Contributed by Bob Scott

Please keep in mind this article is intended to be a helpful *supplement*

to the Kawasaki Service Manual, the Haynes Zephyr 750 manual, and

dumb luck for the first time user.

Disclaimers: 

I am an intermediate shade tree mechanic, so don't blame me if

you or my advice break your bike or anything else.

No responsibility can be accepted for any damage or injury caused by any

errors or omissions in this article. Make certain you understand what is

described and why it is being done. Use at your own risk.

OK.  I was told I really needed to say that, so please excuse.  Also, 

please do not hesitate to ask questions or point out any errors.

Ground Rules:

Safety First.

Use Relentless Patience every step of the way.  There are no shortcuts

available with this job, and it takes a lot of patience.

Do not mix parts.  Every bolt, nut, and part should go back in it's original

place during reassembly.  No exceptions, except for gaskets and O rings.

Use new ones.  This should be a given with any project like this.

I can be a bit of a neat freak at times, so while things are apart, I like

to clean them if possible, especially if I can't get to them during a

routine cleaning.

Read and learn the procedure as in the Kawi manual and the Haynes Zephyr

manual.  Then read this entire article, making special notes to follow any

instructions that begin with the word "Prepare" *before* starting work.  All

the "Prepare" items should be finished/ready/at hand before you turn the key

and remove the seat.

And now, on with the extravaganza......

Prepare a good helper.  This can range from a world class mechanic to check

your work all the way down to someone who knows nothing about the task.  You

need someone with clean hands to read from the books, write down

measurements, help label parts, even fix or go get lunch and drinks.  I had

my wife do the job, and she was great.  She wasn't around the whole time,

but within earshot so I could ask her for help or to take pictures as the

job progressed.  Don't use your helper for every little thing...don't run

their legs off getting and doing things that you should have ready before

hand, K?  Make it an enjoyable experience for them.

Prepare to meet a good mechanic, preferably as many as possible.  They will

sell you shims and offer friendly advice if you are nice to them.  These

guys are overworked, so don't rush them or act like you're their best

customer.  Act like they are doing you a king sized favor, because in a way,

they are.  I used four.  Two did all of my maintenance work when I lived in

another state, but their shop is now obviously unaccessable to me.  They

gave me much needed advice over the phone.  The other two [at different

shops] are local.  They sold me shims, and even offered to check my math and

had great advice to share.  All offered encouragement when I told them this 

was my first attempt at this.

The other things - a clean well lighted place, quality tools, etc., are

covered elsewhere by people who know way more than I do.  Read them too,

you'll learn a lot of needed advice.

Here are some tools that I couldn't do without for this job:

Of course, the well stocked tool kit itself.  You know what this is, or you

wouldn't be here.  [If in doubt, learn other maintenance chores first, like

oil and filter changes, cable lubing, and chain care.  Work your way up to

this job another time.]

*Inch* /pound torque wrench.  You should already have a foot/pound wrench,

but you won't [and can't] use it for this job.

Small 1/4 drive ratchet with a small 8mm socket.  You can't remove and

install the cam chain tensioner without it.

The "Holder Plate" mentioned below.  Follow the instructions in the Kawi

ZR-7 manual for it's construction to the letter.  You cannot do this job

without that tiny piece of metal.

Metric micrometer.  Not essential maybe, but worth it in piece of mind.

The leftover new oil from your last oil change.

A cardboard box large enough on one side to accommodate the valve cover

gasket.  You're going to poke holes in the box to "install" the valve cover

bolts in a safe place while the cover is off.

(Click to enlarge)

Also a few shoe boxes for storing parts like the horn and the coils, one to

poke holes in to 'install' the cam caps and cam chain guide in a safe place

while they are off the bike.

The Kawasaki ZR-7 Service Manual.  Absolutely a must have.  If you make a

mistake or get lost, this will get you out of it.

The Haynes 750 Zephyr Manual.  A second but sometimes out of date [for

instance the cam chain tensioners are different] opinion.  I found it

invaluable.  Lots of good basic mechanic'n info in there, too.

On with the job itself.....

First, off comes the seat and the tank.  I didn't remove the sidecovers,

only loosened them and the tail section.  I use an old bathroom rug over two

strategically placed blocks of wood for letting the tank rest out of harm's

way.  Keep the petcock from supporting the tank.

