Valve Adjustment

Hey everyone. I'm checking the valve clearances in my 81 KZ550. I'm seeing two different ways of checking the clearances, one has the cam lobes 180 degrees away from the bucket and the other has the lobes facing the block. Which is the correct way of checking them?

My FSM shows the lobes 180 degrees away from the valve.

From my manual.

I do it facing the block. That way you can measure two at a time.
Steve

Edit: found a factory manual download. Took hours to download so consider this your warning. www.nwsca.com/gpz550/KZ550%20Base%20Manual.pdf

The proper method of adjusting the valves follows the method prescribed in the Kawasaki factory service manual. Namely, the valves are adjusted in adjacent pairs.

Point exhaust lobe 1 forward and parallel to the valve cover surface and then adjust IE and 2E. Then point 4E forward, at the gasket surface, and adjust 4E and 3E.

For the intakes you point the cam lobe for 1I away from the valve, perpendicular to the gasket surface, and adjust 1I and 2I. The point 4I away from the valve, perpendicular to the gasket surface, and adjust 4I and 3I.

By adjusting the valves in pairs the adjacent valve is on the base circle as well as the valve being adjusted. If you use the 180 degree method the adjacent valve will most likely be depressing the valve and skewing the cam in the journal clearance. This gives incorrect measurements - measurement will be larger than when using the Kawasaki method.

nickleo373 wrote: Hey everyone. I'm checking the valve clearances in my 81 KZ550. I'm seeing two different ways of checking the clearances, one has the cam lobes 180 degrees away from the bucket and the other has the lobes facing the block. Which is the correct way of checking them?

search for any post by loudhvx. He has 550 manuals in his signature and I think also a heads up regarding cam chain tension and valve cover removal and re fitting.
Different models may specifiy different ways of checking clearances. Use what you find in a manual specific for your bike

I've done it and measured it both ways and on my 750 there is no significant difference.
I think FSMs differs on this maybe depending on the model?
art

In 40 years working on motors I have never adjusted a solid lifter
any where but on the base circle and as far as the the next lobe effecting the clearance thats BS
what little spring pressure it applys is NOT going to flex the cam so the whole bearing clearance thing is also BS
if it did what do you think would be happening to the cam at 8.000 rpm's.

On the 81 KZ650 the cam lobe is parallel to the cylinder head when the timing mark is lined up. I would assume the 550-Ltd is the same. The way I've done it is to follow the procedure in the manual, but do extra checking if any of them are near the minimum spec (the specified clearance for the 81 650 is 0.08 to 0.15 mm). If the clearances are all within 10 to 15, I don't bother checking any other points on the cam lobe base circle. But if a 10 won't fit or is snug, I'll do some extra checking. I've never had to deal with a loose clearance. I use the go-no-go method & don't try to find the exact clearances, just so long as they are within 10 to 15. Also, it's handy to keep track of the numbers, so I record the clearances onto a scan from the manual. I also note how the feeler gauges feel.

From the 1981 KZ650 manual. The 84 ZX550 (air cooled model) manual also shows the cam lobe parallel to the cylinder head.

zukdave wrote: In 40 years working on motors I have never adjusted a solid lifter
any where but on the base circle and as far as the the next lobe effecting the clearance thats BS
what little spring pressure it applys is NOT going to flex the cam so the whole bearing clearance thing is also BS
if it did what do you think would be happening to the cam at 8.000 rpm's.

Good heavens Dave. The Kawasaki method ain't "BS" (BTW, Suzuki uses the same method). The science is REAL. The cam floats within journal clearance in the head. If you have the cam lobe pointing away from the valve then the adjacent valve is going to be depressing the valve spring resulting in the cam skewing in the journal clearance. How much clearance you have depends on the condition of the cams and head. It's quite real to measure a couple thousandths difference between measuring methods. .002" isn't super critical, but I don't understand why anyone would blatantly disregard the proper method of checking the valves.

For anyone choosing to use the 180 degree method, target clearance values at the top of the range, or even .002 over. A side benefit of following the factory method is that it takes 1/2 as many engine movements to position the cams compared to setting the cams in the 180 degree position. To each their own though.

zukdave wrote: In 40 years working on motors I have never adjusted a solid lifter
any where but on the base circle and as far as the the next lobe effecting the clearance thats BS
what little spring pressure it applys is NOT going to flex the cam so the whole bearing clearance thing is also BS
if it did what do you think would be happening to the cam at 8.000 rpm's.

It's not BS. I've measured it both ways, and on a KZ1000 anyway, there's a significant difference in the measurements.

So by that thinking when running the cam would be moving up and down in the bearing journal
I think not but hey I guess you guys know better then me.
Curtis that set up my head runs a 1500cc turbo KZ car tire bike that go's low eight's and teaches m/c class at
Austin comm. collage set it up off the base circle but I guess he don't know right from wrong either.

Ain't no damn wonder all the old guys have left this site