[Guest]

I'll direct this towards BMatthews as he seems to be the resident tech and Kawi expert.

I am contimplating doing the valve inspection/(possible) adjustment on my 2000 ZX-6R myself. I am reasonably confident that I will have no problems doing it, the process, other than tearing everything apart is fairly simple. I have a well equiped garage, I have a service manual, and I am prepared to do it.

I was planning on draining the cooling system this weekend and syncing the carbs as is, and since they have to be done with the valve inspection, I thought I could take it one step further.

Do you have any hints/tips/suggestions of things to watch out for during this proceedure. Aside from saving myself a chunk of money in not getting a dealership to do this, I would be gaining a lot of knowledge of my bike.

Input will be appreciated from anyone who has done this.

Thanks

PS, I also want to know why Kawi insists on the inspection every 12,000km when Yamaha/Honda are 24,000km (I think that is true with Honda). They all have shim under bucket valves, that I can not see being much difference between them. Explainations?!?!

 

[TeeTee]

First off you're gonna want a manual in one hand for this level of work.

The short version is remove the tank, side fairings, airbox, anything else in the way. Remove the valve cover and then yer ready to test the clearances. Record all the measurements. If any need changing the you need to pull the cam, lock the chain so it doesn't fall into the cases and then pull off the buckets setting them so they can go back where they came from and measure the shims with a micrometer. Shuffle shims around or get new ones and then reassemble.

That cam thing is the big stumbling block. It means that torqueing the caps back down and setting the cam chain in the proper tooth is VERY important. If you're happy with that level of work then go for it.

But you DO need that manual. Theres's just no getting around that for the procedure details and spec references.

No real hints becuase I havn't had to do any of my shim under bikes yet. I always traded them in before they needed to be done

Don't know why the differences in the periods. Perhaps Kawi is being pessimistic or Honda is being optimistic.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply BMatthews. I am very familiar and intement with my service manual. I am famliar with the process. I just was hoping for some insight from someone who has (hopefully) done this before.

Oh yeah, you can skip pulling the cams themselfs. There is a wonderful little tool which allows you to rotate the lobe up and pull the shim out on its own. Much simpler than pulling the whole cam.

I'll keep considering on wether myslef or a dealer will get to do this.

As for Kawi having intervals 1/2 that of the other 3...that has me very perplexed! :confused

 

[TeeTee]

With shim UNDER buckets you can't avoid pulling the cams. The shim is under the 1/2 inch or so deep bucket. No way you can pull the buckets with the cam in place.

You're thinking of the shim IN bucket like the older bikes had.