Now that my '82 KZ550 has clean carbs I'm looking into more
preventive maintenance:

I am about to open up and lube the centrifugal ignition advance unit.
Suggestions?

I need to check valve lash and adjust if necessary. Are the valve
shims readily available?

It seems a bit noisy, if I was to open it up and look at the cam chain
tensioner should I suspect some sorts of trouble?

TIA

Biker Dude

Mark Olson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> On 11/28/2010 7:39 PM, Biker Dude wrote:
> > Now that my '82 KZ550 has clean carbs I'm looking into more
> > preventive maintenance:
> >
> > I am about to open up and lube the centrifugal ignition advance unit.
> > Suggestions?
>
> Read the shop manual for the recommended type of grease.
>
> > I need to check valve lash and adjust if necessary. Are the valve
> > shims readily available?
>
> Yes. They're 13mm in diameter and common to many Kawasakis and some
> other brands of bikes too. In order to adjust valve lash the cams
> have to come out. It's not hard but if you screw up the cam timing
> when putting the cams back in, it can be a game ender. TOG will be
> along to recommend using cable ties to keep the camchain mated to
> the cam sprockets while you do this. But get a shop manual.
>
> > It seems a bit noisy, if I was to open it up and look at the cam chain
> > tensioner should I suspect some sorts of trouble?
>
> If you don't have a manual, yes. You need to understand how
> the tensioner works, how to remove it, and most importantly
> how to reset it so you can reinstall it safely without ruining
> the camchain and tensioner foot.
>
> Did I mention you should get a shop manual? Any of the aftermarket
> ones will work but the genuine Kawasaki manuals of that period are
> the best you'll ever find, try ebay.
>
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_W0QQ...266275376#ht_9
36wt_1165

I can't add anything to this except to say that a lot of these Kawa
tensioners stick when cold. However, a lot of these old Kawas are also
naturally noisy when cold. I wouldn't fiddle with the tensioner unless
any of the valves need re-shimming, in which case the tensioner has to
be removed anyway.


--
BMW K1100LT Ducati 750SS Honda CB400F Triumph Street Triple
Suzuki TS250ERx2 GN250. Only seven bikes now.
Try Googling before asking a damn silly question.
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

On Nov 28, 10:19*pm, Mark Olson <ols...@tiny.invalid> wrote:
> On 11/28/2010 7:39 PM, Biker Dude wrote:
>
> > Now that my '82 KZ550 has clean carbs I'm looking into more
> > preventive maintenance:
>
> > I am about to open up and lube the centrifugal ignition advance unit.
> > Suggestions?
>
> Read the shop manual for the recommended type of grease.

I do have the Clymer manual and it states that it should be lubed once
a year or every 6K miles. It does not state what I'm supposed to lube
it with. I suppose I'll figger sumpthin out......... What would Toggy
say? "a happorth of tar"?

I'll order a cam cover gasket and then check the valve lash.

It also looks like a warming trend is headed my way, if the roads
clear for just a day I'll give the Kawie a road test.

Biker Dude

Mark Olson <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Probably a dab of wheel bearing or chassis lube grease will be just fine.
>
> > I'll order a cam cover gasket and then check the valve lash.
>
> Honestly, I wouldn't. It's an expensive long-lasting gasket and they very
> rarely need replacing unless some idiot uses some sort of sealant on it.
> Don't use any sort of gasket cement or sealant, it's basically an custom
> shaped O-ring.

No, it's not, not on those old air-cooled Kawasakis. It's not a big
O-ring type: it's a proper sort of paper gasket, and they always get
wrecked when they're removed. He'll definitely need a new one (over
here, they're £20!).

> You are supposed to use a little silicone sealant to bond
> the half-moon cutouts to the head but I usually skip that and accept whatever
> small amount of seepage that might result.

Really? I always remove the little rubber bungs, clean them, apply rhe
silicone and refit. It only takes a minute or two. No leaks.

>
> You are much more likely to need a side cover gasket,

If you're careful, you don't, because that l/h side cover isn't really
under any kind of tension and there's no oil floating around there, but
it's a good idea to have a spare. These ones are very cheap.


> you have to remove a
> side cover (LHS?) to put a wrench on the crankshaft bolt to turn the engine
> to get the cams in the right position to check the valve clearances.

Again, not necessary. What I do is remove all the spark plugs, shove
them back into their plug caps, remove the cam cover, and turn on the
ignition. Then I just tap the starter button with my finger. The cams
revolve maybe an eighth of a turn with each tap. Very easy. Or I stick
the engine into gear and turn the back wheel. With the plugs out there's
very little resistance.

I don't actually bother to align the tiing marks when checking the
clearances. As long as the cam lobes are pointing directly away from the
buckets, that's all you need to do.

> If
> you want to lube the timing advance mechanism you'll also need a gasket
> for the right hand side. But making your own side cover gaskets is pretty
> easy, they are just made of "composition" material and you can buy that in
> bulk from NAPA and cut your own with an exacto knife.

True. Don't try cutting a copy of the cam cover gasket though - it's
next to impossible.


--
BMW K1100LT Ducati 750SS Honda CB400F Triumph Street Triple
Suzuki TS250ERx2 GN250. Only seven bikes now.
Try Googling before asking a damn silly question.
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

>
> You're right, I misremembered about them.
>
> It's $54.44 MSRP here, or about $41 at a discount online Kawasaki parts
> place, despite being a mere paper gasket. *On those I usually oil them
> well before fitting, figuring that it will have a chance of coming loose
> next time without ripping to pieces. *As you say, it is next to impossible
> to copy one of these, but the side cover ones are a piece of cake to cut.

I have just ordered the gasket from fleabay for $21 postage included.

If I do shim the buckets do I deal with the cam chain with the same
tools as I would use on the drive chain?

Biker Dude

Biker Dude <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
> If I do shim the buckets do I deal with the cam chain with the same
> tools as I would use on the drive chain?

See what Olson said.

If you do need to re-shim, the procedure is to remove the tensioner
assembly complete. This puts enough slack in the chain to allow you to
displace the cams and remove the buckets.

You emphatically don't need to break the chain unless it's knackered
(and on 550 Kawasakis that's unlikely below 50,000 miles).


--
BMW K1100LT Ducati 750SS Honda CB400F Triumph Street Triple
Suzuki TS250ERx2 GN250. Only seven bikes now.
Try Googling before asking a damn silly question.
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com