Frustrated with timing

[General KZ]

My bikes an 81 kz ltd 550 if I remember correctly. I took the top end of the engine apart to do some work with the valve clearances and since then have not been able to get the damn thing to run...I bought a clymers service manual and unless im missing some big detail I followed the instructiong perfectly 3 TIMES! It still refuses to run. The first time I put it back together it actually did run but poorly, and my vacume line for the fuel petcock would suck and spit unstead of just sucking which gave me the impression that my timing was out...I havent been able to get it to run at all since redoing timing.

The clymer manual specifys that there needs to be 43 chain pins between the exhaust mark on the exhaust cam and the z5 in mark on the intake cam. This with you starting at the exhaust cams pin counting as zero yadda yadda, Im pritty sure you all know that, With this many links between the 2 marks and the exhaust and z5in marks facing their respected head surfaces there is a big droop in cam chain. The manual specifys to manually turn the crank over twice and recheck the marks and my intake cams marks never line back up which leads me to believe the cam chain is stretched....but it ran before I took it apart. The clymer manual also specifys to check cam chain wear using 21 linkpins distance, then the spec section states to use 20 links...I cant get 20 links worth of chain out of the engine that easily so im curious to know if anyone knows how long 21linkpins of chain should be

Frustrated, please help ><

[LoudFastUgly]

It's supposed to be 44 (Forty Four) pins.

http://www.metrovationinc.com/christemple/KZ550.pdf

Line up the 'T' mark beside the 'F' mark with the fixed mark on the crank.
Set the exhaust side: the EX mark flush with the head.
Set the intake side: the Z5 mark should be flush with the head.

See page 80 in chapter 4 of the attachment.

From the EX mark (this should be only the lower pin on 1 link, so count one for the first pin above the EX mark) count 44 (Forty Four) pins, should have you 1 pin below the Z5 mark. You should have a little droop in the cam chain between the intake and exhaust cam.

Cam chain length should be less than 6.39" or 162.4mm over 10 links or 1st to 21st pin. see page 115 to 116.

How many KM on your bike?

[LoudFastUgly]

The above post was edited twice for detail, please reread General.

[General KZ]

Yeah, thats how I timed the engine with the pins n all, starting with the pin directly at the exhaust mark being 0 and counting til 44, with the z5 mark being inbetween 43 and 44. The attachment looks just like my clymer guide, pics and all... I dont get it, it ran before but now it wont work at all, its got spark, starter fluid wont do anything so all I can figure is the timing, but im pritty sure im doing the timing right so im baffled...damn timing chain!

[General KZ]

The bike claims to have 10k km but the speedo cable was missing when I got it so its anyones guess

[LoudFastUgly]

Your first pin above the ex mark should be pin 1, not 0. Did you remove the coils completely to get access to the valve cover ie. remove harnesses?

Ps. those pics actually come out of the factory manual.

[General KZ]

Yeah, the pin above the ex mark is the one I counted as one...I did it the way the pic shows just to avoid confusion I took the coils off the frame but didnt disconnect the wires to the coils, im pritty sure they are going to the right places but I tried mixing the plug wires around to make sure they wernt backwards with no luck in the combustion department

[General KZ]

Well, Im going to go get the bike from work, bring it back home and try resetting the timing for the....fifth time, Hopefully i've been screwing something up cuz im getting really sick of taking the carbs/tank/cover/tensioner/cam off. I'll try measuring my cam chain while im at it

[LoudFastUgly]

Good luck!

You didn't take the cams all the way out of the bike did you? No chance you've reversed intake and exhaust?

Ps. I believe your cam chain should not be worn, mine has 65000 on it, and the cam chain is just now at the limit.

[General KZ]

I did take the cams off the bike completely but theres no chance of mixin em up cuz the exhaust cam has the worm gear cut into it for the tach and the intake cam just has the unfinished metal where a worm gear could be cut in, when I took the bike apart I took a point of reference to make sure I remembered which went where and totally forgot Took a min to realize I couldnt mix them up thou (Whew) And they arnt in backwards either cuz one side has a knotch so im good there ^^ Just got the bike home, guess i'll start tearing into it

[LoudFastUgly]

My 550 is in my garage, valve cover off, waiting for valve shims to come in the mail.

I feel everything you're saying.

[General KZ]

OK, this is the cams in place, bolted down nice n snug, with what I believe to be the proper quantity of links between them, right now the exhaust mark is aligned with the head as well as the z5 in, is the slack excessive?

[LoudFastUgly]

Do you have the cam chain tensioner out?

[LoudFastUgly]

Mine

[General KZ]

The timing chain tensioner is currently out, so the slack would be eliminated, but the intakes mark doesnt line up with the block when the slacks eliminated, are the marks lines up on yours?

[LoudFastUgly]

It's reasonably close. I find that the ex mark is a little low in when the intake z5 is dead perfect, this is due to stretch in the chain.

[General KZ]

Hmmm maybe I should advance the exhaust camshaft one tooth, Right now the exhaust cam is taut with the crankshaft and the mark on the exhaust cam is parallel with the block, while the z5 is pointed down in the engine a bit

[LoudFastUgly]

NO, backwards.

I just went out and checked, my timing mark was off a bit. After reseting, EX is dead nuts on level with head, Z5 is low, about half a tooth. Slack is the same. I'd ensure the EX mark and T/F mark is on the money, count 44 pins and set the Z5 mark (the one inside the box) to relative flush- MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LOW. Then install cam chain tensioner. Spin it twice on the 17mm bolt and see what happens. Make sure you're on the TF mark, not the t mark by itself!

[LoudFastUgly]

Originally Posted by LoudFastUgly

ensure the EX mark and T/F mark is on the money, count 44 pins and set the Z5 mark (the one inside the box) to relative flush- MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LOW. Then install cam chain tensioner. Spin it twice on the 17mm bolt and see what happens. Make sure you're on the TF mark, not the t mark by itself!

EDIT!

[General KZ]

Ok, figured I should wait n see what you figured first, glad I did. I'll go install the tensioner and see what I got, if it ends up being good then I have no idea why its not running...maybe I DO have the spark plug wires on wrong, one coil does 1 and 4 and the other does 2 and 3 right? Eh, either way, i'll be happy when I can put the damn tank on and leave it on, i've spilt so much freakin gas all over the place from taking it off and on, I need a new drain petcock...