KZ650 cafe-racer. Engine assembling. Part 5.

With the cylinder head in place my next tasks were camshafts installation and timing adjustment. I bought a Kawasaki Zephyr 750 camshafts for the KZ650 project. They are mostly identical to KZ750 camshafts and have similar lobe heights but Zephyr 750 exhaust camshaft has only blank in place where KZ750 has tachometer gear. Therefore, Zephyr 750 camshafts are still compatible with KZ650 cylinder head and camshaft sprockets.

Kawasaki KZ650 camshafts installation

Photo by Oksana Sakharova

Kawasaki KZ650 camshafts installation

Photo by Oksana Sakharova

All-new components of new upper idler assembly:

Kawasaki KZ650 timing chain upper idler assembly Kawasaki KZ650 timing chain upper idler assemblyPMC manual tensioner.

PMC manual cam chain tensionerAs for the valve shims, I started with the thinnest on the first camshafts installation and then, after measuring gaps I replaced them with shims of correct values.

Kawasaki KZ650 camshafts installation

Photo by Oksana Sakharova

Kawasaki KZ650: PMC manual cam chain tensionerAs for the timing adjustment, well,  it’d be better to put it in a separate article (and pictures for it are already ready).

Kawasaki KZ650 camshafts installation Kawasaki KZ650 camshafts installationTherefore, let’s jump to the  transmission cover. And again, all components except the cover itself and neutral switch were new.

Kawasaki KZ650 transmission cover Kawasaki KZ650 transmission coverI didn’t use the shift shaft oil seal guide for cover installation. Instead I checked the shaft for smoothness and put the cover slowly with seal and shaft oiled.

Kawasaki KZ650 transmission cover installation

Photo by Oksana Sakharova

Kawasaki KZ650 transmission cover installation

Photo by Oksana Sakharova

Kawasaki KZ650 transmission cover installation

Photo by Oksana Sakharova

Kawasaki KZ650 transmission cover installation

Photo by Oksana Sakharova

Kawasaki KZ650 transmission cover installationSoon all cover bolts were torqued and I put the last piece (chain guide)  in place.

Kawasaki KZ650 transmission cover installation

Photo by Oksana Sakharova

Transmission cover looked nice.

Kawasaki KZ650 transmission coverThen I installed an oil pressure switch.

Kawasaki KZ650 oil pressure switch installation

Kawasaki KZ650 engine assembling

Photo by Oksana Sakharova

And since I polished the main oil gallery plugs, I had to wrap them with paper tape before I tightened them.  In such a way the plug wasn’t scratched by the wrench socket.

Kawasaki KZ650 main oil gallery plugs Kawasaki KZ650 engine assembling The ignition rotor in photos came from Kawasaki Zephyr 750. That’s my intention to use ignition, electrical components and modified wiring from Zephyr 750 in this project.

Kawasaki KZ650 engine assemblingNext piece is about exhaust studs installation. I had at hand an M6 stainless steel connecting nut with one end securely welded. I equipped it with a spacer of appropriate length and a bearing ball of suitable diameter. In this way I got a “special tool” for M6 studs installation. It made the process of installing exhaust studs an easy thing: no thread wrecked and marks on the end of studs are similar to those one may find on factory installed studs.

Kawasaki KZ650 exhaust studs installation Kawasaki KZ650 exhaust studsThen it was time to fit the PMC tachometer port plug and fix it with an appropriate chrome plated bolt (with a small head).

Kawasaki KZ650: PMC tachometer port plugTo finish this part of story, here are a few photos of engine:

Kawasaki KZ650 engine assembling Kawasaki KZ650 engine assembling Kawasaki KZ650 engine assembling Kawasaki KZ650 engine assembling

To be continued.

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