81 KZ1000K1 head gasket oil leak repair

Hello to other kz riders. I am in the process of fixing the notorious head o-ring oil leak / seeping that seems to plague my 36 year old kaw, since I got it running / restored it. (it was an abandoned vehicle I bought off of CL, no title, no keys, no running, etc). I had been tucking rolled up shop towel pieces for the Kotex effect on the head oil leak / seep while waiting on a chain return to process on eBay.. AND to help my withdrawal from my 100 hp ptsd therapy device, I decided to do the head gasket while waiting on my chain to arrive.
Well, I took the head off yesterday and am looking for a affordable source for some viton o-rings 92055-1148. I had bought new head gaskets probably a year ago, and the cam chain galley o-ring ( real oem parts off eBay), but I had not looked to source the o-rings because I had just figured I could source them from my local mom-pop had everything hardware store, not the case.
It looks like only the front 2 o-rings actually seal any oil passages, and the ones on the rear only act as positioning for the head gaskets.
I have googled this number a few times and this forum always pops up first, and I have read a few of the threads on this topic, so being labor day, I finally had the time to register here and post.
Like all the others that have posted on this subject, I have a problem with paying 50 bucks for 4 .25 cent o-rings. ($10.00 each, + $10.00 freight?)

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Viton O-rings of the proper size would likely be fine. 75 durometer is "medium" firmness.

The parts fishe says the O-ring is 18.5mm OD, problem is O-rings are typically sized by ID and thickness so some math is in order.

www.theoringstore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=368_65

I made carb kit O-rings from bulk O-rings from these guys before. Good source.

Never but NOS rubber. I bought a new O ring for the cam chain galley from a prominent vendor. It cracked the first year. I use one piece gaskets from then on.
Steve

old_kaw wrote: It looks like only the front 2 o-rings actually seal any oil passages, and the ones on the rear only act as positioning for the head gaskets .

All four 'O' rings seal against oil pressure.
The 2 rear studs ( intake side) are the "live" oil galleries from the base of the block but the front 2 studs (exhaust side) also receive oil pressure due to the cross drillings in the head.

excellent point, Steve. I am a big advocate on oem parts, because I figure if something lasted 36 years, I won't have to perform the same repair a year from now.. except NOS rubber parts do dry out and has a shelf life, much like batteries and electrolytic capacitors have. I know with a lot of the aftermarket parts sold for most everything, it is never the same quality, fit or finish as the original parts, and in most cases, you are taking off good parts and replaqcing them with cheap junk. Just my opinion on car and bike parts. I buy NAPA parts, and avoid Auto Zone like the plague.

You are absolutely correct. I was only thinking that because the rear o-rings appeared dry when I pulled the head yesterday.. This is just another case of not engaging brain before opening mouth.
After spending most of this afternoon scraping off the cylinder base gasket, I still haven't had much of a chance to dissect and look over the head yet. That is one dried up nasty gasket to remove without damage to the cases. I got a lot of it today, but it is still stuck hard all over both parts. The chain galley o-ring was glued to the cylinder assembly, I assume it was done at the factory, since my bike only had 9K miles when I first got it years ago.

SWest wrote: Never but NOS rubber. I bought a new O ring for the cam chain galley from a prominent vendor. It cracked the first year. I use one piece gaskets from then on.
Steve

Hey steve what brand one piece head gasket have you found to be the best and were is the best place to source the gasket from
Don't mean to hijack the thread but thought it might be good info

It's in my "The good guys" thread.
Steve

Stick with OEM! Those special 92055-1148 O-rings have a unique oval cross-section shape. I received great-advice to install them dry...no sealant applied.
I had the same issue with leaks, before installing APE studs which allow greater nut-torque application. Not one leak since, and that was a few years and head changes ago.

daveo wrote: Stick with OEM! Those special 92055-1148 O-rings have a unique oval cross-section shape. I received great-advice to install them dry...no sealant applied.
I had the same issue with leaks, before installing APE studs which allow greater nut-torque application. Not one leak since, and that was a few years and head changes ago.

Yes, they are a unique shape Z1 gives the dimensions as 2.5 mm X 4 mm with a 18.5 OD and 13.5 ID. Since these special o-rings are used on so many bikes, I would imagine they are still being made by Kawasaki, or at least not old enough to dry rot sitting on the shelf somewhere.



In looking at them, they more closely resemble a square cross section, after being compressed for 36 years. One of them looks like it was not originally positioned correctly. I didn't notice which one it was in the chaos of disassembly

Where did you buy yours?

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationCorrect me if I'm wrong (you know that'll happen!) Does this look like a regular 18.5 mm round o-ring in this package on eBay? They are selling it with the Kawasaki part number for $9.99 each, But you do get free shipping. duh



Has anyone tried this? Mom-pop probably has these. lol

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationCheap and Original Kawasaki set of five 92055-1148 O-rings: