GB's Snotter! The Sequel: Love and Money

[LTD Project]

Oh you've got me doubting myself so I have run downstairs to check.

Both the Clymer and the official Kawasaki GPZ1100 A2 Supplement state 12 Ft-lb for the camshaft bearing cap bolts.

Anyway, they are knackered now so on the thread repair.

As I said, half of them didn't make it to half this torque without heading south...

[Z1parR]

Apologies , i've given you settings for Z1000
I've got my new reading glasses on as well so have no excuses

[LTD Project]

Went looking high and low the other day for my specs only to be reminded that they were already on my face!

You've got to laugh, what else can you do?

Any thanks for getting involved in my rebuild woes.

[Ginger Bear]

Timesert is the best insert in my opinion.

I bought some from here;

http://global.ebay.com/NEW-TIME-SERT-M6 ... 68661/item

I think the problem with these heads is having to push the valves open as you bolt the cam caps down. Al (Zorded) made a nifty tool to overcome this, hopefully he'll post a pic.

[Al]

Good to see you today Steve.

Here is the gadget i made to push the cams in or let them out slowly which means you dont need to use the cam caps bolts in either direction.




This fits onto the head with the other one.
It holds the cam chain down so that you can set the correct lobe centre cam timing for the inlet cam. It also stops the cam chain jumping the exhaust cam wheel when you set the cams up.





The correct figure for cam cap bolts is 6.6 ft lbs.
Hand tight with the wrist ratchet in other words. They dont appear to loosen either.
Discard any cam cap bolts that are 'stretched' or 'waisted' at the junction of the plain shank to the threaded portion!

AL

[RALPHARAMA]

Hi

I agree with Al. 12 ft/lb is way too much. My guess is that Kawasaki made a typo and then clyma simply copied the bum info into their own book. I've seen this sort of Chinese whispers happen before with manuals!

8 ft/lb is the very most I would stick on a 6mm bolt in ally, and only that much if I knew the threads were not worn

[LTD Project]

Yes well the horse has bolted and the treads are knackered so onwards, lesson learnt and lighter in the wallet.

SEP say that this is not uncommon as our age of heads seem to be needing repair in this department more and more. Though he says it is more often H---a.

Anyway, they have a fix which will be applied to all cam cap threads as there is little point in only doing 9 out of 12.

So head not trash, the bike will be ready for spring, ie about 6 months more than I had allowed.....

Light torquing next time around. Cheers to all.

[Taffus]

theres those that have done the same and those that lie about it



(or was that wanking???)

[LTD Project]

Ok all threads repaired at SEP....... mmm not had reason to doubt them before but with head back home and on with valve clearance exercise again..... I notice cam caps have been installed back to front, even though they are numbered clearly.

Then one of the threads strip again before cap even bottoms out....... anyway got them all down minus this one to progress with measurements and now one of the valves reads a clearance of 0.8 mm wasn't like that before. Now not sure if even largest shim will do the business now.

Removed offending valve to check it out and measure it against tolerance. As I did so a large amount of swarf came out from under valve spring..... obviously from the thread repairs.....

Anyone know a good thread repair / bike engineer in the york area?

I aimed for spring but summer is almost here and no feeling of when the bloody thing will be finished. Sure could do with that cam holding tool but cant be much further from Hampshire if I tried. Will keep you posted if I can make a break through.

[chrisNI]

Just noticed this thread, didn't spot it when you were having the cam bolt issues... 12ft/lb is nonsense it's the reason why so many Zeds have fucked threads. Steve Debben did an article in the club mgazine one time he said 6ft/lb was plenty.

[LTD Project]

Quick update on offending valve with 0.8 mm clearance, as I said, I removed valve to have a look at the situation and found already referred to swarf.

Anyway, on cleaning everything up and re-assembly noticed valve not happy to seat properly, further examination confirmed bent valve.......

So, next question is when I get a new valve from Z-Power what should I need to do to it to it? Will a quick lapping suffice to make it friends with the newly cut valve seats or is there more to do.

All constructive advice welcome.

At this rate perhaps my project thread would be better placed in the BIKE HELP section

If I can get past these stripped threads and valve issues then the head goes back on the bike and I will feel like I have got somewhere!

Cheers

[Crofty]

Try Baz at Blue Haze Engineering for the repair. He is on the Windmill Industrial Estate at Wiggington, right of Taylors ATV . Not sure about repairing an already repaired one if it will be a problem getting the damaged insert out.

[Ginger Bear]

New valve will almost certainly need to be 'tipped' (I think the rest were). Compare it to the length of the one being replaced.

[LTD Project]

Thanks to GB, Crofty and all the others above that have responded with advice.

Cheers

Hopefully further update next week.

[LTD Project]

Well it has been a while!!!

After all sorts of delays and problems.... work, family, laziness, finally got to the point where I thought that I was ready to start the rebuilt engine, then the battery just did not have enough ummph left in it so a another few days waiting for a new battery. In it goes, turns the new lump over and no joy. So went and read manuals and gathered further patience.
Got back to the bike with the idea of trying to see if there were any troublesooting light codes coming out of the EFI control box. You have to turn it over initially to see the codes. Press the starter whilst staring at the little green light.
No code light sequence seen but engine suddenly coughed into life..... YEEHAAA!
Idles well enough and responds to throttle inputs well enough too, but has two blowing exhaust gaskets.
I have fitter a Kerker and I must say that I found the fitting more than a little difficult. I could have done with two more octopus mechanics to hold and tighten everything.
Other proplems are a weeping bolt at the end of the oil gallery on the right above the timing cover and a clutch that adjusts up ok, you can then actuate the clutch lever 5 or 6 times and then it goes twang and off with the sprocket cover to reset the cable / arm relationship. Bit out of ideas as to what is happening there
Anyway it runs after so much time, cash and effort. A final push now to sort these issues and an MOT cant be far away.