1. Cam chain tensioner: This is screwed into the back of the head and presses a plastic shoe against the cam chain. It is spring loaded and ratcheting, so it self adjusts for wear. If you remove it, you MUST reset it. See the manual.

2. Valve adjustment. It's not hard. Do it yourself and set them to the widest clearance spec. Many of the dealer techs don't know how to do it either. LOTS of discussion of how to do this in the archives.

 

1. Cam chain tensioner: This is screwed into the back of the head and presses a plastic show against the cam chain. It is spring loaded and ratcheting, so it self adjusts for wear. If you remove it, you MUST reset it. See the manual.

2. Valve adjustment. It's not hard. Do it yourself and set them to the widest clearance spec. Many of the dealer techs doin't know how to do it either. LOTS of discussion of how to do this in the archives.

Looks like a PITA to get everything out of the way....but I don't have high confidence in the local shop....
I guess I'll be looking for a selection of shims....I've read the valves are set at the minimum clearance from the factory.

Thanks for the info!

 

I'm not sure that Pete there has a Gen 3, but I do, and I can attest that a valve clearance check and an adjustment is a PITA! I do not trust the "Stealership" either and do all of my own maintenance. Mine's a 2022 and the valve lash was out of spec at a little over 4K miles. For me, the actual removal of the cylinder head cover was the most difficult part. This last time I unplugged all of the connectors under the clearish plastic cover on the left side of the frame and it went easier than the first time. What also made it easier for me I think was that I intended on flushing the cooling system, so I went ahead and removed the radiator and fan, and all of that stuff was all out of the way. The manual also sez that to apply some sealant to the cylinder head cover gasket but that is not necessary, I've had mine off twice now and have incurred no leaks by not using any sealant, I just cleaned it really well. At the end of the day, I would gladly pay someone to do the labor but only if I could sit there on a stool out of the way and watch them perform the actual work. They never do, something about insurance or some other crap. When I was in Germany the customer got a thin over coat and a seat at the mechanics station so you could watch the mechanic perform the work on your car. I wish that could be a thing here in the states. Anyway, good luck and let us know the mileage and whether or not the valves are in or out of spec. Regards, Jim.

 

Reassuring words <smile>...and I've always been a fan of permatex so I'll coat the gasket. (I'm just that way).
I wonder if Kawasaki sets them skimpy in order to get more business...
Did you have any indications of them needing adjustment or just got a wild hair and decided to check?
Where did you get shims?
So many questions...you'd think I was 2 years old again...why? why? why?

 

Another vote for a dry valve cover gasket, that Permatex can and does clog up oil galleries.

The only special tools you will need are feeler gauges and you should have an inch pound toque wrench.

The cam tensioner gaskets usually need replacing as well.

I checked my gen 3 at 5000 miles an only 1 valve was in spec so yea it needs to be done. A long time ago they used to set the motors with max spec and they didnt usually need adjustment till 20k. My guess is someone on the factory line doesn't understand what they are doing. The toughest part is getting the valve cover off, it comes off to the left and in a 1mm perfect orientation. checking the valves is easy enough , adjusting is a bit complicated, but just take your time. As far as shims go, there should a shop in your area that sells them, but if not you can order them online. You dont really know which ones you need till you know which ones you have. If you have to adjust one I suggest adjusting them all. the max spec is .008 intake and .010 exhaust. and better to error on the loose side than the tight side. so for example better .011 than .09 on an exhaust. There are lots of tutorials on here but if you set them at max you dont need to check for 15000 more miles.

 

a THIN coat on the gasket....doesn't need to be globbed on. The way I always did it in the past...hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

 

I think the valve lash is set a little on the snug side from the factory to make HP spec on the dyno, just my opinion, no evidence of that. After the 600-mile service I took a long and hard road trip and beat the piss out of that engine so when I got back, I pulled a good service and that's when I found that the exhaust valves were out of spec, bike had under 5K miles. I ordered the shims from the "Stealership", they did not have any in stock. Good luck and keep us posted, and yes ask questions, I've had mine apart twice now, in no ways am I an expert, but each time I managed to get all the parts back on and the bike ran right. I always say it's better to be lucky than good! Jim.

 

HP on the dyno??? 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

 

I checked mine around 7k miles "just because" and found 3 were tight...1 so much that a .002" feeler wouldn't fit. All 4 shims were marked 255.

Shims were bought through Eagle Mike.

