Need confirmation that timing is set wrong on my 1976 KZ900

You can also get this "tight-loose-tight" situation if there is a mechanical issue on the exhaust side (sicking bucket, bent valve etc) where as you rotate the engine at a given point the chain goes slack between the cams then "snaps" tight again as the resistance is overcome and the exhaust cam catches up (I had this on a Jaguar Diesel engine following a chain failure which turned out to be slightly bent valve stems)

Not what i want to hear Wookie58   but thanks for the information  I then will first check the valveshim clearances and see if there is one bucket sticking  Im crossing fingers and toes

This is a tedious way to set your cams correctly, but I will mention it.

Take your cam chain tensioner off when you set your cams.  When the cams are properly set you should have enough slack to install the top idler.  After installing it you can re-install your cam tensioner.  Then you can rotate the crankshaft to see if everything is OK.

Thanks hardrockminer i did that first or actually i first just removed the camchain tensioner locked the exhaustcam and rotated the camchain on the sprocket on inntake cam one tooth.
then reinstalled tensioner but after that the timing was off .Then i removed the inntakecam while locking the exhaustcam with the arrow flush with haedsurface that did not work either.
Then i remowed both cams to verify that the chain was sitting on the crank .Then i installed cams again by keeping the chain thaugt betwen the exhaust cam and crank and installed the intakecam on the 28pin mark i made on the chain.,but then the chain jumped on the cranksprocket then started over by realign the inntakecam.Then it was good finally ,but the chain did bounce between the camsprockets when engine was rotated and passing the tdc mark and the camchaintensioner was installed.Today right after i posted  i remember that i did not thigten the camchaintensiner bolt so the plunger was springloaded but not secured .That was the silly thing i just secured the bolt so the tensioner spring could not move the plunger back and forth and then the chain stopped bounsing between the sprocets when it was rotated. I now just taken a little brake .I have started to measure the valvclearance and almost all the valves have now got just under limit specs 00.4mm .I measured them some days ago and then only 1 or 2 was on limit on the thight side.a few days later I bought some shims from a kawasaki dealer that was the day the bike suddenly started to run bad after i had beed on the long trip to the dealer.I now think that maybe the chain was loose and the long ride with some high revs made the chain jump.When i tried to losen the tensioner bolt yesterday it was real stuck so maybe it had been a long time since the po has losened it to
take up slack in the chain.

Rolf1976_KZ900 wrote:

I have started to measure the valvclearance and almost all the valves have now got just under limit specs 00.4mm 

Clearances should be 0.10mm to 0.15 mm ( 4 to 6 thou )
They should always be set at 0.15mm and never 0.10mm.
Any that have closed to around 0.10mm should have the next size thinner shim fitted.

zed1015 wrote:

Rolf1976_KZ900 wrote:

I have started to measure the valvclearance and almost all the valves have now got just under limit specs 00.4mm 

Clearances should be 0.10mm to 0.15 mm ( 4 to 6 thou )
They should always be set at 0.15mm and never 0.10mm.
Any that have closed to around 0.10mm should have the next size thinner shim fitted.

How many times do people fall into the metric/imperial trap 

After having to climb out of that trap many times, I now check twice sometimes 3 times !    
 

It is critical to not rotate the crank until the top idler AND the chain tensioner are properly installed.  

When placing the cams I use my left hand (working from the right side of the engine) with fingers spread to hold the cam chain up and tight to the crank sprocket.  

Ok job done checked with a borescope if the chain was not sitting on the cranksprocket .did not vant to dip it all the way down into oil but the chain is straight.
Adjusted the valves using my workshop manual that specifies the clearance is 0.05 to 0.10 Millimeters .Took a ride today and it runs nice .Diid not istall the relaymod this time since the bike now runs good .Cleaned and fixed some more connectors ,but the neutral light still not stable so will have to remove the left enginecover and fix on the neutralswitch.
I think the reason the bike suddenly started to run bad was that camchain jumped a tooth on the way  back from kawasaki dealer it was a long trip .The reason that it jumped i think is because the chain may have been sloppy because it may have been a long time since the cam chain adjuster had been reset/serviced
Thanks for help to all.

Rolf1976_KZ900 wrote:

Adjusted the valves using my workshop manual that specifies the clearance is 0.05 to 0.10 Millimeters .
Thanks for help to all.

The workshop manual is wrong on the valve clearances ( as are many non factory manuals )
Those are the old specs which were quickly ammended due to instances of valve seat burning, especially on the exhaust.
The revised clearances of 0.10mm to 0.15mm must be used with them being set as close to the higher figure as possible when performing a service or rebuild..
As stated in my previous reply 0.10mm is the MINIMUM service figure and if any are at that then the next size thinner shim must be fitted..

zed1015 wrote:

Rolf1976_KZ900 wrote:

Adjusted the valves using my workshop manual that specifies the clearance is 0.05 to 0.10 Millimeters .
Thanks for help to all.

The workshop manual is wrong on the valve clearances ( as are many non factory manuals )
Those are the old specs which were quickly ammended due to instances of valve seat burning, especially on the exhaust.
The revised clearances of 0.10mm to 0.15mm must be used with them being set as close to the higher figure as possible when performing a service or rebuild..
As stated in my previous reply 0.10mm is the MINIMUM service figure and if any are at that then the next size thinner shim must be fitted..

ok i know many of the old factory manuals have fault in them  .Have you seen or know of any documetation from Kawasaki on the new clearances beeing bigger?
 

Rolf1976_KZ900 wrote:

zed1015 wrote:

Rolf1976_KZ900 wrote:

Adjusted the valves using my workshop manual that specifies the clearance is 0.05 to 0.10 Millimeters .
Thanks for help to all.

ok i know many of the old factory manuals have fault in them  .Have you seen or know of any documetation from Kawasaki on the new clearances beeing bigger?


 

Yes! Kawasaki issued a supplement for the early dealer manuals with the amended clearances.
I have been building and racing these engines for nearly 50 years so know what i'm talking about and i don't give out hearsay advice.
Anyone who knows these engines will tell you the same but feel free to run those early specs and when you suffer severe performance loss and burnt valves i can advise on the best course of repair also..