Probably a really stupid question

I have yet to measure my valve clearances since I bought the bike, figured it was time. I have just over 15,000 miles on my 1977 KZ900 and she has been running pretty damn good for me since i got her at 12,000 miles. I took the valve cover and started doing my measurements.

Intake | Exhaust
1. .002 | .004
2. .003 | <.0015
3. .002 | .003
4. .025 | .003

(all measurements in inches...)

From the factory do all intake and exhaust sides use different size shims?
Do I have to take out each shim to see what size it is before I can buy the appropriate new shim size?

I was trying to wait to buy the shim tool and the shims at the same time, but if that isn't possible than that's ok too.

Forgot to add...Looking at the cam shaft plug, is it supposed to blue along the top of it, or does it look like somebody tried to seal that up?

Should I go ahead and replace the cam shaft plugs?

Yup you'll have to take em out to see..... you could get lucky and use one to set the other but with with 3 or 4 off odds are you will need one or two. Hopefully you have a mike or at least a caliber also to double check the size as some vary a slight amount and the makings are sometimes worn off too.

If the plugs didn't leak before I'd leave em alone..... mine didn't leak after taking the cover off a half a dozen times but did after I had the head work done and put em back in.

Just wanted to add - I ALWAYS read threads that have titles like 'stupid question' because I know that is one less stupid question I have to ask.

thanks for taking one for the team : )


-Lee

Glad I could do my part! haha

Just want to add a stupid comment here also. If you use one shim to swap out another to get the proper clearance do not rotate the engine without a shim in the bucket

Bama704 wrote: Forgot to add...Looking at the cam shaft plug, is it supposed to blue along the top of it, or does it look like somebody tried to seal that up?

Should I go ahead and replace the cam shaft plugs?

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I just shimmed my valves and didn't replace the cam plugs. The blue is more than likely some RTV. When I reinstalled my head cover I put a very thin coating of black RTV on the head side of the original gasket and small dabs at the joints of the cam plugs

Second pic is the tool you use to remove each shim at a time

I ordered that tool and it was like Christmas when it arrived. Couldn't wait till I could pull those shims and find out what size I had. I really enjoyed doing the math to figure out how to get the right clearance. I had a very well known 900 builder that told me these bikes like to be set at .002 to .004 thousandth on the intake and .003 to .005 on the exhaust. I set mine as close to the middle of those ranges I could so .003 intake and .004 exhaust. I'm impressed with how well the bike runs now after setting them

The only one we'd touch is #2 exhaust.

You would have to pull all the shims to establish each individual thickness. They're likely not all the same size, although if the motor is factory stock they're likely in the 2.80 to 2.95 range.

The shim tool in spydgon's post is our favorite. Make sure you turn the bucket to orient the notch up before the tool is in place.


Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Great info from everybody here thanks. I ordered the tool and it should come in the next few days so I can start to do the math. If it is really just one shim (#2 exhaust) that needs swapped out, maybe I can stop in to the local kawasaki dealership and see if they will swap me out one. Will keep ya'll updated on the progress.

You have a bunch of valves at the minimum clearance spec. Personally, I'd move them up to the middle-upper end of the spec range to buy you some time before you have to go back inside the engine.

If you are anxious to get the job done wire ties can be used instead of the shim tool. Read about it here if interested... members.dslextreme.com/users/bikecliff/i...lve_tool_zip_tie.pdf