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1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
- ThatGPzGuy
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- More Sparky than Speed Racer
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08 Oct 2022 14:33 #875272
by ThatGPzGuy
Jim
North GA
2016 Yamaha FJR1300ES
1982 GPz750 R1
1974 Kawasaki H1
1976 Kawasaki KZ400
1979 Yamaha XS650 cafe'
2001 KZ1000P
2001 Yamaha YZ426
1981 Honda XR200 stroked in an '89 CR125 chassis
1965 Mustang
1967 Triumph GT6
1976 Bronco
"If you didn't build it, it's not really yours"
Replied by ThatGPzGuy on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Thanks for rescuing another KZ400 from the crusher. You are doing great work.
Surprising how few KZ400s you see. I was at Barber this weekend and saw just about every make and model of motorcycle, but not a single KZ400.
Surprising how few KZ400s you see. I was at Barber this weekend and saw just about every make and model of motorcycle, but not a single KZ400.
Jim
North GA
2016 Yamaha FJR1300ES
1982 GPz750 R1
1974 Kawasaki H1
1976 Kawasaki KZ400
1979 Yamaha XS650 cafe'
2001 KZ1000P
2001 Yamaha YZ426
1981 Honda XR200 stroked in an '89 CR125 chassis
1965 Mustang
1967 Triumph GT6
1976 Bronco
"If you didn't build it, it's not really yours"
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- adam73bgt
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09 Oct 2022 10:53 #875288
by adam73bgt
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
Replied by adam73bgt on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Thanks all, nice to know I'm on the right track!
Nerdy, yes forgot to mention I got new rim strips as well! I was trying to be fairly concise with my catch up posts and missed that off haha. That is a great suggestion for the seat, unfortunately I threw the old one away quite some time ago as it was leaving rust flakes and bits of old foam wherever I put it Now that I'm likely not going to ride the bike until Spring, I'll probably have a look for a decent replacement cover and just re-cover the thing.
Skidmark, ah I know of the Galfer name from my past life working in Brakes engineering for an OEM, I didn't appreciate they do more than just pads, I'll look into that.
ThatGPzGuy, yes they really don't seem to be very common, I'm not sure how many Z400's got sold here in the UK but certainly you see plenty more Hondas still about than the Z's. I went to a pretty big show a couple months ago and did see one Z400 project for sale which was a surprise to see!
Nerdy, yes forgot to mention I got new rim strips as well! I was trying to be fairly concise with my catch up posts and missed that off haha. That is a great suggestion for the seat, unfortunately I threw the old one away quite some time ago as it was leaving rust flakes and bits of old foam wherever I put it Now that I'm likely not going to ride the bike until Spring, I'll probably have a look for a decent replacement cover and just re-cover the thing.
Skidmark, ah I know of the Galfer name from my past life working in Brakes engineering for an OEM, I didn't appreciate they do more than just pads, I'll look into that.
ThatGPzGuy, yes they really don't seem to be very common, I'm not sure how many Z400's got sold here in the UK but certainly you see plenty more Hondas still about than the Z's. I went to a pretty big show a couple months ago and did see one Z400 project for sale which was a surprise to see!
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
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- adam73bgt
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04 Nov 2022 12:44 #876388
by adam73bgt
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
Replied by adam73bgt on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Little update of my progress over the past month or so. I got finished fixing the wiring to the ignition switch that someone had cut previously, so that's now back mounted loosely on the bike. I've also disassembled the kickstart lever as it was coated in old dirt and oil grime so that'll get a nice clean up, the rubber is a little loose on it as well so might change that but will see.
The big progress is that I got hold of a second hand head without the cam journal bearing damage that my original head has. So I got both heads dropped off to my local engine shop for them to make me one good head out of two.
The good news is that I have a cleaned up, assembled head with valves fitted and new seals
The bad news is that the camshaft that came with the 2nd head is in poor condition, it's got some pretty bad cam lobe wear like my original
There are some more camshafts on ebay, but as with all used parts, it's a bit of a gamble. So either I go for 3rd time lucky, or I find a cam place and see if they can have a go at regrinding what I've got. Haven't got much to lose on the second option!
Aside from that, I've now got a big pile of engine casings that need blasting, so I'll be getting that sorted ASAP and I can get to reassembling the bottom end at least
The big progress is that I got hold of a second hand head without the cam journal bearing damage that my original head has. So I got both heads dropped off to my local engine shop for them to make me one good head out of two.
