my first bike and first build

i bought my '82 KZ550 LTD with about 21xxx miles for 400$. It was in very poor running condition. Had to be bump started, after or back fire a lot, parts missing, parts amaturely modified, etc.

heres a short list to explain what i am dealing with;
baffles missing
aftermarket pod filters installed with no carburetor tuning
running very lean
bar welded on as makeshift hard-tail
gaskets replaced with gasket repair material, leaking badly
electrical corroded to point of crumbling
gas tank rusted(inside)
hydraulic brake system rusted
carburetor floats not set properly, leaking gas
vacuum lines leak
gas tank key missing/not needed
whole bike covered in oil

after riding it for a week or so(against my better judgment) i have decided to take it off the street and repair/restore it. I started by tearing it down to the frame and pulling the engine to work on.
I have never done an engine rebuild and feel like im in over my head. i have some mechanical background/knowledge and feel like i can succeed, just need some help and have alot of questions.

so far ive gotten the cams, and head off. kind of at a stand still now. not sure what to do next. cleaning, inspecting, and new gaskets was my goal but is there anything else i should be doing?
also last time i tryed to roll start the bike, it wouldnt stay in first or second gear, and i couldn't get it to go into third. if anyone could shed some light on that i would be very thankful. i also plan on taking the transmition apart and checking everything out there. when i would try to use the starter on the bike it would crank and turn over, but made a loud almost grinding noise which i didnt think was normal.

here are some pictures i have been taking as i progress. the cylinder and valve pictures are in order from #1-#4.
any help, input or advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

I guess I will just use the repair manual and Google instead. Pretty surprised to find 60 people read my post and not one would even say good luck or welcome to the forum... Great community indeed

Welcome and good luck man...might have been better to post in the new members section first to get a better initial response. What sort of project are you after for your bike? Just getting it running well...or some modifications...??
I think you are going to need a bit of luck because you have outlined an awful lot of work ahead for yourself. But it's all doable piece by piece, hopefully you have a factory service manual, not sure how much real help Google will give you. Electrical is my own biggest fear so I cannot suggest how you deal with that. Rust in fuel tank, carburetors as well as may other subjects have been covered a lot, look for them in the different sections using the Forum Search box at top right. Covered in oil can be a good thing as it helps prevent corrosion. Sounds like the best thing is to strip the entire bike down to pieces even the motor so you get to know your bike inside out, don't be too worried about it as these motors are pretty basic, you just need to follow the service manual carefully, take lots of pictures and notes....Z1 Enterprises has lots of spares you will need as well as advice. I am surprised you haven't got any replies as there are a lot of folks with much knowledge on this site....stick with it and you'll be OK Have faith brother

First, let me also say Welcome. I have to admit that I do not normally look at members' post count so I did not see you just started.
Second, I can address your engine questions:
Pull the cylinder block. I use a rubber mallet to get it loose. Next, you will want to remove the pistons. Mark them with the number of the cylinder they came out of. Number 1 is the far left piston, 4 is the far right. You will want to check the ring clearance in each cylinder. This also allows you to replace the base gasket.
Remove the left and right covers. Now you can split the cases. There are bolts on the top and the bottom. This allows you to get to the transmission and check the main bearings for wear.
This will get you started.
Parts you will need will include:
Complete engine gasket set. I got mine from Z1 Enterprises.
A set of rings if the current ones are worn, once you determine what size you need.
A valve lap setup.
Something with a wire wheel on it so you can clean the carbon off the pistons, valves and combustion area. The best setup is both a table grinder for the valves and pistons and a hand drill for the combustion area.
Something to install the valve springs and keepers. There are various ways to do this, both commercial and homemade.
A case sealant, such as Yamabond, Hondabond or 3M bond.
Replacement circlips for the pistons. Never reuse the circlips, that is a recipe for disaster.
You will also want to pull the valves so you can lap them, after you clean all the carbon off them.
I think the site has a link to some manuals; what ever you do do not use Clymers; they are generally not very good.
You should also rebuild the carbs while you are at it. Pretty sure you have Keheins, so I can't help you there, as I have only done Mikunis.
Also, since you are in there, you may wish to replace clutch springs. I used a heavy duty set in my GPz and the clutch pull is fine. You will want to lube you cables while everything is apart also. I would also replace the tach cable bushings/o-rings and rebuild the cam chain tensioner.
Check the color of your stator. It should be a nice caramel color. If it is starting to darken you have a stator replacement in your future.
Take lots of pictures as you take it apart. Put each set of bolts in a baggie and label each one, such as left cover, right cover, etc. This will help in the assembly process.

Hope this helps, and best of luck.

Also, your engine has a provision that will not allow you to upshift to 3rd unless the shaft is rotating, which is why you could not put it into 3rd gear.

thanks for the replys guys. i will defiantly be using the z1enterprises site, they are cheaper than ebay and other sites and seem to have anything i will need.

i have actually got the pistons removed and started removing the carbon. i believe the rings are good, every cylinder looks clean, no marks or dark spots or anything. im not sure what is the best way to clean the pistons since they appear to be aluminum and i dont want to use anything more abrasive than a scotch pad. is there a good type of solvent to break down the carbon?

i have skipped the valves for now as i can not locally find a valve spring compressor which will work on this engine.

i have already purchased new motocross bars which i think will look good and hopefully be more comfortable than stock. i sent the frame and tank with a friend who works in a shop so he can sand blast everything, im thinking about going with a flat dark purple paint

i dont plan on riding it again this season, so im not in a big hurry as long as i can get everything squared away before next spring

alro the thing with the transmition when i was trying to get into third the bike was rolling 10-15 MPH, i had done it before, but like i said it wouldnt even stay in second or first when i dropped the clutch. hope its a simple problem or just one part to replace and easy to identify when i crack open the transmittion.

thanks for the suggestions

Don't skip the valves; you can make one out of a c-clamp and spark plug socket. Homemade spring compressor

As long as you don't try to grind it to pieces a steel or brass wire wheel in a bench grinder will take that carbon off easily and efficiently.

How is this project coming along? I'm also thinking about rebuilding my bike for the first time. What issues have you run in to? Where have you been getting your replacement parts?

My approach is to take everything apart, clean and inspect all the pieces, put it back together with new gaskets and grease.

I made my valve spring compressor out of a big C clamp, a short piece of steel pipe, and a rubber bushing.
Once they're out, I (gently) chuck my valves up in in my drill press, then I spin them while I rub them with steel wool.

I put together a little soda blasting outfit, it's hell on carbon but easy on aluminum.

Looks good! What is this soda blasting outfit you speak of?

tim80 wrote: Looks good! What is this soda blasting outfit you speak of?

www.kzrider.com/forum/21-tools/318083-budget-soda-blaster

kawpen.edebris.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2049

www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

www.garagenight.tv/diy-soda-blasting-build-your-own-rig-cheap/

www.kzrider.com/forum/advsearch?q=soda+blast+engine

Good Fortune!

I'm rebuilding a 79 kz750 twin for the first time. And when I say the first time, its the first time I've done anything with a motorcycle or engines, period

You can glance through my blog...

ikzam.blogspot.com/2011/08/bike.html