TOPIC:

swest wrote: It's easy to get them reversed or bass akward.
Steve

Not these brackets... They only go on one way, regardless of side you put the plate(s). They are uniform brackets, completely identical, and the holes are drilled in a triangular pattern in such a way that they can't go on "backward".

Street Fighter LTD wrote: Loosen chain or belt at rear axle. or it may never move

Not exactly sure where you are coming from? The chain was way too loose when I bought the bike (as in 3-4 inches of slip) and I didn't replace (and adjust) it until to day.

YamaKawa wrote:

Street Fighter LTD wrote: Loosen chain or belt at rear axle. or it may never move

Not exactly sure where you are coming from? The chain was way too loose when I bought the bike (as in 3-4 inches of slip) and I didn't replace (and adjust) it until to day.

If the chain had tension it can keep the engine from being free enough to be moved into position.
You say you just tightened the chain today, So if you are still trying to get the engine into position that will restrict the engines movement.
Dave

YamaKawa wrote:

Bowman wrote: Prolly an engine swap I'm guessing, should be easy to determine by the engine serial number then if possible fab up some new mounts.

Numbers on block/casing my KZ's VIN, so I doubt it's an engine swap....

Your bike should have a serial number stamped on the right side of the engine case and another one stamped onto the steering head (or wriitten on the label on the steering head if the label is still attached). The engine serial number will tell you what year and model the engine is and the frame one will do the same for the frame. If you copy them down and post them here then someone who knows a lot more about 400s will most likely be able to tell you if they match.

EDIT By "match" I mean they are both from the same year and model. They will never match in terms of being the exact same serial numbers

Bowman wrote: The engine serial number will tell you what year and model the engine is and the frame one will do the same for the frame. If you copy them down and post them here then someone who knows a lot more about 400s will most likely be able to tell you if they match.

I don't need to go to a third party to understand whether or not they match. It doesn't take a genius to discover that my engine belongs with my frame when the number stamped on the engine case is literally the first half of my VIN.

Street Fighter LTD wrote: You say you just tightened the chain today, So if you are still trying to get the engine into position that will restrict the engines movement.
Dave

Okay, but it wasn't today that I was trying to install the motor mounts . I think that would've been a given when I said "the chain had 3 inches of slop in it when I bought it". Obviously, I was trying the motor mounts and some other point in time other than right after replacing the chain, otherwise why bring up how loose the chain was? Point taken though. I'll make sure the chain is loose or removed when i try the mounts (the chain was sized a little too long anyways).

YamaKawa wrote:

Bowman wrote: The engine serial number will tell you what year and model the engine is and the frame one will do the same for the frame. If you copy them down and post them here then someone who knows a lot more about 400s will most likely be able to tell you if they match.

I don't need to go to a third part to understand whether or not they match. It doesn't take a genius to discover that my engine belongs with my frame when the number stamped on the engine case is literally the first half of my VIN.

Fair enough. Just loosen up the other bolts and shimmy the engine 1/2" down and 1/4" back, bolt it up and go riding.

Could be one reason the chain was too loose. You want the engine snug in there. Keep at it.
Steve

One other thing to consider is that somebody sold you the wrong brackets. Go to partzilla.com and look up your year and model get the exact part number for the brackets and search eBay for that part number.

Pics would help.
Steve

After 9 years of reading on here what other PO's have done to these poor bikes I don't think you should rule anything out just yet.

YamaKawa wrote:

Bowman wrote: The engine serial number will tell you what year and model the engine is and the frame one will do the same for the frame. If you copy them down and post them here then someone who knows a lot more about 400s will most likely be able to tell you if they match.

I don't need to go to a third party to understand whether or not they match. It doesn't take a genius to discover that my engine belongs with my frame when the number stamped on the engine case is literally the first half of my VIN.

That is not the norm for all Kawasakis, my engine and frame are both for a 78 and in the right number range so I can assume they are original but other than that there would be no way to know that without a reference of some point because the numbers are not the same between frame and engine at all. Obviously the 400's are different to the 1000's in that respect.

I would still check the mounting plates you have (i.e any removable mounts) are the correct ones if you cannot get things to line up by loosening everything up and trying again. The removable parts are the ones that can get lost or mixed up if someones had the machine apart and sitting round for a while. Again try to find close up pictures of the same machine on eBay or perhaps a member who has one can help verify you have the correct components with pictures. It seems like one of those easily sorted problems once you can identify the problem parts.