kz550A 1980. Help with a few things

Other options include:
JBWeld;
Snugly fitting plastic hose fitted over the cracked tube.

Good Fortune!

I am convinced it is alcohol laiden fuel, or some other new additive, that is cracking these brass tubes. It was unheard of 15 years ago. Also about 10 years ago, I started seeing more and more bikes with brass floats that were just cracking and crumbling. Luckily the 550's don't use brass floats, but the tubes are still problematic. It may be better to replace them with stainless steel. I wonder if that would hold up?

well a friend drilled them out for me and was able to use some hobby shop aluminum tubes. they were exactly 3mm and pressed in perfect. I added a little 2 part epoxy around the base just in case.

so I was excited to get the cabs back on and see all four fire! however! the number 3 and 4 are firing but now 1 and 2 are not.

previously number 2 was the only one firing. this is weird!

so took them off and checked everything all over again. the floats are free and set properly. they allow gas to flow and all four had gas in them.

so now i am thinking it may be a jet issue. but why would 2 of four fire now?

also I was looking through the clymer manual and there is something called an air suction system that connects from the crankcase breather to a device on the valve cover. I do not have this and my breather cap has no hose on it at all.


what should i do about this firing issue? and should I have a hose on the crank case breather cap?

As long as the airsuction stuff is capped off, it should be fine. If it needs to be capped off, this is the least expensive way: Heat the 1/2" copper cap to red hot, then press it on. Support the casting from the bottom so you don't crack it. Leave the reed cage in there as that forms the seal.







Here's what to do on the breather:

A non-drilling option for the crank case breather could be a snug fitting rubber "L" hose connected to the nipple, plus the longer hose routed for exit to open air underneath the bike.

Be sure to keep the interior diameters of the L-hose and extension hose large enough to allow unrestricted air flow, ideally as large as i.d. of the syock nipple.




Good Fortune!