COMPRESSION TEST ADVICE AND SPARK PLUGS TOO

Well, I've looked at those pictures and compared my spark plugs to them.

Just as I though, my #2 and #3 cylinders are excellent, #4 was rich due to the choke plunger stuck in the 'choke ON' position, and I found a kink in my fuel line to the #1 and #2 carbs -- I don't know why #2 cylinder looks as good as the kinked fuel line was a right-angle, very sharp kink, almost definitely not supplying enough fuel into the 2 carbs.

THANKS FOR THOSE PHOTOS!!!!!!

larrycavan wrote:

Find out what the cams are.

Are you absolutely certain there's an 1135 kit in the motor?

Are the coils stock?

Forget speculation on "why this" or "how come that". What matters to get it running properly and to get the correct advice is to find out exactly what you have to work with.

Get some photos if possible of the cams & carbs.
Larry C

BINGO! :laugh:

newOld_kz1000 wrote:

...And besides, my 2nd motorcycle I ever owned, bought new in 1977, was a '77 kz1000-A model. I remember that bike, I worked on that bike, the carbs on this '78 look *identical.*....

Am thinking 1977 KZ1000 oem carbs have bottom located pilot mixture screws. And 1978 KZ1000 oem carbs have side located pilot air screws.

Anyhow, bottom located mixture screws turn out for richer and in for leaner, whereas side located air screws turn in for richer and out for leaner.

Either style, whether bottom or side located pilot screws, requires proper float bowl fuel level settings for correct air/fuel ratios.

Good Luck!

newOld_kz1000 wrote:

...will check the voltage at the coils. But you know, that is just a 'static' test, measuring the voltage at the coil. What I would LIKE to do is a *dynamic* test of the spark. I'd like to have some way to measure the voltage spike and the duration *delivered to the spark plug* -- ANYONE KNOW HOW TO DO THAT? I don't think measuring the voltage at the coil will be reliable -- it's better to know what's actually being delivered down the wire to the plug to be 100% sure that the spark is actually healthy.

Per FSM, the most accurate test for determining condition of an oem ignition coil is the Kawasaki electrotester. Coil should produce at least 7 mm spark. Should test both with and without plug caps. A Kawasaki dealer should have this diagnostic tool. Requires removal of the coil.

What coils and what plug wires are are fitted to the bike at hand? If the 30+ years old original stock coils and plug wires are still fitted, deteriorated plug wires could be a problem, and maybe also the caps.

Am unfamiliar with Gerex ignition, but does it seem to be performing okay?

Many owners just remove the plugs and visibly inspect the spark while spinning over the engine using the electric starter with ignition switched ON, looking for a fat blue spark.

If current leakage is suspected from old plug wires or caps, can spray water mist over the wires with engine running in the dark, and look for sparks.

Good Luck!

One more thing ---

Acceptable cold compression test psi figures are certainly important, but engine may lose compression upon attaining normal operating temperature where valve lash is insufficient, due to expansion of parts.

This is why correct valve gap settings are necessary as part of routine maintenance. Regardless of the compression test.

Good Luck!

Patton wrote:

newOld_kz1000 wrote:

...And besides, my 2nd motorcycle I ever owned, bought new in 1977, was a '77 kz1000-A model. I remember that bike, I worked on that bike, the carbs on this '78 look *identical.*....

Am thinking 1977 KZ1000 oem carbs have bottom located pilot mixture screws. And 1978 KZ1000 oem carbs have side located pilot air screws.

Anyhow, bottom located mixture screws turn out for richer and in for leaner, whereas side located air screws turn in for richer and out for leaner.

Either style, whether bottom or side located pilot screws, requires proper float bowl fuel level settings for correct air/fuel ratios.

Good Luck!

Actually per the FSM part list, the 1977 A1, and the 1978 A2 and A2a models used the same carbs with bottom-located so-called 'Pilot Adjusting Screw':



The 'pilot adjusting screw' is part #31 and part #33 is the little plastic 'adjustment limiter' thingie.

Thanks for the noted difference on the side-mounted version, I didn't know that screwing inward makes richer -- that may be why my 1974 S3-400 Kaw triple is running lean a bit from idle to 1/4 throttle, it has the side-mounted pilot screws on its vm22 carbs and I turned them outward, counter-clockwise to richen the pilot operation of the carb because it was running lean on the first 1/4 of the throttle -- guess I went the wrong way on that one! Thanks, will now revisit my S3 pilot adjustment.

