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1983 LTD 1100 Kaw

Discussion in 'Other Motorcycles' started by Timbox, Dec 4, 2021.

  1. Timbox

    Timbox Well-Known Member

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    Well could not pass this up...I hope I can take care of it with some aluminum brazing.
    [​IMG]DSCN0003 by Tim Brown, on Flickr
    [​IMG]DSCN0001 by Tim Brown, on Flickr
    Yes it blew a shim...right out of the front of the #1 intake. Why, have no idea? The cove has a hole in it and the head also is damaged. The damage seems to be isolated to only this. I did all the valves today and added a 245 to this bucket. Seems to work, bu not too sure how long it will. Need to fill in those cracks from the outside, level it off with the rest of that surface.
    [​IMG]DSCN0006 by Tim Brown, on Flickr
    [​IMG]DSCN0007 by Tim Brown, on Flickr
    Anyone else ever work on a engine that just lost a shim? This is a first for me. Rest of the bike looks in great shape and can part out of this does not work.
     
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  2. jayrodoh

    jayrodoh YimYam Premium Member

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    Ooooh nice, I’ve owned a ton of KZ bikes and one Z1.

    Never seen a shim pop out….valve stuck/hanging up maybe?
     
  3. Timbox

    Timbox Well-Known Member

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    Not too sure what the deal is. Oil light goes out when I start it, looks like oil is coming up and taking care of the cams. No scoring on the cams. You would think low or no oil or it could have been way out of valve shim adjustment. All the shims were or at least one full step.

    I have to so some aluminum brazing and then do a check to see if oil is leaking from the cover. After that I will play with it and see what happens. Too nice of a bike to let go to waste.
     
  4. Franz

    Franz Well-Known Member

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    Is is possible the bike was started by the PO with the shim not seated property in the bucket? It's a smashing bike, l like the older Kawasaki's.
     
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2021
  5. Timbox

    Timbox Well-Known Member

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    I am hopping that is what happened. I can't think of anything else that could of happened. Great looking little bike for its age. Will try to do it right and get it back on the road. Looking for parts on line and full engines are around $900. Can't just find the head on line if it is needed. Making the top of the head leak proof will be interesting.
     
  6. Franz

    Franz Well-Known Member

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    Cannot be a shim tool that cracked the head as the cover would not have been damaged. Hope you can get it fixed with brazing.
     
  7. Timbox

    Timbox Well-Known Member

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    Nope not the tool, the shim came out of the bucket from under the cam while it was running. Have no idea how it would have happened. Shot the shim forward and out through the valve cover. Going to have to find a friend with a MIG spool gun and try that. The brazing would not flow even with flux to make a physical bond.
     
  8. Wayne Passow

    Wayne Passow Active Member

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    Its possible he missed a shift floated the valves at very high RPM and spit the shim out. Its been known to happen. Thats why most bikes use a shim under bucket now days. I would find a competent welder and have him weld that corner. You can slowly grind/ file and finish the side.Grind and file the top and finish with a Dimond hone.
     
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  9. Timbox

    Timbox Well-Known Member

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    Yep I have the same thought on the welding. As far as how it happened, that sounds good to me. The PO was not a big speed rider so anything is possible. I will wait until later on to have the head looked at by my TIG guy. After the Holidays have settled.
     
  10. jayrodoh

    jayrodoh YimYam Premium Member

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    My Maxim has a welded up head on it, when it was shipped the box was dropped and the cam sprocket punctured and cracked the head in a similar spot to yours. Cams were shipped in the same box but not attached to the head and loose in the box. Damage wasn’t as bad but it held up fine for the time I got to ride it.
     
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  11. Timbox

    Timbox Well-Known Member

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    My friends over at the marsh got the MIG welder and aluminum gun out and hooked me up. I will have to do some grinding on both the cover and then the head. I hope that it is oil tight now and I also hope the weld didn't go too deep on the head. That would interfere with the movement of the valve cap and shim.
     
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  12. Jetfixer

    Jetfixer Well-Known Member

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    I had an 84 550 LTD shaft drive , was a great bike had it for 8 years . I would try to replace the head , you might try contacting Cycle Recycle part 2 in Indianapolis Indiana . They have a room full of engines as well as parts .
     
  13. Timbox

    Timbox Well-Known Member

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    Still can't get the oil leak to STOP..... Just a hair crack that we could not weld. This bike is in too good of shape to let it just go to part. It is also so old (1982) that the price is now coming back up for a vintage bike.

    I have a few more ideas but one is a little aggressive. First off, not going to buy a new head, they are running $1k on ebay. Okay to the aggressive idea, grind off the cooling fin that is obstructing the crack and try again. That or JB weld from outside as there is minimal oil pressure that is forcing the leak.

    The bike starts right up on cold days with a little choke and just runs so nice...Have to find a cost effective fix.
     
  14. Dave in Ireland

    Dave in Ireland Well-Known Member

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    JB Weld from outside will work.
    Some people have been known to puncture a crankcase through being too stupid to notice the longer bolt that held the nerf bars on was too long without the bars being in place.
    Not me though.
    I'd never do something that stupid.
    Nope.
    Never.
     
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  15. Timbox

    Timbox Well-Known Member

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    Took a dremel and burr bit to the area, I think I found the issues. The weld more or less didn't penetrate in that area and it is still cracked. Cleaned it up, hit it with compressed air and cooked the living heck out of it with heat gun. We have snow again today and the temps are around 35 so just letting it sit. Ordered a new valve cover as well but that will take some time to get here. Really hoping this does the trick.

    If not, more dremel work and just keep working till it stops. Then I am sure one a nice long ride, it might throw that same shim again? Not too sure why or how motors throw the 23mm flat shim from under a cam lobe in the first place.
     
  16. Dave in Ireland

    Dave in Ireland Well-Known Member

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    Check the diameter of the errant shim - there have been instances where Kwack and Zuk shims have been mixed and can be spat out. Not sure what way round it is - I seem to recall that it's more of an issue with Zuks, as the Kwack shim fits but is 0.5mm smaller in diameter or there abouts. Might be the shim was a home-thinned job and was left with a bevel on it.
     
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