Camshafts Removal and Installation

There is a separate camshaft for the inlet valves and the exhaust valves. The Camshafts may be removed to perform a variety of tests to determine wear to the camshafts and related parts.

Maintaining the exact relationship of the camshafts to one another and to the crankshaft is crucial. This relationship is called engine timing. If the camshafts are out of time with the rest of the motor, the valves will not open and close as they were intended. Severe engine damage results if the motor is run with the engine out of time. In certain situations, engine timing is deliberately altered very slightly to change performance. This is called timing advance or timing retard.

When the camshafts are removed, take care to not drop them or scratch the journals (the journals are the surfaces that the shafts rotate on in the head).

Do First:
Remove Foremans, ram air covers, tank cover, side fairings and lowers.
]Remove PAIR system (PAIR Removal, steps 4-7)
Remove Fuel Tank, steps 1 through 6.
Remove Throttle Cables, steps 1 through 9.
Remove Throttle Bodies, steps 1 through 9.
Remove Engine Heat Insulator Rubber Plate, steps 1 through 3.
Remove Stick Coils , steps 1 through 3.
Remove head cover, steps 1 and 2

Tools:
plastic bags
5mm hex tool
three 10” bungee cords
paint
garbage bag
tape
molybdenum disulfide grease
5 mm allen wrench
20-200 in lb torque wrench

Removal

1. Remove the crankshaft sensor cover, turn the crankshaft sensor rotor to #4 piston TDC (Crankshaft Sensor, steps 1 and 2. The Cam chain sprockets should appear as shown in the photo below. A timing mark on each sprocket should be to the outside and parallel to the top of the engine case. There is also a mark on each sprocket that is approximately 45 degrees to the top of the engine case. If the timing marks on the cam chain sprockets do not appear as shown, the crankshaft is set at TDC piston #1. Turn the crankshaft sensor rotor 360 degrees and the engine will be set at TDC #4.

Be careful not to drop any of the screws or other small parts into the cam chain tunnel . It is a good idea to stuff rolled up plastic bags all around the cam sprockets to prevent anything from falling inside. If any small parts do fall down the cam chain tunnel, they will most likely come to rest behind the timing rotor (note the loose screw to the right top of the timing rotor in the pic)(see Crankshaft Sensor Positioning, steps 1 and 2). Plug the spark plug holes in the same way to prevent small objects or debris from entering.

2. Use a 5mm hex tool to remove the 4 screws and cam chain guide from the far right camshaft cap [B] which spans both cam shafts. Leave the two dowel pins in position in the head as shown in photo G2 below.

Diagram CSC

There are 4 main cam shaft caps {A}. They are numbered 1,2,3,4. The number is molded into the top of each cap. The 5th cap is the chain guide cap {B} on the right.

photo G1
chain guide and right camshaft cap

photo G2
right camshaft cap removed, dowel pins left in place

3. Each camshaft cap has 4 bolts. Each cap is positioned on two dowel pins. Using a 5mm hex tool, remove the bolts from the two center cam caps, cap 2 and cap 4 (see diagram CSC, in step 2)and remove the caps being careful not to lose any of the dowel pins.

You may leave the bolts hang in the camshaft caps when you lift the caps up. With the bolts left in as guides, you will be able to see if the two small dowel pins are getting pulled out of the engine as the cap is removed.

Diagram DP

The location of the dowel pins are marked by the yellow dots in the diagram above.

Dowel pins safely remaining inserted in the mating holes of the head.

Some dowel pins may gently cling to the mating hole in the cam cap. Be careful not to drop any dowel pins out if that should happen.

4. Remove the bolts from the far left caps, cap 1 and cap 3. Thread the four bolts in each cap out very evenly in an X pattern. Turn each screw approximately 1/2 turn at a time so as to minimize binding with the cam shaft. If a cap should bind on the dowel pegs, tighten one or two of the cap bolts back down a small amount until the cap releases. Never pry a cap up to free it.

There is upward pressure caused by the valve springs under each camshaft. With the engine positioned as it is at TDC #4, the cam lobes will be situated such that the left ends of the shafts are lifted higher than the right. This will make lifting the cam chain sprockets out from under the cam chain easier.

