Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: theAmazingKickstand on June 24, 2013, 09:48:25 PM
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Hey All, this is my first post.
I bought a 2008 ABS Concours with 17k miles and would like to change all the fluids and adjust the valves asap. I've adjusted shim valves before but not on this bike. Mine has the smoke at start up but everything else seems to be perfect about it. I don't know if the smoke is from a gasket or O-ring and want to just replace everything.
Can someone give me a list of all the things I'd possible need to adjust the valves in one weekend?
Gaskets,
O-rings,
shims ( I was going to order a boxed set)
Spark plugs,
What else?
Also I just tried opening the filler plug to the final drive with no success. Any idea?
Let me know if you think of anything I've missed. This is my daily commuter so I'd like to get it done in one weekend.....and most shops will be closed on Sunday.
Thanks!!!
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Welcome to the forum. On your list of things you need I might suggest a service manual. It's going to take a weekend of reading to learn what you need to remove just to get to the valve train.
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Hey All, this is my first post.
Welcome!!
Yep- I would order a service manual from your dealer or Ron Ayers, ASAP
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I'd also highly recommend Fred's video set.
http://www.angelridevideos.com/concours.html (http://www.angelridevideos.com/concours.html)
-Jeff
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..and a couple of extra days off to make it a long weekend.
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So what makes this valve adjustment so difficult? On my last bike I had to remove the engine. It took me an honest 6 hours start to finish but there was minimal bodywork.
Does anyone have part numbers for all the gaskets, rings, seals, parts, I'll need to replace? Any special tools I might not own?
Off topic, do you all hear a gear whine at low rpm in first gear? Normal?
Thank you!!
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Some research:
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=7087.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=7087.0)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=10245.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=10245.0)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=11996.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=11996.0)
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=9029.0 (http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=9029.0)
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Welcome aboard,
Gear whine in 1st is normal on some bikes. Synth oil sometimes fixes that.
Getting to the valves is the hardest part.
They are shim under bucket so changing them requires cam removal and having the right sized shim to replace them with.
Other than that, if you've done this type before, no need to remove the motor unless you have Yeti hands.
That said, she shouldn't smoke when started. Some steam (white) will come out but shouldn't burn any oil at all at 17k miles.
Getting the Final Drive Oil filler cap off is a PITA.
I use a 1/2" drive screwdriver socket I have similar to this with an Impact Driver to loosen it.
(http://www.blackrocktools.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/j/5/j5407_1.jpg)
Either that or else use some washers held together with Mole Grips (Vise Grips?)
Do not rotate the wheel when filling as that leads to overfilling and blowing seals.
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I'd also highly recommend Fred's video set.
http://www.angelridevideos.com/concours.html (http://www.angelridevideos.com/concours.html)
-Jeff
+1 for sure. Priceless, especially when it comes to that Japanese 3D puzzle we call "fairings". :)
Welcome, and congrats - I'm sure you're gonna love your new bike!
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Welcome.
I admire your hutzpah. I've done the valve check before but it turned out that I didn't have the right size shims.
Sometimes you can swap a few shims. You won't know until you get in there and start measuring. I wouldn't attempt the job unless
I had Fred's video and a manual.
Good Luck.
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Thanks All.
I do love it indeed. By smoke, I mean the oil burn off the headers.
I managed to get the final drive filler plug off but really mangled it. I can get it off again but would rather replace since it looks very out of place now.
I saw the pic here with all body work on the ground. Doesn't seem that bad really. I'm mostly concerned with having all of the parts I need to replace in front of me before I start.
Does anyone have a link to a free PDF repair manual or a cheap hard copy book for sale?
Is it a proven fact that all Councurs sold all over the world are the same mechanically and only CA require 15k valve intervals (emissions??) while every other owners manual states 25k miles? Are the CA models set up to have a leaner burn causing the valves to stretch quicker?
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Are the CA models set up to have a leaner burn causing the valves to stretch quicker?
No, all bikes are configured the same, its just that Kawasaki is only willing to state that the emissions will remain within specs if you observe these maintenance intervals. Its more of a CYA than anything. I personally don't mind if my emissions exceed design specs, so I will get my valves checked later.
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Thanks All.
