1978 KZ650C2 petcock woes

Hi all

Sorry if this has been posted already - I searched but found solutions only for other bikes.
I have picked up a 1978 KZ650 custom. After cleaning the carbs and sorting out a few issues I discovered a leaky petcock. I am unable to find a rebuild kit or replacement part for this model. Any solutions?
I attached a picture of the bike just for fun.
Thanks
Jake

Is it a tread on or 2 bolt flange style? My bike has the old style tread on. It leaked many years ago.... I found some o rings that fit and sealed it up. Might have to get a little creative here.....

As near as I can tell you can order all the various internal parts you might need direct from Kawasaki

www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Kawasaki/...FUEL+TANK/parts.html

[strike]I think it is the two bolt style on all the C model 650's. At the top where it goes into the tank, there should be a longer brass tube sticking up about 2.5" for the "on" position to draw fuel, and a short flexible nylon filter tube sticking up about 1" that acts as the pick up for the "res" position. There is an oval o-ring at the mounting surface that can be replaced if it is leaking there. Both mounting bolts should have soft copper or aluminum sealing washers on them. No thread sealant was applied to the bolts, as far as I can tell. The bottom bowl of the petcock can be removed (careful - only use a 6 point socket on the bowl. I find a 3/8" socket fits tighter on the casting hex than a 10 mm - therefore less chance of rounding off the soft metal hex) to clean out debris trapped in there. There is a fine mesh brass screen above the bowl that is supposed to trap larger particles, but it doesn't stop rust from getting through. If yours is leaking from the bowl, cleaning up the mating surfaces and the brass screen might fix the leak. I don't think the valve itself is meant to be serviceable, so if it is leaking there, you might have to find another part.
[/strike] Applies only to the C1 model, sorry....

The C2 apparently uses Kawasaki's "born to fail" (IMHO) vacuum petcock...I'm not sure if it wouldn't be better to just replace it with a Pingel petcock and adapter...and never have a problem again.

-Scott

Thanks
I have a 2-bolt mounted model - and the fuel tap is no longer available according to Partzilla - but thanks for the link - I'm sure it will come in useful in the future.
Cheers
Jake

Looks like that will be necessary - the parts appear to be "no longer available"
Thanks - I'll look into it.
Jake.

Where is the petcock leaking?

If it’s leaking through the fuel or vacuum lines it might be because the part marked #19 (Kawasaki part number 11009-1194) in the diagram below commonly fails. You may want to replace it and see if that solves the problem. If you search eBay using 11009-1194 as the search criteria you will find there are many of them available there.

If it is leaking where it attaches to the fuel tank it could be that a PO used metal instead of nylon washers marked #15 (Kawasaki part number 92022-183) or that the rubber O-ring marked #20 (Kawasaki part number 51039-010) is damaged. Those washers and O-rings are also readily available on eBay if you search by part number. Ed

The Pingel and adapter are not cheap, and there is no "reserve", so you always have to be mindful when riding on the street of how much gas is in the tank, but the Pingel is ultra-reliable. Check out APE, Star Racing, Dyno-Man Performance, or Schnitz for your bike / application for the correct parts. I have used the Pingel and no complaints here. I have several of those Kawasaki vacuum petcocks on my OEM parts shelves, but I won't sell any because they are sooooo badddddd! I have had several fail with disasterous results. I also have made my own adapter plates to do this:


It is a flat 1/2" thick piece of aluminum stock drilled and tapped to accept a cheap and yet high quality go-kart style 1/8" NPT inlet to 1/4" barbed outlet fuel shut off valve you can purchase from evil-bay for as little as $6 ea. For anything up to 1000 cc or 34 mm CV carbs, ot flows enough fuel to keep up with the engine. I use a hand cut 1/16" cork gasket to seal the plate to the tank, and some 6 x 20 mm bolts to mount the plate, with aluminum sealing washers. No leaks - no problems...cost for me was less than $10 per to buy / make. No reserve, but the bike pictured has a fuel gauge, and I'm always careful when out on the highway...

-Scott

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationToo bad this one is a little different?
It is real nice. Even the diaphragm rubber is still good.

There was 2 different vacuum fuel taps used in 1978. Look at the picture Ed posted, and if your diaphram looks like the picture, you can buy the diaphram for around $13.00, a couple additional orings, and there you have the rebuild kit. All parts used for 30yrs, so all available to order easily. If your vacuum petcock diaphram looks different than Ed's picture, that petcock is way long ago obsolete, and no parts to fix that one. I'll have to disagree on the vacuum petcock being junk, the manual one was junk for sure, the vacuum one works fine.

RonKZ650 wrote: ........ I'll have to disagree on the vacuum petcock being junk, the manual one was junk for sure, the vacuum one works fine.

I won't comment on the vacuum petcock since I've never used one, but I have found the stock 1977 KZ650 manual petcock to be absolutely bullet proof. I've owned my KZ650-C1 since new (April, 1977) and my manual petcock has not had any problems in 40+ years and more than 60,000 miles. To me that indicates it's an excellent unit! I'm surprised you had problems with yours. Maybe there was something in the fuel that caused a problem? Ed

I'm with Ed on the manual version - PDG (pretty darn good). If you can find a used one that works - do it!

The Kawasaki vacuum type has nearly incinerated me and my bikes, garage , and house several times. I will not use them ever again. They would stay open with the engine stopped! I pull the fuel line off to get the tank lifted, and gas streaming out all over me and the hot engine and exhaust! Or slowly leaking out the carb overflows while the bike is parked on the side stand in my veranda, leaving a flammable creek running along the wall of my house. Or emptying an entire tank of fuel onto the shopping center parking lot when a float needle sticks open. I ordered new parts, rebuilt, tried different used ones,,,. I learned quick not to trust them. Sometimes they would shut off, sometimes they didn't. I have Hondas that had vacuum petcocks, and they didn't do that.

But I prefer a manual shut off valve for quick start up after the bike has been sitting anyway... (and yes, I know the Kawasaki ones have a Prime position).

-Scott