Saving a '81 KZ750-E

So the shop that did my cylinder head is backed up until February and not accepting further work at this time. Now I am on the hunt for a different machine shop. I was really hoping he would take the job back. I wasn't going to insist he do the work for free, since the valve gaps can be set within range. Just not desirable for future adjustments. Another unplanned expense... budget? What budget?! Hahaha!

All of the keepers are far enough away from the ends of the valves that I don't think any grinding will need to be done to them. I measured the distance from the ends of the valves to the top edge of the keepers, and they range from .038" to .045" away. A shop with a precision valve grinder should be able to stay within those margins. I talked to a shop about 50 miles away that said they can do it, but they want the cams, buckets, and shims to grind the valve stems to the proper clearance. I would prefer to find a shop that can just take the necessary amount off each valve stem and reinstall the valves and springs for me. I want to do my own shimming. So I contacted an auto machine shop that is much closer to me. I have an appointment to meet with him this afternoon and show him what I have going on. He is not sure he has the right size tooling to hold a small motorcycle valve stem, so I am taking one of the old valves along for reference. We will see...

Do yourself a favor. Just buy a valve spring compressor, and take it apart yourself. Then all you need is someone with something like this old KwikWay valve grinding machine. That old style machine can easily top your valves with minimal effort!!!!! Plus you will be able to get a good look at the valve job you paid for!!!!!

The three people I have used over the 44 years I have been building Kz1000 motors they all used or still use that old style KwikWay valve machine to top their valves.

A spring compressor is one of those rare tools that fall in my "would hardly ever use" category. That, and I also live in an area with limited resources. Machine shops are few and far between, so when you can find one their back log is measured in months. I have always been reluctant to ship engine parts for fear of handling damage. Mountain out of a mole hill? Maybe another with limited resources can use the situations I have come across and the solutions I have found.

I visited the auto machine shop I found today. He did have the right tooling for his equipment to hold the valve stem diameter. I left him the head and he should have it done sometime next week. I have seen spring compressors from $35 to $135 online. He is charging me $10 per valve to remove, grind, and reinstall. He normally doesn't work on motorcycle engines, so I was relieved he had the right equipment and isn't gouging me on cost. The only other place I found was 50 miles away and wanted $250 - $300.

Sounds like you found the right guy. Fingers crossed that he's conscientious and does good work. As a data point a large C-clamp and PVC section with a window cut in one side works fine for removing motorcycle valves.

And speaking of valves, a machine shop not too far away has a super nifty Sunnen centerless valve grinding machine that makes fast work of valve refurbishment. He literally did all 8 of my KZ valves in less than 15 mins. He had to cut them more than expected too. He did some Suzuki GS1000 valves for me and those took far less cutting to clean up even though that engine had double the mileage of my KZ. Anyway, centerless grinders are the cat's meow.

I lived in So Ca for 52 years. I got spoiled! Everything you want to get, almost every service within 25 miles. Three years ago I retired and moved to northern Nevada. Beautiful area, not much anywhere close. The nearest motorcycle salvage yard is in Sacramento - a 3 hour drive one way. I will try not to vent so much... somebody might call the whaaambulance for me. :laugh:

Skidmark wrote: I lived in So Ca for 52 years. I got spoiled! Everything you want to get, almost every service within 25 miles. Three years ago I retired and moved to northern Nevada. Beautiful area, not much anywhere close. The nearest motorcycle salvage yard is in Sacramento - a 3 hour drive one way. I will try not to vent so much... somebody might call the whaaambulance for me. :laugh:

I'm jealous. I've got some 401k money and have been watching the stock market daily asking myself how much money do I need? I'll take isolated Nevada over So. Calif. any day!

Skidmark wrote: I lived in So Ca for 52 years. I got spoiled! Everything you want to get, almost every service within 25 miles. Three years ago I retired and moved to northern Nevada. Beautiful area, not much anywhere close. The nearest motorcycle salvage yard is in Sacramento - a 3 hour drive one way. I will try not to vent so much... somebody might call the whaaambulance for me. :laugh:

I too got spoiled by having everything I needed or needed done within a few miles when I lived back in the Chicago area. Now that I moved to Arizona. Its hard to find folks out here I can trust to do good work. To this day I have not found anyone out here that I could really trust to touch my cylinder heads, or even hone a cylinder. I box up my cylinder heads and send them back to the person I trust back in Chicagoland!!!! Better safe than sorry.

I found Thumper Racing in a nearby town. They specialize in single cylinder four stroke dirt bike motors. He agreed to do my head since he had the right equipment. I am not displeased with his work, I just don't like being at the bottom of the shim range. Ed was right on the money with that one. He had the valves at a height that would get the proper clearance. Just no wear room to spare.

Nessism wrote: I'm jealous. I've got some 401k money and have been watching the stock market daily asking myself how much money do I need? I'll take isolated Nevada over So. Calif. any day!

The view out my front window last Monday morning.

Last year it snowed on Oct. 30th. I'm just counting the days now.

I finally got my clutch hub back from TIG welding. Silicon bronze filler rod. The amount of play with the new dampers hasn't changed, so they survived the thermal cycles.