Testament to bullet-proof Z1 engines!

Take a look at these photos I took of my new 1978 kz1000-D Z1r bike today.


Keep in mind I took these after about 3 hours of using a wire bristle brush, one small one for nooks-n-crannies and a bigger wire brush for the heavy spots on the frame -- we're close to the ocean here, about 20 miles, and the original owner put about 12,600 miles on her then parked it in 1985 -- it sat on his porch since then.

Surprisingly the engine still turns over despite the owner having passed away not long after he parked it -- his family kept it on the porch for sentimental reasons, hated to let it go but they were moving away.

TRY TO GUESS THE COMPRESSION I READ TODAY. Now, the carbs are stuck closed so I could not open them to run the compression test. And the bike haint run since 1985.

All the body work's off my new Z1r, I spent the day cleaning it.



The whitish look of the engine is what being close to the ocean does to a bike sitting outside since 1985 (28 years). Remember that the Z1r engine cases are black. The original owner chromed some of the engine bits -- the tops of the carbs, the head, couple other spots.



Top view -- READY TO RUN -- about 28 years ago.



Dang thing, don't tell anyone my family will think I'm crazy look at that oxidation



Still has the stock airbox, oh yeah! In great shape, no cracks except the rubber carb boots



Well maybe I am crazy...



COMPRESSION TEST
- cold test

- no oil added to the cylinder, I wanted to know the current state of the bores (the stuff around the spark plugs is Amazing Blaster, the plugs were so rusty I put some around the base of the plugs and let it set for a few minutes before trying to remove the plugs)

- carbs are stuck closed, could not open the slides to run the test

CYLINDER #1: 150PSI
CYLINDER #2: 149PSI
CYLINDER #1: 150PSI
CYLINDER #1: 165PSI


This is why this same motor is still used in the majority of California Highway Patrol bikes, they run them up to 60,000, 80,000 miles, sell them to the public, out here there is HUGE buyer interest for a 60,000+ Kaw cop bike.


I know my guage is correct.

Those compression readings prove you can't judge a book by its cover. Ed

Yep, I actually told them when I bought it because I was so enthusiastic about getting the bike they thought I was off my rocker. The 2 things the seller didn't know was that, Z1R's simply don't come up for sale every day unless you're ready to spend in excess of $5000, $6000, etc. and 2nd, I knew how bad a bike can get to looking on the outside due to the salty ocean breezes but be fine on the inside.

Those pictures above though were taken at the end of my work day today after all the cleaning and the thing still looks like hell.

I had planned to have the frame powdercoated -- but with the engine in okay shape I don't want to tear it down, it's got 12,600 miles on it -- is there anyone out there who has cleaned up a 'salt air' Z1 motor without disassembly?

How do I do it, what tools, chemicals, etc? Can I clean up the motor without disassembly?

Could start with soda blasting.

Good Fortune!

Patton wrote: Could start with soda blasting.

Good Fortune!

Okay, that's where I'm headed -- thanks.
I have never used or seen a soda blaster but I just looked it up on wikipedia, sounds outrageously cool -- no sandy mess.

Harbor Freight has a 15lb and a 40lb model,
would you think that I'd have to fill up the 15lb soda blaster frequently, I'm wondering if the 40lb is a better choice, I have no idea how fast they run through the soda blast media -- will the 15lb do the job for the engine? Heck I can give up sanding exhaust systems forever if this soda blaster works.

Some links of interest as to soda blasting:

www.kzrider.com/forum/21-tools/318083-budget-soda-blaster

kawpen.edebris.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2049

www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

www.garagenight.tv/diy-soda-blasting-build-your-own-rig-cheap/

www.kzrider.com/forum/advsearch?q=soda+blast+engine

Good Fortune!

Soda blasting would be good for cleaning up outside of motor,but while you've got the motor out of frame Id definitely remove all the covers and oil pan and replace the gaskets.
While oil pan is off Id take a look at oil pump pick up and clean sludge out of there whiole its open,27 years does terrible things to oil especially in that kind of environment.
You might get really rude awakening under points cover if you haven't already been in there with all the moisture trapped in there.
Id also check valve clearances while valve cover is off for cleaning/reseal,valve guide seals are going to be a crap shoot but youll find out once its running.

Patton wrote: Some links of interest as to soda blasting:

www.kzrider.com/forum/21-tools/318083-budget-soda-blaster

kawpen.edebris.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2049

www.aircooledtech.com/tools-on-the-cheap/soda_blaster/

www.garagenight.tv/diy-soda-blasting-build-your-own-rig-cheap/

www.kzrider.com/forum/advsearch?q=soda+blast+engine

Good Fortune!

Thanks Patton I'm reading those -- should help me figure out the right way to do it, thanks.

wireman wrote: Soda blasting would be good for cleaning up outside of motor,but while you've got the motor out of frame Id definitely remove all the covers and oil pan and replace the gaskets.
While oil pan is off Id take a look at oil pump pick up and clean sludge out of there whiole its open,27 years does terrible things to oil especially in that kind of environment.
You might get really rude awakening under points cover if you haven't already been in there with all the moisture trapped in there.
Id also check valve clearances while valve cover is off for cleaning/reseal,valve guide seals are going to be a crap shoot but youll find out once its running.

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I'll take you up on all those, sound advice, I was also going to look at the cams, the seller said the motor may have been hot-rodded, but I see no signs of it -- stock carbs, stock airbox, stock coils, stock everything except the suspension, he 'lowered' the bike. I didn't talk with the owner, he passed away in the 1980s supposedly, so I'll have to figure out what work he did to the motor, if any.

Now here's a nasty surprise -- the front of the frame was cut to increase the rake of the forks -- he did that and he put on really short shocks on the rear to lower the bike.


I'd like to have a welder cut and re-weld the gooseneck back to stock.

Trying to find and buy a used Z1R frame would not be easy at all, and the weld job would be much cheaper, faster, and I'd still have the original frame number.

Would that be safe, to cut an already-cut frame and try to re-set the rake back to normal, would it be a safe bike to ride?

The other thing is, I don't even know how I or the welder would be able to position the gooseneck in a jig to recapture the original rake angle of the forks, short of having a 2nd Z1R frame as a reference.

Patton seeing is believing, wow the $20 homemade soda blaster, what a trip. Mein gott.

$20 and no more problems with laborious and tedious cleaning, thanks dude. Parts cleaning sucks, love the results though.
That is the best thing that happened to me today, besides finding out my Z1r compression is unreal good.

Can you post picture of rake job?
There was a 78 z1r frame here locally I looked at the guy wanted $300.00 with title,its been a while but it was a low mileage bike the shmuck parted out for some reason. :sick:

Ya never know,back in the day a basically stock motor with a 1075 and a shaved head/block and some small cams would hold its own on the street before the sportbike days.
Those 28s are still good performance carbs,never underestimate the power of a sleeper! :woohoo:
Back in the 80s plenty of guys were running 10sec 1/4 miles with 1170 motors and little old 28-29mm carbs