stock 1981 kz550 - running lean lean lean

Now you're Talking.

The air screws should be set at about 1 1/2 turns out from the factory. Set them at about 1 turn when you put it all back together.

mjg15 wrote: The air screws should be set at about 1 1/2 turns out from the factory. Set them at about 1 turn when you put it all back together.

Those TK builders did a funky job, here's the settings I found:

#1: 1 3/8 turn out
#2: 1 1/4 turn out
#3: 1 1/8 turn out
#4: 1 1/2 turn out

I compressed the spring the same amount of resistance, so they set them sloppy.
I will take that advice to set them at 1 turn out, the darn thing is lean enough,
and I'm at sea level, it can't but help to enrichen the pilot circuit by reducing the pilot air a bit.

This experience, with all the brown junk I flushed out of those hidden air screw passages, will have me drilling out the pilot air caps from now on.

This probably explains why my 1998 Bandit 600 idle is screwy, it 'has no pilot air screws' either, they must be capped off. I'm going to redo my Bandit carbs after I finish this one.

You know that is the government causing my pilots to be messed up.
Forcing them to hide those pilot screws means we all are hosed by the nanny state with
dirty pilots that can't be cleaned unless you drill 'em.

I know that you said that the intake manifolds look good, but I'd really take the opportunity to seal them while you have the carbs off (if it's not too late already). They may seal now, but they could easily lose seal after they get hot and cold a few times, at thirty years old they aren't as flexible as they used to be.

As far as the different settings of the air screws is concerned, they may have set them at the factory to give an even mixture, as opposed to having the same # of turns, kinda like you would do if each cyl had an individual O2 sensor.... or they may just have set them unevenly. The spec is actually 1-3/8 IIRC.

Sounds like you are getting close

mjg15 wrote: I know that you said that the intake manifolds look good, but I'd really take the opportunity to seal them while you have the carbs off (if it's not too late already). They may seal now, but they could easily lose seal after they get hot and cold a few times, at thirty years old they aren't as flexible as they used to be.

As far as the different settings of the air screws is concerned, they may have set them at the factory to give an even mixture, as opposed to having the same # of turns, kinda like you would do if each cyl had an individual O2 sensor.... or they may just have set them unevenly. The spec is actually 1-3/8 IIRC.

Sounds like you are getting close

I have my silicone sealer, called Copper Ultra or something, at the ready, for the intake manifolds.

I buttoned up the carbs and will fuel-level check them now, however I need advice.

When I have installed the cam chain tensioner on a '77 kz1000 engine (it's the only experience I have with remove and re-install one) -- I seem to remember having to rotate the crank in a certain way so all the cam chain slack was at the rear, next to the tensioner.

In the fsm for my '81 Kz550, there is no such crank rotation/alignment called for prior to installing the tensioner.

Could that be correct? I 90% trust the fsm but it seems odd that the chain will be real loose when I start the motor since the tensioner will be incorrectly set.

I think about adjusting my rear drive chain. They always say 'rotate the back wheel until the chain tightens the most between the 2 sprockets then set it for 1" of play up or down.' As opposed to 'rotate the rear wheel to get the most slack in the chain between the 2 sprockets then set 1" of play.'

So this automatic cam chain tensioner -- I notice that once it extends outward it *does not go backward.* Therefore, it will adjust outward at the loosest part of the cam chain.

So this would be like adjusting the rear drive chain at the most slack -- and they tell you not to do that.

Anyone see anything odd here?

Wait, what happened? This is all in the manual you downloaded, no?

I know, I know, the software manual is a pain to use. If it's your bike, I would recommend you get the factory manual. It has a lot more detailed info.



In my opinion, the TK-22's work like how a training manual on basic carb theory would describe.

One main circuit, one pilot circuit, no extra plungers or valves etc. When the choke is off, it's completely out of the picture (no enrichers to leak etc.)

When installing the tensioner, you rotate the engine forward to put the slack at the carb-side where the tensioner is. BUT ONLY INSTALL THE TENSIONER'S CAP AFTER THE VALVE COVER IS FULLY INSTALLED. NOT BEFORE. (There should be a warning in the manual on this.)

The tensioner works fine. It just takes out the slack when slack occurs. It's a one-way system though. Once you install the final cap on the tensioner it will only ratchet up to take up slack. (Or at least that's how it's supposed to work.)

:laugh: Like I said, clean EVERY passage in the carb... way to go on that find.

Just install the tentioner with valve cover in place, and fire her up. The way the engine slaps around when it first fires, all that cam chain slack is instantly taken up.

Don't forget: Tune the mixture screws first - turn them to find highest idle (should be around the suggested 1 turn), then perform a carb sync. You can use your morgan for both. Watch for greatest amount of vacuum when turning mix screws, then balance the vacuum between all four - YOU WONT BELIEVE HOW EASY IT WILL START AND HOW FANTASTIC IT WILL PURR/SLOW SPEED RIDIN' :evil:

Make sure the bike is good and hot, and have a big fan pointed at the headers. Return the idle to the proper setting after every individual change.

