Back From The Dead II -- 1977 KZ1000 LTD

Today is January 8th. I've been piddling around with my recently acquired '79 LTD for about 2 months, and it's pretty close to how I want it, save for things like tires, and making carb adjustments. These are things that I'm going to save for when the weather is nicer. I need to keep myself busy over the winter months, or I start losing it. I have decided that NOW is the time to start resurrecting my first KZ1000, which is a 1977 LTD. I bought this bike back in my early 20's. It was the bike that is responsible for this illness that I now have. I bought the bike as a running / riding "light project". It rode home, but it wasn't real safe. After purchasing a reprint of a factory manual, I promptly began making it as safe and reliable as I was able to with the skills (and money) I had at the time. Eventually, I had a bike I was very proud of, and was able to typically jump on an ride all weekend without issues. I put a lot of miles on it, and had many adventures with it. Eventually, the engine started consuming about equal amounts of oil as it did gasoline. I remember I was carrying extra spark plugs with me everywhere I went because they'd foul out so fast! Another '77 KZ1000 came into my life eventually, and I parked this one while promising that I'd eventually come back to it's rescue. When I moved to Idaho, I had to store the bike in a building at my mom's house, until I was able to come back for it. I dismantled the bike so that it was easier to store and move, plus I knew I'd be dismantling it for a full rebuild anyhow. The years went by as they do, and it came to be spring of 2024 before the bike was back at my storage unit in Idaho. It wasn't until my acquisition / revival of my '79 that I started getting the motivation for this project, but here we are. This thread is going to document a COMPLETE overhaul of my first KZ love! It's not going to be a showroom quality restoration, but it's also not going to be a brake clean and spray paint restoration. Somewhere in between, perhaps? The goal is to not have this one take years to make perfect. I still have one of those in store....   Let's just make this one nice and reliable, and maybe ride it this year. 

Here she is!!

 

Sounds like a good plan. Looking forward to following your progress.

Over the course of the week, I have been scrounging up as many parts as I can think of that I want to take to the powder coating outfit. The frame is ready to go, new VIN label has been ordered, steering races knocked out and removed from stem... I have been feeling pretty ready to get this thing coated and back on wheels / rolling around. Enter the stick in my spokes - the cursed swingarm. The one that was on the frame has a big old dent in the side of it, almost looks like it is from a center stand at some point? Not sure if that's possible because I've never kept one on a bike. In any event, it's too ugly to piddle around with and pay to have PC'd. I found a smoking deal on Ebay on a very nice-looking swingarm, which arrived very promptly. After work last night, I set my sights on removing the bearings. My first mistake was to try and do this after a 10+ hour work day. This is a task that requires all of one's physical and mental strength- as I'd soon find out. I've had good success with renewing bushings in old Honda swingarms, that's easy. The roller bearings in these KZ swingarms are going appear in my nightmares for the rest of my years, I am certain. First I gave the bearing end a good long and hot run in the Ultrasonic to remove all of the grime. Secondly, I filled a smaller container with Evaporust and gave it another run. It came out looking promising- but this was false assurance as it would turn out! I heated and beat that thing until my arms were noodles, it mocked all of my attempts with a blind bearing puller / slide hammer. I finally succumbed to grinding the shells out with a carbide bit. This worked TOO well and I put some hideous gouges in it, but finally they surrendered. The photos that follow are not my proudest work- but this is where I am at. It's probably not necessary to fill in the craters that I left behind, as long as the new bearings go in tightly, that's all that really matters. But, I felt like it was the right thing to do, even if it's just so that the powder coating people didn't see the results of my ham-handedness.   Next time, I will probably bash the cages out and let a machine shop figure out how to get the damned things out. I can do most things to a pretty high standard of precision and finish, but this was not a job I am built for. I am an absolute lout with a grinder in hand. Lesson learned!

 

Typical swingarm bearing condition for a 45 year old bike I'm sure -- The rollers barely rolled and this side of the shaft is JUNK.

 

Ultrasonic bath in Evaporust -- This works incredibly. Cleans rusted parts in about 15 minutes most of the time! Try it!

 

Looking promising, and the rollers actually roll now - But they still need to come out...



What I am doing today!  As mentioned, this is probably not really necessary in the grand scheme of things, but it eases my neurotic brain enough to make it worth the time and effort. 
Once I screw something up, I get hyper fixated on at least making it less awful to look at....

 
Swingarm restoration kit... 

 
One gouge filled, now to sand, sand, sand.

 
Not what I envisioned when I started the bearing removal project, but I'll have to live with it!








 

The swing arm pivot shaft tells the tale of a long, rusty nap. Luckily, I had a decent enough one from the original arm.



 

This weekend I finally grabbed the engine from my storage and got it onto my workbench. It had been a very long time since I had had a good look at it! (I had recently pulled the cylinder block and head off of it to get them ready for vapor blasting and machine work.) The cylinder head is currently at the blast / coat shop, it will receive a vapor blast before it goes out for a valve job, guides, etc. Sunday I removed all of the studs and got to scrapin'. The job is SO much easier with the studs removed. I am also going to be using APE heavy duty studs, so they needed to be removed anyways. Even with the studs out of the way, the process took me ALL night to complete. I forgot how much I hated doing this task! It is always nice when you realize that you're finally done, though!

After many hours and many razor blades...

Plans for the engine are as follows --

* Engine lower end clean up, new gaskets and seals.
* Wiseco 1045 Piston kit (New, laying around for years!)
* Overbore cylinder (Thankfully, stock bore!) and Vapor Blast
* Cylinder head rebuild at Schumann Motor Works and Vapor Blast
* New timing components consisting of new OEM parts and low-mileage used Liska upgrade parts (all stuff I have)
* Not certain on carburetors yet, but leaning towards Mikuni RS34's.
* Side covers polished on a wheel (by me)

All in all, a pretty budget build unless I opt for the RS34 carbs. Having the pistons and timing stuff already is HUGE... I can't believe the prices of these parts anymore.

 

Cylinder head after cleaning in the Ultrasonic -- (Figured it would cut time / cost on vapor blasting) It looks pretty decent, save for a little of the "white crust". I am quite certain that this motor had never been apart before, and I'm am certain this cylinder head will greatly benefit from an overhaul!