What is a mk2 engine?

What is the difference between one of these and a kz engine? Gearing? head? cylinders? block?

The main difference is the MK 11 has the large 16t center pin crankshaft.

Jay

? excuse my ignorace ,but whats a 16t center pin crankshaft?

center pin where cam chain sprocket goes on crank is larger making crank basically bulletproof in most non turbo,nitrous or blower motors just by welding pins on crank;)

Ok

The cam chain is 124 links on the MKII vs 122 on the regular KZ1000 engine. The reason is that there are 16 teeth on the cam chain sprocket down on the crankshaft and the cam sprockets have a different number of teeth as well (I THINK)... The cylinder/pistons and head are the same I think... only difference is lower part of engine. A friend who drag races told me the cases were stouter but I am not sure of that...

Crank, engine case, stupid smog set up on valve cover and electronic ignition. Motor made a few more ponies over stock 1000 and was painted black.

Wg, your friend is indeed correct about the MKll cases.Absolutely the best crankcases in the KZ series with thicker inner webs so they don't flex as much as earlier Z/KZ cases. MKll cranks had full circle porkchops along with the 16t. centrepin and are also very popular with dragracers.

Heads,blocks,trans etc. all interchange with any Z/KZ from '73-80. Cams do have 32 t. sprockets to go with the 16t. centrepin on the crank & 124 link camchain.

NO smog crap on Canadian models.Pollution ports are plugged and the rocker cover does not have the fugly smog ports etc.

Post edited by: Jack, at: 2007/07/26 13:42

I can't recall the innards of the engine being thicker... I have rebuilt several and just don't remember but do remember being told that. I sometimes hate to go out on a limb and say stuff cuz at my age, I am not sure if some of the stuff I know is what I know or what I dreamed last night bwhahahaha

I am aware that the MKII is supposed to make more power. Cam profiles look about the same, head is essentially the same other than the holes down to the exhaust runner for the smog drop and compression is definitely the same as a 77/78 1015cc... the carbs are 28s but the jetting is far more puny than the 77 jetting... reline is only 8500 rpm. I wonder how they decided it makes more power than an early KZ1000?

I have ridden about every type of Z1 and KZ and the fastest of the lot seems to be the 73/74 Z1 and Z1A. The KZ900 I own is faster than my KZ1000E (shaft) probably because it is so much smaller and lighter plus had more performance orientation on the carbs in stock form compared to the 79 shafty carbs... I wonder if the MKII horsepower claims were for real... a goodly tuned Z1 will make high 60s in stock form. Anyone ever dyno a MKII in stock form?

WG,trust me...take a set of Z1/KZ cases and put the Mkll cases beside them with the cases split.Take a look at the thickness of the webs cast in the Z top half and compare with the webs in the MKll. Also,count the cooling fins on the lower case front,less of them and thicker than Z or earlier KZ's.

anybody know how to ID a Mk ll engine when looking at it out of the bike????

if its got the finned dyno cover with kawasaki instead of dohc stamped in it thats a good sign theres a big pin crank in it,you can also count teeth on cam chain sprocket should be 32 for big pin versus 30 for small pin crank as wiredgeorge said.it can have newer style smog head,but the way things get swapped on these motors it can go either way.unless you are building some kind of ungoddly turbo or nitroused missile running a really sticky back tire on the track i dont think its really that big of a deal.ive never broke a kaw crank even on a turbo ,and god knows ive stretched my share of cylinder studs