79 KZ1000 head removal

After pulling the cam cover off as well as not seeing any metal in the oil pan, I need to remove the head from the engine.  As mentioned in an earlier thread, I can rotate the crank about 180 degrees, then I hit a hard stop.  I've been told it could be a stuck valve preventing further movement.

I just received my Kawasaki manual, so I'm ready to dig in to it.  However, the manuals can be overly technical (I repair copiers for a living, and they do the same thing.)  Is there a simpler procedure for removing cams and then the head that I can follow?  Sort of a "Head removal for Dummies" type of thing.  I am very good at keeping things separated, but I just need to know what to look for.

Firstly I would advise that the manual is your "friend" especially if you don't have a lot of experience with motors. Getting it wrong can be expensive ( when you remove cams you are fighting the valve springs so not following the correct sequence can seriously damage the head or cam caps which are matched to the head)
I would suggest before you dive headlong into a motor strip you do some basic checks, 

1. have you checked the cam timing as previously mentioned in the earlier post
2. if the timing is correct, when you rotate the engine (as much as you can) if you have a valve stuck open (possibly bent) when the bucket is off the cam lobe it will still sit noticeably lower than the other buckets on closed valves
3. if you are struggling to confirm neutral, remove the cover and drop the clutch plates out, this will isolate the motor from the trans (don't forget to drain the oil first)
4. if you still haven't found the problem remove the cams ( following the manual) 
5. now visually check the heights of all the buckets (should be uniform for all valves) and the condition of the cam bearings (Maui had a similar issue which turned out to be a spun cam bearing)
6. if all the buckets are at the right height with the cams out  and the bearings are good then the problem is unlikely to be in the head 
7. with the cams out and the plugs removed now rotate the engine ( don't forget to hold the cam chain up so it doesn't snag)
8. if it still locks then you are going to need .to dig deeper (but at least up to now you are only into a clutch cover gasket and a cam cover gasket)

Happy hunting

Wookie gives good advice.  

I like lots of room and lots of light, so I try to strip everything out of the way.

Remove your tank.
Remove your coils
Remove your carburetors
Remove the tensioner from the cylinders
Disconnect your tach drive
Remove your exhaust
Remove your points cover...you will need to set your timing when you reassemble.
Now you should have some room and better lighting.

Remove your valve cover and gasket.  Be careful with the gasket as it can be reused if still in good condition.
Remove the center cam chain idler and the cam bearing caps.  The caps are numbered so don't worry about which one goes where.
Remove the 12 head studs and washers and the M6 bolts, one on each side of the head.
Tie a wire or a string to your cam chain so that if it accidentally falls into the center well you can retrieve it.  Remove the cams.

You can now remove the head.  I normally tap the sides carefully with a rubber mallet until I see it moving.

I found it helpful to cross reference everything between the FSM, the Chilton's book (largely because that recognizes you won't have all the Kawasaki-specific tools), and this video:



...and then to keep on asking questions here.

The only special tool you need to pull the head off is a torque wrench or maybe two for when you put things back together.  A 1/4 inch drive for the M6 bolts and a larger one for the head studs.

Thanks, guys.

Wookie58
1.  I haven't checked timing yet.
2.  The buckets that I can see when the lobe is off, are up.  I didn't see any that stayed down.
3.  I've removed the swingarm and the shaft turns freely.  Should I still remove the clutch plates?

Hardrockminer
You make it sound so easy, lol.  The bike was pretty much stripped down when I got it.  I have lots of room and light now.  I hope I'm making it more difficult in my mind than what it really is.  I certainly won't be putting it back together without more research.

Buzz Nichols
Thanks for the video!

I'll follow the rest of your suggestions from there.  Again, I thank all of you for your input.

Wookie58
1.  I haven't checked timing yet.
2.  The buckets that I can see when the lobe is off, are up.  I didn't see any that stayed down.
3.  I've removed the swingarm and the shaft turns freely.  Should I still remove the clutch plates?

Given that it is only a small job to drop the clutch it is worth doing given that the bike has never run in your ownership (so who knows what it has been through) I think it was Buzz Nichols who had a problem on re-assembly with the clutch causing a lock up (at least then you will know if it is engine or trans)

wrote:

Wookie58
1.  I haven't checked timing yet.
2.  The buckets that I can see when the lobe is off, are up.  I didn't see any that stayed down.
3.  I've removed the swingarm and the shaft turns freely.  Should I still remove the clutch plates?

Given that it is only a small job to drop the clutch it is worth doing given that the bike has never run in your ownership (so who knows what it has been through) I think it was Buzz Nichols who had a problem on re-assembly with the clutch causing a lock up (at least then you will know if it is engine or trans)
 

Thanks.  I'm in no huge hurry to get this on the road, So I hopefully will be able to check, double-check, and triple-check my work on re-installation.

If you've never pulled a head I understand your concern.  But it's actually easier than it sounds.  It's the putting back together that can cause problems, and even if you did it correctly you're always asking yourself "Did I forget anything?"  The service manual is quite good at describing what needs to be done and in what order.  Kawasaki did a great job of designing and building the KZ1000 engine so that it can be dismantled and rebuilt simply and quickly.  

I got the cams out and head off.  Luckily, I was able to turn the crank enough for it to come up tdc.  

A few more questions now...
1. Do the buckets have to stay in a particular order?

2.  Where do the shims fit?  Between the valve and the bucket?  A couple of buckets came off, but I didn't see shims.

Here's what I got.  Obviously there wasn't a stuck valve, or if there was one, it freed itself when tapping cams caps and head.  Can I turn the crank to see if it revolves the whole way?

1.  I'm thinking the cylinders will have to come off or can I hone them on the bike?
2.  If it's past the honing stage, what should I get it bored to?  I don't want a 1400 cc monster.
Thanks again for everything.  

Looks like you found the source of the problem   in answer to your question you can't hone with the cylinder in place (there is still a piston in the bore) and to be fair I think that one is probably past honing.
I would suggest removing the cylinder and cleaning it up, the depth of the corrosion will determine how far you need to overbore to get to a clean cylinder.
I would suggest before you start spending money you strip completely and inspect everything, if the PO has tried starting it with a bore full of water it could have bent a con rod (liquids can't compress so something has to give) this is normally the first point of weakness when a motor has water in the cylinders 
With regards the shims there are two different set ups used "shim over bucket" uses a large shim on top of the bucket that the cam operates on, "shim under bucket" uses a small shim on top of the valve stem (I am sure the guys who are more intimate with this specific model can better advise)
With regards bucket locations, it is best practice to re-fit components in their original location if re-using old parts

The 1000s came with shims on top of the buckets, and yes the buckets should stay in the bores you found them in.


Page 15.
www.kzrider.com/modules/ServiceManuals/K...Service%20Manual.pdf