Z1R Spat out a Shim

wrote:

wrote:

4 - Early type shim used ( identified by a dimple in the center of the shim) which are prone to this type of failure.




 

We've never seen shims with raised nubs on them, although true 'dimples' are likely the result of shims used on early Z1 buckets.
 
Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Here in the UK ( and everywhere else i know of ) a Dimple is an indent not a raised area.
Early shims had an indent that resulted in a stress area which were prone to breaking and were replaced with the plain shims.

No idea if this could be related but K&L made a bunch of bad shims a while back.  Z1 stopped selling them at one point.  This was for Suzki GS shims though, not sure if KZ shims were likewise affected.

wrote:

wrote:

wrote:

4 - Early type shim used ( identified by a dimple in the center of the shim) which are prone to this type of failure.







 

We've never seen shims with raised nubs on them, although true 'dimples' are likely the result of shims used on early Z1 buckets.
 
Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Here in the UK ( and everywhere else i know of ) a Dimple is an indent not a raised area.
Early shims had an indent that resulted in a stress area which were prone to breaking and were replaced with the plain shims.

The bulletin we mentioned shown below:
 

 

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

wrote:

wrote:

wrote:

wrote:

4 - Early type shim used ( identified by a dimple in the center of the shim) which are prone to this type of failure.








 

We've never seen shims with raised nubs on them, although true 'dimples' are likely the result of shims used on early Z1 buckets.
 
Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Here in the UK ( and everywhere else i know of ) a Dimple is an indent not a raised area.
Early shims had an indent that resulted in a stress area which were prone to breaking and were replaced with the plain shims.

The bulletin we mentioned shown below:
 

 

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Thanks for the info! Really interesting and look what I found after I pulled all the shims out.......

Last night I took the clearance measurements and then pulled the shims and measured all of them. This is what I have;



There is an assortment of shims used and only one still has the numbers visible on it. The one in the photo below looked a bit odd too.

Bucket looks a bit rugged and there are some nasty marks on the cam lobe. 

wrote:

The one in the photo below looked a bit odd too.

That shim has been ground (badly) and the lower one in the other pic has been messed with too.
Your "Experienced Kawasaki guy" needs sacking and you should go through that engine to closely inspect anything he has touched before it's run again.

From the looks of those shims I suspect the broken one was ground.  A further guess....your valve stems were also ground.  All of those shims are on the thin edge of the range.  One of them is at the very bottom.  (2.00)

Zed1015's comment about sacking brings back a memory of a line in the Beatles' song "Piggies"..."What they need's a damn good whacking!"  I totally agree with 1015.  Anything this guy touched should be reviewed.

wrote:

From the looks of those shims I suspect the broken one was ground.  A further guess....your valve stems were also ground. 

  I totally agree with 1015.  Anything this guy touched should be reviewed.

HRM, good eye. Look at the valve tip. It shows the same grind marks as on the shim. 

I was thinking the keepers were touching the lifter but it does look like the valve stem had been tipped. NOT GOOD 
Steve

wrote:

I was thinking the keepers were touching the lifter but it does look like the valve stem had been tipped. NOT GOOD 

Steve

Yes, AND the shims are at the low end of the range.  Now I'm wondering if he did the seats and over cut them?  Then tipped the valves and ground some shims.  I'm willing to bet if you measure those ground shims that they are less than 2.00.

 

Might be time for larger valves and a redo. 
Steve