5.Remove the Cam Chain Tensioner (see Cam Chain Tensioner Removal,steps 1-4).

6. Lift the cam chain off of the intake sprocket and apply a 10” bungee cord to hold it in place and maintain tension on the chain. DO NOT ALLOW THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN TO COME OFF OF THE SPROCKET ON THE CRANKSHAFT BELOW. Tilt the left end of the camshaft up and out of the head then lift the right end out from under the camshaft chain.

My intake camshaft sprocket was marked at the factory. There is a white line painted on the sprocket marking the tooth to the inside of the embossed EX on the sprocket. The white line continues onto the link in the cam chain that is aligned with that tooth. I marked the exhaust in a similar fashion using black paint. This will help to reinstall the cam shafts so that the timing is exactly as it was before removing the camshafts. Note that marking a chain link to a sprocket tooth only works if the motor is left unturned throughout the procedure. The difference in the number of teeth on the crankshaft sprocket and the camshaft sprockets will cause the marks to misalign if the engine is turned. They would only line up as marked after the engine had been turned dozens of revolutions.

Paint does not adhere well to the metal. Be extremely careful when handling the camshafts so that the paint marks do not become rubbed off. Making large marks will also minimize the chance of them becoming obliterated.

7. Apply a second bungee over the exhaust camshaft. Remove the exhaust camshaft in the same way as the inlet camshaft was removed.

The front bungee is secured to the radiator filler cap. The other is two bungees joined together to double the length. They are are routed over the top of the air box and are secured to the two hose fittings at the lower left bottom of the air box.

8. With the bungees in place, the head cover will no longer be usable as a dust protector. Protect the motor from foreign objects by Wrapping the open head in a garbage bag and tape it all around.

Camshaft Installation

The Camshafts may be identified by the 1090IN (Inlet) or 1090EX Exhaust) cast on the cam sprocket mounting bracket. Also, the Exhaust Camshaft has a small projection protruding from the center. Be sure to install the Camshafts on the proper side of the motor.

Exhaust camshaft, 1090EX

Inlet camshaft, 1090IN

9. Coat the journals and cam surfaces of both camshafts with a solution of approximately 50% motor oil and 50% molybdenum disulfide grease. If a new camshaft is installed, apply a thin coat of molybdenum disulfide grease to the cam surfaces. (mixture of engine oil and molybdenum disulfide grease in a weight ration is 10 : 1 according to the service manual).

I did not replace the camshafts but I coated all the journals and the cams with the molybdenum disulfide and oil solution anyway.

10. Make sure all dowel pins are placed in the head according to the diagram DP in step 3 above.

Place camshafts back in. Using the paint marks applied in step 4, line the teeth up to the same cam chain link as when the camshafts were removed. Install the camshafts by tilting them toward the timing chain so that the timing sprockets can be more easily engaged with the chain before the the journals are placed into the head. The camshafts will rest in the head with the left side above the lifters and the right journals laying close to the lifters. This is because of the way the cam lobes are positioned and because the valve springs have opened up and caused the lifters to rise. Tightening down the camshaft caps will compress the valve springs as they were when the camshafts were removed.

Use a bungee cord to maintain tension on the timing chain. Do not allow the chain to jump teeth or fall off of the crankshaft sprocket below.

11. Position the four numbered camshaft caps (1, 2, 3, 4), chain guard cap and cam chain guard according to diagram CSC in step 2 above. Seat the caps on the dowel pins at the locations marked in diagram DP in step 3 above. Take care to not accidentally remove a dowel pin while placing the caps

Thread all 20 camshaft cap bolts in loosely.

12. Tighten the bolts with fingers only. The Camshafts will set into the head closer on the right over Cylinder #4 than they do on the left over Cylinder #1. The bolts at the far left will do most of the pulling to compress the lifters and seat the camshafts into the head. Tighten the bolts down as evenly as possible to avoid any binding.

13. When fingers will no longer effectively turn the bolts, use a 5 mm allen wrench to
continue gradually tightening the bolts and pulling the camshafts down into the mating surfaces in the head. You may press down on the left end of the camshaft to manually compress the lifters below. This will relieve stress on the delicate threads in the aluminum head while tightening the bolts. Tighten the bolts until you feel them make contact. Stop. Do not tighten past this point without using a torque wrench. The threads in the head are easily damaged by over tightening.