At this point, follow the manuals TO THE LETTER.

Next remove the coils and the horn.  Mark the coils with tape [right and

left, 1-4, 2-3, however you want] and also label where the tiny wires in the

coils go.  It took 20 minutes of fiddling with the manual, how the wires

were 'bent' in place and some dumb luck to get everything back where it was

supposed to be while I was buttoning it up because I had not marked them.

Whew.

Now comes the valve cover, and the point of no return.  If you are

uncomfortable and disorganized at this point, stop.  Clean up the underside

of the tank, maybe lube and adjust the cables, reassemble and take it to a

good mechanic.  There's no shame in knowing your limits, in fact, I find

that to be an admirable trait.

OK!  Still with me?  Loosen the valve cover bolts as per the manual, working

from the outside in, criss crossing.

Prepare a cardboard box roughly sized to cover with valve cover gasket and

no less than about 4 inches deep or more.  Mark it with the word "front" and

with an arrow like the one you see on the valve cover.  Use an awl to punch

holes in the box in the same pattern as the cover's bolt pattern [don't use

the gasket for a pattern, just eye ball it off the valve cover], so as you

remove *each* bolt you "install" them onto the box.  You now have a

place to keep them sorted out, and off the floor or bench where they would

surely run away from you.  You'll also need a shoebox for the cam caps and

the camchain guide.  It is critical you don't mix these bolts up, so don't.

(Click to enlarge)

Now off comes the EPA doo-dad thing.  Remove the large hose from it that

runs along the spine of the bike, and the smallest one on the bottom that

runs to the carbs.  Leave the others be.

Double check that you have removed all the fasteners.  All out?  Tap the EPA

doo-dad with the rubber handle of a heavy tool to break it free from the

valve cover.  Ease it out.  It's a bit of a tangle, but be patient.  Do the

same with the valve cover.  Tap it lightly.  Weasel the valve cover off.

The old gasket will be a tangle, and might tear, but that's OK, you will

replace it anyway.  I took mine stuff out from the right side, but it looks

as though you can come out from either side.

Now remove the generator cover from the right [starboard] side of the bike.

It's paper gasket will tear, but you will replace it as well.  Get a 17mm

1/2 drive socket and ratchet and turn the bolt in there *clockwise* [to the

right, as if tightening the bolt] until the 1-4 timing mark lines up with

the timing mark [it sits at about 4 -5 'O clock].  It's hard to see at

first, but you'll find it.  [The manuals both say to remove the spark plugs

to make the engine easier to turn over.  I opted to leave them in, as it was

another place for debris to enter the engine.  It was easy enough to turn

the engine over with them in.]

Now begin checking the appropriate clearances with your feeler gauges.  I

heard a lot of talk about "a firm sliding fit" but I think that is a little

too broad a description.  I like to think of it this way: It should feel

like it belongs in there.  Not easy, not difficult to insert and remove.

Just right.  Use the go-no go method of finding the largest and smallest

feelers that fit.  [The feeler shouldn't bow under the pressure.]  This will

give you a good example of what I'm talking about.  There will be oil

everywhere, so it won't be difficult.

Rotate the crank 360 degrees and check the remaining valves using the same

techniques.  This is a very critical stage, it's half the reason you're here

in the first place, so allow a lot of patience and time for this step.

I learned a great tip from my good friend Warren [an excellent mechanic who

drag races a Z-1]:  If your smallest gauge [.004mm or smaller] won't fit,

reach in and try to spin the bucket.  If it spins [even with all that oil,

it will], there is *some* clearance [especially if the bike ran], so use the

.000mm - .003mm top line in the shim chart when you get your shims out.

Prepare a chart with eight circles, and divide each circle into three parts

so it looks like you've drawn eight Mercedes-Benz signs, two rows of four.

Label 'front' at the top of the page, exhaust being the top row and intake

the bottom row.  Labeling 1, 2, 3, and 4 in between the rows doesn't hurt.

Just draw it out and you will see what I mean.  Assign one section of each

circle for measured clearance, present shim, and needed shim.  Fill in the

measured clearances as you go.  This is a good job for your helper as your

hands will be pretty oily at this point.  Triple check the numbers are in

the correct places.  Write down *all* the clearances, even if they are in

spec.  Check again that the correct numbers are written in the appropriate

'circle'.

