Kawboy's restoration/conversion of a 1980 KZ13

After a couple of weeks searching for a water pump chain, I finally figured out the chain was originally made by Tsubaki Industries under their product # BF25H. I also found out that Kawasaki has been using Tsubaki chains all the way up to 2006 or even later, Kawasaki used this BF25H chain for a camshaft drive chain in their KLN110 but it's a 88 link chain where our water pump drive chain is only  72 links. The part # for the KLN110 camshaft chain is 92057-1116 and the price is $33 CDN.
The BF25H chain is also available from Tsubaki through a authorized vendor but you have to buy a minimum of 10 feet of the chain which would cost $106 CDN. Also the master link is a clip style and it can be had for $8 CDN.
I've ordered a KLN110 cam chain and I'll shorten it to the required 72 links. There's a 3 week wait at the moment due to a back order at Kawasaki, so in the meantime, I have a pile of bolts to clean. What a mess. The case halves were joined with what looked like Permatex Form A Gasket (brownish in color and really thin), but the bolts are covered in what looks like a whitish sealant that I  think is  pipe dope. I'll  wire wheel brush them on my 8" pedestal grinder and run a die nut up the threads and then decide if I'll treat them 

 
Covered in what looks like pipe sealant. Too filthy to assemble with. So we clean.

 
 3 hours later the lower crankcase half joint bolts are cleaned, and checked with a die nut.

Nice and clean, threads verified SAT, now on to the Tensionometer to determine molecular density betwixt electron valences?

Is a die nut the same as a thread chaser (nut)?

stocktoy wrote:

Is a die nut the same as a thread chaser (nut)?

Yes they are. I prefer die nuts because if you need to clean a thread in situ you can drive the die nut with a socket and rachet or a combination wrench. When using dies, you are limited to using the supplied handle and as an example, if you had to chase a thread on one of the cylinder studs where adjacent studs are 4" away from each other, a die and handle would be a problem.

Dies and handle are more of a thread making tool used in a shop to  cut threads . The dies are circular and have a split in them. You can use a die to cut an oversize thread by opening up the split in the die with the middle screw in the handle before tightening down the outer 2 screws. Most people are unaware of this feature and simply, install the die in the handle and tighten down all 3 screws.

Made it over to the boneyard 2 days ago and got a replacement 6 x 45mm flanged bolt for the one I had missing on the upper crankcase. There's a ZN1300 in the yard that's been ravaged. I meant to take a pic but the weather was freezing rain with about 1/2" of ice all over the yard. I'm surprised I didn't end up flat on my ass. Just getting the bolt out was enough.
Still waiting for the KLN110 can chain to come in at Kawasaki and I have to shorten it 16 links. Not wanting to use a clip style master link, I decided during this down time, try pushing out a pin from the original water pump chain, and then reinstalling the same pin, peening it and testing. Surprise , surprise, it worked out beautifully, so that's the plan. Split the new chain, remove 16 links and put it back together with the original pin. Easier than I thought it might be.
One thing I learned in this endeavor was that the pin slides through the roller bushes really easy but is a press fit in the link plates. It's no wonder there's a lot of side play in a new chain. Without measuring the pin roller clearance, I would say it's about .002"

You can use a die to cut an oversize thread by opening up the split in the die with the middle screw in the handle before tightening down the outer 2 screws. Most people are unaware of this feature and simply, install the die in the handle and tighten down all 3 screws.

That would be me.. Yet another lesson learned. Tx...