The good news is that I have a cleaned up, assembled head with valves fitted and new seals
The bad news is that the camshaft that came with the 2nd head is in poor condition, it's got some pretty bad cam lobe wear like my original
There are some more camshafts on ebay, but as with all used parts, it's a bit of a gamble. So either I go for 3rd time lucky, or I find a cam place and see if they can have a go at regrinding what I've got. Haven't got much to lose on the second option!
Aside from that, I've now got a big pile of engine casings that need blasting, so I'll be getting that sorted ASAP and I can get to reassembling the bottom end at least
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
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- adam73bgt
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30 Jun 2023 16:17 #886672
by adam73bgt
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
Replied by adam73bgt on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Been a while since I've been on to update this thread but I've mostly been slowly collecting the various bits I need to put the bike back together. A couple of big breakthroughs for the engine build were finding some bearing shells which should work and a NOS camshaft which was proving to be a big sticking point!
I did send off the engine casings for vapour blasting which cleaned them up nicely, I've been spending a lot of time washing and re-washing everything to make sure there's no left over media from the blasting
More recently I've sanded and polished up the side casings, went through a few grades of wet and dry paper followed by hand polishing, not going for a mirror finish, just a nice maintainable look. I re-painted the infill for the letters on the covers as well and thought they came out pretty well
Managed to get a replacement tank as the original is quite rusted out. It's a B1 tank rather than a B2 but they're nigh on the same and I prefer the more retro badging anyway. Will get repainted along with the side and tail covers at some point
There are a few bits to sort on the rolling frame still but I'm mostly focused on the engine build at the moment
I did send off the engine casings for vapour blasting which cleaned them up nicely, I've been spending a lot of time washing and re-washing everything to make sure there's no left over media from the blasting
More recently I've sanded and polished up the side casings, went through a few grades of wet and dry paper followed by hand polishing, not going for a mirror finish, just a nice maintainable look. I re-painted the infill for the letters on the covers as well and thought they came out pretty well
Managed to get a replacement tank as the original is quite rusted out. It's a B1 tank rather than a B2 but they're nigh on the same and I prefer the more retro badging anyway. Will get repainted along with the side and tail covers at some point
There are a few bits to sort on the rolling frame still but I'm mostly focused on the engine build at the moment
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
The following user(s) said Thank You: sf4t7
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- TexasKZ
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30 Jun 2023 20:47 #886677
by TexasKZ
1982 KZ1000 LTD parts donor
1981 KZ1000 LTD awaiting resurrection
2000 ZRX1100 not ridden enough
Replied by TexasKZ on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Looking good.
1982 KZ1000 LTD parts donor
1981 KZ1000 LTD awaiting resurrection
2000 ZRX1100 not ridden enough
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- Wookie58
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01 Jul 2023 00:55 #886679
by Wookie58
Replied by Wookie58 on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
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- sf4t7
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04 Jul 2023 13:56 #886827
by sf4t7
Scotty
1974 Z1A
1015
welded Z1 crank
Andrews 1X Cams
Delkevic 4 into 1
Superbike bars
530 conversion
Replied by sf4t7 on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Scotty
1974 Z1A
1015
welded Z1 crank
Andrews 1X Cams
Delkevic 4 into 1
Superbike bars
530 conversion
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- gordone
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06 Jul 2023 14:38 #886931
by gordone
1981 KZ650-D4, with 1981 z750L engine (Wiensco 810 big bore).
Project:
www.kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/607213...sr-1981-z750l-engine
Replied by gordone on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Great following project!
1981 KZ650-D4, with 1981 z750L engine (Wiensco 810 big bore).
Project:
www.kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/607213...sr-1981-z750l-engine
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- adam73bgt
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07 Aug 2023 15:45 #888033
by adam73bgt
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
Replied by adam73bgt on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Thanks all! Been a bit slow going as other projects have taken some of my time (and money) as well but trying to keep the KZ going. More recently I've been focusing on getting the engine back together, so I've been continuing to clean up bits that I'd taken off a while ago.
The good news is that the starter clutch assembly seems to be in good condition so was just a clean and reassemble job, similar story with the balancer weight assembly so that's good to go as well.
