Top end cylinder differences between 1981 and 1982

As you yourself mentioned, as well as others, the camshaft bearing caps are machined to each head as a set. Moving these from one head to another is where the "Luck" would have to come into play. As the bearings may well pinch the cam making rotation difficult or pinching to the point of seizing. You need the caps for that head in other words unless Lady luck feels like playing you a set of Aces.

gd4now wrote: It is my understanding that the Hy-vo chains were first used on the 650s in the non US market in 81 and then in the US market in 82.

I was typing off the top of my head yesterday, had a few beers too - I do believe you are correct, Bruce.


Monroe, sorry I dropped out last night but it was getting past midnight here.

Anyway, first off your original head is standard KZ750, not a GPz - the GPz's didn't have the mechanical tach drive like yours.

As for the missing cam caps, that's a bummer - since the 650/750s don't use cam bearings but have the cams running directly in the head/caps you might get away with installing different caps and have the cam bores line honed, but it's not an ideal solution and machine work would probably end up costing you more than getting another head.

Now for some good news, the block will work and the guides should be the same, according to Kawasaki.com these bikes all used the same guides:


Front guide, 12053-1058:

KZ650-H2 (CSR) (1982)
KZ650-H3 (CSR) (1983)
KZ700-A1 (1984)
KZ750-E1 (1980)
KZ750-E2 (1981)
KZ750-E3 (1982)
KZ750-F1 (LTD Shaft) (1983)
KZ750-H1 (LTD) (1980)
KZ750-H2 (LTD) (1981)
KZ750-H3 (LTD) (1982)
KZ750-H4 (LTD) (1983)
KZ750-L3 (1983)
KZ750-N1 (Spectre) (1982)
KZ750-N2 (Spectre) (1983)
KZ750-R1 (GPz) (1982)
ZN700-A1 (LTD Shaft) (1984)
ZN700-A2 (LTD Shaft) (1985)
ZR750-C1 (Zephyr 750) (1991)
ZR750-C2 (Zephyr 750) (1992)
ZR750-C3 (Zephyr 750) (1993)
ZX750-A1 (GPz 750) (1983)
ZX750-A2 (GPz 750) (1984)
ZX750-A3 (GPz 750) (1985)
ZX750-E1 (GPz 750 Turbo) (1984)
ZX750-E2 (GPz 750 Turbo) (1985)

Rear guide, 12053-1054:

KZ650-H2 (CSR) (1982)
KZ650-H3 (CSR) (1983)
KZ700-A1 (1984)
KZ750-E1 (1980)
KZ750-E2 (1981)
KZ750-E3 (1982)
KZ750-F1 (LTD Shaft) (1983)
KZ750-H1 (LTD) (1980)
KZ750-H2 (LTD) (1981)
KZ750-H3 (LTD) (1982)
KZ750-H4 (LTD) (1983)
KZ750-L3 (1983)
KZ750-N1 (Spectre) (1982)
KZ750-N2 (Spectre) (1983)
KZ750-R1 (GPz) (1982)
ZN700-A1 (LTD Shaft) (1984)
ZN700-A2 (LTD Shaft) (1985)
ZR750-C1 (Zephyr 750) (1991)
ZR750-C2 (Zephyr 750) (1992)
ZR750-C3 (Zephyr 750) (1993)
ZX750-A1 (GPz 750) (1983)
ZX750-A2 (GPz 750) (1984)
ZX750-A3 (GPz 750) (1985)
ZX750-E1 (GPz 750 Turbo) (1984)
ZX750-E2 (GPz 750 Turbo) (1985)

Upper guide (in valve cover), 12053-1038:

KZ650-H2 (CSR) (1982)
KZ650-H3 (CSR) (1983)
KZ700-A1 (1984)
KZ750-E1 (1980)
KZ750-E2 (1981)
KZ750-E3 (1982)
KZ750-F1 (LTD Shaft) (1983)
KZ750-H1 (LTD) (1980)
KZ750-H2 (LTD) (1981)
KZ750-H3 (LTD) (1982)
KZ750-H4 (LTD) (1983)
KZ750-L3 (1983)
KZ750-N1 (Spectre) (1982)
KZ750-N2 (Spectre) (1983)
KZ750-R1 (GPz) (1982)
ZN700-A1 (LTD Shaft) (1984)
ZN700-A2 (LTD Shaft) (1985)
ZR750-C1 (Zephyr 750) (1991)
ZR750-C2 (Zephyr 750) (1992)
ZR750-C3 (Zephyr 750) (1993)
ZX750-A1 (GPz 750) (1983)
ZX750-A2 (GPz 750) (1984)
ZX750-A3 (GPz 750) (1985)
ZX750-E1 (GPz 750 Turbo) (1984)
ZX750-E2 (GPz 750 Turbo) (1985)

Simple solution.

Oil the cam journals and bolt them in the new head using your original cam caps.

If you can turn the cams smoothly by hand with little resistance, go buy a Lottery ticket, it's your lucky day.

If you can't turn the cams by hand, either get the original cam caps off the person that sold you the bike, or buy anther head.

By the way, I'd like to see a pic of the bottom of the heads, side by side.
Might be able to tell you what year the GPz head is.

No you were correct Onkelb - I went back and looked again and it was in 1980 not 81 that the US market bikes came with the non Hy-vo cam chain but it appear the rest of the market did get it. Then in 81 all of the 650s had it.

Steell thanks for the response.. Ok. I'll give that a try.. I will also take those pictures of the bottom of the heads.. side by side and upload it later.. I have my eye on another part bike for $175.. It has a complete motor.. I just dont want to keep buying bikes.. I purchased this part bike expecting to use its parts.. I now relalize how important those caps are.. I will be using my cam off my original head since the part bike didnt come with it.. Why would someone seperate the caps from the head? They took the cams, rings, and caps.. I am assuming that if they only took those parts, they must have some use for them, even without the matching head.. Huh... Its worth a try.. Thanks..