Patton wrote:

Per FSM, the most accurate test for determining condition of an oem ignition coil is the Kawasaki electrotester. Coil should produce at least 7 mm spark. Should test both with and without plug caps. A Kawasaki dealer should have this diagnostic tool. Requires removal of the coil.

What coils and what plug wires are are fitted to the bike at hand? If the 30+ years old original stock coils and plug wires are still fitted, deteriorated plug wires could be a problem, and maybe also the caps.

Am unfamiliar with Gerex ignition, but does it seem to be performing okay?

Many owners just remove the plugs and visibly inspect the spark while spinning over the engine using the electric starter with ignition switched ON, looking for a fat blue spark.

If current leakage is suspected from old plug wires or caps, can spray water mist over the wires with engine running in the dark, and look for sparks.

Good Luck!

I'll post pix of the coils and carbs later today and the cams too after I get round to it.

That Gerex, come to find out was so highly regarded back in the day -- it was THE setup. The inventor, who also was the CEO of Gerex, got hired by Ferrari to run their Formula One electronics efforts in some fashion -- that is like working on moon rockets, the guy must have been a brain. Working for Ferrari in Formula One is like getting into Harvard when you're 10 years old, like having a different Playboy bunny every night for 10 year, and.....I could go on. That Ferrari gig is a TOUGH gig to get.

That Gerex system in my bike works REAL good despite having 30 year on it. Sparks on the plugs *look* healthy when laid against the cylinder and turning over the motor with electric starter.

Will post pix after pulling valve cover and checking valve clearance later today.

newOld_kz1000 wrote:

...Actually per the FSM part list, the 1977 A1, and the 1978 A2 and A2a models used the same carbs with bottom-located so-called 'Pilot Adjusting Screw'....

You are correct. Both 1977 KZ1000-A1 and 1978 KZ1000-A2 standard models have oem 26mm carbs with bottom located pilot mixture adjustment screws.

It was the 1978 cafe racer model KZ1000-D1 that went to 28mm side located pilot air screws, which were continued on both the 1979 KZ1000-A3 standard and D2 cafe racer.

Good Luck!

Patton wrote:

newOld_kz1000 wrote:

...Actually per the FSM part list, the 1977 A1, and the 1978 A2 and A2a models used the same carbs with bottom-located so-called 'Pilot Adjusting Screw'....

You are correct. Both 1977 KZ1000-A1 and 1978 KZ1000-A2 standard models have oem 26mm carbs with bottom located pilot mixture adjustment screws.

It was the 1978 cafe racer model KZ1000-D1 that went to 28mm side located pilot air screws, which were continued on both the 1979 KZ1000-A3 standard and D2 cafe racer.

Good Luck!

Question -- I have another Kaw that does in fact have these Mikuni side-mounted 'Pilot Air Screws.'

I need to enrichen the pilot circuit because it's lean -- do I turn the side-mounted Pilot Air Screw' in, or screw it out to enrichen?

My understanding is, the side-mounted Pilot adjustment is an *Air screw* only, so it only affects how much air mixes with the gas controlled by the pilot jet.

newOld_kz1000 wrote:

...need to enrichen the pilot circuit because it's lean -- do I turn the side-mounted Pilot Air Screw' in, or screw it out to enrichen?

My understanding is, the side-mounted Pilot adjustment is an *Air screw* only, so it only affects how much air mixes with the gas controlled by the pilot jet.

Screw side-located pilot screw IN to enrichen, as volume of air allowed to the pilot jet is being reduced.

See image below.

Good Luck!

[Click on image to enhance view]

Excellent picture, explains the lean-ness I've had, now I know how to enrichen the Pilot -- I've been backing out that Pilot screw but that was leaning it out -- thanks.

When tuning, with engine running and hot:
Turn all the individual pilot screws together (same direction/increments) 1/2 turns until highest idle is found.
Then, turn screws individually in small increments listening for highest idle.

I've found that persons not used to tuning find this method very easy and gets pretty good, reliable results.

Cheers, good luck.