Cam Chain Parts

Howdy all!
I am pondering a winter rebuild Having looked and researched parts availability and talked to Jeff at Z1E a while back, I looked for a "Kit" or "Package" that had all the Cam Chain parts in one, i.e. Cam chain, Idlers, tensioners etc.
of the engine on my 1975 Z1-B 900. It has around 60K miles on it and has "Issues", not with how it runs but Oil Leaks, Fouling Plugs etc. as frankly, that seemed to be the most expensive part of the rebuild ( Cam Chain,Idlers,tensioners). It seems that the parts are only available individually, and they are not cheap. So, Plan is to take the heads and jugs off the bike with engine still in frame, replace rings ( Unless it needs boring) take head to machine shop and have a valve job done, replace seals etc. So..............Looking for suggestions on saving money on the parts,
I havn't talked to Jeff lately so maybe he now has a "package" deal on some things like the Cam Chain parts??.
No, I am not looking to buy lesser quality, just looking to get best deal.
I know for a fact I will need a Gasket overhaul set including Valve stem seals, I want to replace ALL the Cam chain parts, rings I will obviously wait and see if it needs to be bored.
Thanks
Ed

That's what kept me down for so long, plus the fact I didn't non op the bike. That's $600 alone. The Kawasaki rollers and parts are "rubberized" meaning they will get hard, crack and come apart with heat and age. Z1E is not the only place to get good parts but it is where I bought mine. I went with Liska rollers. They are 1/2 the price of stock and will last much longer.








There are two parts that are still "rubber" but the don't get much wear.


I also was talked out of buying a one piece head gasket. "it will weep" BS. I bought a two piece with O ring and it came apart the first year. I should have bought and will buy this.

I was talking with Rob. He's a salesman. "Is there anything else, is there anything else?" I got one wrong piston. Set me back two weeks.


They did bundle my orders and I had a lot of them.




More than even this.
To be continued
Steve

The list above had some double entries. I caught them before shipping. The Wiseco's were expensive and the sleeves were not in stock. I had to reuse the ones I had which were marginal. The idea was to get everything I needed one time and do it right. Having to buy new pistons made that impossible. My old Wiseco's are cast forged aluminum and they don't make them anymore. One was galled so I had to buy a new set. So much for going through the head. I rode it but had a oiling problem and ruined another piston. This time I bought a stock low mile block and piston set, reworked my oil pump and after a year and a half of fouling plugs, I went through the head. New valves, springs and seals. I tried to order a new piston, not in stock. Maybe another two weeks. I ordered Four new sets of rings and started looking for a piston elsewhere. No one would sell me just one. I finally found one two years later.


$112 complete with rings. Free shipping. I'm getting ready to tear it down one more time.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is, shop around, don't buy NOS and do your homework. It will save you time, grief and money in the long run.
Steve

If you're going that far, I would go ahead and pull the engine. You're talking maybe 1 hour of additional work and that time will easily be recovered not having to work around the frame when rebuilding the top end. It is so much easier having unrestricted access. Installing the rings/cylinders can be a pain. It's a real pain trying to work around the frame down tubes. Since you're that far, split the cases and use the endless cam chain. I know lots of guys have used the master link style, but the thought of what could happen if the link ever comes off is just to ugly for me to consider using one.
I wouldn't assume all the parts in the cam chain path need replaced. Inspect them first. You may be surprised. The solid Liska components are cheaper and probably even last longer. The trade off is additional valve train noise. This may or may not be an issue for you,
You'll save some money buying a complete gasket set vs. individual gaskets. However, throw the included valve seals in the trash. Spend the extra money for a set of Vitron seals. They'll seal better and last longer.
The ol' gal has given you 60K miles of service. It's going to be a long winter, so you've got plenty of time to freshen her up from top to bottom.

At 60,000 miles it might be a good idea to check the tranny. 2nd gear is the first to go. I did a complete tear down two years ago. New cam chain etc. If you've got the time, why not.
Steve