KZ305 Rebuild...attempt

On pg 48 of the manual shown above it says "turn the camshaft chain counterclockwise and check the camshaft chain timing. Correct if necessary."

I am not at all clear on how to do this (other than turning it counterclockwise) and this manual is maddeningly disorganized and unclear

I think what it means is, after you get the camshaft in, rotate the engine a couple times and check to see if it still lines up okay (TDC mark on the crank, line on the cam sprocket parallel to head). It's worth doing any time you reinstall a cam, whether it's a timing belt or chain. Or...gear.

wrote:

I think what it means is, after you get the camshaft in, rotate the engine a couple times and check to see if it still lines up okay (TDC mark on the crank, line on the cam sprocket parallel to head). It's worth doing any time you reinstall a cam, whether it's a timing belt or chain. Or...gear.
 

That was the only thing I could imagine it meant but it was anything but clear...it should have said "double check the timing marks" instead of check the timing.

Gad, I hope I don't have to research every single step or this will take until 2029 to finish.

The manual now directs me back to that page 16 section on the camchain where it talks about watching the pushrod action. But you can't see the pushrod through the alternator cover and they are showing a different style of chain tensioner than my 305 has. But they don't tell ya that. They just send ya there and leave ya there.

After scratching head for an hour I go to the main page for my KZ305B1 model, page 289, and it says Camchain-go to page 245

Go to page 245 and that's just the main page for the KZ305A1 model, that I don't have, and all it says is Camshaft Chain-go to 217, GAHHHHHHH!!!

Go to page 217, and find myself on the camshaft adjustment page for a KZ250A1, which I still don't have. But I do have the same camchain mechanism. It says no camshaft chain adjustment is necessary. It is automatic. Yeah, duh, I knew that.

GAHHHHHHHHH!!!! All that for nothing.

I hope whoever wrote this service manual is wandering forever lonely, with cold and wet, blistering feet through the caverns of Yomi-no-kuni

 

Well, all I can say is thanks for posting what you figure out. It will help many others, even though most wont post a thank you.

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Congrats on the new development. It took me a good while to find it too...very frustrating. FWIW, I think that there are two sets of two notches, and the notch on the right should be the TDC/BDC mark (I think the first notch is the firing point?). But whatever, you got it. 

Side question for when you finish up with the cam - is there a trick to getting the valve cover back on? It drives me insane every time. 
 

I'm glad you asked. Now all we need is an answer. I did a "dry run" since the manual calls for a liquid gasket, and I thought that would be dangerous without a dry run. And its a darn good thing I did. But don't know why it doesn't just go on. I suppose the rocker arms are coming down wrong. I took out the tach pinion, as the manual suggested. I oriented the camshaft so that no lobe is pointing up, as the manual suggested. But it still doesn't slide right on nice and easy, and if I don't figure out why before applying the liquid gasket there is going to be one hell of an ugly wet mess of liquid gasket in places I do not want it....

 

Both times I've put it on I have to use something flat to lift the rockers over the corners of the valve springs, it just feels like there's got to be a better way. I haven't used any sealant and so far no oil leaks from the cover - I did have a big one from reusing the oil seal for the left side of the cam though, so I used some RTV there.

Guess I will try it dry then, I just know it would make a huge mess with liquid gasket. I bought a new oil seal for the cam so hopefully that won't leak...

 I found a method...got it started with the rocker arms on the springs on the exhaust side, and with the valve adjustment caps removed just held the arms up on the intake side and it slid right in place. Probably the best would be to remove all the caps and just hold all 4 rocker arms up with thumb and forefinger on each hand as you slip it on. Should be easy peasy that way.

 

So I had 2 broken valve cover bolts ( the smaller 6x50 mm bolts 110G0650 ) before I even started this job, and when I took one to the hardware store to try and replace it I somehow managed to misplace it and had to replace it too. I don't know what kind of steel they are supposed to be made of, or if it matters, and I'm not sure what these replacements are but I do know that the 3 I bought are not stainless steel. Just wondering if it matters in the long run, because I'm going to assume it won't matter in the short run.

Boom! The engine is back together, valves adjusted, and cam seal installed. I felt confident enough with my rocker arm idea that I even used liquid gasket with no smearing at all.  There's still a lot to do (including installing new JBM diaphragms without ruining the slides) that probably won't all get done until I get back from a week's vacation starting in a couple days, but I'm glad I made it this far without breaking much and I'm really really really glad to not be inside the engine anymore, where I do not belong.

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I'm not sure what these replacements are but I do know that the 3 I bought are not stainless steel. Just wondering if it matters in the long run, because I'm going to assume it won't matter in the short run.

The factory bolts would not have been stainless, so as long as they have a decent zinc coating and are not made of pot metal, pewter or some such, they should be fine.