Good luck!

Okay thanks 9 and loud, I guess I'm just paranoid that this one-way tensioner will tighten the cam chain at its loosest point -- and because the tensioner doesn't retract -- by tightening the cam chain at its slackest links, the tensioner will be overly tight in the cam chain's least-slack part. That bothers me.

The online manual you provided is great, it did warn about not installing the final bit the 'cross wedge cap' until the very last and after the valve cover is back on. It warns to remove that cam chain tensioner cap *before* pulling off the valve cover. This is a Rube Goldberg cam chain tensioner on this bike.

If I was designing the tensioner -- it would have a tight mofo spring and have the tensioner move in both directions to give way a bit when the tight section of the cam chain passes by. And it would move inward to tighten up the slack part of the cam chain when it rolls around.

I will install the tensioner tomorrow and the carbs then fine-tune the sync and idle, the fuel levels came out fine.

Wait, maybe I assumed the tensioner was disassembled. You should not install the tensioner with the cross-wedge in place. It will overstretch the chain. Make sure the cap of the tensioner is off, and the cross-wedge is out, before bolting the tensioner back in tight.

EDIT: Ok, i see you did it right, and I think I see what you are asking.

I think the idea is that the guides give a little to allow for any tight section of chain.

I like the tensioner and haven't had a peep of trouble from them in 20 years, but I think some people cause problems with them when they install the valve cover after the tensioner is already at full tension. As you noted, they do not retract under tension. Then the chain grinds up the guides and all sorts of problems can happen.

I've talked to a few Kawasaki mechanics from that era that never heard of the valve cover as part of the valve guide system. I hate to own one of the 550's they worked on.

Agreed, it clearly says in the manual 'leave the cross wedge cap off until the valve cover is on'


But to hear mechanics haven't heard of it, no surprise, I have seen that. Recent example --
I was trying to buy parts for my '98 Bandit 600 and neither the parts guy or the head wrench at my local Suzuki shop could recognize and understand the vent lines coming off the intake manifolds.
And they had the fiche too. Anything older than last year's model and the shop guys are lost.

My take of the 'cross wedge' part is you leave it off until you're finished buttoning up the top end of the engine, at least that's what the online .pdf manual says. The reason being -- once you install the cross wedge, its spring, and its cap -- from that point the inner part of the cam chain tensioner, the 'pusher' part, will lock in position once it finds any slack in the cam chain. Apparently the valve cover is part of that system and needs to go on first.

The valve cover has #16 in it from the underside. Clips in with 2 pegs.
The 82 1000 I bought it was missing, stretched the chain , skipped time and bent valves. They probably couldn't get the valve cover to sit all the way down, and removed it, as it was not loose inside the motor. Real big mistake.
Don't worry about that tensioner and its design, put the valve cover back on, I do it at TDC so the cams are not applying pressure with there lobes. Then put the main tensioner body on, and the cross wedge/ cap Last. Rotate the motor slowly by hand in the normal direction of travel with the 17mm nut on the right end of the crank. Should be fine.

Motor Head wrote: The valve cover has #16 in it from the underside. Clips in with 2 pegs.
The 82 1000 I bought it was missing, stretched the chain , skipped time and bent valves. They probably couldn't get the valve cover to sit all the way down, and removed it, as it was not loose inside the motor. Real big mistake.
Don't worry about that tensioner and its design, put the valve cover back on, I do it at TDC so the cams are not applying pressure with there lobes. Then put the main tensioner body on, and the cross wedge/ cap Last. Rotate the motor slowly by hand in the normal direction of travel with the 17mm nut on the right end of the crank. Should be fine.

Thank goodness MH, boy does that dust off the cobwebs here. I do not have a parts list. And I have not pulled the valve cover. However I suspected, after loud and 9's discussions on this, that there must be something like that part #16.

I have not pulled the valve cover (yet) -- those shims being *under* the buckets, yep I know why Kaw did that, to solve the 'shim ejection' gotcha in the Z1 days with floating shims flying out the top of the motor, but the thought of doing a valve adjustment -- requiring cam removal -- I'd rather cut my dog's toenails with a bottle of styptic at the ready.

So I have not seen part #16, I very much appreciate the parts diagram there, I feel sorry for anyone in the day who naturally did not put 'remove cam chain tensioner cap' together with 'doing my valve adjustment.' Those 2 things just do not readily come to mind as being done together.

Now I see the necessity of it -- as soon as you pull off the valve cover, part #16 stops pushing on the cam chain. And now the cam chain has some slack in it.

Then the automatic cam chain tensioner takes up that slack (unless you have removed its cap).
Then you force the valve cover back on or remove part 16 and you are hosed bigtime.

Reminds me of my buddy's Honda Dream. To mess with the airbox you had to remove the back wheel.
Actually that was also true on the 1976 Kaw kh400 triple too. Damned EPA.