Z1OwnersClub GB

just rebuilt me z1a motor with new rings, camchain ,rollers, guides etc started perfectly but the (standard) camchain is very noisy. Ive checked valve clearence again and all are perfect. valve seats have been reground etc.
It seems to go quieter after being adjusted with the tensioner but is still noisy. I took the tensioner off and it seems to work ok.
running out of ideas.
got me mate coming to look but not for about a week or so due to other comitments.
Only thing i thought was to try another tensioner but before i buy one can anyone lend me one to try.
The bike ran perfectly ok before i stripped it down even with the broken piston ring i found in the sump..
cheers
. peter.

Are you sure you haven't missed or dislodged anything on assembly such as an idler shaft damper rubber, also did you renew with genuine Kawasaki parts or Liska, as the Liska gear whilst being more robust is a bit noisier.

i ran a new Lisker on me Redzed + it wernt too lloud

All the parts are from jeff at z1enterprises, standard parts, except the camchain itself and that came from our mr marsden, standard again. It seams to go a little quieter just after ive adjusted the camchain but it still is too noisy. first i thought the valve clearences were way out, thats what it sounds like but they are all perfect, might just have to take the head off again and have a peak inside, bollox.

hi pete,could well be a weak tensioner spring mate

Floydsz1, unless you're a 'nut & bolt' counter and it HAS to be bog std...
Ditch the tensioner & get a decent BILLET item.... APE or Orient Express
For £40, it's money well spent.. the std units are NOT the toughests things ever made
The front guide (held in place with one bolt) can twist upon insertion, and may be a tad mis-aligned, which could make it a bit noisier

Hi Mark,
might try a billet one. the bikes standard but as you know the adjuster is out of sight (almost) so no probs. I have just tried loosening the 2 bolts holding it on and then undoing the locking bolt to put some tension on the chain, then locked the bolt and bolted the thing back up to the barrels, not really the thing to do but was just putting it under extra tension, It did seem to go a bit quieter but there is still a rattle,, feel sure its related to the chain, so will have to take the head off and check everything.
just out of intrest whats the correct way to adjust it, climer says set to 1 and 4 , undo locking bolt and turn engine over a few times,.
cheers lads,
peter.

Sounds to me like the internal part of the tensioner may be at fault. Never did like the plastic roller setup. Can recommend heavy duty item from Z Power , has a properly bearinged gear for that extra control. Have done nearly 10,000 miles since I rebuilt mine and the cam chain is still quiet and I havn't needed to adjust it either. To get the chain tension right you need to get the slack to the back of the engine . You can achieve this by rotating the engine in dir and just backing it slightly. Experiment with doing this while you have the top off so that you can see how the slack can be worked to where you need it. Then simply undo the lock bolt on the tensioner and the spring pressure should be enough to take out any excess slack. If you use a manual type tensioner be careful not to overdo the tensioning. Good luck

Silly question I know but you have the right cam chain???????

Z1000A3/A4 (MK2) is longer than Z1000A2 and before.

Ill get the head off in the next couple of days and have a peek inside,
i ordered the camchain from jeff at z1enterprise but when i came to fit it it was only 88 link, bloody H**** 550, didnt notice till then so i got one from zpower the next day, 122 link , if i still got the box ill check.
just of into me workshop for another play with it, was hoping to go to a local rally next weekend and win best in show with it, last year i came second to a bloody kettle,
thanks for the help lads.

Er, just had a look at the cam timing and think i need new batterys in me glasses. inlet was 1 tooth out. reset it and its perfect, ticks over nice and smooth, just need a nice dry day now to get out on it, bloody pouring down here now,
Ive heard them running in the past with the timing out but never sounded as rattly as this did, even me mate who's one off the top BSB mechanics said it was very rattly, anyhow all sorted now and thanks for the advice lads,
cheers,
peter
.

glad you got it sorted Peter, and you were a lucky fella not to get bent valves

well done mate
ollie

So, would you have checked the valve timing before taking the head off if you hadn't have shared your concerns on the Z1OC forum.?
That's another reason for sharing your worries/problems with us guys. It makes you look at things in a different light, retrace your steps, often highlighting the problem.
That's why I became a fully paid up member - These guys owe us so much some times

Anyway, great that you have now sorted the old girl out.

Will.