KZ1000 popps... ALOT

C'mon KT.... you can sort this out I have faith in you kid

KT, have you set the Fuel Level in those BS34 CV Carbs yet? Everyone covered everything else, but I didn't see Fuel Level. Very Important to have it correct and as close to the same in all carbs.
Do this on the bench with the carbs level, with a clear piece of tubing hooked on the float bowl drain fitting and the tube up the side of each carb, drain screw open. You might have to re-adjust the small "Tang" on the float a few times to get them set correctly.
Do this before any Jetting, but while in there do check the jet sizes against stock. Through cleaning, and make sure the diaphragms are good and the tops are sealed. Also that they are orientated correctly, small hole on the bottom must face the engine vacuum side, throttle plate side.
Also what are you running, the stock airbox or Pod's?

wouldnt spraying carb cleaner on the boots for the carbs be a good way to check for vacuum leaks? i already did that while it was idling and it didnt change the way it ran at all. i believe i have a great seal on everything. i think my only problem is that its running lean because of the 4-1.. also, i am running a stock airbox with that 4-1. i have heard nothing but bad from having pods. i held a lighter up to where the pipes bolt to the motor and i thought i had a leak on cylinder 3 but when i revved the bike, the flame didnt blow out or anything it just stayed the same..

i havent checked my float levels yet either, ill do that next time i get the carbs off. i know its an easy job, i have done it like 100 times but my air intake boots are damn near rock solid because of their age and i dont want to pull them off until i get new ones in fear of not being able to get them back in. by air intake boots i mean the rubbers that go in between the airbox and the carbs. i wouldnt get an accurate float reading with the carbs on the bike since i do not have a center stand anymore:/

i do however plan on using Tek9ine's advice and adjusting the pilot circuits again. those carburetors are clean enough to eat off of, i can guarantee that. i cleaned them before summer even started. my idle totally changes when you mess with the screws too, i dont think that the pilot circuits are dirty but one thing is for certain, i have to wait to get new intake hoses before i pull those carbs off again. ALSO when i started my bike today.. there was alot of grayish black and white smoke coming out of the muffler and then it went away.. smelt like unburnt fuel but i had the choke on. i dont think it was oil smoke but if its only on starting, thats just seepage right?

also, i just tore ass up the street on it, im all jittery with fear

Kitten Tooth wrote: wouldnt spraying carb cleaner on the boots for the carbs be a good way to check for vacuum leaks? i already did that while it was idling and it didnt change the way it ran at all. i believe i have a great seal on everything.

You believe WRONG young one! :woohoo: Discovering an air leak is using your ears! The pop pop in the exhaust means tooooo much aiiirrrr lol. The old spray trick is dificult at best to get a good air leak diagnosis.

The best way to kill an air leak is dissasemble everything and go through it with a fine toothed comb, making sure every installation is perfectly air TIGHT.

The 4-1 Does not make the bike significantly lean with the stock airbox. All that is required to remove the popping with this setup is a small amount of turn out on all 4 screws like 1/4 - 1/2 turn. Done this a million times...

Your ONE plug being bone white and the popping "no matter what adjustment" is called an AIR LEAK, or extremely poor carb balance. A 4-1 doesnt make 1 plug go white! C'mon! :lol:

Find and fix the air leak. It could be the intake boot at the engine or the carb. The airbox boot at the box or carb. The mixture screw O-ring, the vacuum nipple cap, the small pill shaped plug underneath the bowl gasket!

You only have one carb leaking air, apparently... shouldnt be too hard.

Good luck.

Kitten Tooth wrote: wouldnt spraying carb cleaner on the boots for the carbs be a good way to check for vacuum leaks? i already did that while it was idling and it didnt change the way it ran at all. i believe i have a great seal on everything. i think my only problem is that its running lean because of the 4-1.. also, i am running a stock airbox with that 4-1. i have heard nothing but bad from having pods. i held a lighter up to where the pipes bolt to the motor and i thought i had a leak on cylinder 3 but when i revved the bike, the flame didnt blow out or anything it just stayed the same..

Your popping may or may not be air leaks, but keep in mind the leak test should be done by first adjusting the idle WAY low; as low as the engine can go and still maintain idle, Then the carb cleaner should be sprayed at the carb holders where they attach to the cylinder head where they attach to the carbs. If there's a significant leak the engine will sputter and probably stop running. A good mechanic showed me this test on my bike several years ago when I had a rough idle. I temporarily set the idle at about 700rpm, sprayed the carb cleaner, and the engine died. It detected what appeared to by very tiny cracks on the carb holders where they mate with the cylinder head. I replaced carb holders and viola, no more rough idle.

Hey I don't know if you ever got this to stop popping, but you never mentioned, and niether did anybody else, if you have the smog valve still hooked up or not. If you disconnect it without blocking the passages in the cam cover it will pop.

Anyway I have a 82 KZ1000CSR with the stock CV BS34 type carbs with the idle mixture screws on top does anybody which direction clockwise or anti- is rich/ lean???

I have a Kerker 4-1 and stock air box with paper element. The bike runs great but I know it must be lean. I just removed the pilot screw covers and the screws were all 2 1/2 turns out. The manual says 1 1/4 for non-USA. Which way is rich and lean?

Just another few words of wisdom,clean the fuel tap filter(s) first,then the tank then the carbs.set the carbs and check those rubber manifolds.Then just as a test remove the inline fuel filter,(if you have them)they can kill fuel flow by 30+%.main jet testing is impossible without adequite fuel flow.if top end power improves up near the redline the filters have been restricting fuel flow.fixing the carbs will cure the popping & off idle issues.wayno