If your clearances are all in spec [unlikely], reassemble with the same care

as per the manual, save your chart, and go riding.

There is likely to be a few of them out of spec, so read on....

I used the old trick of zip tieing the cam sprokets to the cam chain.  Now

this isn't foolproof, as the chain can skip a tooth at the crank, but I got

lucky and it worked this time.

Now comes one of the tuffies...the cam chain tensioner.  Loosen the big bolt

in the middle.  Just get it loose.  It's more or less a cover, and will be

difficult to loosen with the part out of the head, so loosen it now.  Leave

that bolt alone after that.  Loosen and remove the two smaller bolts using

the 8mm 1/4 drive socket, and the *smallest* 1/4 ratchet you can find.

Those bolts are loctited in, so this will take some time.  Patience.  Take a

break before or after.

Now that the two bolts in the tensioner are out, remove the tensioner.  It

will be difficult at first.  There is an O ring on it's body, and once that

clears the head, it slides right out.  Use care around the carbs.

Prepare the holder plate for the cam chain tensioner as per the Kawi ZR-7

manual.  You *cannot* finish the job with out it.  I made mine the day

before using the thickest feeler gauge I have - I'll never use a feeler that

thick anyway.  Be as precise with it's construction as you can, and it'll

work great!  I used metal snips and a portable dremel grinder to make mine.

Set the tensioner and it's bolts aside in a safe place with the holder plate

you made.

Remove the cam chain guide thing that rests above the chain.  The manual

doesn't mention this clearly, but it must come off.  Loosen the four bolts

enough to slightly lift the guide.  You don't want to drop anything in the

engine.  Lift the guide up when removing the bolts, so as not to allow a

bolt to fall in the engine.  Use a lot of care, take your time.  'Install'

it in the shoebox in it's relative position with the cam caps.

Now begin loosening the cam cap bolts as per the manual, working from the

outside in and criss crossing.  Loosen them just a tick, then go back and

loosen them a half turn or so, then loosen them again, then remove them with

the caps in the same criss crossing order for each step.  Be careful of the

dowels.  Don't let them fall in the engine, but leave them in the head.

Don't mix these up, either.  Every bolt must remain with every part in it's

original order.

'Install' the caps and their bolts in the shoebox you just mounted the guide

on the same way you did the valve cover bolts.  DO NOT MIX ANY OF THESE UP.

Put the box in a safe place.

Prepare eight plastic bags with a label in each that says "1 intake", "2

intake", and so on for every valve.  You'll be putting the shims in them, so

you may not use all of them.

Remove a cam [the order doesn't matter] to the center, rolling carefully and

slowly as to not disturb the chain, but enough so the buckets can be

removed.  Get your plastic bag ready.  Remove a bucket.  I started with the

number 1 intake.  The shim came out with every bucket, but the Haynes manual

says they can remain on the valve.  Remove the shim, drop it in the

appropriate bag, seal the bag, and replace the bucket.  Do one at a time, so

you don't mix the buckets up.  Repeat for every valve that is out of spec.

Put the intake cam back, using the same care, and move the exhaust cam to

center.  Try to keep the chain taut, remember you are trying to avoid it

skipping a tooth at the crank so the zip tie trick is worth while.  It did

work for me, so I don't have any advice right now to reset cam timing.  Use

the manual if needed, it looks straightforward.  OK, so remove each out of

spec shim to the appropriate bag the same way replacing the bucket[s] one at

a time.

Figure out the shims you need using the chart in the book.  If you're really

picky use a micrometer to measure the shims, but they were all sized as

labeled on mine, so no biggie.  Make a second copy of the chart with the

eight circles to leave at home.  It's important to have a copy of it, or

you'll have to start from the begining if you lose the only one!

Take one of your charts, your baggies with the shims and the Kawi service

manual to the shop[s] were you will buy shims.  It's my experience the

mechanics deal in these, so call a few days ahead and ask them first.  Some

will swap, some will just sell, and some will swap for a pittance.  It's a

cheap route anyway you cut it.  They should only be around 4 to 8 bucks each

if you buy them.  Put the shims you bought into the appropriate bag[s].  BTW,

you may end up going to more than one shop to get what you need.  Not

everybody stocks everything, and some don't even stock them [those that

don't are the shops I avoid for any kind of service work] so call a few days

ahead of time.

