1976 Kz 900 A4

REC? Any more information on that. As with most things OEM is best. I used your statement of locker/sealer and found this permatex product

www.permatex.com/products/thread-compoun...l-lock/?locale=en_us

My personal favorite, been using it for years and never any issues. Doesn't harden until absence of air, Plenty of time to assemble. I use a bead around the head of case fasteners that call for sealant also. Easy to clean-up, rag and a toothbrush.

I've used loctite and threebond. Both have worked well but I prefer threebond. Be careful to apply it sparingly, as it will squeeze down and get into the engine compartment. This is what I discovered on my oil strainer when I changed the transmission last month. It consists mostly of little bits of loctite, along with (I think) a fly and a small shard of glass!

Need some help. I’m a little behind on the engine rebuild as I’ve been digging through piles of hardware for the clean cases. I have the complete ‘76 engine and want to keep it that way, to the point of not robing it for bolts. I never thought all the miscellaneous hardware I have acquired over the years would be valued at so much. To buy some of these bolts for instants for the oil pan are $10 apiece new old stock and 17 are required. So my question is the bright or “B” indication in the part number, is that a zinc coated bright? I’m not sure if it matters as long as they all match and they will go to zinc plating all at one time. I did notice that the cam cover bolts appeared to be chrome? Can anyone please help me identify the proper finish so I can get this as correct as possible thank you

Mikaw wrote: Wow. If this doesn’t motive me then I need to turn in my Kz card....

Edit to repost picture

Yes, zinc coated. The coater can add a little brightener when he coats them.

Yes, chrome. Hard to find. I found some about a year ago (not oem) on ebay from France. I only put them on the outside, and used stainless on the inside holes.

Ok, I’m am really trying to make progress on the project but it seems like a take two steps forward and two steps back. Another appropriate phrase would be I just seem to be spinning my wheels. Here’s my latest hang up. My Kz900 came with a 16” spoked rim, so I’m not sure if the brake plate is correct. Here’s where I started. I bought a polished one.



Then I agreed with others here that a factory restoration wouldn’t include polished parts. So knowing I had to purchase another brake plate I did some homework and discovered this in a restoration book. This book claims there were 3 styles of brake plates. Style 1 had no “useable range” raised casting used on the ‘73 Z1. Style 2 had the raised arched pad And “useable range” casting used on the Z1A and Z1B. Then claiming style 3 has the cast raised arched pad but used a sticker for the useable range that was used on the Z1A, Z1B, and the Kz900’s.





So I purchased this plate, sent it out to have the kicks, and scratches removed. Then sent it to Vapor Hone shop.





So today I received all my chrome and zinc replated parts and wanted to start building the rear rim. Just out of courisity I looked at the John Brooks Z1 restoration book and am now questioning my accuracy. Johns book states the plate without the “Useable Range” casting was used only on the later Z1A and Z1B. The plate with the useable range casting is for the Kz900’s.





I need some help from the experts. If you know which plate I need or if you have a Kz900 4 or 5 that you know it untouched please help.

Just located the original from my bike. Looks like I won’t need to hunt one down, just need advice on the correct one and if this is it, I start the process all over.

My old Z1B that I bought back in 1975 had the plate with a sticker.

My Z1B resto has an early Z1 style drum on it, which I kept because the rear wheel must have been replaced at some point. The date code is 3A. I'm not 100% positive but I believe the wheels on H1's and H2's were the same as the early Z1.

I only know one person in the entire world that has more knowledge than John Brookes on 900's and it isn't the author of that first book. I would tend to go with John's advice. By the way, that second one you bought looks close to original sheen but I would use a little bit of Mother's on it to buff it a bit. Not much...just a bit brighter.

1976 -

You are really putting forward an excellent effort pard My hat is off to you. In rebuilding my KZs I've found returning to oem has 1 drawback, refinished parts always resembles a polished boot and coating parts with the plastic coat as they did at the factory just isnt that exciting. So I geared up and went with the poor boy chrome with the mindset ultra smooth surfaces collect no dirt especially if the surface has been peened with vapor blast prior to buffing and was never used at the factory. Thats why I also went with total upgrades, to which brings to mind the fact. After you ride a mail order princess a few times,,,, they're all the same. Ive had my 76 900 44 yrs.
Clyde

I went back to Johns book and started reading on page one. Then skipped to the first few pages of preceding sections. I’m seriously impressed with his knowledge. Not only does he show the subtle differences but also states when in the serial number the changes were made. I cleaned up the plate I feel was original on my bike hoping to find date stamps as storied in Johns book. It appears to be a bad stamp that it missing a character.



For example the polished one is clearly stamped with 3 characters. A L 7.



Per John he has not been able to decipher this date stamp. But it does prove it’s late Z1B into the Kz that used this alphanumeric code. Early one were stamped in a different place.

So long story long lm going to trust Johns work that I seam to be in agreement and shipping the original plate out to have the blemishes removed and then to the Vapor Hone shop. Perfect example of spinning my wheels, my fault I didn’t do better research first. Hopefully I can get the front forks built today.