Over oil what filter?? The oil filter or air filter... beacuse the air filter came pre-oiled with gloves, all I had to do was take the thing out and put it in. This wouldnt make a difference either way though. Its running the same as it was before I did all this work to it yesterday, didnt get worse, didnt get better... just stayed the same.

 

You bought a replacement oil filter? Oy vay... the stocker is foam and is supposed to be washed and reoiled...

Take it to a dealer.

 

Interesting. I just bought my Z400 in September. The Dealer told me after 20 hours, to bring it back to have the "First Service" which they told me was "Oil & Filter Change, Spark Plug Change, & Valve Adjustment" for like $120

If the Valve's don't need adjustment and that is all they do for the 'first service' then i can do all that myself!?

Is there anything else that needs to be done for the first 20 hours?

Thanks,

-ThaChad

 

Yeah, that price sounds about right Chad, mine was about the same for the same service. I was really happy I bought mine in because it felt like a whole new quad after that service, it was awesome!

bvstone, thanks for your help buddy. I'll get it sorted it out myself.. it isnt the oil filter, it isnt the air filter, it isnt the spark plug, it isnt the oil, it isnt anything else besides maybe just needing a good carb cleaning, but probably valve adjustments. The oil filter is just like any other oil filter you would replace every few oil changes and is universal between the Z400 and KFX400. The stock filter wasnt in there anyways, they replaced it on the 1st service.

Anyways all I wanted to know was if they're were any online tuts on vavle adjustments for these quads, but I guess not, so I'll have someone else do them, thanks again everyone.

 

Chad..

You're lucky if they even checked the valve clearances. Those scheduled services are really a waste of money. They change the oil, if the air filter is dirty they will clean it... and if they get bored they adjust cables.

But I can guarentee they don't adjust valves. Shim under bucket valves rarely if EVER need adjustment.. they know that.. which is why they make you feel good by saying the adjust them.

Bikes like raptors have easily adjustable valves.. you do it with a screwdriver and a couple wrenches. The Z, it's design is superior with the shim under bucket. (basically it's a little shim that looks like a hearing aid battery under a little "cup".. the size of the shim raises or lowers the valve clearance... nothing to go out of adjustment, really).

I am 99.99999% sure it's not the valves.

Next time bring the quad to me and I'll only charge you $60 and actually do the work. LOL!

 

You only change the oil filter every few oil changes?!?!


I have never heard that before!?

I haven't yet changed anything on my Z400 cuz i just got it at the beginning of Sept. 2004, but when i do change the oil, i am going to change the oil filter as well, if you don't change the oil filter every time you change the oil, you are kind of voiding the point. Because the new oil will just get dirty again, and wont protect your engine the way clean oil should.

p.s Did you check the Spark Plug? If the Spark plug is warn, and the gap has gotten too big, it will cause your engine to run like crap. Its a cheap fix, may even be worth replacing just for peace of mind.

-ThaChad

 

So what all is nessasary after the first 20 hours? New Oil, New Oil Filter, Clean Air Filter, New Spark Plug.. What else? Or is that really it?

How often should the Spark plug be replaced?

-ThaChad

 

Spark plug should be fine for years. The rest is general maintanance and outlined in the owner's manual

 

its starting to run crappy do to your timing chain starting to stretch and retard your timing it will soon start ticking and get louder and louder. easy to check this, just pull your cam chain tensioner out and reset it. then push it in slowely counting the clicks. A new chain will only go 4 clicks. If it goes 12 then that is all it has and the timing chain needs replacing.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Seems to me, i found a link to a how to on valve adjustment on them. Cant seem to find it now. Try a google search on "shim under bucket valve adjustment procedure", youll come up with a lot of other motors..but youll see whats involved, and whether you want to tackle it or not.
Its very easy to CHECK the clearance, which is what the dealership offers for the 120 bucks in the first service...but it costs extra to ADJUST the clearance. The camshaft has to come out of the motor to get the 'bucket' out, and replace the incorrect shim with a correctly sized one, and at an hourly rate, its not that cheap.
If i were you, id check the clearance, and if its off by over .002, id take it in for the service. If its good, (and they change very little over time) then you almost certainly have a carb issue. Not wanting to idle...check idle speed, and mixture screw adjustment.