Trying to Rescue a Late 1970s (1977??) Kawasaki KZ1000

sf4t7 wrote:

Noticed the rag type plugs you used in all your engine openings, here's something I found to work.  I saw some soft rubber "practice golf balls" at wal-mart, it turns out they are the perfect size to plug the intake and exhaust ports in the cylinder head with a nice tight fit. And they are cheap.  (I have no idea why I was in the aisle with the golf items, must have been looking for something else ! )

Scotty

Thanks Scotty, I've been wondering how to plug effectively the intake and exhaust ports before pressure washing.  I'll be off to Walmart in the next few days.  They have to be cheaper than cork or rubber bungs these days.

I'll take a few pictures before and after the engine scour.  

This "beauty" is up for sale down the street, and I might go look at it tonight and try to find find reasons not to burden myself with another project.



 

I think the brand was Calloway.  If your wal-mart doesn't have them I'm sure you could find them at amazon or evilbay.  And there are 9 in the package so you won't have to go fishing for the one that bounces under the workbench haha
Scotty

Rather than the soft practice golf ball trick to plug the intake ports, I turned up 4 of these plugs from apple wood, and gave them a staining for some water resistance. 

They're a snug push fit the the rubber manifold, and you can use the OEM clamps to help keep things sealed.

Next will be a plug for the starter motor nose hole, then figure something for the exhaust ports.

More soon...........



 

Yup, that works too.     

Welcome to the forum. As a newbie, you may not realize the the convention here is to start a new thread unless you are contributing to the questions raised by the original poster. Perhaps a moderator can move these.
At any rate, it looks like you have quite a frankenbike. If your engine came with the older style clutch release mechanism with a helix and several bearings, then it is either a first year 998cc J engine (1981), or an earlier Z-based 1015cc engine.
The frame number stamped on the headstock will tell you the year and model of the frame, and the engine number will provide much the same info for the engine. If the frame has floorboards, it is definitely a police bike frame.
Here is a list that may help identify what you have, though sadly I have not been able to get reliable info on many years of the cop bikes.   www.kzrider.com/filebase?task=download.s...id=1178&catid=64&m=0

Posting pictures in your thread can also help members diagnose the problem.

With the ball and ramp (EZ Pull), setting the mechanism up with the correct orientation of the lever arm is crucial. Double check the instructions and the installation.

TexasKZ post
Welcome to the forum. As a newbie, you may not realize the the convention here is to start a new thread unless you are contributing to the questions raised by the original poster. Perhaps a moderator can move these.
 

Wadee this now has it's own thread
Clutch release fault - KZRider Forum - KZRider, KZ, Z1 & Z Motorcycle Enthusiast's Forum
 

Not sure if those two prior posts are directed at me, but it seems to make sense that details of the project for one bike should stay in the same thread.

So I'll continue that practice, with a few more notes about preparing the engine for pressure washing and plugging off some areas I want to keep dry.

For the breather, the old black rubber cane tip was used, which was a tight fit.

And a classic old cork for the starter motor hole, which I'll push in tight.  Gotta watch this one because the pressure water would easily tear apart cork!!

For the exhaust ports, I made some wooden discs about 42 mm diameter that push against the header seal.  Then the boards were drilled to accept the exhaust studs.  There's an intermediate wood shim between the board and the disc.  I didn't put a rubber seal under the disc, but I think there would only be a drop or two of water that gets past.

Next step is to recruit my young strong neighbour to drag this lump out onto the driveway on its crude wooden stand.

 

Good thing we have strong young neighbor boys to help us move engines and load motorcycles onto pickup trucks!   

Scotty

sf4t7 wrote:

Good thing we have strong young neighbor boys to help us move engines and load motorcycles onto pickup trucks!   

Scotty

Indeed. I'm getting old and I'm only gonna do this once. 

'Twasn't riding weather around here today, so I put some "Egyptian type" rollers under that engine pallet, and rolled the lump out onto the driveway.  Which was surprisingly easy to do.

I spent about one can of engine degreaser and scrubbed around with a parts cleaning brush.

The Briggs power washer shifted a lot of dirt and grime from the engine and onto my pants and shirt, and face.  Goggles required!!

This was followed  by a thorough drying with my 2-cycle leaf blower.

She's not going to Pebble Beach, so the dull aluminum cases don't bother me, but I might put some effort into the valve cover etc.

This cleaning revealed the use of the red silicone that was cheap and common from GM.

Might do one more cleaning for some missed spots.

I'll probably do the valve clearances while she's out in the open

l lifted that valve cover today, which prompted a few questions.

No gasket, just that ugly GM red silicone.  Looks like the cover sitting 60 thou or so lower hasn't caused any problems like being hit by cam lobes.

Is it an acceptable practice to omit the valve cover gasket??  Thanks.

Also have a look around these images and comment on what you see.  Thanks.

I found this little still steel wire in a little well at the red arrow tip.  Any thoughts on its source?  Thanks.



 

Never seen a Kz1000 motor without a valve cover gasket before. That orange RTV is a sure sign of a amateur alley mechanic!!
I would spend the money and buy yourself a valve cover gasket.

Something doesn't look right on the tach gear on the exhaust cam to me. See if the the tach drive gear is bent.