14. Use a 20-200 in lb torque wrench and 5 mm hex key socket to tighten the camshaft
cap bolts (spec: 106 in lbs) according to the sequence [circled numbers 1 ~ 20 in diagram TSCSC below]. Tighten the bolts in the proper order and a little at at a time to ensure that the caps seat evenly.

Diagram TSCS

15. Install Cam Chain Tensioner, (See Cam Chain Tensioner Removal Steps 5-13)..
Remove the bungee cords.
Install head cover, steps 3-6
Install Stick Coils, steps 4 and 5.
Install engine heat insulator rubber plate, step 4.
Install Throttle Bodies, steps 10 through 15.
Install Throttle Cables, steps 10 through 20.
Install Fuel Tank, steps 11-15
Install PAIR system, (PAIR Removal, steps 1 through 7 reverse and steps 8 and 9)
Install Foremans, ram air covers, tank cover, side fairings and lowers

* Last updated by: Rook on 1/31/2018 @ 6:24 PM *

Neat work there Rook, thanks for all the work you have done here, hope to by you a coffee and cheese cake one day to say thanks

mm Strawberry for me!

thanks ethin.

The valve clearance adjustment is what these are leading up to. and that is coming soon.

* Last updated by: Rook on 1/11/2012 @ 12:02 AM *

Rook:

As I review this in prep for my own attempt at this work, I note there is no call-out for thread locker (loctite et. al.)

So, I'm assuming it's not used in the re-installation of the camshaft cap bolts. Is that right?

Part of why I'm asking is, I think I see left-over "red" locker from the factory on the cap heads, but mebbe it's just oil?

I recall seeing bright red paint on the timing chain guide above the sprocket on the cam shaft. you will see it in the 4th pic of this tutorial.

I also saw what looked like rusty oil in the cap screw hex' more over to the the right hand side by cylinders #3 and #4. I presume that was from condensation or just trapped oil dirt that could not be emptied by oil changes. Don't recall seeing locktight on any of the camshaft cap bolts. and did not use locktight to install. 2008 Service Manual p. 5-3: Camshaft Cap Bolts, 106 in lbs, S for "use proper sequence for tightenning." No L for "apply non-permanent threadlocking agent.

So I am pretty sure the answer is DON't use locktight.

If you removed the camshaft sprockets(not necessary, not recommended), those were to be locktighted on instalation.

Generally I am trying as much as possible to avoid using stuff like locktight and engine sealant. It is far more likely to end up breaking off and clogging lube channels which are sometimes quite small than it is to prevent a bolt from coming out. Proper torque should take care of the bolts. Think a while before you use stuff that may crumble off in the motor. I now try to avoid this stuff in the motor sometimes even if the SM recommends it.

Make sure you are real careful about tightening the camshaft cap bolts. I would calibrate that torque wrench if it is a clicker. Just be careful . Make sure your 106 inch pounds really is that or somewhat less. Steel bolts in aluminum engine block.... If you are a MORE guy, go less on this one.

I know what you are thinking...."bolts in an engine...what if they rattle loose....then what?" I wondered the same thing. 10,000 miles later still running great. I guess we just have to trust the engineers.

Another general rulke I am following is to go lower othan spec on torquing bolts. If it is a part that will not be coming off a lot, I guess goning closer to spec makes sense. Every time you turn the bolt is wear on the threads though. The harder you turn the more they wear. ...all the more for aluminum and those threads also stretch easy or (GOOD GOD) strip out. so just be careful. those little M6 bolts, hand tight = grab ratchet housing and twist firmly, don't grab handle and lever = low torque especially in alluminum. Use the lever handle on your torque wrench and trust the gentle amount of force that makes it click 6-8 foot lbs. You gotta remeber there are 15-20 threads pressing together in a deep coil in there, they won't let go easy.

* Last updated by: Rook on 6/6/2013 @ 8:19 PM *

Thank, Rook. One calibrated in-lb torque wrench comin' up!

