kz-900 engine assembly ????

hey guys...
i got my cylinders honed this afternoon..thanks for all the help on that one.....
i got my new cam roller in the cases..thanks keith1 on the tips from your build..
I have my cyl...ready to slide down and got frustrated trying the two tiny flatheads to get my two center pistons in first....i'm gonna cut two exact hardwood spacers instead of hammer handles to hold the pistons skirts from moving tomorrow

I'm a veg at this point ....BUT...i can remember one question i had come up with....the orange rubber band looking o-rings that go under the cylinder block over each jugs skirt..(i have new ones).do they have to get slid down in the aluminum groove around where the iron skirt comes out the bottom of the block...or do they just sit snug on the base of each skirt and get pressed in some when i tork the head....thanks in advance for any help...

p.s...this will be my thread for putting the fire damaged z-1 motor rebuild together from now one and i WILL!!!have some more questions....helpppppppppp...thanks again

T, those orings are there to keep oil from climbing up past the liners. on stock barrels the recess is usually deep enough to at least suggest they'll stay. on others it's just a suggjestion.and are usually kept from drooping by the base gasket. If you look, (at stock bits) there's @ 3-4 mm clearance between cases and liners when in place. I've pulled a few barrels where they had escaped and were hanging. cyls which have O/S liners are seldom cut, Juris-prudence, when I can't get 'em to stay put, I leave them out. any oil which might make it to the top of linerwill be stopped by either the top lip of liner or head gasket, and is preferible to having rubber bits circulating w/oil. just my opinion, G

gane wrote:

T, those orings are there to keep oil from climbing up past the liners. on stock barrels the recess is usually deep enough to at least suggest they'll stay. on others it's just a suggjestion.and are usually kept from drooping by the base gasket. If you look, (at stock bits) there's @ 3-4 mm clearance between cases and liners when in place. I've pulled a few barrels where they had escaped and were hanging. cyls which have O/S liners are seldom cut, Juris-prudence, when I can't get 'em to stay put, I leave them out. any oil which might make it to the top of linerwill be stopped by either the top lip of liner or head gasket, and is preferible to having rubber bits circulating w/oil. just my opinion, G

okay got it they can be wedged in with a small flathead but not real pro lookig i'm gonna snug em and tap-tap a lttle and ge with it...should my chicklets in the center roller be up a lttle from fush and get squished as i assemble...yes i'm pretty sure....thanks gane...you would think a shop manual would show a photo of thos o-rings in place.:side:

You need one of these-

I don't see any mention of piston ring orientations here!!!!!

Also, lube your pistons and rings with some oil....

If you have the ring compressor such as Don's... (How did you come by that, sweet) but don't sweat it, it can be accomplished with out it... Just take your time, be patient and you will be able to do it as well.

How I did mine is a follows.
It's easier to start the rings on a set of two pistons first versus all 4... With that said, rotate the crankshaft where pistons 1 & 4 are at their highest point and place the cylinder just over the top two rings of each piston (1&4).

With your fingers, compress the top rings one at a time and slowly start lowering your cylinder... Repeat for the next set of rings... TAKE YOUR TIME for your not in a pit crew where time is crucial...

There will come a point where you have to turn the crank SLOWLY and raise pistons 2 & 3 into the bottom cylinder sleeves. Repeat the process...

Same time, after accomplishing this a few times, I found where I could place all 4 cylinders equal in height, place the cylinder in position and slowly start compressing rings one at a time thus lowering the cylinder over the ring sets...

The choice of how you accomplish is whatever works best for you...

Good luck big man....

OMR

As far as the orange rings... I suggest that if you use a block later than 78 (1015cc), they stopped using the rings and there is no groove around the liner edge for the rings. Installing one of these blocks on a 903cc set of cases requires some clean out of material for space. An air die grinder works well. Use a bunch of rags to keep material from dropping into the cases.

The Clymers manual available for download at our Vintage Bike Tech forum linked off our website has a description for fabricating piston rod holders out of wood to keep the 2&3 rods from moving all over as you fit the block over the rings.

George, I don't see anything in the Downloads section. Is that where it is located.

thanks guys...the block is a 903cc and it has been fitted with wiseco 71mm pistons..there is a groove for the o-rings...i'll check on the block making info...got a little work...so may not get back to it till this weekend...thanks again...craig