KZ650 Sleeper Build (KZ1000 engine transplant)

One of the few places where plenty of RTV is your friend...

wrote:

One of the few places where plenty of RTV is your friend...



 

Yeah, I don't have too much use for RTV on engines but according to my local Z1 guru there is going to be more required on this build.

The barrels are bored out so much that there is not much left around those black sound deadening plugs at the base gasket. Apparently that is a potential leak path that requires some RTV on a 1200 build. Some RTV is also required on the top of the barrel in that O ring groove around the cam chain tunnel. That groove will get filled with RTV then cut flush with a razor blade. The stock O ring while fresh sits up way too high and will no longer fit because of the bigger OD liner flanges.

All areas on the 650/750 I never have to worry about!

I fabricated new rubber barrel hole plugs from the scrap material I cut clutch pucks from. The old ones were rock hard so it would have been worse working with them. The new ones are a super tight fit. I need to get the barrel prepped and those plugs reinstalled.

Here is the difference in a stock 1015 barrel and mine bored to 1200 :





O ring groove :



I am hoping I can get the top end installed early next week. We have a bunch of family stuff going on, and I need to be cautious on how much time I spend on this as I don't want to end up sleeping in the shed

I just ordered a new 530 O ring chain, the shortest one at a decent price was 110 link so I will need to cut it to fit.

The one on there now is sitting way back in the swing arm slot, and I don't want to have to cut it since it fits a 650 and only has about 300 miles on it. I was thinking this engine is going to stretch out chains so might as well start with one closer to the front of the adjustment slot.

I put my new longer chain on this project, needed to cut 3 links off the length with wheel all the way forward.

Also got some time to fabricate new idler rubber pucks, got the center rubber idler installed with the rubbers glued to the spindle.

Hoping to get the pistons and barrel on soon, but chores around the ranch are messing up my usual progress.
 

I got some time today and was able to mostly assemble the top end on the engine.





DIY teflon buttons made the piston install easier.





 



I got as far as heat quenching the outside copper stud washers. I will continue tomorrow and get the cams timed, will see how far I get.

I ran into a issue today, but got it resolved.

The Tachometer cable would not thread onto the fitting in the cylinder head, it goes on but it was slightly cocked and not threading on by hand. I discovered that the bottom of the oil cooler bracket is sitting about .090" too low.

Never had the head on and bolted down until today and positioned the cooler as far up as I could without the fittings hitting the triple tree or fork legs.

The inner bracket support clears the head by about 5/32"

 

Here is where the issue was, slightly cocked but the cable inner still able to spin.

 

Where is fouls with bracket bottom edge.

 

Was able to disassemble it and cut some clearance with a 3/8" end mill. The bottom edge (blue line) is flush with the lowest part of the bracket allowing for about .100" of clearance

 

 

 

Got it back together but the cable is "just" fitting around the bottom of the cooler housing. If the cable was a inch or two longer it would fit much better. I had to remove the cable guide from the brake splitter because it could not reach with it installed.

Here it is installed and working, like I said a little tight. 

 

I had to stop and cut the grass but will try and get out there after dinner to get the cams installed.
 

I did get the cams in after dinner and base lined with the sprockets set up in the middle of the slots (stock setting) Made sure the marks lined up, 28 pins etc. rotated around by hand and no collision or having to move the sprockets so that is good.

 

Also got the starter cover and tensioner installed, have to spend some time tomorrow and put the degree wheel on to see where I am at numbers wise. Then do piston to valve and valve to valve checks to dial in on 108-110 LC.

 

One cam cap bolt stripped, need to helicoil repair after I get the cams dialed in.

Had to loosen the wiring harness and move the crank case catch can out of the way to get the cam cover on. It goes on with no issues but the carbs need to be off to do it and the cam cover vent fitting needs to be removed.

 

 

So this dispels the notion that the engine needs to be dropped to adjust the shims! 

Kind of a bummer that the carbs need to be removed to adjust the shims, but its not the end of the world.

I need to remove some material from the cam cover gasket just like I did for the head as the cam noses will wipe out the gasket. Forgot to do this, but it won't take long once I mark it out with a silver sharpie.

 


 

Looking good, nice work.

A bit of a rush job on the blasting but I will see what I can do to soften up the black spots. The main thing is to get it built and running.

This is as far as I got today before shutting it down. Installed degree wheel and set TDC indicator.

 

The cam timing will have to wait for another day, too much going on right now.

Great photos showing progress , and great work too, thanks,
Rich.

I got back on this late yesterday. I had to relieve the cam cover edges and cam cover gasket by about .040" to match the cylinder head, a task that was overlooked. I got that grinding done before I removed the bike cover to proceed on the cam timing.

I started in on the cam timing and noticed that valves on both sides at TDC were hanging slightly open. It was then I remembered about the 3 cam sprocket bolts on the Z1 you have to contend with, what a pain in the balls compared to the 650/750 cams with just 2 bolts. Eventually I got the cams set to 110 on intake and 108 on exhaust with adequate piston to valve clearance.

   

 

I also discovered my cam cover vent can only be installed by uncoupling from the catch can, so I have to ditch the plastic barbed elbow and use a 90 degree AN fitting. I ordered a black 6061 fitting but will take a few days to get here. The catch can also needs to go up inside the neck more to give the oil cooler lines a bit more room so now I can only strap it down with one zip tie instead of two but I think the cam cover vent line will help support it. Luckily I left the vent lines long to accommodate any relocation on both the catch can and the air box.

 

 

I also need to plug one hole in the catch can that was relocated to the underside. Used some tape on the inside to seal it, then plugged smooth with JB Weld. The catch can is a drain back system so it does not need to be emptied. 

My next task is to fit the exhaust then install the carbs. After that I have to route and assemble the oil cooler lines.