My experience of changing the exhaust camshaft sensor seal....

[Joe]

Short version, not too bad.

Longer version....

I first noticed all was not right one day when I noticed some oil on the left had side 'fins' on the fairing. A closer look showed that there was a fair amount of thick sludge on the front left side of the engine. Oh, shit I thought, this could be bad. However, a quick read on the 'net suggested that it was the exhaust camshaft sensor leaking and it is a relatively easy (and cheap) fix. The general consensus is that the o-ring Kawasaki have used is marginally too small and the issue can be cured by fitting a slightly bigger seal.

The recommended size to replace the OEM seal is 2.4mm x 16.3mm Viton 75 Metric O-ring which can be found on eBay for not a lot of money. I've been putting this job off for a while now, I wasn't getting any smoke on start up from the exhaust headers and the oil level wasn't dropping by any noticeable amount. But I was off work on the hottest day of the year with a hangover so what could go wrong?

I'll preface this by saying that I've not taken the fairings off before so was learning as I went. I also have crash bars which added a bit of time to the dismantling process. Before not long, the bike was looking like this



I didn't take any photos of the sensor pre-clean unfortunately - suffice to say it was caked in thick oily crud - I couldn't even see the bolt holding the sensor in place. After blasting the area with various cleaning products it looked like this (the sensor is the black plastic bit with the two wires coming out of the top)



You can see a comparison of the o-rings here



Sensor replaced and the bike put back together. All in all it took me six, yes 6 hours. In my defence I wasn't rushing and I changed my clutch fluid while the fairings were off - it was the colour of Lucozade. I also forgot to connect one of the front indicators so had to sort that little cock up out.I think if I were to do this again 3 hours would easily be achievable.

This is the thread I used as a guide http://forum.cog-online.org/concours-14-zg1400-general-chat-and-tech/cam-sensor-o-ring/50/

More specifically this post by slidebite


1. Remove windshield. I simply find it far easier and faster to do this to get at the plugs for the top fairing panels than monkeying around with a little tool. I know others may disagree so YMMV
2. Remove front black plastic gas tank cover
3. Remove top fairing side covers
4. Remove black plastic panel directly underneath headlight, the one held in by 4 push rivets for bulb access
5. Remove both main side fairing panels. Take your time and don't beak anything. Just maneuver it, the bottom clips especially require some finesse especially if you haven't done it before
6. Remove front fairing signal light panels
7. Remove the 2 bolts that hold the horn bracket (for maneuvering rad, makes it easier and safer for the rad). I just let the bracket hang from the wires because it weighs almost nothing. I did not do this the first time, but I think it is a good idea and takes less than a minute
8. Unbolt 2 top and 1 bottom rad mounting bolts. First take out the little rubber plugs which make it easy to access to the top bolts from each side. Note, depending on your tools it may be a little tight if you are using a 3/8" socket setup unless they are thin. I had to use a 10mm 1/4" drive w/extensions to fit through the access holes. With the 3 support bolts removed, you can now move the rad forward and down significantly and have reasonable access to the sensor with without removing the rad. Don't worry, the hoses and lower fairing are easily enough to support the rad. You may/may not need to unplug the rad fan(s) for slack
9. Roll the bike out of garage and clean accumulated oil on front of motor. Do this so when you remove the sensor you're not worrying about getting a bunch of dirt and grime in the motor when you are working on the sensor. Plus, it's just much nicer to work on a clean motor. I sprayed the front of mine with a citrus degreaser and then hosed it off. Worked well
10. Put bike back in garage. I used a blow gun on the front of my motor to dry it off really quickly
11. Now you have ready access to a clean front exhaust cam sensor. From the right side (when sitting on the bike), remove the 10mm mounting bolt
12. Wiggle and pull sensor out, remove o-ring
13. Install new and improved non-leaking o-ring of your choice.  Put a dab of oil or grease on the new o-ring to facilitate. I found I had better access and maneuverability from the LH side of the bike for this. I used a push and twisting motion and eventually got it, but it took some work. Reinstall and torque bolt back down
14. Reinstall everything else, Reverse procedure

Well, now I have sun stroke, I think it's time for a cold beer!

[Burchy]

Excellent write up.  Thanks