Raymond: you can remove the camshaft by simply removing the adjuster assembly as stated earlier and then tapping - gently - the ball bearings outwards to remove them from the cylinder head. Once you have the bearings out, the camshaft can be carefully disengaged from the timing chain and lifted out.
You might want to slip a piece of "100 MPH" wire around the chain to keep it from dropping down into the bowels of the engine first though.
On the valve adjusters: new ones are available and are inexpensive but I went a step further and got a set of "elephants foot" adjusters (which are actually automotive parts). The following figures (from 5Twins) illustrate the difference - but NOTE: do not buy the el-cheapo adjusters sold by some aftermarket places. The swivelling "feet" on these knock-off parts are made of plastic and they do not stand up in service.
The adjuster on the right is a stock part and the one on the left is an "elephants foot" swivelling or pivoting type. What you can not see is that a small conical depression has been ground into the rocker arm to make a pocket for the top of the "foot". Ten seconds with a conical stone on a Dremel tool or air die grinder will do it. The larger contact area of the swiveling adjuster spreads the load out better than the plain rounded adjust tip and results in less tendency for the top of the valve stem to be dented by the impacts of the adjuster screws.
There will be an article on the forum on this simple modification. I got mine from a place in the US called AirCooled.net and as I said, they are actually designed for high performance VWs and Porsches but they fit an XS650 just fine - with a small modification to the rocker arms to accommodate the swivelling foot. A set of eight adjusters (enough for two XS650 engines) cost around $30 USD.
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Elephant-s-Feet-Valve-Adjusters-8-p/adj-elephants-ft-8.htm
I installed these in my '76 XS650C engine last summer and (although it may be just my imagination) I am convinced that the engine is quieter with them than without them and the valves stay in correct adjustment longer.
Enjoy that BEvERage!
Pete
You might want to slip a piece of "100 MPH" wire around the chain to keep it from dropping down into the bowels of the engine first though.
On the valve adjusters: new ones are available and are inexpensive but I went a step further and got a set of "elephants foot" adjusters (which are actually automotive parts). The following figures (from 5Twins) illustrate the difference - but NOTE: do not buy the el-cheapo adjusters sold by some aftermarket places. The swivelling "feet" on these knock-off parts are made of plastic and they do not stand up in service.
The adjuster on the right is a stock part and the one on the left is an "elephants foot" swivelling or pivoting type. What you can not see is that a small conical depression has been ground into the rocker arm to make a pocket for the top of the "foot". Ten seconds with a conical stone on a Dremel tool or air die grinder will do it. The larger contact area of the swiveling adjuster spreads the load out better than the plain rounded adjust tip and results in less tendency for the top of the valve stem to be dented by the impacts of the adjuster screws.
There will be an article on the forum on this simple modification. I got mine from a place in the US called AirCooled.net and as I said, they are actually designed for high performance VWs and Porsches but they fit an XS650 just fine - with a small modification to the rocker arms to accommodate the swivelling foot. A set of eight adjusters (enough for two XS650 engines) cost around $30 USD.
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Elephant-s-Feet-Valve-Adjusters-8-p/adj-elephants-ft-8.htm
I installed these in my '76 XS650C engine last summer and (although it may be just my imagination) I am convinced that the engine is quieter with them than without them and the valves stay in correct adjustment longer.
Enjoy that BEvERage!
Pete
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