kz650 leaking oil

was wondering if anybody has had a problem of oil leaking on the right side between the crankcase and cylinders? does this mean i'll have to rebuild the engine? thanks,crypt

Question, have you checked the head/cylinder torques?
Maybe just needs re-torquing!

Engine re-build: Not necessarily so.... but you will require to pull the head, cylinder to replace the cylinder base gasket...

Now, maybe just me but since you've seem to have lost one gasket, me personally, purchase a complete gasket set (base, lower head and valve cover gasket at the minimum.

Same time, you'll need to open her up to know 100% what the true culprit is...

OMR

Methinks that's why kawi factory sealed my base gasket with that super duper 3-bond type of stuff during assemby. It was murder to get apart, but it never leaked in 28 years of service. When I rebuilt mine, I used sealer on that gasket.

Old Man Rock wrote:

Now, maybe just me but since you've seem to have lost one gasket, me personally, purchase a complete gasket set (base, lower head and valve cover gasket at the minimum.

Be careful: I bought an Athena set for the rebuild and the base gasket failed almost immediately. After tearing it down again, I made my own gasket for that one so I would never have to do it again.

IMHO, the base gasket and head gasket are probably the two I will grab my ankles and pay full price for a factory gasket next time to avoid the problems I had when the Athena gasket failed (I had to completely tear down an engine I just finished rebuilding).

My 810 is now leaking around the base gasket, I still need to re-torque the head but, It is leaking bad enough to leak down off the shifter shaft a couple of drops after I shut it down and let it sit for not even an hour. I used the a base gasket from Z1 I wanna say. It was spring steel and I felt it was a little bit suspect from the gitty-up. What did you make yours out of Bounty?

Brandon

It's not the base gasket leaking, there are rubber orings on each side between the head and cylinder and also between the cylinder and case. Heat hardens the rubber eventually and leaking begins. The head/cylinder is hotter temp and that goofy egg shaped ring and will leak first, but on high mile engines the base orings will eventually leak. One of the bad points of a KZ650 vs a KZ1000. The 650 uses orings virtually everywhere where the KZ1000 uses far less. A "well used" KZ650 will develop several leaks throughout the engine.

I just repalced with factory orings and new gaskets after 810 kit about two months ago and can only really ride on the weekends, when its not raining, so it isn't well used. It's relatively fresh. And it is also leaking from around the back of the base, like under the cam chain tensioner.

In that case then, yes the gasket is bad. What a pain. Good luck.

Bdog wrote:

...........And it is also leaking from around the back of the base, like under the cam chain tensioner.

I have a tiny leak in this exact same spot . Not really a leak. More of a weep or a seep. RonKZ650 - you suggested cleaning off and putting a silicone bead here. I did this and it did help reduce the seep. Did'nt stop it entirely but it's just not worth while tearing down the motor to stop it. I will live with it and just wipe the crankase after every ride. It's nothig really. The old Brit bikes used to positively drool oil and magazine reviews used to give a figure for oil consumption in the specs table.

Im about to assemble my 810 (next day or 2). Ive got 2 gaskets here from Z1, one is an EMGO that says D&K on the gasket and another is unmarked. What is my best option to avoid the leak that has plagued you all??

I'm on the road sat the moment o cant access my Haynes manual but if I remember correctly there is a diagram which says put lots of gasket sealer here and indicates the area of the base gasket under the cam chain tensioner.

I could be mistaken but I think I remember the stock Kawasaki base gasket having kind of a "sealer" built in around the camchain area. Kind of a red rubberized stuff all around. I would assume aftermarket don't have this which may explain some of the problems in their use. Maybe a small application of Yamabond #4 on the gasket at least around the camchain area would be advisable.