Motorcycle Repair: oil pump testing, kawasaki ninja 600, cylinder head gasket

Question
hope this is within your expertise, 86 kawasaki ninja 600, just rebuilt from groun up & seemed fine for several days until freeway, stopped running, maybe siezed.Removed head cover & one valve assy was dried w/o oil & major wear/damage to rocker arm & cam. What happened? Weak oil pump, no water. Is there a way to test pump w/o engine running?  thanks jeff

Answer
Jeff, if the oil pump was not working the whole motor would have fried.

I suspect that you somehow plugged one of the oil passages that feed the head on one side. Oil comes through the cases, up both sides of the cylinders and into the head where it lubricates the cams and followers, etc.

Check the oil passages in the base gasket, cylinder head gasket and through the cylinder block.

If you used any kind of sealer on the gaskets, it often will migrate into an oil passage, blocking the oil flow.
Most Japanese engines should be built with little or no gasket sealer. Just clean all surfaces carefully, so there is no oil residue left, then put the dry gasket in place.

It wouldn't hurt to thoroughly check the oil pump for any kinds of wear or damage, but my guess is that the oil flow was blocked and the issue was not the pump itself.

Bill Silver