TOPIC:

Make sure you have shims in all the buckets before installing the cams. ( Don't ask how I know, and it wasn't me) Record what shim you put in which spot so you can retrieve it when you need it.

First tip-Pick the thinnest shim you have (looks like the 2.50 mm) and use that for getting your basic clearance on each of the valves, otherwise, you'll be screwing around trying to find a shim with some clearance. If it were me, I would install the 2.50 mm shim in each location, take the clearance measurement, write down the clearance measured and then calculate the shim required and write that number down, then swap out the 2.50 shim for whatever shim was in there and go to the next shim bucket. After you have all of the numbers figure out what shims you need and what shims you have. At that point I would stop and go buy the shims you need but don't have and then start swapping out all of the shims for the right ones.
You're going to have to do a lot of shim swapping but under the circumstances, you have no choice.

Right, thanks all. Understood. I don't mind the shim swapping, but I cannot do that without a shimming tool as otherwise with every shim swap I have to take the camshaft off.

To get going however, I proceeded to do it the only way I could do it without a shimming tool.

I put the shims of which I knew the thickness in the exhaust ones and installed that camshaft. Then turned the engine by hand to turn the camshaft and measured in turn under each lobe as it pointed upwards. Then undid the exhaust camshaft, switched shims on to the inlet cups and did the same on that side. Results:

Cylinder no 1 2 3 4 5 6
exhaust shimsize 275 270 270 265 265 265
clearance 0 0.05 0.05 0 0 0.1
intake shimsize 265 265 260 260 265 270
clearance 0 0 0.1 0 0 0

I think I'll need to buy a few new shims of varying sizes and do it again, but I will also buy a shim tool as then I only need one of each size. As the clearance needs to be 0.05-0.15 and 0.15-0.25 I'll buy a 200, 210, 220, and a 230.

Next update will be when I have the parts.

And BTW, happy NY to all of you!

Best
Paul

Ok, as I am awaiting the shims, I started looking at the frame. Plan is to use a small single seat on seat springs.

This is not standard so if you are a KZ1300 purist, look away! Hereunder a mock-up of my plan.

The horizontal braces will be cut away and the rear verticals will be linked together with a hoop behind the seat which will support the rear LED strip light. The seat will sit on top of the two new cross sections. The seat height will then (for me) be perfect and same as my KZ1000P.

The rear shocks will have to be a little shorter and Hagon have told me they do a replacement set at 340, 350 or 360mm, so when I am ready to weld on the tabs for the shocks, I'll put them so one of those sizes will fit.

Paul

I wish I had a cut up frame somewhere! haha We could switch. Or I'd be getting the pieces you remove to add to mine, hahaha
I think you have the ultimate solution for the short legged riders!

I think you probably could already have a few of your shims permanently in place, moving the 250 around, checking and using those you already have. But you need that tool - it is counterproductive playing with the camshafts to move shims around.

Ok, got the smaller shims and have been doing the swapping and measuring. Pics hereunder, procedure: Install shims on all six buckets and install camshaft. I only had one 220 shim so had to take out one and insert the 220 every time. Turn camshaft so that the lobe of the valve you will be measuring is up. Then insert the hooked tool and lever the bucket/valve down. Then insert the smaller edge of the bowed tabby thing between the camshaft and the bucket, so that it rests on the rim of the bucket and not on the shim. Take out the shim that is there and insert the shim you know the measurement of, in my case a 220. Ignore the big round bit of metal as that is a large magnet I used to make sure nothing dropped into the engine. Take the bowed tabby thing out and measure the clearance between the bottom of the camshaft lobe and the shim in the valve bucket with a feeler gauge. Write down the clearance. Make sure you don't mix up the intake and exhaust sides and be consistent in your numbering of the cylinders - I initially got both muddled!

Once you have all the measurements and the corresponding shim sizes, by referring to the chart on pages 15 and 16 of the manual you can work out what shim size you need per valve.









So in my case:

Cylinder no 1 2 3 4 5 6
exhaust shimsize 220 220 220 220 220 220
clearance 0.4 0.5 0.55 0.45 0.45 0.57
intake shimsize 220 220 220 220 220 220
clearance 0.35 0.3 0.45 0.12 0.25 0.15

exhaust shim size needed 240 250 255 245 245 255
intake shim size needed 245 240 255 220 235 220

I have an email to send to the shim supplier!

Cheers
Paul

OMG PAUL !!!
That hook tool is not a lever to push down the shim bucket. It's a pick tool to reach in the slot of the shim bucket and pick out the shim. You're suppose to roll the cam and get the shim bucket down, then insert the shim bucket holding tool and then roll the cam enough so that the shim can be picked out and replaced. All this is on page 13 in the service manual.
I pray here that you haven't nicked the camshaft with that pick tool.
It's an absolute sin that the tool doesn't come with instructions.