old style buckets 72-73 recall

[cra-z1]

While restoring my 72 Z1 I came across an old artical about shim buckets for the first 8,600 or so bikes off the production line. The buckets were recalled because they were breaking shims and causing severe damage to the engine. The early bucket had a oil recess in the middle and as the cam lobe pressed down it would stress the shim and fracture. If you have a bucket that looks like the one below do not put them back in. Or if you have a shim with a bullseye in the middle do not use. I had put the engine back together and was checking final clearances when I read the artical, and don't you know I had the old buckets. Found some NOS stock on e-bay and put them in.[img][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/venture1985/Z1%20rebuild/newpictures009.jpg[/img][/img]

[Iain marshall]

Heres the Bulletin about the bucket problem,also there is another one on cam sprocket bolts that might be of interest to early z1 owners

[cra-z1]

Thanks for the additional information. Well it looks like the cover comes off again. I will have to see if I can get the new bolts. Mine did have the old ones.

[Garn 1]

Iain, just when I thought I was starting to get to know a bit about these machines.... I have not seen either of those Service Bulletins. I do recall seeing a bulletin about the early shims being slightly convex, these were replaced with flat ones.
RegardZ

[Phil50]

Hi
This is most interesting. On my 1976 Z900 A4 the shim sits a mm higher than the bucket. I foolishly bought an alleged Z1000 head via Ebay and the shims although not having the hole in the middle they do look exactly like yours in that they sit down below the rim of the bucket.

The camshafts measure the same in both heads. also the Z1000 head I bought seems to have an extra shaft in the exhaust chamber leading up to the cam cover. Runs parallel to the exhaust valve itself
Any idea what i have been sold?
thanks
Phil

[Iain marshall]

Phil,the shims all sit higher than the edge of the bucket and none have holes in the middle,are you sure the shims are in the buckets in the Z1000 head?The Z1000 head you've bought is off a later MK2 type motor which as you say has holes running parallel to the exhaust guides,these holes are for what Kawasaki called "clean air system"which was part of an emission control system for US models.If using one of these heads you will have to use a MK2 type camcover,the UK ones have a bit cast in to blank the holes or have the holes blanked off