camshaft timing on bike

>>1029451
Instead of "bike" which means nothing, learn to post MAKE, MODEL and YEAR every first post when looking for motorcycle advice. None of the teencunt customs on 4chan mean shit to real mechanics. I never post motorcycle questions on 4chan but I'm a mechanic so I answer some.

4chan is not a motorcycle forum. I'm not being a dick pointing that out but if you are going to wrench, go to BRAND SPECIFIC motorcycle forums and where available, model specific forums.

Clymer, Haynes and Chilton manuals often miss useful content. Many brand forums have links to downloads of factory books. It's worth your time to check.

I see your chain riding high and the left cam is not secured so it is inevitably being held a bit out of place by valve spring pressure. Timing marks often can only be checked accurately with both cams secured, but all you need to inspect valve clearance is to be on the heel/base circle of the cam lobe you are inspecting. Of course the cam must be bolted down to check correctly.

Remember on a four stroke engine the camshaft turns at 1/4 crankshaft speed so timing marks won't realign at TDC on number one (or whatever) cylinder until four rotations of the crank.

Now and forever, end the 4chan practice of posting a pic then expecting others to identify your object unlee YOU don't know what it it.

This warning will save you from being laughed at on real cycle forums.

The nice thing about the internet is there will usually be many people with answers specific to your vehicle.

Finish your shimming per the instructions in your service manual, then check cam timing.

Never turn an engine over with anything but a wrench until you KNOW the cam timing is correct. A starter is plenty powerful enough to bend valves.

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS POST. GO TO A CORRECT FORUM. YOU'LL THANK ME LATER.

Good you for learning to work on your motorcycle! The only "dumb" question is one you don't ask, just find the correct venue.

Not op but this is the best reply or even post I've ever seen on this site. To the point, frank, but helpful. Good for you anon, may we all better the world like you.

>>1029451
Tighten down the camshaft boots all evenly and slowly. Make sure the cam chain tensioner isn't in place until you're all done too. Also sometimes most of the time. A single link or two forward or back. Isn't gonna fuck anything up. Not saying you should leave it. But it really won't advance or retard the timing by anything...

>>1029496
>Tighten down the camshaft boots all evenly and slowly.

Quoted for truth. Those little bolts exert a lot of force so take care nothing binds and always start any removed bolts or screws a few turn by finger. It's too easy to crossthread in aluminum if you use a ratchet or wrench to start.

One trick if you are worried about crossthreading is to SLOWLY rotate the bolt COUNTER-clockwise between thumb and forefinger. When it's ready to engage the casting threads you'll feel it "skip" VERY lightly as it drops a few thousandths of an inch into position, then rotate clockwise until it's well started.

I give every bolt or screw going into aluminum a small dab of anti-seize unless there's some reason to use Loctite, and there's not on cam bearing caps (unless factory recommended). That ensures ya can take it apart for future maintenance.

>>1029451
if you painted chain-> cam, chain>cam, chain-> crank sprocket, then just line them up and tighten it up. As long as they are timed, the whole assembly can rotate without messing up the valve timing

>>1029451
paint marks don't matter, flywheels never stay put unless you lock them and it don't matter, counting chain pins is autistic and doesn't matter.
put cylinder #2 at TDC because quackasaki are fucktards and did it backwards to literally every other motor on the planet even the other ninjas
(also, fuck that tiny, invisible T|2 mark, stick a pencil down the plughole)
inlet camwheel IN mark faces rear split line of head
exhaust camwheel EX mark faces forward split line
make sure the front run of chain is tight and the back run (where the tensioner will go) is slack
ziptie that motherfucking chain down so he can't skip teeth until you're good and ready
tighten the cam caps
reinstall the camchain tensioner
rotate the engine with a ratchet a few times to make sure nothing bonks and everything lines up
and you're done