Valve clearance/carbon deposit on plugs

Hey guys, working on diagnosing my rough idle while I wait for brake parts. I've got a '78 kz650 d1. It was recommended that I test my coils and check my valves a while back. I tested my coils and they failed, so I have a new set coming. I measured my valves today and here's the measurements. The manual says they should all be .15.
#1= .1
#2= 0
#3= .08
#4= .08
#5= 0
#6= 0
#7= 0
#8= 0

I'm guessing this is extremely bad. I've only run it about 5 hours around town after buying it last summer and a little on the highway at low cruising speeds. I noticed some light knocking/tapping while warming up but it progressed into stalling at idle once warm and progressed to hard starting before i shelved it.

Also, I noticed that the securing brackets on #5/6 are reversed. Any possible damage from that? You can see it in the photos attached.

Again.. you guys are so appreciated. Thanks for your continued help and support.

That's the problem. The guys don't want to adjust the valves because it isn't easy or too expensive at a shop, so they just run it then sell it. Adjust the valves and hopefully they will seat in. Looks like oil fouling on those plugs. Could be valve guide seals. See what they look like after the adjustment.
Steve

As for the ad above, I won't BUY IT NOW. I hate that.
Steve

...Looks more like carbon fouled, rich jetting to me.

Agree on carbon. Looks like dry power from the pictures.

Its running rich, or you have been using the choke to warm the bike up.

Regardless, I would not run that bike till you get some valve clearance back.

Yes it won't start without choke and it takes several minutes before I can take the choke off. I am looking into what I need for a valve adjustment right now. I won't start it until I take care of that and then we'll go from there.

Sounds like It may be hard to start due to the valves, and the carbon is coming in play from the choke your applying for compensation.

Having to use choke for a minute or two at startup is as it is supposed to be, so that doesn't tell anything really. Pretty bad valve measurements though.

I'm seeing some discrepancies in what I need to get this job done. I know Ed has told me to throw away my Clymer manual and get the official one but I haven't found one available on ebay that's specific to my model yet, plus I'm already over budget on this project. So let's put that aside for a second.
The clymer manual says I need to remove the camshaft and remove the valve lifter with a suction cup tool before I can remove the shim. So I can't use the motion pro valve shim tool? www.amazon.com/Motion-Pro-08-0019-Valve-...=kawasaki+valve+shim

Ed, please tell me to throw away my clymer manual one more time and that it's not that difficult. Picture of manual attached.

You have to remove the cams. Don't take them out. Take the first cam back (roll it back) , see what you have then do the other one as to not change the timing.
Steve

That tool won't work on the KZ650. The KZ650 has the shim under the buckets so it is not possible to remove the shims without removing the buckets, and that requires removing the cams.

You should take several close-up pictures of your cam marks with the crank set at TDC before unbolting the cam caps. That way when you put the cams back in you can verify that you have not changed the cam timing.

Also, do 1 cam at a time. That way it is impossible to drop the cam chain down the cam chain tunnel. Another good thing to do is to clog up the cam chain tunnel with rags. That way if you drop a cam cap bolt it won't fall into the abyss.

Be SURE to have an appropriate torque wrench on hand before you remove the cams. The wrench needs to be a small one calibrated in INCH pounds. Do not use a larger one that is calibrated in foot pounds and just do the conversion because torque wrenches are not accurate below 20% of their max range. Lots of folks have stripped out cam cap threads taking short cuts, Don't mix up the cam caps. Note how they are numbered and arrowed - they MUST go back in the same places they were when they left the factory because the cam journals were machined with the caps in place.

Oh - and get a real manual. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Ed

C'mon you're killing me. Not the news I was hoping for!! :pinch: Now I know why it's such bad shape. Nobody else wanted to do this.