TOPIC:

Ok, camshafts in and aligned with the timing marks 17 links apart. I also inserted the old tensioner just so I could turn the engine, but a new ZZR1100 one is coming next week (Kawasaki part number taken off the section on tensioners in the FAQ). I also managed to do the thermostat housing, and the head cover is on, but only loosely.

A couple of turns by hand and all is well timing-wise. However, something else strange is happening. Although I oiled the shim buckets with assembly oil and oiled the camshafts and lobes etc with as much oil I could muster, when I turn the engine the shim buckets/valves stick a little and then 'click' back up. All of them do this...

Have I bent them?

Paul

Sounds like lubrication problem. The top looks dry - I'd suggest just very generously pouring engine oil while turning the engine slowly. The assembly lube is very sticky. Let the oil penetrate everywhere. Keep on doing it until all smooth. I squirted oil deep inside the engine as well. Chains, tensioner, between the rods, etc. I also noticed you like applying way too much liquid gasket. It's coming out around the tensioner. There is a thin paper gasket there. Doesn't require any liquid gasket actually, just smear some oil on it and after torqued it will seal just fine.

Thanks Stan, I squirted oil everywhere all over it, but you are right, assembly oil is very sticky. It is also very cold in my garage (3 degrees C), which won't help. It did not do this when I was measuring the shims last week... but it was a good ten degrees warmer as then.

I'll do as you say tomorrow and see how it goes.

That one was assembled without a gasket as I have not received it yet. I wanted it in place so I could turn the engine safely. Once the new tensioner and the new gasket have arrived I will use new rubber ring and paper gasket without the liquid sealant.

Paul

I posted as quickly as I could on my phone after I saw it, which I hate doing!!! hahaha I just knew this needs a quick response.

Warm oil would be better, but this didn't even cross my mind not knowing it's so cold in your engine 'storage'. And I am the kind of person that like to go deep. But if we ask for all the details, conversations will go off the rails, haha

I wouldn't shy away from pointing a hair dryer at the engine. Especially in cold room - it will heat up the engine faster than you think

I gather you don;t have the oil pan solidly attached. That would be good. I'd use four screws without gasket and have it underneath the engine. Simple reasons: keep place clean, and catch anything coming out of the engine to see an analyze. My bet would be there is no chance for nothing showing up. The engine takes 4-5 liter of oil, that's how much you have before the oil pan fills up. Just dump 1, 2 liter of room temperature or above oil on the cams and squirt freely all around inside targeting all internal surfaces, and repeat. This will flush impurities hanging on to places because of be it gravity defying viscosity laws. This will get rid of some invisible items like microscopic fibers from cloths you used for cleaning. Any crude old gasket shaving.

There is pretty much no need for sealing in mock ups. Remember the environment inside the engine when it runs - high temperatures, lower viscosity, and most important - pressure! All absent when just putting and turning the engine on a bench as mock up. Proper gaskets etc. need to be applied only when it's final.

Yep. Hair dryer, room temperature oil, and turning by hand should leave you without worries.

The mystery deepens.

I put the engine in 'T' position (1 and 6 at Top), took the tensioner out and took the camshafts off again so I could take the shim buckets out and see that there was enough oil under them, but as I took the exhaust camshaft off I noticed No 3 valve was stuck down. Would not respond to a gentle tapping or anything.

Then I started to undo the inlet camshaft and as I was undoing the bolts, No 3 exhaust valve popped back up!

So I can only conclude that the valves interfere with each other... can they? I had the timing right... maybe they skimmed too much off? I'm sure there is a logical explanation, but after three hours in a freezing garage my mind is a little numb...

The other issue I found is that when I checked the clearances before I did all the above work, all the exhaust clearances were too tight by 0.05-0.1. I'll measure again when the whole lot is back together... [sigh]..

Paul

McBoney wrote:
So I can only conclude that the valves interfere with each other... can they? I had the timing right... maybe they skimmed too much off? I'm sure there is a logical explanation, but after three hours in a freezing garage my mind is a little numb...


Paul

Yes, if the timing is off between the 2 camshafts, there could be physical interference between 2 valves at overlap.

Mc Boney wrote in a previous post - A couple of turns by hand and all is well timing-wise. However, something else strange is happening. Although I oiled the shim buckets with assembly oil and oiled the camshafts and lobes etc with as much oil I could muster, when I turn the engine the shim buckets/valves stick a little and then 'click' back up. All of them do this...

Have I bent them?
This suggests that the timing between the 2 camshafts i.e. 17 links may have been off??? At 17 links, did the timing marks on the camshaft appear to be correct as per the picture in the manual?? (pic E84) as below.
As much as I hate to say it, I would be concerned if the valves were interfering with each other that some gouging or scoring of the valve sealing faces may have happened. I'd be doing a leak down check and if deemed pull the head again. If you bent a valve or more, the leak down check will tell you.