TOPIC:

PLEASE!!

Darin needs carbs for a 1976 kz 400. There is Ebay certainly, but I was burned there once, and now am twice shy. Also, because of my remote location (North Pole, Alaska) "bike" junk yards are without exaggeration non-existent. Any websites etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys,

Darin

That would be wiredgeorge. If he cant help I dont know if anyone can. Hes a local here. Good guy.

If you want a complete carb set or possibly rebuild kits, post your need on "Findmypart.com".

I have had good success in getting excellent parts and pricing from salvage yards and new parts from dealers old stock around the country.

Be careful buying rebuild kits for KZ400 carbs, as I believe most kits you'll find are for the later year models like the '77 and 78 or earlier ones like '74 and '75. Yours are 36mm and the later years are 32mm. You can't use anything from those 32mm later year kits in your carbs. If you buy another set so as to start off with better carbs to begin with avoid the '76 and '79 as kits aren't listed or would be hard to find from my research.

I have a link to an excellent KZ400 specific site to get better acquainted with your bikes specific needs, just PM me.

Carb builds aren't easy but they also aren't impossibly hard either. Get a manual and take your time. Knowing how to do it yourself will save you money in the long run as you will have to do it again or at least tweak them in the future as that is just the nature of carbs.

Post edited by: KZ_Rage, at: 2006/05/24 20:53

joomlaboard must give Microsoft a run for their money in the race for program glitches. Auto-duplication code strikes again!

Post edited by: KZ_Rage, at: 2006/05/24 20:52

Wow thanks for the info!!
And I just recently checked out that site, and your right, that place rocks. As far as rebuilding, I have set up with "WG" to get them done. He is the man, he is "jonny-on-the-spot" as far as getting info to me and what I need to do to get my carbs down to him. I'm waiting on PayPal right now to send me some info....those guys seem to drag some serious a$$. Thanks for the info however, very informative....you guys rule!!!

peace

If WG can make your carbs work on remote control from Texas to Alaska, and with the rebuild kits available, he is a true wizzard.

I have a reason to believe that the rebuild kits won't work in your 76 model carbs. I have tried these kits out in both the 74, 75 and 76 model carbs, and they don't work good in any of them. I have aslo gotten the same report from a few other owners. And the reson? First of all, the jet sizes in the kits are for the early 1974 model carbs, which were a bit different when it comes to the internals than the late 74, the 75 and 76 model carbs. The carbs for the 74-76 KZ400 went trough several minor modifications at the factory btw, and these modifications are not listed in any of the workshop manuals.
The second reason is that the parts in these rebuild kits are duplicated from parts coming from a worn, and maybe worn out, set of 1974 carbs (this has been confirmed by Keyster btw).

The biggest problem with these kits are the needle jet and jet needle. They will cause an extreme rich mixture in the mid range, between 3000 and 5500 rpm, with fouling spark plugs as a result. And if you try to cruise in that rpm range, the engine will run very rough. The idle was fine, so the pilot screws worked, and they performed pretty good above 6000 rpm, but as said, in the most used range, they didn't work well at all. They even run very rich in the mid range when I took out the air filter.
Also the gaskets for the float bowls was of a bad quality in the kits I bought, causing a leak from the float bowls when the bike was parked on the sidestand.

And the option? Well, the parts that will wear out is the jet needles and the needle jets, and unfortunately these parts are no longer available.
As I see it, you have got a couple of choises. First of all, clean the set you have and try it out. If they are badly worn, try to find a decent used set on Ebay. Just keep in mind that the 32mm carbs for the 1978 and on 400's will not fit the 1976 model. There was a change in the cylinder head design in 1978, and the spacing between the carbs was shortened.
Another option is to contact this company and ask if they can set up a set with Mikuni VM carbs for the 400, or at least give you some advise about the Mikuni VM's:

MIKUNI CARBS

They do have a set for the Honda CB350/450 twins, and I think the KZ400 should be able to use approx the same set up. There will be a few mods regarding the trottle cables to make though, but it should work.

Anyways, whatever you choose to do, I hope you can get your bike fixed and rideable.

Post edited by: ibsen22000, at: 2006/05/29 09:20