Won't Idle

Which way do the adjuster turn to give maximum slack(one by the exhaust pipe)?

ndfez wrote:

Which way do the adjuster turn to give maximum slack(one by the exhaust pipe)?

Turn the ends in the direction which result in the shortest overall length of the adjuster.

This makes the adjuster as short as possible, which allows maximum slack by reducing length of the cable sheath, whereby more of the inner braided cable is exposed.

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Thanks for your info Patton. I found out I have the screw type actuator yesterday as well.
Once I took the lever assembly on the clutch cover apart, I figured out why the rod will rotate freely, cuz it's just a rod. I thought maybe something was supposed attached to it and was broken off or something.

The only problem was, the last guy who owned the bike broke 3 out of 4 screws for the clutch cover - into the engine! Luckly, I was able to get them all out without damaging those soft threads (even the one by the shifter - that one was tough).

So, I put a ratchet strap on the engine to hold the clutch cover on, just to test it (my bike isn't running yet). My clutch worked fairly good, but I could still see the cover moving because I couldn't get the strap tight enough.

Sircraigery wrote:

...last guy who owned the bike broke 3 out of 4 screws for the clutch cover - into the engine! Luckly, I was able to get them all out without damaging those soft threads (even the one by the shifter - that one was tough)....

Lady Luck smiled, this time, at the broken bolt extraction.

As known, it's usually a good idea to smear a dab of anti-seize on the case bolt threads before reinserting them.

If needed, a small tube of anti-seize should be available at local auto supply store such as AutoZone.

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I finally got to my clutch problem feel like such a dumb ass,my cable was stuck between my exhaust an the frame of the bike,woops.Guess always double checking is still in efect.

Thanks for the report,and glad to hear of successful repair.

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okay got another question,how do you check your coils see if they are good without taking them to a shop?

ndfez wrote:

okay got another question,how do you check your coils see if they are good without taking them to a shop?

One way is to remove a spark plug and hold it against the engine head, then visually examine the spark while spinning over the engine. (Ignition ON, and transmission in neutral.)

Look for fat blue spark.

If no spark, or weak spark, there could be many causes, one of which might be faulty coil.

What is quality of spark?

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ndfez wrote:

okay got another question,how do you check your coils see if they are good without taking them to a shop?

Is it known whether the 1981 KZ750 has the stock electronic ignition (with igniter), or has the ignition been replaced with something like a Dyna-S which doesn't use the igniter.

The Dyna-S usually goes with green 3 ohm coils or sometimes 4 ohm coils.

But the stock ignition would have used coils with less ohms, together with an in-line resistor.

When performing an ohm check on the coil, it helps to know what ohms the coil is supposed to be.

Just for fun, might wild guess the stock 1981 KZ750 has 2.2 ohm coils.

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You can also measure them with an Ohmmeter. There are 3 Steps.

Step 1 - Secondary Coil:
Measure the two spark plug ends (stick the leads into where the spark plug should go), and that should give you around 40 Kohms (or somewhere close to that, maybe +/- 10K). If it reads "OL" or zero ohms, your coils are pooched. Just make sure you have the meter set up correctly.

Step 2- Primary Coil:
Next measure the resistance between the two smaller wires that tie into the main wire harness. They should be only 3-4 ohms (NOT kilo-ohms). They read "OL" or zero ohms, you have a problem (2 ohms is probably a bit low).

Step 3 - Leak test:
Also, test that the two coils are not leaking to each other. Any lead on each coil will be fine to use (One primary, one secondary).


Now that you know how to check them, here is the important part - try it again after heating the coils gently with a hair dryer or a proper heat gun if you have one. You don't have to get too crazy with it, just heat it enough so you know your not damaging the coils further.

The previous post is probably a better method to test a coil, given all your wiring is in place. This method is ok if you already have them off the bike. If the plastic around your coils isn't cracked, they are probably good. And if it is crack, it doesn't automatically mean they are bad - just that they could be soon.)

I have a diploma in electronics so wiring these bikes is a breeze for me, however I am learning a lot about mechanics with my KZ.

ndfez wrote:

okay got another question,how do you check your coils see if they are good without taking them to a shop?

As mentioned earlier the plug "must" be touching the motor to show spark. It must be grounded

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationIf interested, here's one of several 1981 KZ750 FSM's (factory service manuals) currently offered on ebay.

Actually, quite essential when working with virtually any motorcycle.



Another good source of information is the forum search box where previous related threads may be located.

And the parts diagrams and related info to be found at kawasaki.com and babbits.

Good Fortune!