Sealant applied only at the sharp corners surrounding the "humps" on the left side of the cam cover gasket.

Make sure rags are stuffed around the chain opening from start to finish. I removed them too soon and a cam bearing cap dowel dropped out and leaped into the abyss. Another order to Eagle Mike and the Doo was replaced while I had the left covers off. This old dog knew the trick, but made the mistake anyway.

Biggest pain was getting the headroom to remove the cam cover.

 

Yes, the Gen3 is harder to get the cover off than the Gen2 or Gen1. More crap in the way with the Gen3. The radiator and fan have to be moved out of the way, but the coolant does not need to be drained. Yes, you need to measure the clearance, then remove the shims and note the numbers on them, then order the correct shims. Wait until you park it for the winter, then do the job

 

The manual says you have t remove the ABS module as well but I was able to just remove the bolts form the bracket without getting into the abs

 

.

 

The manual also sez that to apply some sealant to the cylinder head cover gasket but that is not necessary, I've had mine off twice now and have incurred no leaks by not using any sealant, I just cleaned it really well.

Reassuring words <smile>...and I've always been a fan of permatex so I'll coat the gasket. (I'm just that way).

Another vote for a dry valve cover gasket, that Permatex can and does clog up oil galleries.

a THIN coat on the gasket....doesn't need to be globbed on. The way I always did it in the past...hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

I also vote for NO RTV or other sealant on any part of that valve cover gasket.
It may be harder to teach an older dog, but it's not impossible.

Clean the shallow grooves of the OEM gasket of all of its OEM RTV and gently scrape it off of the cylinder head surface also.

I only remove the top cap & spring of the cam chain tensioner, which gives enough chain slack to tilt or roll the cams to access the shims. Without needing to scrape off a damaged gasket to install a new chain tensioner gasket.

Some shims may be installed upside down & the lobes wipe off their numbers. Be prepared to measure those shims with dial caliper or micrometer.

 

Having the factory service manual handy would no doubt help with this job.

 

Yea the manual is good but im pretty sure the manual says to completely disassemble the ABS module and thats a big pain, I got away with just unbolting the bracket.

 

Speaking of the factory manual, it kinda leaves a little to be desired, make sure to have about 8 bookmarks on the bench before you start the job. I've been searching for a Haynes/Clymer or a Cyclepedia manual but nothing out yet for Gen 3s. Let us know when you get started. Jim.

 

Yea the manuals are a bit sketch. I have a gen 2 Clymer, and a gen 2 factory for reference as well. This forum has very good info as well.

 

If the Gen3 cover is real hard to get off, I wonder if the trick of using an early Gen1 cover would work on a Gen3.

 

It does!

 

Yea the removal of the cam chain guide will definitely help, I have one ready to go the next time it’s off

 

Pete, it sounds like you need to procure a Gen 3 to add to the stable and get started!

 

Yeah!

No I'm not buying a Gen3. I already have 5 KLRs and I need to sell off 4 of them. I'm sticking with my 1998 Gen1 with 719 displacement, Cogent suspension, IMS 6.6 tank, HT skid plate, JNS footpeg lowering brackets, JNS LED headlight, Barkbusters, custom seat, EBC front disc and SV650 caliper, yada, yada.

Like Dave P, I think the Gen1 gains in performance and off road capability by not gaining avoirdupois. Less=more. Now, if I can just figure out a way to change the transmission ratios....

 

...Now, if I can just figure out a way to change the transmission ratios....

That is limited to what you can do with the early 600/Gen 1 gear sets and the KLR600 primary. I have the KLR600 primary but never did get around to playing with the early ratios.

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www.souperdoo.com

 

Tom, thanks for posting those again. Yes, I'm quite aware of the limitations of the KLR transmissions, and even the KLR600 transmission provides only a small improvement. It's not worth doing major engine surgery to swap the transmissions, and probably the whole bottom end, unless you have to pull the engine out for some other reason, and do it "while you're in there." IIRC, that's why you haven't done it yet.

You may recall that several years ago I looked through the online parts catalogs to see if there were any transmission shafts or gears from other Kawasaki motorcycles that would fit and give a wider spread of ratios. I wasn't able to identify anything that would interchange from the online parts catalogs and diagrams. The next step would be to go through a parts warehouse and check the physical dimensions, spline counts, etc. It's a good thing that I don't have access to a KHI warehouse, or I'd be tempted to go down that rabbit hole.