Now replace the new shims one at a time.  Lift up the bucket, install the

shim with the numbers down with a little oil onto the end of the valve stem.

It'll sit all nice and cozy there.  Carefully replace the bucket.  Make sure

it is all the way down.  Repeat as needed.

Now it's time to reinstall the cams.

If your lucky, the cam chain didn't skip a tooth at the crank, so install

the exhaust cam first, keeping the chain taut.  Give each cam journal [the

part that lives under the cam caps] and the round part of the cam caps a

serious dollop of oil.  Install the cam caps and their bolts.  Be sure to 

get all the original parts in their original places.

Snug the bolts down by hand in the reverse order of removal - in other

words, in the proper tightening sequence.  Now set your torque wrench

accordingly, and snug them [in order] down further, to the point where they

are *just* about to touch the head, and oil should be oozing out from the

caps [if not, remove them and oil them again].  Now, in the correct criss 

cross order, torque them to spec.

Do the same for the intake cam.  Give the cam lobes a serious dollop of oil.

Now your are ready to intall the cam chain tensioner.  Remove the bolt cover

from the tensioner, and you should see a cross in the bolt cover threading 

and a flat screw head down inside.  Use a small screwdriver to turn the head

clockwise while pushing the tensioner gently down on the bench.  I used a 

rag on the bench to give it an easy time.  Hold the tensioner there in place, 

and remove the screwdriver.

Insert the holder plate.  You can see where it goes, and now see why it's

so important.  It may take a few tries to get it right so take your time.

It's also a good idea to remove and install the holderplate once or twice to

get the idea of how the tensioner works.

With the holder plate in, it's now ready to go back in the head.  There is

an arrow beside where the holder plate goes.  It should be pointing up.  It

goes in really easy - you shouldn't feel it contact the cam chain.  [If you

do, remove it and reset it as above.]  Tighten it's mounting bolts.  This

takes some time.  Leave the holder plate in for now.

Double check that the cams are in the right place.  All the appropriate

timing marks should be in the right place.  If so, reinstall the cam chain

guide.  Start in a bolt while using the guide itself to hold the bolt so if

you slip, you still have the bolt.  Run it in a few turns, and repeat for

the other bolts, using the guide to hold them up as you turn them.  Let the

guide rest on the head, and tighten them to spec.

All set?  Now remove the holder plate from the cam chain tensioner.  You

should feel it unwind and settle on to the cam chain.  Put the holder plate

in a safe place.  Install the bolt cover.

Now turn the crank over a few times, to settle in the new shims, and recheck

the clearances.  It is not uncommon to need to replace a shim or two yet

again at this point, so don't get discouraged.  You should plan on this

happening anyway, and when you do finish, you'll know it was perfect.

Again, I got lucky here, mine were right where I wanted them, a bit on the

loose end of the spec.  Whew.

Now is the homestretch - reassembling!  Scrape the old gasket material off.

Try not to get any debris in the engine, of course.  I like to clean [if

practical] the parts at this point as they go on.  Install the new gasket on

the generator cover, and torque it's bolts to spec.

Install the new valve cover gasket, weasel in the valve cover, then the EPA

doo-dad, and begin installing the bolts in the proper places, snugging them

down, then once again, then tighten them to spec.  Plug in the EPA hoses,

and don't forget the little one on the bottom.

Install the horn.  Don't forget the wires.

Install the coils.  You did label them, right?  Don't forget the ground wire

that goes on the 2 - 3 coil's upper bolt.

Install the tank, double check that the hoses and the gas gauge wire are

plugged in and routed properly, and watch that one breather hose on the

right side that likes to pinch itself against the frame.

Assuming you have kept up with other maintenance, the bike should start

right up.  Listen immediately for trouble, but if you've kept your ducks in

a row it'll be fine [I worried for two days :-) even though it ran perfect].

You may hear a little more valve train noise [you may not], but that's

normal, especially if they were tight and you went to the loose end of the

spec like I did.

Ride Safe!

Copyright  © 2001  Robert F. Scott

This material is for personal use only.  Publication and/or dissemination

is expressly prohibited without express written consent.