Pitted Cams

[Afrodesia]

Well good luck gettin this fixed cheaply / properly.

Takes me back to my ZXR750 (l2) that had cams pitting by about 16oook. the BS i heard.. things like Shell oil was the cause etc at the time...

RE Kawi paint... The paint on my 04 10r is awesome - compared to the 04 blades that had paint scuffing off right away.. Im sure Kawi fit / finish has improved bucketloads in the last few years

[Strika]

Well good luck gettin this fixed cheaply / properly.

Takes me back to my ZXR750 (l2) that had cams pitting by about 16oook. the BS i heard.. things like Shell oil was the cause etc at the time...

RE Kawi paint... The paint on my 04 10r is awesome - compared to the 04 blades that had paint scuffing off right away.. Im sure Kawi fit / finish has improved bucketloads in the last few years

Agree.........My 05 636 had perfect paint and finish. My new Honda has crap paint and finish. Go Figure?

[jpbikeboy]

Yep to all. My zxr750 L2 pitted about 3 sets of cams. It shits me. It made no difference what oil i ran. after regrinding it would only last about 20,000km.

[chameleon]

Do ya warm ya bikes up for 2 or 3 minutes before ya ride off in the morning? It makes a big difference to engine wear. this donk is the ZZR1100 D2, with 50 000km on it?

[bonester]

Yup Chameleon my ZZR has been warmed up every time- way more oil changes than necessary, and still got pitted cams- apparently it is a sign you don't ride hard enough.... BTW the cams on my GT550 are slightly pitted but my Z440 has a perfect cam (single cam) after 26 years....

[hoffy]

so what your saying is thrash the s*&t out of it and "it'll be right mate".

[bonester]

Yep apparently if you don't rev it the cams pit- that is Ivan Tighes opinion- and he is the guy who recoes the cams for Kawasaki...

[chameleon]

don't ride hard enough Guess mine will be rooted in no time then

[jpbikeboy]

I warm mine up too. Ivan tighe told me that you need to warm it up at 2-3000rpm to have proper oil pressure to the top end. Whatever i did they still pitted. I have had no problem since i put the 9 motor in it.

[Gosling1]

....but my Z440 has a perfect cam (single cam) after 26 years....

and therein lies the answer to all these *issues*.

Back in *the good old days*, cams NEVER pitted (well, at least Kwakka cams didn't ), because back then they used a higher quality of steel in the cams. Simple as that.

I have heaps of Zeds, from z750 twins through z750 fours, z900's and z1000's, and I'll be buggered if there is any pitting whatsoever on any cam lobe anywhere........its simply doesn't occur at all.

Regardless of wether you warm up the bike or not, or use Brand Y or Brand X oil, or run the bike hard enough, all that is a load of frogshit.

Current bikes use lower-grade steel that is more susceptible to pitting, thats all there is to it. Its cheaper to manufacture, and the beancounters make all the decisions now - not like back in the 70's, when *engineers* ran the company.............and quality ruled, not costs.........blah blah blah..........the good old days..........blah blah........adult diaper......blah blah.......wet fart.......

[billwest]

Gosling..........

That pic at the end of your message, looks like my old bike. It was a Yammie Triple, XS750, bored out to be a 900. It had a fairing similar to the one in your pic - a "Parisian", ex Brisbane somewhere.

And, the cams on that never pitted!

Bill.

[bonester]

Funnily enough Gosling I was going through the local wreckers brake discs recently and noticed they had a shitload of discs for the Z9s. I said to the wrecker ' these must be worth a fortune!'. Reply was that they NEVER wear out so there is no demand!

[mattyv74]

Hmmm...., Kwakas have done this for years. Especially the zzr1100's. I think thats the same familyof engine as is in the zrx's.

Some people claim nort warming the engine up will do it, while over the KHI have blamed people running the bike on chokefor too long, or forgetting to switch it off.

I know that didn't help, but it's interesting all the same.

[Gosling1]

Gosling..........

That pic at the end of your message, looks like my old bike. It was a Yammie Triple, XS750, bored out to be a 900. It had a fairing similar to the one in your pic - a "Parisian", ex Brisbane somewhere.

And, the cams on that never pitted!

Bill.

that picture is Jim Goose on the MFP Pursuit Special.......it was a z1000. And yes, the fairing is a La Parisienne, the model used for the Goose bike, Toecutter and Bubba Zanetti was a Mk 1. Unfortunately the moulds for this model were destroyed in the early 80's. La Pas did continue with a similiar fairing, the Mk 11, it has some detail differences from the original fairing, and they are pretty noticeable when you know what you are looking at.....these days, a replica of the Mk 11 is available through Replico in SA, its called the 'Typhoon', and is a passable replica....

I have a Mk 1 top half, and a Mk 11 bottom half, for my Toecutter replica (one of the boys in the Vic Z Owners has already knocked up a reasonable Goose replica).

I bet the XS cams never pitted !!! They were also from 'the good old days', when cams weren't made from cheese.....

Bonester - I have a *pile* of original Z900 and Z1000 disc rotors as spares........you now how many I have used in 25 years ??? 3. Your wrecker is absolutely correct.

But, they can wear out........sometimes.......like when you run the pads down to metal and don't change them..........

Matty - its none of those *excuses* - its a poorer grade of steel, thats it. It is very borderline though, which means that although some cams will pit, others won't, and its always the *luck of the draw* as to wether your cams will pit or not. Bloody beancounters have a lot to answer for....

[billwest]

Well, I lifted the lid on the ZRX this week, and had a good look. All shims are within spec, someminor pitting, but none that I am going to worry about. Still cannot find the cause of the persistent ticking noise it makes. It sounds like valve clearance, but it isn't. Noise comes from the top of the engine.

Whilst putting things back, I refilled the radiator, and noticed a coolant leak from one of my hoses. ex-Japan - 3 week wait! Might try an auto parts store.

Bill.