My mechanic claimed after he put on the air injection block off plate on (from Bill Blue) that I had oil leakage from the valve covers because the interior (where the valve train is?) needed to be vented. Is this possible? He could be bs ing me because he bolted it back together after putting on the 351 kit and forgot to put the plate on.

For an experienced mechanic, not Kawasaki specific, about how long should it take to install a DynoJet kit and put on the 351? He charged me $550 for that and putting on lowering links. I think I got ripped.

 

Could you clarify the $550? Is that all labor, labor plus some parts, or for everything including all parts?

On the leaking valve cover, I can see no way the block-off plate would have any influence on that. At some point with '09 and maybe some later models there was an issue of leaking valve cover gaskets from the factory...especially after the first time the OEM gasket was disturbed. They were spec'd too small or the rubber was such that it may have shrunk. The "interior" of the engine, or crankcase, is vented into the airbox via a hose. That fresh air injection port where the block-off plate went isn't involved in crankcase ventilation as any primary function, and of the who-knows-how-many of these injection ports that have been blocked by many owners, there has been no pattern of excessive crankcase pressure brought on by this. You either have a bad valve cover gasket, or the mechanic didn't prepare and reinstall the old one properly.

On how much time your job should have taken, that's always a hard one to qualify due to so many factors.

 

No Way the block should have anything to do with an oil leak.

It took ME about 5 hours to install the 351. Add another hour for the carb and links. I don't know what the shop rate is or anything else. How long did he mess with it after it was back together to get it just right?

David

 

as mentioned above the oil leak is unrelated & caused by a Kawi mistake. You can either buy a new valve cover gasket or do what most of us do & remove the valve cover clean everything up and then put a very thin layer of RTV silicone between the gasket and the head before reassembling.

Remember
A lil' dab 'll do ya. Dont go overboard.

Cheers Jim

 

Sorry to jack the thread, but on the topic of the block off plate. Why is there a vent used in the first place? If it isn't involved in crankcase ventilation, what is it used for? I know it has something to do with the smog plumbing. When I bought my bike the PO had removed the smog junk already and there isn't a BB block off plate, but a little rubber nipple over the stock plate outlet to seal it.

As for $550 that sounds a little high, but who knows what your mechanics rate was. Maybe $100/hr? That sounds reasonable rate, but who knows, I have a guy that would have done it alot cheaper than that. Heck just do it yourself, I know I don't make $100/hr LOL

 

PSU, it's a fresh air injection system designed to introduce a little bit of air into the exhaust tract to make a small secondary burn to reduce more emissions that escaped the combustion cylinder. It's why you don't see it on the KLX300, since the KLX250S has to meet street bike emissions. Kawasaki has had this air injection design in one form or another since the late 70's. It really doesn't suck any power from the engine, but many get an even greater decel backfire with this still in place after rejetting and modding their bikes.

 

With a 300 to 400 quote the 550 was a shocker. Except for a little fine tuning to get my forks set at 28 degrees after I lowered the bike a couple inches, nothing special.
the mechanic said he didn't work by the hour, but by the job. Thats when I got the 300/400 quote.

 

Does this mechanic work at an actual shop? Was the estimate for the job in any written form? Is this guy just a "dude" who works on bikes as a side line? Regardless, it's totally enethical and in some cases a violation of civil law when a quoted price for a specific job with a specific price, and at the end the bill is noticeably larger. No person or business should exceed the original quote without prior contact and approval with the customer and a real reason for needing to do so. This is where written estimates are a real safety issue for the customer "and" the business.

 

Thanks for the edumacation TNC!

Oh and kyrral if you got that 300/400 quote in writing or on record somehow, there's noway in hell that dude would be getting $550 from me! Heck, even if it wasn't in writing I'd give him what he quoted unless I was told otherwise.

 

OK, I'll say it. You got ripped. Sorry about that.

Oh, and he doesn't know the purpose nor function of the air-injection system that the block-off plate obliterated. Find a new mechanic, or, learn to do it yourself. It really is fun if you take your time and get help.