain tight when you bolt the cover on it will retard the intake cam timing four degrees.

If you don't have a 750 manual (only difference is your 650 has a smaller bore), you can down load one HERE!!

Superb, steell! I have printed the pages about torque settings, anything concerning valve train plus the alternator sector in case my bike is fitted with the newer charging system.

PS! I see that even in this manual, 1.2 kgm is listed as the correct torque setting for the cam cap bolts.

I now feel like a complete IDIOT

The plan was to fit the cams today. Easy enough, lined them up, crank at TDC, tensioner worked out and reset. Only the crank wouldn't turn the cams Off again with everything, trying to find why the chain wouldn't attach to the crank.

After lots of head scratching and looking I discovered that the chain was on the side of the lower sprocket, a result of sitting on the side stand, I reckon. Raised the bike as close to vertical as I could without a centre stand and eventually got a grip downstairs.

Bolted everything back up again but after turning the engine, the cams were one tooth behind. So, a bit miffed, I marked the chain (to be sure where I were) and moved both cams one tooth forward. Bolted stuff back up, but they were still a tooth behind. WTF :woohoo: Repeat procedure, count links between cams after moving one to verify I really did move it and let the other follow. BUT ONCE MORE I WERE IN THE SAME SPOT.

To top things off, the chained jumped off again on my third attempt :sick: So I walked away before I began doing stupid things.

Now, what logic am I missing? If it was 2 teeth it could be a jump on the crank, but just one puzzles me. Please put me straight!

You did the right thing by stepping back from it. Just wait a while, maybe a couple of days and give it another go. It will come out OK, it can be frustrating working on any machinery for sure.

Well, now I feel even more like an idiot :blush: Turned out it was correct all the time :woohoo:

Yesteday, I went at it very analytically. Managed to get the exhaust lined up perfectly with the T mark, chain was tight, added inlet cam in its correct position, sacrificed index finger (ouch) to substitute as a cam chain tensioner and turned the engine over repeatedly. Every time, the marks matched perfectly Added cam chain tensioner - and snap! one tooth retarded :blink:

After several turns confirming that the cams were now in fact retarded, I did some calculations and noted that it was less than 10 degrees anyway. Meaning I could live with it. But just for the heck of it, I then read the full chapter about the procedure, and lo and behold; the book said to fit valve cover BEFORE cam chain adjuster. And the only logical explanation I could find is to ensure that anal retentives like me shouldn't start worrying about the marks getting out of line.

Well, I've wasted 5 hours of my life and gained not a lot of knowledge. I have, however, become a master of removing, resetting and refitting the cam chain tensioner in the cramped space below the carbs and I can remove and fit the camshafts rapidly :laugh:

pdf KAWASAKI factory manual for the 81 KZ650: jarlef Z650 - Files

Thank you