'74 KZ400 engine gaskets?

I have a 1974 KZ400 I'm rebuilding. Red/black/gold paint, 9770 miles since day one. I pulled it out of a garden shed, it's a true "barn find."

I can't seem to find a engine gasket kit for this year. I see Vesrah kits for '77 and later models but the early KZ400 gasket kit i can't find. Anyone on here know a good source for this?

If you do Ebay, this might be worth checking out. Don't know what brand gasket kit it is.

KZ400 gasket set

Check this out...

www.armbell.com/kz400/viewtopic.php?t=11202

Apparently the gasket kit is the same as 1977-78

Head gaskets for the early 400's are the same throughout the first 4 years

Hope this helps
regards,
laurent

If you take a look at the Kawasaki.com part diagrams you can compare the parts, gaskets, etc. across the various models to see what interchanges with your model. To do this easily, once you get to the diagram for your model click on the part number in question then click on the yellow highlighted "?" It will give you a list of all models sharing that part number. It will also show if the part is "Active." If it is the dealer can still order it. Ed

Similar kit as above, but a little less in price.

Ebay KZ400 Gasket Set

Kawasaki.com lists your head gasket as still available, but it is $101.53 from RonAyers.com. Here is a NOS head gasket on Ebay, which is not much better in price, but you can make an offer.

NOS KZ400 head gasket

If you go to ebay look up seller DREAM305 I am also rebuilding a 74 kz400 and just bought the entire top end gasket kit from him.. just be sure which set you need it seems the the engine with the "Smiley Face" head gasket is the hard one to find and when you do find it it is expensive. But from this guy I purchased the entire engine gasket kit for less that other places wanted for just the head gasket

NOS on gaskets and o-rings not a good idea...they might turn brittle with age ... + you don't know how they have been manipulated and/or stored with all this time passed!

my 2 cents... even if you have a new 1970 motorcycle that still is in the crate..it will leak ! o-rings and gasket do deteriorate with time!

We all know that, judging by the multiple low mileage KZ on this forum and most of them leaks!

regards,
laurent