Z900 A4 Engine rebuild yet again!

[Gray17]

Thank you Rob, i will do as you suggest set cam just below. Know its important to get that correct as the 28 pin for inlet would also be wrong. Thought prudent to check.

[zed1015]

I know its important to get that correct as the 28 pin for inlet would also be wrong. Thought prudent to check.

Yes! And not forgetting to count that first pin as Zero.

[Gray17]

Hi Guys well not having much luck at all with this, so re built engine with new pistons andcrings etc, head on torqued down, setting cams all done lady bit of puzzle top cam chain roller, now this has rubber mounts top and bottom to cushion chain and each has a metal plate top and bottom think bonded onto rubber or maybe loose, anyway came to fit mine as i lifted over chain lowering onto head one of the metal plates dropped into the cam chain hollow, been trying for 2 days to fish it out with long handled magnet, Nothing! Argh! This bike is really fighting me all the way, now kicking and screaming. Anyway question how far will i have to strip it to recover it, head off again, barrells, or if i drain oil could it have fallen into sump, in which case could just drop that? Just bought new gasket set too wasted, cant run it till i find it, thing is im not 100% sure its in there only just noticed it missing off top cam roller? Any suggestions PLEASE before i go insane or worst
Thanks

[sean_rfi]

Hello Graham,
I'm sorry to hear of all the problems you've been encountering during this rebuild.
How about using an endoscope to locate and fish this plate out. They can work off your mobile phone and some have magnet attachment or hooks that should retrieve the part once you've located it. It will be much easier to pick up with a magnet if you can actually see it!

This type of thing -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lens%E3%80%91T ... hdGY&psc=1

It's got to be better than pulling the engine apart again - also they they be very useful for some other jobs around the house.

[Gray17]

Hi Sean thanks for reply, thats a good idea and do have one somewhere, i say somewhere because i used it years ago to find a leak under floor but connects to a laptop via usb rather then phone, but have moved twice since i bought it, where it is now god only knows, but def worth a look around. Only thing is with everything in place inc centre rubber roller you cant get much past it, same with my magnetic probe, like an extending pen with magnet it gets so far then sticks think cam may do the same? Of course ive no way to be 100% sure its dropped in. It was def there when i removed it, it was sat along with head, cams, cam cover, cam buckets on a large table with polythene and paper towels all in order, however i had to strip top roller to fit new cam wheel so may have dropped off then and not noticed, checked floor, work bench and around bike nothing so thinking as ive lowered it its dropped in other sides still attached to rubber.
Luckily bought full gasket set and havnt used sump gaskets so im going to drain oil into plastic drip tray, and hope its dropped to bottom being thin it will squeeze past centre roller. If i can find cam ill poke it around see if i can see anything at the bottom. I really dont want to have to strip it yet again, gasket sets arent cheap and im getting miffed! You may argue you should have been more careful True but its been on and off seversl times without issue, why it choose this time to come loose???? Anyway no good bitching whats dones done, just hope i find it! Perhaps if anyones currently got there engine stripped down they could see if the plate would drop through before i start taking it apart. Its annoying too as when i replaced sump it was upright so a lot easier to fit gasket and sealer rather then upside down 6 " off ground!

[zed1015]

Anything dropped down the camchain tunnel can land in the sump if the bottom roller or main bearing cap doesn't catch it first.

[Bill P]

I took sump of my friends Z900 for him and there it was so well worth a try and good luck

[Gray17]

Well drained oil and removed sump, not easy i hasten to add as used the proper silver sealer, however after a few taps and a bit of leverage off it came, and nothing checked oil again nothing, checked oil filter again nothing, shone torch down cam chain def nothing on rollers. So no 8dea where it is may not even be in there! Argh!!!
Really dont want to strip it fully

[warren3200gt]

Turn it over using 17mm. If it's balanced somewhere it will either lock up or fall out.

[wheelysteve]

Stick an air line down the chain tunnel and blow it out of it's hiding place ( if it's in there ! ). Good luck.

[Gray17]

Hi Warren yes tried turning it over but as on my own cam chain keeps doubling back on itself and locking up needs to be kept taught tried a couple of screwdrivers to hold chain but just moves back to centre.
Will give airline a try , luckily got a compressor.
Def worth a try, of course im doing all this on the assumption its in there, but been over garage floor and nothing either so got to be somewhere!

[Gray17]

Weyhey! Your idea worked wheelysteve, tried turning engine over nothing came out, tried rocking it again nothing, then tried compressed air, first time few spots of oil but no plate then blew from bottom up and out it dropped, an awful lot of work and wasnt sure it was even inside but so pleased its dropped out.
Going to leave sump off until top end fully fitted just in case, then re assemble. If hadnt found it id have had to remove head and barrells necessitating a 3rd gasket set or even re split cases. So for anyone in this position make sure the plates on top roller still captive before fitting it!!! Another lesson learnt.
As per usual a step forward and to steps back but this time my bad should have checked first.

[r3sc]

That’s a relief! I think we’re all looking forward to the day you have it sorted and you can get out and ride it.

Keep going with the updates with photos if possible.

[Gray17]

Yes so am i but everytime i think im winning im actually not!
However heres a couple of photos of new pistons/head in place

Found another issue bought a electronic ignition from ebay supposedly a DS2-1 for Z900/Z1000 came to fit it, whilst waiting for oil to drain.
First found cam to big, until speaking to Warren he pointed out you no longer use the existing spacer nut with the cut outs on top of advance mechanism. So flat washer and spring washer fitted, prob solved, came to fit alloy plate next issue plate too small think its for the Z650/750 model which has smaller diameter. Emailed seller no response! So tried stripping points plate and mounting electronic partsvon that but that doesnt work as plate steel so takes away magnetism! Ive had to order a piece of alluminium plate and make 1 with diameter of points plate but screw positions of electronics one, thats a lot of drilling and tapping i could have done without, never mind shaping and fileing to suit.
Think you can see why I'm getting frustrated its a difinitive pattern. Even simple tasks turn into nightmares.
Hopefully it will run right when back together, at mo thinking that light at the end of the loooong tunnel been turned off!

[warren3200gt]

You should have just bought a new one from the link I sent you. That 650/750 secondhand one will have ended up costing you more than a new one in the link and is possibly the reason for the magnet cam not fitting correctly. There's no guarantee it'll run correctly unless your homemade ignition plate is spot on.

Nickel n dimeing it never pays in the long run.

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