worst place to drop a part in a kat engine

[tmk7c9]

I found it. I actually found the worst possible place to drop a part in a 600 katana.

It happens to be in the oil return line, that runs from the left side of the cylinder head, underneith the second cam journal from the left exhaust side, all the way down into the oil pan. It curves and weaves all the way down there.

to make matters worse, the piece that I dropped just so happened to be an aluminum spacer...the magnet on a stick was useless.

the bike ended up laying on it's side with the oil pan and cylinder head removed. It took a good deal of compressed air to blow that stupid aluminum spacer out.

at least if it fell down the cam chain cavity, I could have seen it and plucked it out. No such luck here.

Thanks for listening, I just had to complain.

[DoyleDee]

I had an experience with a 95 astro. Dropped a metal (thank god) retainer clip for the injection into the intake for the #4 cylinder. Luckly the valve was closed so it didn't make it to the cylinder. About 30 min with a magnet and it was out. I almost was ready to remove the valve cover and head. No problems on the bike as to yet...... I have an 05 with screw type adjusters--- no shims for me . Maybe use a rag next time???

[coolhandluke]

Worst place

8) Just done a head swap on my 600. It was a little spooky with the sealing washers and stud nuts so close to the cam chain tunnel. I deffinately put a shop towel in the there just in case. Really had fun getting the washers off the old head during teardown, a shop towel again and long needle nose plyers. It was spooky, I feel your pain.

[tmk7c9]

About that head swap, did the motor come out of the frame to do it? the haynes manual mentions that it can be done with the motor in the frame, but when I pulled the head off of mine to get that spacer out, the head certainly would not come off. I was able to get it high enough to clear the head bolts, but it then ended up stuck between the side frame rails. a lot of frame pieces can unbolt, but not the ones that the head was stuck in.

I decided pulling the head from now on would be an engine out ordeal. How did yours work out?

[md86]

I took MY head out while the engine was still in the frame , but HE took out a couple mounting bolts to tip the engine forward . Here , looky ....

http://www.katriders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=16671&highlight=inside+engine

[coolhandluke]

Head swap

8) Yeah, I pulled the head with engine in frame but it was tuff. Dropped bottom cradle, top rear motor mount bolt and spacer, loosened rear wheel to get enough slack in chain, loosened bottom rear motor mount with a small floor jack under motor then tilted motor forward letting floor jack down, had to bend oil cooler brackets forward to get enough clearance to get the head off. Turned head sideways and pulled from rear to clear frame rails. The manual says to use the top rear motor mount bolt to pivot motor down, I tried that but the bottom case hit back of frame and not enough clearance for head to clear studs. Using the bottom rear mount for pivot gave me enough clearance plus bending oil cooler bracket out of the way. MD said his came out with out doing all that. He's got an early Kat and mine is a 03. I just didn't have the clearance without tilting the motor forward, it hit the frame rails before clearing the studs. I also had to leave the old headgasket on top of cylinder for head to clear studs, it was that tight. Might have been easier to pull motor.

[tmk7c9]

Sounds like it probably would be easier to pull the motor, but at least you got it done.

In hind sight, I wish that I would have lapped the valves on mine as well, I probably had about the same carbon build up as you did. Since the bike has been apart since I got it, I haven't even had time to do compression yet. We'll see when I get it all back together I suppose....

[coolhandluke]

Head swap

8) I got a clean low milage 02 head off ebay. Gave it a good going over before I put it on. Also came with cams, looked new hardly any wear that I could tell. I've got some good valves in my old head only 3700 miles, yours if you need them no charge.

[Wade-Kat600]

worst place imo is the intake - you just arent sure if it is in the head, sittin in a valve or down in the cylinder.....hate that.