Help me remove emissions gear!

vegasjetskier wrote:

emit more unburned hydrocarbons to the atmosphere

My old shop teacher told me that they used to wire an extra spark plug down in the tail pipe of their old Merc lead sleds to light off these unburned hydrocarbons when they pressed the 'flame' button...

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the information. I haven't been able to try anything yet because my bike has been in the shop. It went in with an electrical gremlin but was returned to me leaking gas and oil, so I asked them to take it back and fix it again.

The carbs were rebuilt within the past year, although they weren't done by me so I'm taking it on good faith that quality work was done at the time. Isn't carb balancing a standard thing to do when rebuilding?

My first car was an older Thunderbird which also had a poorly functioning emissions system, and the same type of engine behavior is what leads me to believe that the same thing could be happening on my bike. The EGR system on that engine was a clogged piece of crap and blocking it off made the engine run more smoothly.

Being new to bikes I really wanted to get some opinions before yanking off hoses and plugging ports.

Grebnaws, this is not an EGR system. It introduces FRESH air into the exhaust system to burn up unburned hyrdrocarbons. This system won't really effect how the bike runs unless there is a vacuum leak in it. It will, however, cause excessive "popping" in the exhaust sytem if it malfunctions.

If you do decide to remove it, be sure to leave the reed valves in place and plug the inlets on the valve covers either with a hose connecting both sides or silicone sealer, and cap off the vacuum nipples on the carb holders as previously mentioned. Also plug the fitting on the airbox (if you still have it) - this fitting is on the clean air side of the element and will allow dirt into your engine if you don't plug it.

Grebnaws Inc. wrote:

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the information. I haven't been able to try anything yet because my bike has been in the shop. It went in with an electrical gremlin but was returned to me leaking gas and oil, so I asked them to take it back and fix it again.

The carbs were rebuilt within the past year, although they weren't done by me so I'm taking it on good faith that quality work was done at the time. Isn't carb balancing a standard thing to do when rebuilding?

My first car was an older Thunderbird which also had a poorly functioning emissions system, and the same type of engine behavior is what leads me to believe that the same thing could be happening on my bike. The EGR system on that engine was a clogged piece of crap and blocking it off made the engine run more smoothly.

Being new to bikes I really wanted to get some opinions before yanking off hoses and plugging ports.

i don't care how long ago the carbs were rebuilt, if you leave todays shitty gas in your carbs for even 3 months, you're gonna be takin em off and cleaning them. a rebuild doesn't mean you don't have varnished emulssion tubes and other gummed up crap. i'd tear em apart, it doesn't take long to fix an easy problem. then synch em, and check your valve clearances and then try not to get cut off by that F%&$IN B*&$H in her piece of crap acura tuner that started throwin crap out her sun roof at me!

lunchbox

The easiest thing to try is running a tank of gas with SeaFoam added to help clean things out. At least you don't have points to worry about (I wouldn't think, anyway). Checking the valve clearances is mandatory. The way these engines are designed, as the valve wears into the seat, the cam to tappet clearance decreases. The shims must be replaced with thinner ones to restore the clearance. It's quite possible that a couple of valves could be held open all the time.

Another thought is that the ignition is not generating a strong, consistent spark.

The emissions equipment on a KZ is a passive device and has no affect on running performance. If it is functioning properly (you're not hearing popping when decelerating) there is no penalty for leaving it in place except for a slight bit of weight. All the vacuum switch does is to cut off the air flow when decelerating to avoid popping in the exhaust. The reeds in the cam cover just keep exhaust gasses from working their way back toward the air box.

Seperately, the crankcase breather is routed to the airbox rather than being allowed to escape to the atmosphere. That is the extent of "emissions control" equipment on these bikes, except for lean jetting.

- Nate >>