My buddy recently purchased a 440 kit for his 400 ex, and i decided to help him with the rebuild. My question is how exactly are you supposed to get the cam timed on it, where are the timing marks? This is only the second rebuild i have done on a 4-stroke. Any help would be appreciated, pics are also a plus if someone has those that actually show where the timing marks are located. Thanks Ryan

 

You have a manual?? take off the 2 bolts on the left side case.. the ones that you can turn the crank and see the flywheel.... should be about 2in apart from eachother.. well the big cap right behind it you will find a bolt should be about a 17mm socket.. then get a light..take off the little cap.. while loooking in the little cap.. you spin your socket in the bigger cap and turn the flywheel until you see a "T" and you line that "T" up on the case you should have a notch that you can see in the little hole.... well thile you hold the "T" on its mark.. your buddy roles the cam sprocket until its even with the head Both notches are even! you will see the notches im talking about on the camsprocket.. when you move you timing chain to where it will stay on those marks and the "T" on the flywheel is on its mark... then you release the timing chain tentioner and you should be good 2 go.... Hope this helps

 

OK, I know exactly what you are talking about the marks on the cam sprocket. The two bolts which you are speaking of on the left side of the case where the flywheel is, these two bolts are located near the shifter or where? No, he doesn't have a manual I told him to see if he could find one but he likes to be stubborn. Also when you do this do you do it with the top cover off of the valves? I mean i know i will have to have the chain on the sprocket and the cam alreday in place but do I leave the top cover off of those or is there a plug i can see through that top cover... I understand what your saying but last time i did one on a Z400 i had a manual.... 2 strokes are so much simpler. Thanks Ryan

 

Ok if you are looking at the left case cover.. you will see a big cap right in the middle.. unscrew it with a flathead screwdriver. ok now look 2 your left there will be a smaller cap. unscrew it with a flathead screwdriver... you leave the valve cover cap off of the engine until everything is set... Dont put the timing chain tentioner until everything is set also.. ok now look at the cap in the middle get a socket and wrench... turn the bolt in there while looking in the little hole... you will need a light... ok you roll it around until you come across a "T" then you hold what you have with the "T" lined up in the mark.. the mark is in the hole where the cap screws in.. its a line on the right side... ok thats going to put the bike on top dead center.. while holding what u have.. your buddy lines up the cam acording to the marks... they will be paralell 2 your head... ok then he should put the timing chain on that and check again and then release the timing tentioner and it will tighten everything up in place.... ok now after that you just put everything back together.. the valve cover and caps back in the holes! Hope this helps! Oh he did get the thicker upgraded timing chain didnt he?? of not there on ebay pretty cheep.... its highly recommended! or atleast a new timing chain..

 

No, he hasn't. I tried to talk him out of doing it period and sell and get a 450R but he wanted to do this. So ohh well. But, i will tell him about getting a new timing chain. Thanks for all the help. I think i can get it figured out now. Thanks Ryan

 

Ok if he dont get a new timing chain the old one WILL streatch and he will be buying some valves and a piston.... so save him some money! also did he upgrade 2 a hot cam?? he wont see much power increase inless he changes the cam... its not that much and he will me alott happier

 

How hard is it to put a new timing chain on? I also have been tellin him to upgrade the cam to a stage 2 hotcam. I will let you know the results later. Thanks for all the help. Ryan

 

Ok, got most everything back together today just have a few more questions before it is complete. When you line the marks up on the cam sprocket am I lining them up with the T on the flywheel, or line the marks up on the sprocket straight up and down. Is there any way possible to tell if you get them lined up exactly or is this just pretty close, its kinda hard to tell when the marks are exactly lined up with the T. I was also wondering does the cam chain tensioner need to be in place before i put the top on where the valves are, or will there be room for it to slide in after i get the valve case bolted down. Thanks Ryan

 

Ok lets see if i can help ya out... you need to take the slack out of the front side of the chain.. the marks on the cam sprocket have to be perfectly lined up on the cylinder head.. thats horizontal... there are 3 marks on the cam sprocket one verticle and 2 horizoltal... the 2 marks on the chain have to be lines up while the vertical 1 mark straight up the lobes on the cam have to be straight down.... and yes the "T" mark has to be pretty much dead on.. when u get everything lined up you pop in the timing tentioner in the engine and that will tighten everything up.. and you will be good 2 go.. the tentioner is on a worm gear.. if you dont back it off it wont go back in.. you have to back it off using a very tiny screw driver or a timing chain tentioner key... Hope this helped ya out.... also without a new timing chain there is a 100% guarentee that you will be taking the engine back apart and replacing alot of things... valves piston ect... all you have to do is take the right side case off and slide it off of the cam gear.. then slide your new one back where the old one was... and he has to have new gasket for that... but its not that hard at all!!! trust me... also hes not going to see hardly any proformance gains with just a 440 kit.. the cam wakes it up alott!! he will be really really happy then.. I perfer a web cam.. there abt 190 bucks.. but i still like hot cams also.. Hope this helps any more questions please ask

 

Got everything back together and tried to start it but it won't stat still. The marks you are talking about on the chain are these white marks? If so i will line these up tommorow with the marks on the cam sprocket and see what happens. Thanks Ryan