Unfortunately one of the pistons is looking well past it's best
There are grooves that I can definitely feel, the other piston looks fine and would go again. Being a '79 it seems the specific type of piston used was only used for a short period of time before the 440 replaced it. Which is annoying as the one replacement piston I can see in Europe is in Italy and costs a fair bit, but there are plenty of earlier type pistons available in the UK for less, typical
Next job is to get the crankcases and crank out to my local machine shop as I want to get the oilway plugs out to be sure there's no sludge hiding in there and I trust them more than myself to not mess it up!
The good news is that the starter clutch assembly seems to be in good condition so was just a clean and reassemble job, similar story with the balancer weight assembly so that's good to go as well.
Unfortunately one of the pistons is looking well past it's best
There are grooves that I can definitely feel, the other piston looks fine and would go again. Being a '79 it seems the specific type of piston used was only used for a short period of time before the 440 replaced it. Which is annoying as the one replacement piston I can see in Europe is in Italy and costs a fair bit, but there are plenty of earlier type pistons available in the UK for less, typical
Next job is to get the crankcases and crank out to my local machine shop as I want to get the oilway plugs out to be sure there's no sludge hiding in there and I trust them more than myself to not mess it up!
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
The following user(s) said Thank You: howardhb
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- CaitKier
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27 Aug 2023 13:24 #888748
by CaitKier
Replied by CaitKier on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Well done, I am following a similar process to your self.
Cheers
Cheers
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- adam73bgt
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05 Nov 2023 15:36 #891330
by adam73bgt
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
Replied by adam73bgt on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
Thank you, got quite behind on updates on this, been making slow progress with the engine build but have been forging ahead with it more in the last few weeks. Just seems to be a lot of waiting around for parts to arrive!
Since my last update, I did end up buying a NOS replacement for my damaged piston, wasn't cheap but needs must
I made a decision to paint the engine parts that wouldn't be polished, so made a start on hitting the bits with some vht silver. These had all been vapour blasted previously so after a good clean, the surface was ready to go
Otherwise I was cleaning up the various bits to go back in the crankcases like the kickstarter shaft assembly etc. While I had the upper crankcase out, I trial fit the starter motor I bought previously and found that the original one I bought wasn't right
No mountings for the cover that goes on top. Somewhat luckily, when I bought this starter it arrived with one of the lugs broken off, the seller apologised and sent me a replacement which was slightly different in design. This turned out to be the starter I need
Since my last update, I did end up buying a NOS replacement for my damaged piston, wasn't cheap but needs must
I made a decision to paint the engine parts that wouldn't be polished, so made a start on hitting the bits with some vht silver. These had all been vapour blasted previously so after a good clean, the surface was ready to go
Otherwise I was cleaning up the various bits to go back in the crankcases like the kickstarter shaft assembly etc. While I had the upper crankcase out, I trial fit the starter motor I bought previously and found that the original one I bought wasn't right
No mountings for the cover that goes on top. Somewhat luckily, when I bought this starter it arrived with one of the lugs broken off, the seller apologised and sent me a replacement which was slightly different in design. This turned out to be the starter I need
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
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- adam73bgt
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05 Nov 2023 15:42 #891332
by adam73bgt
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
Replied by adam73bgt on topic 1979 KZ400 B Restoration/Recommission
I'd taken the crankcases and the crankshaft to a local engine shop to have the oilway plugs removed and I gave the oilways a thorough clean out. My main concern was the cases really where there was still a fair bit of grittty residue from the vapour blasting, but I got them nice and spotless.
With everything clean, I checked bearing clearances with some plastigauge and it all came out fine
Made a start on reassembly of the crankcases, very satisfying putting clean parts back together considering the state it was in when I stripped it down
Selected the best cam followers out of the spares I had and reassembled the rocker cover along with new seals for the tacho drive
Oil filter got fitted along with a cleaned out gauze filter, and I have fitted a new magnetic drain plug as well as new oilway plugs
With everything clean, I checked bearing clearances with some plastigauge and it all came out fine
Made a start on reassembly of the crankcases, very satisfying putting clean parts back together considering the state it was in when I stripped it down
Selected the best cam followers out of the spares I had and reassembled the rocker cover along with new seals for the tacho drive
Oil filter got fitted along with a cleaned out gauze filter, and I have fitted a new magnetic drain plug as well as new oilway plugs
1979 KZ400 B2
4 Wheeled Projects:
1973 MG BGT
2003 Chrysler Crossfire
The following user(s) said Thank You: ThatGPzGuy, Wookie58
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