i hate when that happens

A quick history on my KZ440LTD:


New to me last week. Got it for little cash and mostly effort to get it to my shop. It has an unknown engine with 10k on the odo. No forward controls or clutch lever and fuel tank looks like someone had a real scare (light knee dents on both sides). Story is this thing has sat for 10 years or so...

I've been putzin' around with it a bit here and there this past week cleaning up stuff, removed the tank for dent pulling et cetera.
I planned to do a second compression check today after getting a dismal 85psi mid-week. This (by way of suggestion here) lead to checking the valve gaps at the rockers which in-turn lead to me needing to see the dizzy's TDC indicator...
This is where the problem started. I removed the cover and found what appeared to be the remains of some sunken WW2 equipment after 50 years at the bottom of the ocean instead of a shining dizzy shaft The electronic module is about the only thing which wasn't rusted solid but it did appear to be rusted to the shaft as well.

Liberal quantities of PB oil later and some gentle cleaning with a toothbrush and I thought I might be making some headway in freeing-up the rusted remains inside. I got the electronic module out and began trying to work the weights into some movement. Then disaster struck the weights were seized to the bottom plate suddenly became free but at the cost of breaking them. The rust had eaten-up the small rounded-tabs which stick down into the shaft.
Here's what remains after further soaking in oil and cleaning:




So what would you do now?
I am a newbie to zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance but i have a fully outfitted shop at my disposal.
My questions are:
- Can i remove this shaft to replace it? The cam at the end is heavily pitted from rusting.
If the dizzy is removable; how?
Turning the nut only serves to rotate the engine and I have not yet got a shop manual for this bike although i have ordered one already.

Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated!

PB blaster

Keep watching eBay for a KZ440 timing advancer (sellers sometimes call it by other names), you are safe from me since I don;t need any more, but other 750 twin owners are watching for them in order to convert their 750 twins over to electronic ignition.

You might be able to use the weights and springs from a KZ400 points type timing advancer, but I don't know for certain.

steell wrote:

...but other 750 twin owners are watching for them in order to convert their 750 twins over to electronic ignition...

Heh heh heh... ha ha.. BWAHAHAHA!
Ahem.

Naw, not me. I already got one, too.
Yeah, hold the 17mm bolt steady and unbolt the smaller (13mm?) bolt. The smaller bolt is only a few inches long. Once it's out, just wiggle the auto-advancer off. Then throw it in the trash, and hunt for a new one.

Cool,

Thanks guys!
I was going to try that - hold the 17 and unlock the 13 from it but it almost appears to be some kind of special nut instead of a 13mm bolt with a 17mm jam/lock on it.
My first attempt to separate these two resulted in the 13 rounding off a bit so I stopped and sprayed copious quantities of PB on it again and then left it for the night.
I don't suppose it's a special reverse threaded thing is it?

I still have so much else to do on this bike so time is on my side for the parts hunting

Here's the fuel tank after dent pulling on the two sides:


and the same tank after some body working to remove the "knee squeeze" dents:


The more I look into it, the more I believe this bike probably sat out in some rain/hurricane water for very long periods of time. That would explain the rusted-out auto-advance and the kick stand's rust line that is half-way up and also the tennis ball sized rust hole under the left side muffler.
:blink:

Whats a dizzy?

wrenchmonkey wrote:

...I was going to try that - hold the 17 and unlock the 13 from it but it almost appears to be some kind of special nut instead of a 13mm bolt with a 17mm jam/lock on it.
My first attempt to separate these two resulted in the 13 rounding off a bit so I stopped and sprayed copious quantities of PB on it again and then left it for the night.
I don't suppose it's a special reverse threaded thing is it?...

The 17 is part of the advancer assembly. It does not really turn. The 13 is a normal bolt, not reverse thread.

In your case, given all the rust or whatever else you've discovered, it obviously may be harder to remove. But, once you get the bolt out, you'll probably find that the advancer is well-runsted to the end of the crank. It's usually just aligned with a little pin on the crank, matched to a slot on the advancer, and held in place by the 13 bolt.

Since you'll probably have to get aggressive with it, you might want to study some pictures of them on ebay...



Post edited by: Biquetoast, at: 2007/10/22 06:12