Engine rebuild advice

Does anyone know of a engine rebuild kit that I can get for my 82’ GPz550? I can’t find one anywhere BUT I have found top end kits which consists of pistons, rings and gaskets but I haven’t found valves, timing chain, sleeves etc etc... just looking to make my bike run a lot better next summer so I have something to do this winter. Also, what websites do you guys use for parts? I’ll assume you folks look everywhere but I want KZRider veterans input. Thanks!

I have never seen a full engine rebuild kit for a motorcycle. Before you dive into this project, are you absolutely certain that this is needed? If all the engine really needs are some seals and gaskets, it would be foolish to spend thousands of dollars replacing perfectly good parts.

As a rule, genuine factory parts are best. If you have a well established dealership nearby, with a willing parts dude or dudette, you can get quite a lot there. Partzilla is a popular online choice for factory parts, though I understand shipping times have been extraordinarily long since Covid. Sometimes CMS has parts that Partzilla shows as nla, but there is added shipping cost from the Netherlands. Careful and constant searching of Fleabay can turn up hard to find nos parts. Z1E (a supporter of KZR) also stocks parts and tools for old Japanese motorcycles.

Before you tackle any of this, make sure you have a genuine factory service manual and that you find a post by user loudhvx. In his signature line are links to his extensive website where you will find a treasure trove of important info on the 550 engines.
Some high quality JIS screwdrivers and torque wrenches, including an inch-pound one, will make servicing go more smoothly.

That’s a good point, I just ordered a compression tool to check the rings and valves so I’ll start there. I just figured if I’m going to tackle that I might as well go the full route and rebuild it but like you said; it would cost well over a grand in parts. I checked the plugs and saw that they were black which gave me the idea. Thanks for the input! I really appreciate it, hopefully i dont get ahead of myself

Sooty plugs coul be the result of maladjusted or dirty carburetors, or hard, leaky valve stem seals.

TexasKZ wrote: Sooty plugs coul be the result of maladjusted or dirty carburetors, or hard, leaky valve stem seals.

Hey TexasKZ,

Just realized we both have a "J" KZ1000 LTD, a ZRX100, and live in Texas. Were in TX.? We should go for a ride! I'm in DFW area.

Hey, VTEC, I live in Cypress. It is about 25 miles nw of Houston.