kz550 Engine Bore? or new cylinder head?

Hey all! Just bought a new kz550, got it home only to find it had been missing a single spark plug for who knows how long. Well, I've got the engine torn apart and there is a boat load of rust in that cylinder (pitted as well). I've heard of boring out the cylinder to fix that problem. Does anyone have experience in doing this? Is is better to simply get a new cylinder block? Will I run into problems down the road? Also, if I get a new cylinder block I've got to match up the pistons as well, right? :blink:

There's a member that is selling engine parts. Lots on eBay too.
Steve

Great effort to save another KZ from dying on the vine and it's a 550 to boot!

I'm going through a similar effort right now with a KZ which sat in an open field for decades too. Thankfully it had all the spark plugs left in it. It's been my experience thus far that if water got into a cylinder and rusted it then the same water went past the rings and into the case and rusted it down there too. So you are only seeing the tip of the proverbial iceberg right now.
It may actually be less expensive (if cost of restoring is an issue?) to just buy a "whole" engine online than to go through all the machine shop work and new parts needed on the bike's original.
Of course, I totally understand if you actually enjoy the restoration process, I do too but if you're just looking to get the bike back in operation and ride...

I've rebuilt the engines on several older bikes gathering parts (cylinders/heads) from ebay. The trick is to find someone parting a complete bike that way you can verify mileage on the parts. Typically I like to find parts from a bike with 20k miles or less on it, that way you don't need to worry too much about worn out cylinders and/or valve guides. The trick with cylinders is finding one without rust damage. Be sure to communicate with the seller and tell them your expectation, that will eliminate any heartburn after you receive the parts and they don't meet your needs.

Yeah, I was worried about water in the crank case too. But it actually looks good! The oil was black, but no rust. The piston was rusted to the cylinder wall, so I think that saved the lower engine. (Although it's been a royal pain getting the cylinder block off.)

I think I'm going to take it to a machine shop and get it bored. I like that over bore sound anyway. Do I need to do anything special with the carbs?

Depends on how big the bore is.
Steve

I've read of going up to a 615 cc. However, I've never done it before. I think that's what I'll shoot for. I don't really know if that's a huge leap or not. 65cc extra doesn't seem like much.

Have to make sure you can find pistons and rings. Lots of cylinders on ebay depending on the year of the bike. Cheapest solution maybe.

thejameswilliam wrote: I've read of going up to a 615 cc. However, I've never done it before. I think that's what I'll shoot for. I don't really know if that's a huge leap or not. 65cc extra doesn't seem like much.

About $1000 once you're done. Better to find good used parts.
Steve

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