Has anyone had problems with new camshaft bearings?

Just for your interrest, the BMW K750, K1000, F650, Yamaha XS750, XS850, XS1100 bike engine share the same 29 mm shim size if your Kawa dealer fail. Here is a full list of bikes sharing the same shim 29mm size and range. 

www.tills.de/product-320.html?language=en

BMW:

• E169 (F 650, F 650 ST)   (09/1993 — 04/2003)
• R13 (F 650 GS, GS Dakar)   (02/1999 — 11/2003)
• K14 (F 650 CS)   (11/2000 — 09/2003)
• K589 (K100, RS, RT, LT)   (05/1982 — 10/1991)
• K569 (K 75, K 75 c, K 75 s, K 75 RT)   (12/1984 — 06/2005)

Aprillia:
 
Aprilia Moto 650
Aprilia Pegaso 650
Aprilia Pegaso 650 Garda
and some Japanese Bikes:

 Honda:

CB750C Custom - 1980-1982
CB750F Super Sport - 1979-1982
CB750K - 1979-1982
CB750L LTD - 1979
CB750SC Nighthawk - 1982-1983
CB900C Custom - 1980-1982
CB900F Super Sport - 1981-1982
CB1000C Custom - 1983
CB1100F Super Sport - 1983
CBX1047cc - 1979-1982
 
Yamaha:

SRX250T/TC - 1987
XVZ12TK/TDK Venture & Venture Royal - 1983
XVZ12DL/DKC2/DN Venture Royal - 1984-1985
XVZ13DS/DT Venture Royal - 1986-1987
XVZ13DSC/DTC Venture Royal - 1986-1987
XVZ12T/TC/U/UC Venture - 1987-1988
XVZ13DU/DUC/DW/DWC Venture Royal - 1988-1989
XVZ13DA/DAC/DB/DBC Venture Royal - 1990-1991
XVZ13DD/DDC/DE/DEC Venture Royal - 1992-1993
VMX12N/NC/S/SC V-Max - 1985-1986
VMX12U/UC/W/WC/A/AC/B/BC/D/DC/E/EC V-Max - 1988-1993
FJ1100L/LC/N/NC - 1984-1985
FJ1200S/SC/T/TC - 1986-1987
FJ1200W/WC/A/AC/B/BC/D/DC - 1989-1992
FJ1200AD/ADC/AE/AEC (ABS) - 1992-1993
FJ 600
FZ 600
XJ 550
XJ 650
XJ 750
XS 400
XS 750
XS 850
XS 1100
YX 600
 
Kawasaki:

KL 600
KL 650
KLX 650
KZ 900
KZ 1000
KZ 1100
KZ 1300
ZN 1300

What cam chain tensioner are you using? (if the chain is too tight it will pull the cams down against the oil feed holes and could restrict flow) Have you checked clearance with plastigauge?

Wookie58 wrote:

What cam chain tensioner are you using? (if the chain is too tight it will pull the cams down against the oil feed holes and could restrict flow) Have you checked clearance with plastigauge?

I'm using an APE chain tensioner, I hand-tighten it very delicately.

Also change the camshaft bearings for original Kawasaki ones.

The trees rotated freely.
youtube.com/shorts/T779pBR6w70

My thought is that if it were a lubrication problem, a bearing would already have failed.

see other similar problems in the forum.




 

I leave the links


kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/616881-z1r-spat-out-a-shim?start=12

kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/617690-is-my-cam-toast

kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/617435-strange-cam-lobe-wear-pattern


 

hardrockminer wrote:

Measure your shims to see if they are still at the intended thickness.  

They still have the thickness but I'm going to throw them away.

Looks like someone grind the hard surface off to get the correct thickness. This is an absolut NO GO!!!

MLMG wrote:

Wookie58 wrote:

What cam chain tensioner are you using? (if the chain is too tight it will pull the cams down against the oil feed holes and could restrict flow) Have you checked clearance with plastigauge?

I'm using an APE chain tensioner, I hand-tighten it very delicately.

Also change the camshaft bearings for original Kawasaki ones.

The trees rotated freely.
youtube.com/shorts/T779pBR6w70

My thought is that if it were a lubrication problem, a bearing would already have failed.

see other similar problems in the forum.




 

I agree ref the bearings, I still think it is worth plastigauging to check the cam to bearing clearances as there doesn't appear to be much oil pooling in the head around the buckets etc (I am not overly familiar with these motors so this may be ok)

Wookie58 wrote:

MLMG wrote:

Wookie58 wrote:

What cam chain tensioner are you using? (if the chain is too tight it will pull the cams down against the oil feed holes and could restrict flow) Have you checked clearance with plastigauge?

I'm using an APE chain tensioner, I hand-tighten it very delicately.

Also change the camshaft bearings for original Kawasaki ones.

The trees rotated freely.
youtube.com/shorts/T779pBR6w70

My thought is that if it were a lubrication problem, a bearing would already have failed.

see other similar problems in the forum.






 

I agree ref the bearings, I still think it is worth plastigauging to check the cam to bearing clearances as there doesn't appear to be much oil pooling in the head around the buckets etc (I am not overly familiar with these motors so this may be ok)

A lost Sunday.

I bought 8 new shims on ebay with the intention of putting them on this weekend, and to begin with, one of them measures more than 29mm, I can't use it.

I polish the camshafts and put the new shims on, I told myself I am going to do a crazy test, I am going to start the motorcycle without the cam cover to see if the oil actually rises, I can assure you that it rises! I have it going for about 60 seconds at idle I turn off and examine the shims.

 

Not only the shim was marked but also the camshaft.

I'm disappointed.

Those shims are suspect. How do the rest look?

SWest wrote:

Those shims are suspect. How do the rest look?

Hi Steve.
Replaced all shims and marked five and three not.
Curiously the same as the previous one. (a clue).

I have to comment that it started happening after I took the head apart again.  The valves were rectified a little more to gain more clearance, change the camshaft bearings and change the tensioner.

If the shims are good quality the only thing I can think of is the valve keepers are moving. There are two styles. Round and squared to fit the groove in the valve. I'd check if they are below the top of the valve stem. In one pic the shim has lines through it suggesting it had been ground or of poor quality. 
Steve

Don´t buy shims from unkown sources, to many china clones with less surface hardness (Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell).

SWest wrote:

If the shims are good quality the only thing I can think of is the valve keepers are moving. There are two styles. Round and squared to fit the groove in the valve. I'd check if they are below the top of the valve stem. In one pic the shim has lines through it suggesting it had been ground or of poor quality. 
Steve

The shims are new, surely of poor quality.