80 kz650 head gasket

aenikolopov wrote:

Nessism wrote: Bad idea to cut a base gasket. The material choice is critical and it's not an expensive gasket anyway.

For all the various parts you can go to Kawasaki.com and look up the parts diagrams for your bike in the Owners support section of their website. You will have to look at a number of different pages including those for the crankcase, cylinder, cylinder head, valve cover, valves, etc. Look through them all and make a list of the parts. Just going off the top of my head but you will need: base gasket, base gasket O-rings, O-rings around the cylinder studs, head gasket, O-rings for the head gasket, valve stem seals, cam plug rubber seals, valve cover gasket, cam chain tensioner seals and gaskets, tach drive O-ring and seals. Do them all and be done with it for the next 30 years.

I'll look through that and put together a list. thanks.

For future reference, if necessary. I'll be replacing these items in my 1980 KZ650-F1. These seem to be all the replaceable parts in the top end, other than the piston rings. From Nessism's list, I can't figure out what parts the "cam plug rubber seals" or the "O-rings for the head gasket" are, I don't see them in the parts.

Head gasket 1104-1107
Valve cover gasket (11009-1065/11009-1237)
Cam chain tensioner gasket (11009-1980)
Cam chain tensioner banjo (crush?) washer (92022-077)
Valve stem seals (type: RV37129.5) (92049-016) (x8)
Tachometer pinion oil seal (92050-075)
tachometer pinion o-ring, 10mm (92055-1149)
tachometer pinion gasket (92065-103)
base gasket (11060-1362)
oil line pin o-ring (92055-1147) (x2)
cylinder stud o-rings, 8mm (92055-099) (x2)
base gasket o-rings, 9.8mm (670D2010) (x2)

Nothing about cam chain guides.
Steve

swest wrote: Nothing about cam chain guides.
Steve

oh? what should i be replacing from: www.kawasaki.com/Parts/PartsDiagram/143225/1980/KZ650-F1

Great work. You may not have to replace the tensioner guides. They are not cheap and I'd look to see if they are worn before spending the money.

Nessism wrote: Great work. You may not have to replace the tensioner guides. They are not cheap and I'd look to see if they are worn before spending the money.

ah. will wait to hear steve's input. May be worth it to buy them as I'd like to get the job done in a single weekend.
Can you let me know what you mean by "cam plug rubber seals" and "O-rings for the head gasket"

It's not so much about miles on the bike as it is how old the guides are. They get old and brittle. Ed is right. They are expencive. If I were to do a complete top end overhaul, I'd replace them too.
Steve

swest wrote: It's not so much about miles on the bike as it is how old the guides are. They get old and brittle. Ed is right. They are expencive. If I were to do a complete top end overhaul, I'd replace them too.
Steve

Just to make sure, the parts we are talking about are 17 and 18 in this diagram:
www.kawasaki.com/Parts/PartsDiagram/143225/1980/KZ650-F1
Correct? Is there a way to check what their condition is? Same goes for chain tensioner.

All of them. Check the idler between the cams. If the sprocket is sloppy, the rest are shot. The tensioner is rubber as well as the center one. They go first. I'd replace
#6
#17 X 2
# 19
# 20 can be done later to save money if needed. I switched sprockets in mine a long time ago from one that was still useable. The roller shaft is hollow so a #6 bolt acted in place of the rivet.
Steve

swest wrote: # 20 can be done later to save money if needed.

What did you mean here? #20 is a bolt, you likely meant something else.

I wonder if Liska rollers will work on your bike. 1/2 the price of OEM and last a long time.

Steve
www.z1enterprises.com/product/LIZ1T650
I don't see any of the single rollers on that page. This is what I have.












I know it's a lot of money but I don't have to worry about it grenading between my legs.
Steve

not sure that I understand what you mean about Liska, what is that?
I think I'll have to wait to open the case again to see the condition of the thing. As it is, it takes a job that's about $100 in parts and makes it maybe a $500 job

Liska is the make of the aftermarket rollers. I knew mine were shot going in. It cost at least that.
Steve