. Thankfully RAC manny sorted it to get me back home. Since I didnt make it out of Aberdeen this morning to be down south for 10am I finally found the time (and daylight) to put the ZX back together.
Following to me checking the valve clearances and getting replacement shims, in total 13 were out or close to limit, I only had to get 8 though.
Having never installed camshafts before all I've got is the manual to follow, but I can't seem to get it. The following is what I know from the manual.
Piston #1 at TDC
Alignment marks on both shafts, lined up exactly to the top of the head.
No slack in the chain on exhaust side.
No slack in chain between shafts
30 rivets on chain between alignment marks on shafts
All of which I have, however a pair of cams on the inlet side is pressing down on the valves not allowing the camshafts to seat right, I assume this is normal.
Problem comes when I try to install the cam holder(is that the right word?). It seems impossible (to me)for this holder to be put on without slack forming between the cam gears. As the cover is worked down the inlet cam is forced to rotate. I repeated this a few times just to make sure that I was doing it right.
Then I tried holding the shaft for as long as I could to stop it rotating while working the cover down. Then I thought that this might be OK to have slack between the shafts since everything is lined up etc and when the engine is rotated it will pull out the slack and align everything again. However before the cams are even properly seated too much slack is in the chain forcing the chain to jump off on the exhaust side. Again I have tried this about five more times each with the same result. Manual just says install cover as per torquing sequence.
Any ideas of what I'm doing wrong?
Right I'm off to cheer myself up by installing heated grips, toasty hands here I come (when one of the bikes works)
