Each sprocket has 42 teeth. Each tooth is 360/42 degrees on the sprocket. That is approximately 8.57 degrees. Multiplying that by two gives 17.14 crankshaft degrees. To see the difference from one sprocket to the next, the following was done:
The tooth indicated by the Z/5 timing mark, on the Kz550 intake timing sprocket, was colored red.
The tooth indicated by the Z4/IN timing mark, on the Zx550 intake timing sprocket, was colored blue.
In order to see the difference in the teeth, the sprockets will be stacked, face up, with their appropriate cam mounting-holes lined up. This can be done by eye, but in order to be precise, some simple tools were used.
A small, 6.4 mm O.D. pin was used for keeping the mounting holes aligned precisely.
It keeps the Zx sprocket's square-outlined holes lined up with the Kz sprocket's hex-outlined holes.
A large, hollow, split cylinder, with approx. 40mm O.D., was used as a hub to center the two sprockets to each other.
The cylinder has to be squeezed in order to fit into the sprockets, ensuring there is no play in the alignment.
The final photo shows that when the Zx sprocket is rotated clockwise to align the teeth, the Zx cam will get advanced slightly less than half of a tooth.
Since one tooth is 17.14 crank degrees, the Zx intake sprocket advances the cam by less than 8.57 crank degrees, compared to the Kz intake sprocket.
This, unfortunately, conflicts with what Kawasaki claims is the timing difference between the Kz and Zx sprockets. The difference should be 10 crankshaft degrees. In order to find out exactly how much difference there is between the Kz and Zx sprockets, another tool was made.
This second tool precisely locates the sprocket. A wedge shaped screw, inserted from underneath, is rotated to lock into the teeth of the sprocket. Then a long pointer is used to find the angle set by the cam mounting. The pointer has a pin on the underside to lock into the appropriate camshaft mounting hole. The pointer is also bolted to the center of the sprocket hub.
This sprocket shows the KZ timing using the Z/5 mark and hex holes.
This sprocket shows the ZX timing using the Z4/IN mark and square holes.
This shows both together.
12.8mm at a radius of 217mm is approx 3.4 deg.
3.4 cam degrees is 6.8 crank degrees.
