Testament to bullet-proof Z1 engines!

Personally, I would have put a touch of oil in the cylinders before trying to turn the engine over.

Besides that, this Z1B was sitting for 10+ years, outside under a loose tarp. I rebuilt the carbs, changed the oil/filter and spark plugs, had it running in about 15 minutes. Runs like a champ.



I removed the engine and hit it with everything I had. The tool that made the most progress was a rotary air tool with a wire wheel attached (wear goggles) you can maneuver it between the fins. I was blessed with black engine paint, after that I hit it with mag wheel cleaner, soda blast, greased lightning...you name it. Took over 7 solid days. I removed the covers to polish on my buffing wheel but had to replace the cam cover as it was too far gone.

Here it is now. As it sits, only money invested was some cleaning materials, VHT paint, and $100 in some replacement engine covers and carb kits.



Soak the carbs in Pine Sol and keep spraying the bare aluminum with WD-40 to clean up oxodizing.

awesome score on a cool bike.

i can't wait to see how you finish it out.

i happen to know a guy with a frame jig,an unmolested 1978 z1r frame for reference,and the ability to put your frame back to stock and make it look like it never happened.

shoot me a pm if i can be of any help.

leon

p.s. kidkawi do you have a thread going on your rebuild?
i would like to follow along if you do.i am sure it will be just as nice as your other z.

Kidkawie wrote: Personally, I would have put a touch of oil in the cylinders before trying to turn the engine over.

Besides that, this Z1B was sitting for 10+ years, outside under a loose tarp. I rebuilt the carbs, changed the oil/filter and spark plugs, had it running in about 15 minutes. Runs like a champ.

I was going to stick my penetrating oil straw into each spark plug hole for that very reason. Paranoid about who knows what happening with those pistons and bores over 28 years of sitting, and truth be told, I should have, but curiosity got the best of me, I really wanted to know 'how bad it was.'

You see, my thinking when I brought her home was 'okay sitting near the ocean for 28 years, no care taken by the seller to turn it over every now and then, the 1st owner passed on in 1985 and his family left the thing sit on the porch as a memento to him, surely I'm going to have to tear this down for a valve job, cylinder hone or bore, etc.'

The last thing I expected was 150psi or better across the bores. Now I kinda regret not putting some oil in there since a teardown may not be needed.

But I *really* wanted that baseline 'current conditions' psi reading, and you only live once.


Really inspiring how clean your Z1 shows -- I'm taking notes, I'm hoping to get those kind of results, I can't wait to get going on it, really inspiring there KK, thanks -- I'm going to pick up a rotary air tool for my compressor at Harbor Freight, good tip there.

The blue Z1B in that pic was my Fathers he bought new in 75. He logged 12k miles on it up to about 84-85 then it sat in his shed. In 1997, just before he passed, he gave me the bike and we started it up. I only rode it a few hundred miles, the paint began to deteriorate and cosmetically it turned to shit. In 2006 I tore it down, finally restoring it 2 years ago.

I haven't touched the engine except for rebuilding the carbs, clean/lube the advancer, adjusting the cam chain and replacing a couple gaskets. Oh, the clutch plates were sticking so I cleaned up the surface on those.

wireman wrote: Can you post picture of rake job?

Here are photos of the cuts and welds around the gooseneck of my Z1r:













It got him what he wanted, a lowered bike, however I need a stock rake on this baby!+

the sleeve over the downtube with the plug welds is factory on z1r's.the cut area's are not :whistle: .

leon

If you paint or powdercoat the frame, before installing the engine, run a M6 X 1 tap through the grounding areas(usually where a Black with Yellow stripe wire goes), this will greatly reduce the electrical troubleshooting.

MFolks wrote: If you paint or powdercoat the frame, before installing the engine, run a M6 X 1 tap through the grounding areas(usually where a Black with Yellow stripe wire goes), this will greatly reduce the electrical troubleshooting.

I think you just saved me a lot of time -- makes sense too, black satin coating would be invisible inside the screw holes on the chassis unless you go looking for them -- I've never done a frame-off in my life, this is my 1st one. Now if I could only find a used Z1R frame to buy, it would save my welder the trouble of un-doing the cuts made to my Z1R's gooseneck area.

Thanks for the tip there MFolks!

Ill try cruising the streets of Ralston next week to see if theres an off the wall chance I can find the guy who had that unmolested 78 frame,and he still has it or know who does.
At the time the $300.00 he wanted for frame/swingarm with title seemed steep even with the bottem end of motor when I thought about what rest of pieces would cost to build it.
Im used to buying complete bikes for that price,in your situation it would be priceless though! :ohmy:
Maybe talk to Leon/blackbanshee,z1rs seem to grow in his yard like weeds! :woohoo:
If he doesn't have an extra frame,hes got enough frames to get the dimensions off of and frame jig to fix it with

wireman wrote: Ill try cruising the streets of Ralston next week to see if theres an off the wall chance I can find the guy who had that unmolested 78 frame,and he still has it or know who does.
At the time the $300.00 he wanted for frame/swingarm with title seemed steep even with the bottem end of motor when I thought about what rest of pieces would cost to build it.
Im used to buying complete bikes for that price,in your situation it would be priceless though! :ohmy:
Maybe talk to Leon/blackbanshee,z1rs seem to grow in his yard like weeds! :woohoo:
If he doesn't have an extra frame,hes got enough frames to get the dimensions off of and frame jig to fix it with

Okay thanks wireman -- I have a ton of work to do on this beast to keep me occupied -- but a frame would be cool, probably the easiest way too.