Jimmy's 1977 Kawasaki KZ650 Engine Rebuild! Part 1

This bike didn't have enough compression (only 125 psi at most) to pull fuel through the carburetors like I wanted, I dont want anything holding this thing back. So I started the tear down the other night to see what we needed to do to get this thing back into shape. There are a number of things that could make it run so shotty, first being valves out of adjustment. I checked those and found them within the tolerances so the other causes could be bad gaskets on the cylinder and head, warped head, blown or stuck piston rings, or a damaged cylinder that lets air and fuel escape past the piston. I went to school all morning then work till 6:30 in the evening and then this is as far as I got before I was so tired I couldn't stop singing the same stupid Katie Perry song and loosing my tools uncontrollably.

Carbs, Airbox, Gas tank, Tachometer and ignition coils removed to access the engine.

first step was to make sure the engine was rotated to "top dead center"

dual over head cams aka DOHC make sure the valves do their job of letting fuel in and exhaust out. They are complicated but efficient.

had to pull 16 bolts to remove the cams in order to take the head off the cylinder, here bolts out, cams waiting

camshafts out, valve lifters removed.

Valve lifters need to be replaced into original positions when the engine is re-assembled so this is how I kept track of which goes where, I owe someone a new cooler.

head removed, cylinder waiting for inspection

too tired to go on, past 11 pm