Checked valve clearance this morning.

1977 Kz650c
Hey guys, I checked my valve clearance this morning.
I believe from reading my manual and the forums that these clearances are still good and I do not need to go through the effort of removing cams and reshimming. .08- .18mm clearance allowance. Am I correct in thinking this? 

If so, do I need to replace my valve cover gasket if it did not rip or get wrecked when removing the cover. 

Would it then just be re-assemble with assembly grease on cams, etc. And then I'm good to go?

I will also be syncing my carbs soon as well since I just recently rebuilt and rejetted them. 

Thanks! 

I'd say good to go...but don't forget the next scheduled check.  If the gasket didn't tear then you could likely reuse it.  Worst case, it leaks and you have to do it.  I'd order one now to have as a spare just in case.  You can typically pick up OEM gaskets like those off ebay for fair prices.

Good suggestion, I was also thinking of getting the cam end plugs as well. So I'll do that to have them for next time. Or if it leaks. 

I think 0.08 is the minimum but I don't have the manual in front of me.  You should probably downsize that one.

I agree with Hardrock with the #4 going down a size.

.08mm is .0031 and the next shim will get you right at .005 .10 is .0039 so you might as well replace the #1 exhaust one with one size smaller too as its close and you would need to do it again soon if not. That will get you right at .006

You should be set for a good long time then. I used the original gasket quite a few times before replacing it.......... betting maybe 10 times with the checks and painting and polishing it.

Removing the cams to adjust the valves sucks.  All kinds of opportunity to mess something up, like stripped cam cap threads, mis-timed cams, crap like that.  I'd leave the .08mm valve for now.  It's in spec.  Suzuki GS engines, which are very similar to KZ engines, use valve clearance specs of .03-.08mm, and they don't burn valves at those clearances.  One caveat: Suzuki's cam positioning method before checking clearance is better than most KZ's, because it puts two adjacent valves on the base circle at the same time.  Some guys simply point the cam lobe away from the valve before checking clearance, and that method is wrong.  It leads to a false sense of security since the clearances will be greater than actual.  

Yep!  I agree it sucks.  So I converted my 650 head to shim over bucket.

Those clearances are fine. As mentioned removing cams for valve adjustment can lead to other problems, and no need to do it at this point at least. As for gasket, it can be reused forever if not damaged. A couple tips though as I've removed cams dozens of times over the years, the bolts strip easy, particularly the exhaust side. Don't torque to the spec Kawasaki says or they will likely strip.
The main tip I have though is it is never necessary to remove the cams from the engine to potentially mess up timing. It can be done easy. To do it only work one cam at a time. Remove your caps and carefully lift the cam up and move the cam to the center of the engine keeping all chain slack between the cams. By keeping all slack there,, the chain is still under tension down into the engine and the timing hasn't been messed with. The cam is in the center of the engine and you can easily pull the buckets to change shims. Reset the cam in position while being sure to keep all slack between the cams. Finish up that cam, then do the same for the other.
After both done you haven't changed anything to do with timing. 

 

Thanks Nessism, I agree, I wasn't about to go removing everything and potentially cause me problems for a valve clearance that is still in spec. 

And Ronkz650, I've seen the way you are describing to "remove" cams on some YouTube videos, that was the way I was gonna do it if I had too. 

Hardrock, is there a guide you followed on the best way to convert to shim over bucket?

wrote:

Hardrock, is there a guide you followed on the best way to convert to shim over bucket?

To convert to shim over you just need the retainers, buckets and shims from a 900/1000.

 

You must pull the head and remove the valve clips and spring retainers.  (In my case I had the head removed for vapour blasting so everything was removed.). I bought a set of shim over tappets (buckets) and spring retainers from oink Johnson on ebay.  When they arrived I rebuilt the head with the new spring retainers and buckets.  I also added a set of my thinnest shims and then installed the cams and chain.  Then measured each clearance to determine which shim was proper for that valve and replaced them with the correct size.