HELP! Bike Runs on 3 Cylinders and Burns Oil???

Well in a previous thread i stated that i will be trading my good old reliable kz for a triple. The kz that I traded was my 1982 Kawasaki KZ 750 four. I rode this bike to sturgis and back last summer, ran it down the strip twice, was the first bike that got me interested in old kawi's, and has always been there when i needed her. I robbed carbs, charing system and a few other parts off of it to get the 810 rideable, and it has been sitting ever since. I hate to see it go, but a little variety in the garage will be nice.

Here she is ready to go to her new home



I have wanted a triple for a long time, and i finally found one and knew i had to have it. The bike is a 1972 Kawasaki S2 350. Pretty rough and has been sitting outside for a long time. Was last licensed in 82, and reads 6600 miles on the odometer. Mostly complete and will make a nice project after the 1000 is done.

Here are the pics once i got it home











As for my plans for this bike, it will prolly sit for a while until my kz1000 project is done. I have never restored a bike to a somewhat original form before so maybe i will give it a shot. Original paint/decals for sure, expansion chambers, maybe a little more modern susp., etc.

the 350 triple is the coolest to ride for me cuase it is not messin with any bikes it is just doing its triple thing......my buddy had one and it was the same color with some trick pipes,,,,,it was a little bike but you could overcook the corners cuase no downshift braking......you have the same bike......awesome......that is the one to have believe me...way cool

doesn't look like its burning any oil now,baaahhaa. i always had a lot of fun on those small mosquito killers a bunch of us motorcycle mechanics had them and we used to get together once a month in the summer and rip around the city for night laying down the smoke and laughing at each other it was fun.

haha, ya it wont be burning oil for a while. The motor is locked up. Should be a neat little bike when its running. Of all the little tripples(250, 350, 400), the 350 is definately my favorite

worked on it a bit today. Motor is stuck, got the left side cylinder off(the one that looked the worst), yet still just as stuck as it was before. No matter how hard i try, i cannot get the cylinders on the other two to budge at all. Beat on the top of the piston on the right cylinder, and got it to slide down about an inch in the cylinder. Any suggestoins on getting it unstuck? Will I have to break the pistons? Pistons are very hard to find for the 350(although there is word on the street that suzi rm 125 pistons work with a little modifying )

all i know on this....i thought that z-1 that had been outside for years with no carbs, but plugs in,would break free,( see siezed motor sitting 9 years thread)wired george i believe told me to prepare to be using big pry bars and to break some stuff....others said try this,try that,and maybe some get lucky,
in the end,i broke fins when i got tired and missed on swings,i broke piston skirts trying to tap hard wood wedges into the widening gaps between block and jugs-and cases....

i ended up cuttin some really hard woods into long fairly thick tappered shims and evenly tapping them around the motor into the gaps(ruined a timming chain gear down there,could not see it and wedged it up good)...it worked though and i kept tapping more shims next to and with the others and spraying lubes into the jugs...and tapping on the piston top really really herd....it worked.....good luck

If it was mine I'd squirt Kroil where the pistons and cylinders touch, at the base of the cylinders, and anyplace else things may be stuck. Then I'd let it soak for a few days -renewing the Kroil daily. Otherwise something may get damaged as I moved to progressively larger hammers. Ed

Jordan, pacience is easy to rec. but hard to come by. pt enough penetrating on top of pistons to puddle and let stand for a couple days. note where cyl locating pins are at cases to cyls and apply moderate heat. find safe areas to beat or pry. chances are stuck cyls are 3 fold. stuck pistons/rings, base gaskets & locating pins. resist the temptation to simply use a 2x4 as a drift & beat w/sledge. It only leads to broken cooling fins. Knowing when to stop is usually the hardest part, and generally learned late. G

It is hard to let penetrating oil sit in the cylinders because the only two pistons left have the ports viewable, so if you put fluid in the cylinders it just runs down into the crankcase. I have also found that there are almost no pry points on the cylinders. I won't be able to work on it for another week til i am back from school. I will update then.

Jordan, understand, still even hitting with spray and walking away helps. prod the kick starter every time you think of it. stranger things have happened. G

I have poured atf in cylinders 3-4 times now, will try again this weekend

okay ...like i said folks can and will insist that you can soak it,sprat it,massage em free,my recent experience with this is that simply is not gonna happen...i did not tap with a hammer.................i beat the living s outta it....it did not budge...i poured,filled waited a day ,a week,two weeks,kickstarter kicks,everything,,,,15 worth of good liquids i coulda saved.....

african hard wood wedges after i got a paint scraper tapped in and about three nights of pounding soaking....adding wedges soaking till on the last night it was free....i could see the rust rings long before it came free,....

maybe you could talk nice to it and try blowing some herb smoke in the ports or meditate on it,lay hands and wish it free.....

save your atf,save your pb blaster and save twenty bucks and break it free.........

oh and please let us know what finaly works.....