Eliminating the Reed Valve Boxes

Scotch recently mentioned that he'd machined the reed boxes from atop his cam covers. He reported that he'd filled the passages that connect the reed valves to the exhaust ports with a high temperature epoxy. I'd thought about doing the same but I'd envisioned welding up the port openings and was worried that welding might cause the casting to warp.
Coincidentally at that time I had the cam covers off of a '82 KZ1100 Shaft and an '85 ZN1300 for valve adjustments.
I just couldn't resist, 'Off with the Reed Boxes!'
Scotch and I started this discussion in a different thread. I'll go and get those posts and graft them together here.
Bill

My original post in the Do I need a Fuel Pump thread.
I spent some time fretting about the hydraulically assisted Cam Chain tensioner and eventually decided to replace it in favor of a manually adjusted unit.

While I had the Cam Cover off I checked the valves and ended up swapping shims for five of the twelve valves.

Also while I had the cam cover off I took note of Scotch's mention about machining off the exhaust gas recirculation chambers and filling the ports with high temperature epoxy. Something about imitation and flattery there Scotch, Thanks.

Check out the clearance between the cam cover and the fuel tank.




   



It turned out that the TPS was properly set already.

The engine runs smoothly with as much sound coming out of the pod air filters as the exhaust.

I haven’t had any success adjusting the fuel pressure with my supposedly ‘adjustable’ regulator so I ordered one of these:

 

The bike pulls smoothly enough off the line but rallies strongly at 3000 RPM, which suggests that it could do better off the line.

Bill

I'd be interested in knowing your method of removed the Reed boxes.....as I'm sure perhaps, 1 or 2  others might as well.   

scotch wrote:

I'd be interested in knowing your method of removed the Reed boxes.....as I'm sure perhaps, 1 or 2  others might as well.   


 

It was actually relatively easy. I fitted a carbide tipped wobble type dado cutter to a 10" radial arm saw. The wobble was set to it's narrowest, 3/16".  I adjusted the cut height carefully and made the cuts on the push stroke only. The first results were rough but true enough so that an hour's filing and some sanding made me happy. So far I've cut down two other cam covers this way as well.
On this one I left enough of the reed boxes to remind folks of them.
 
Bill

 

Was there ever a tacho drive on that valve cover?  Is it electronic on the DFIs

wrote:

Was there ever a tacho drive on that valve cover?  Is it electronic on the DFIs
 

Hi Zed_thirteen,
Apparently both of the engines I've done this to did not have mechanical tachometers. If you look at the first picture in this thread you can see that cam cover for the '85 ZN has the boss that was just not machined out to accept a tach drive.The top of that boss is about 1/16" below the plane needed to completely remove the box.
The next bike up on the lift will be my '81 KZ1300 which does have a mechanical tach drive. I don't imagine that it will prevent my saw from cutting away the valve box, once I remove it from the cam cover.
I'll post a follow up as I get into that bike.
Regards
Bill