1978 kz 1000 A2

I have had my kz1000 for 5 months now and it has been running well. It started smoking a little on deceleration. I started it yesterday and after it got warmed up it was smoking like a chimney. it was white smoke and it was very thick. i was just wanting to now where to start. It starts fine but it idles a little rough. i was just wanting your opinions on where to start before I tear in to it myself. I do have the technical manual form Kawasaki but i think you guys are smarter. I appreciate all the help!

Jared

did you over fill with oil.....

do a compression ck

When did you last change oil?

New oil! And it is at the correct level!

what do i need for a compression check. Im kinda new to the bike!

jared55b69 wrote: what do i need for a compression check. Im kinda new to the bike!

You can buy a compression tester gauge very inexpensively at Harbor Freight tools.

For example, for only $19.99, either visit your local Harbor Freight Tools store or go to harborfreight.com and buy this one:



Here's the actual link to this guage on the Harbor Freight site:
www.harborfreight.com/compression-test-kit-66216.html


It sounds like it's doing what my '98 Suzuki 600cc Bandit (80hp little sucker, amazing) did that made the prior owner sell it to me, stock bike in great condition, under 5k miles, for only $300.

He put some kind of off-the-shelf auto product into his gas tank, it was bluish in color and it got into the carbs. Made the exhaust real smoky, white smoke, and the bike ran rough.

I don't recall what the name of the aerosol product he put into his gas tank but when he told me the name I *knew* it had been a big mistake. It was a bluish something-or-other, maybe one of those Sea Foam products, can't remember. But I knew when he told me that it was the wrong product for a gas tank.

I pulled the carbs on the bike, that blue stuff was all in there, I cleaned the carbs thoroughly, pulled the gas tank and removed the petcock, flushed the gas tank out and cleaned the petcock, put on new gas lines and an inline gas filter, presto that bike is one of my riders to this day, $300.
The first Kz1000 I bought at age 17 in 1977 only had 80hp and weighed 100 pounds more than this 600 Bandit. It rips around and handles great, light bike.

I would check compression as suggested in each cylinder and if it's fine, come back and tell us what you found and what your spark plugs look like.

White smoke on a 2-stroke usually means an inner seal went bad and your burning tranny fluid. But in your case, your bike is a 4-stroke and the smoke would be blue, not white, so if you're seeing whitish smoke and the exhaust does NOT smell like you're burning oil -- sounds like you have something in the gas (water? Sea Foam? other?) that should not be in the gas.

If you have low compression and you're burning oil, the smoke would be blue and stink like you were burning oil. White smoke? Something else going on there.

jared55b69 wrote: New oil! And it is at the correct level!

Please don't be offended, but I have read where some folks have measured the oil level with the bike on the side stand. Oil level should be measured with the bike on centerstand on level ground and oil level between the marks in the site glass (near top mark is ok). Again, I'm not trying to be a smart ass, so forgive me if this seemed way too elementary. Ed

Ed I am definitely not offended i appreciate your wisdom and advice. it does smell like burning oil and I think the carbs need to be adjusted also. sometimes when i turn it off to park gas drains out of the flow lines. I dont have a center stand but i do have the bike upright when the fluids are checked, the bike didnt have a center stand when i got it. it just recently started doing this and i really havent done anything to the bike. I had a 530 sprocket and chain put on and some new tires,. I was warming it up to go to work and it started fine and I came back out to leave and it was like someone swapped my kz for a bug fogger! So i will get the compression tool and check that. I sure thank you all. I dont think I could do it without your help. Glad I found you.

Jared

Ok, without knowing more on your build Stock vs modified carbs/pods, cams etc....

White smokes normally associated with Piston oil ring, worn out cylinder, valve guide or as mentioned oil level too high! Start with the easy before tearing into her...

1) stock air box: Check for oil accumulation in bottom of air box. As others mentioned, oil overfills into air box, may be sucking in oil via crabs thus smoke.

2) Check spark plugs... Oily, possibly bent/stuck valve. would also be culprit to rough idle.

3) Compression and leak down test...

4) Cam timing, Ignition timing (points/condenser or Dyna), valve clearances etc.. to spec?

5) Coil and ignition components to ideal Voltage DC... @ 4krpm ~ 13.5Vdc to 14Vdc...?

OMR

i got the compression tool ordered and I am going to take it to my buddies shop and start the trouble shooting and tear down if necessary. I will keep you posted. Thank you all for all of your help!

sometimes when i turn it off to park gas drains out of the flow lines


Smell check your oil, if it smells like gas it may add enough to the level to burn poil/gas and give the white smoke
Thinking out loud

moneypit wrote: sometimes when i turn it off to park gas drains out of the flow lines

Smell check your oil, if it smells like gas it may add enough to the level to burn poil/gas and give the white smoke
Thinking out loud

+1
And check for fuel-contaminated oil regardless of overflow discharge, because the overflow circuit might be obstructed (which contributes to such contamination).

Good Fortune!