I do love it indeed. By smoke, I mean the oil burn off the headers.
I managed to get the final drive filler plug off but really mangled it. I can get it off again but would rather replace since it looks very out of place now.
I saw the pic here with all body work on the ground. Doesn't seem that bad really. I'm mostly concerned with having all of the parts I need to replace in front of me before I start.
Does anyone have a link to a free PDF repair manual or a cheap hard copy book for sale?
Is it a proven fact that all Councurs sold all over the world are the same mechanically and only CA require 15k valve intervals (emissions??) while every other owners manual states 25k miles? Are the CA models set up to have a leaner burn causing the valves to stretch quicker?
The US spec is 15k and everywhere else it is 25k.
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Does anyone have a link to a free PDF repair manual or a cheap hard copy book for sale?
If you mean the factory manual, that would be illegal. Contact your dealer or Ron Ayers to be legit.
Is it a proven fact that all Councurs sold all over the world are the same mechanically and only CA require 15k valve intervals (emissions??) while every other owners manual states 25k miles? Are the CA models set up to have a leaner burn causing the valves to stretch quicker?
I believe they are all identical. The issue has been addressed many times on the forums and the conclusion has been that the USA spec for 15K valve adjustments is insanely too low. ESPECIALLY for a modern bucket over shim design and when you compare it to all the other country specs. Now WHY Kawasaki specified it so much lower in the USA- who knows. Perhaps just a money grab for the dealers.
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Does anyone have a link to a free PDF repair manual or a cheap hard copy book for sale?
Workshop manual in post 21 here
(link removed) Note: We don't link here to unofficial manuals. Jim
Richard
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So what makes this valve adjustment so difficult? On my last bike I had to remove the engine..............
C14 is is the opposite of that. You remove the bike and keep the engine. :)
The hardest part for me was balancing the throttle bodies. From what you describe the engine sounds normal.
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You can't just buy a shim kit. You have to measure the existing shims to see what you need to change. You may need several of the same size. You may be able to swap shims around and not have to buy so many. You may not need any. If you start Friday night you could conceivably get what you need on Saturday. The leakage may be from the valve cover gasket but you need to get to the cover to see. If it's not pinched, you could probably clean it up and use it again. Of course the manual says to replace it.
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Leak could also be cam sensor.
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Don't sweat the valve "inspection". I doubt you'll find many valves out of spec. Maybe your valve cover gasket is not seated correctly and causing the smoke? If I was to try to reseat my valve cover gasket, I'd do a valve inspection. Keep in mind, inspection and adjustment are different procedures....in that an inspection is not as involved as the adjustment (which is easy).
If you do a valve adjustment, take your time. Read the manual. Watch the videos if able. Use lots of masking tape to mark what came off where...or just lay stuff out in the order it came off.
(http://dolomoto.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/moto/i-Lxth8j6/0/XL/IMG_0003-L.jpg)
(http://dolomoto.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/moto/i-gqhQP65/0/L/IMG_0008-L.jpg)
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Thank you all. ....especially for the repair manual link. I changed the drive fluid yesterday and oil today. All Amsoil synthetic. Feel much better. Still don't like riding without a valve check though.
If I go through the effort to check, I'm taking the cams off and setting them to the loose end. No point doing half the work. It's nice that the gas tank doesn't have to come off though.
The throttle bodies have to come off? That sucks.
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As a reminder, we don't link to copyrighted materials here...
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As a reminder, we don't link to copyrighted materials here...
:-[ , sorry
Richard
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Thank you all. ....especially for the repair manual link.
Well, I guess you are not into legit, then.
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Well, I guess you are not into legit, then.
I have no moral qualms using a manual thats been easily available for free for the past four years. Yes it's stealing. No I won't steal from you.
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:-[ , sorry
Richard
Quite forgiven!
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The throttle bodies have to come off? ...................
No. The throttle bodies don't have to come off. It is recommended that they be balanced if changes are made to the shims.
It is very hard to get to the mixture screws and vacuum connections on them in order to do the balancing procedure. Some have
foregone this part of the job if there is no problem with engine idle.
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No.
Thanks. I'll try to do the synch.
The bike seems to have stopped smoking from under the fairings completely since the oil change!!! :o