KDXRIDER.NET

I recently realized that the actuator for the KIPS valve doesn't move. After cleaning the gummed up valves and working the rod back and forth it looks like the valves work good but the arm doesn't move. I sold another bike I had that I was taking to the trails so I'm hoping to ride the kdx till the trails close in dec. then full rebuild top and bottom. Question is: I did the work to get it going o.k. but there could be metal shards somewhere in the bottom end and people claim it could destroy the clutch basket. Anybody have this actually happen to them(I guess so)? Is it possible for the parts to make their way to the bottom of the case awaiting me to remove them during rebuild instead of breaking something? I have no idea how long the actuator has not been working or if the parts fell out sometime when the P.O. changed the oil or if the parts are still in the bike waiting to wreck havoc.

If if we're mine I would at a minimum pull the inner clutch cover and tip the bike over and let everything pour out then I'd tip it back to the left side pour in a bunch of ATF and tip it over to drain again if there's anything in there good chance a few fill ups like that will dislodge it and itll come out not a guarantee though..but that's what I would try

When you say that the actuator doesn't move, you mean you're trying to move the arm, while it is still attached to the rod that goes down into the crankcase cover?

If so, it really should not move under hand applied force. The arm only rotates when you pick up the RPMs and counters that heavy spring inside the centrifugal unit (AKA Governor). If you try to rotate the governor shaft by moving the arm, you will likely break off the pin that rides in the centrifugal unit.

This is what is under the crankcase cover... when you try to move that arm by hand, there is a pin bolted to the bottom of the shaft. When you increase RPMs, the centrifugal will move the arm, but the pin isn't strong enough to fight against the spring. If you forced that arm to rotate, you likely broke the pin that rides in the centrifugal.
If the pin broke:
1. The governor shaft will not open your power valves
2. The pin will be floating in the crankcase and WILL damage things like your kickstart gear, clutch housing gear, idler gear, etc.


Broken Pin:

quick followup: I just posted about something unrelated and seen griz's post. I bought the full engine gasket/seal kit and a waterpump rebuild kit so I could fix the kips valve and keep riding and that worked. The waterpump kit had everything I needed to fix the kips valve (not the pin that I got from kawi dealership for $11ish) and I still have everything in the engine kit to rebuild here in a couple weeks. The part griz is talking about (PIN) is the 1 that was broken and suprisingly even thou I had changed the oil several times since having the bike (coolant in oil/oil in coolant so have to change regularly) after replacing that pin I changed the oil and heard a metallic plop in the oil pan. It was the broken kips pin. I don't know where it was hiding(I used a powerful magnet to look for it when fixing the kips pin but couldn't find it) but luckily it fell out. The kdx is a completely different machine when the kips valve is working. Anyway everything I had 1st posted ended up working great the kdx is a tank. When I first pulled the exhaust and seen how the cylinder looked I couldn't believe that something that looked that bad (PO didn't even have an air filter on it) would run but it runs like a scoulded dog.

Yeah, that pin has been known to do everything from sit in the gear box for long periods, just to appear in an oil change (as you have experienced) to eating transmission gears, gouging clutch baskets, and other equally fun amounts of internal damage. Glad yours was a benign one.

I'm glad you got it fixed. Having a working powervalve changes EVERYTHING!!!

I’ve got the pin floating around in my clutch case hoping it hasn’t gotten into the crankcase. Only positive is the motor has just had a new top end hasn’t been run yet.. I’m hoping I can get it out of there but the problem is I can find a post 95 power valve shaft.. I tried to tap a hole back into the shaft but I went to big and snapped the tap in the hole.. somewhere in the process I’ve snapped whatever holds the shaft in the motor.. and advise guy?? In thinking of just blooding giving up n taking it to the bike shop n letting them ass rape me..

Please make a new thread asking about your specific problem. Digging up an old thread is not the way it usually goes.

Thread locked.

Thank you.