Modern carb for z550 1980

Hey guys i want to change the carbs im running on the z550 with open cone filters to something a bit more easier to get ahold of will ZX600 carbs fit on the z550 ? or are there better carbs

Get a cheap set of carbs on E-Bay for your engine

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www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/verg...k/720962846-306-5541
www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/treebay-ad.htm...1%7C142553876545%7C0

Carbs from an different engine could be very difficult to tune up or need to modify to fit to your engine.

1985-1997 zx600 cvk32’s carbs are to big of a carb for a 550 unless you are running 610 pistons and performance cams.
Zephyr zr550 cvk30’s are the proper size but are becoming difficult to find and expensive if you do.
You will need the offset intake boots from the zr550 as well as they are totally different size and offset from stock 550 carbs. They will need to rebuilt with ALL new o-rings and float needles. Which is not cheap. Hopefully they won’t have ripped diaphgrams. Also not cheap.
Running pods with CV style carbs is a very very tricky proposition. (You will need to research the massive difference between slide carbs and CV carbs.). It can be done but it is expensive and if not done properly you WILL run the mixture lean and on the first hot summer day, you will irreparable damage to your engine.
If you are going to try and use pod air filters, you are going to need the Factory Pro stage 3 jet kit for the zr550 and K&N filters. Both are expensive.
www.factorypro.com/Prod_Pages/prodk55.html
Cheap Emgo filters will block passages on the cvk carbs and a proper tune will never ever be achieved.

Long story short....it can be done and done properly but at a very large initial cost. Sometimes more than most people paid for their bike.
It would be cheaper and easier to repair or replace your current stock carbs. I’m not trying to be negative, but just being very straightforward to the obstacles you will face and need to overcome.

Daftrusty wrote: ...
Zephyr zr550 cvk30’s are the proper size but are becoming difficult to find and expensive if you do.
You will need the offset intake boots from the zr550 as well as they are totally different size and offset from stock 550 carbs.
...

From what you've posted before, I don't think the Zephyr intake boots will mount to his early Kz head. The later Kz intake boots don't mount because the bolt spacing is different. The later intake boot bolts are farther apart to accommodate the larger diameter boot. He would have to get some custom made intake boots, but they would be tricky to make since the bolts would be interfering with the cylindrical part of the boot.

Running pods on the first generation Tk26 CV carbs is not hard. The Dynojet kit makes it pretty simple. They run about $100 ~ $150. The Emgo pods don't interfere with the breather ports on the TK26 and work without much trouble. But none of this really matters to the original poster since he won't easily fit boots to the early head that can accommodate the later carbs.

The original TK22 carbs on the early Kz550s are about as simple as any carb can get. There are only four variables to play with: main jet, pilot jet, needle position, and air screw setting. I really don't think you would get a simpler carb for that bike.

I think a set of CR's might fit if you can get the right outlet spigots for those carbs. But that's a lot of money.

loudhvx wrote: From what you've posted before, I don't think the Zephyr intake boots will mount to his early Kz head. The later Kz intake boots don't mount because the bolt spacing is different. The later intake boot bolts are farther apart to accommodate the larger diameter boot. He would have to get some custom made intake boots, but they would be tricky to make since the bolts would be interfering with the cylindrical part of the boot.

You make a good point that was unknown to me. I wasn’t aware the intake boot mounting bolts were differently spaced than the 84-86 gpz550’s. I know the zr550 intake boots bolt right up to the gpz heads, but I did not realize that the early 550’s had tiny intake ports.
Important information to know!

zr550 intake on a 85 gpz550.

old z550 slide carb has a different carb spacing to the later cv equipped models...

There is quite a lot you could do on that - carb replacement would be quite far down on the list for power gains imo
You could lose some of that bottom end you get from the smaller intake tracts and mild cam profile for a bigger carb that doesn't get have the head or cam to breathe enough.

A chop project so I guess you want grunty bottom end and midrange rather than ape-hanger wrenching rpm power?

thanks for that info guys my kz550 is a chopper so not looking to make it any faster just for it to run i have to somehow fix the 3rd carb as the main jet housing has snapped off as it was boged with some fuel pipe when i got the bike. but these are the carbs it only has an air screw and 2 jets as far im aware no fuel mixture screw

I didn't get a precise measure, but the bolt spacing on the first gen. Kz550 is nominally 46 mm c-to-c.

In order to use first gen manifolds on a later Kz550 motor, I have to cut slots because each bolt is about 5 to 6 mm further outward. The mating surface contact from head to boot is also reduced a little, but still seems pretty reliable.