One thing I didn't see mentioned is that the cams are positively located side-to-side by the end cap on the chain side. It is possible to put them back together and then have to tap them back and forth a bit to get them located correctly so that cap slips on easily. A good way to avoid this fiddling is to measure the clearance between the lower sprocket bolt heads and the inside of the camchain tunnel before disassembly and check this before you put the end cap and upper chain guide back on.

I see what you mean I think I did need to slide the shafts to and fro a bit to get the narrow cap that spans both the intake and the exhaust camshafts to settle into place. To add to the fiddling, the stuff does not assemble back tightly even if all parts are aligned. The position of the valves/lifters will not permit the camshafts to rest perfectly in the journals until everything is tightened down. That is what I remember. You can press the camshafts into the head before installing the caps but the motor will slowly force the camshafts back up again before you can bolt anything down.

* Last updated by: Rook on 11/21/2013 @ 7:08 AM *

Yes, that's true. If you check the clearance to the chain tunnel case before you take it apart and make sure the cams go back the same way, the dual cap on the sprocket end will drop back on easily after you've tightened the other caps first. The first time I removed the cams, I ended up tapping them back and forth endwise until the dual cap dropped into place.

the dual cap on the sprocket end will drop back on easily after you've tightened the other caps first.

I will have to remeber this the next time I check my valve clearance (which should be soon). You can tighten the other caps down to get the cap that covers the sprockets to fit. That is how Kaw desgned it. See diagram TSCS, above. the last bolts in the tightening sequence are the ones on the sprockets. I tightened all the bolts a half turn at a time but I followed the sequence. I think I DO remember that chain guide cap not lining up real well.

Good tip....I will measure the distance from the sprockets to the edge of the engine case and see if I can't get this thing lined up more smoothly than the last time.

Freaking beautiful Rook! Doing a valve adjustment this winter and this answered all my questions!

Yeah, the pics, especially, made the job a lot easier.

great!

most important thing is TAKE YOUR TIME.

Reconnecting all the electricals is the most hassle about the whole job. Fortunately, you can't connect them incorrectly as they are all unique, but getting them all routed in their proper places and attached is an exercise in repetition.

We finished up my buddy's '08 today and it was quite rewarding taking it for a short spin up the road, even if it was only 33 degrees!

Reconnecting all the electricals is the most hassle about the whole job.

I found disconnecting the SOBs testing my patience.

it was only 33 degrees!

nuthin. 21 here up the road a spell. Glad you got a nice cool run in.

I found disconnecting the SOBs testing my patience.

Thanks for the detailed procedure here, I will be doing this in a few days.

sure, metalmechanic. I think some people felt removing the Tbodies was not necessary...I have not done this in a while so I don't know. Sure looks like it would be awfully cramped if the T-bodies were left on.

Half-way there, just swapped out 5 new shims,, just half to reinstall everything,, not to bad, just need to have patience. It would be a good idea for anyone to read this and valve shimming procedure a few times before you start, and have ZX-14 MANUAL ON CD-ROM. I noticed on the shimming procedure there are two exhaust charts and not a inlet chart,, so make sure u have the right one before u start. You definetly need to loosen the the four bolts that hold each cap on alternatly, just keep going a little back and forth,, sometimes you"ll have to tighten them up a few turns so the opposite side can rise up. I hate seeing my bike ripped apart, but it needed it, At 9,000 miles, I had three that were just below minimum specs.
Ride on Dudes

dang....I think I went to about 24,000 before I did mine. Some were out of spec but just barely. A few others were very close to out of spec.

Didn't need to remove throttle body assly, just tape the mudflap out of the way, its tight in there, the bungee cords helped a lot, I put in the exhaust cam first and removed that bungee then put the intake cam and removed that bungee then put the camshaft tensioner and removed that bungee
This pic was before I removed the camshafts

* Last updated by: metalmechanic on 3/5/2014 @ 12:19 AM *

BEAUteeeeFUL! Like those lightening holes the 06-07 timing sprockets have. I almost want to drill some in mine.

could go larger and put 5-6 holes in there......hmmmm... maybe some day. I'm still a bit worried about messing with stuff too much.

you like that blue painter tape too, hey? great stuff.

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/5/2014 @ 5:49 AM *

done