TOPIC:

I just picked up what appears to be a 1977 KZ400 D4 that had been sitting for a couple of years.

It's had the airbox replaced with pods, but the breather hose from the valve cover was just left hanging open. Should I :
1) Just plug it ?
2) Fit some kind of lawnmower-type filter to it?
3) Modify the pods with a hose nipple and run the breather to it ?

Also each carb has 2 hoses coming out of it that arent't connected to anything. The one from the bottom is the drain/overflow, but what's the other one and should it go somewhere? It's just labelled "tube" it the Kawasaki manual and "breather" in the Clymer one. It exits the left side of the carb about an inch downstream of the choke pivot.

Electric Monk wrote:

...It's just labelled "tube" it the Kawasaki manual and "breather" in the Clymer one....

You are an awesome newbie. You already have referenced TWO manuals!

DO NOT plug the breather! Actually, you can just leave it hanging, or add a venting filter. Just make sure that filter never clogs! I suppose you *could* run it into the pods, kinda like the stock airbox, but it isn't necessary. It might be good for the environment or something...

I don't remember what the extra tubes on the carbs are for, but that's how they are on mine, too. Vents or something so there's not a vacuum lock, I suppose. Somebody correct me!

Thanks ! I should have realized why plugging it would be a bad idea.

Heh, I'm new to bikes, but I've learned my lesson a long time ago about checking the manual when there is one

This brings up 2 more questions :

1) I have the manual petcock which is slowly leaking gas from the lever. This is the one with the diaphragm with 4 holes that is no longer available except as a Honda part, right ?

2) How often do the carbs need to be disassembled ? At the rate I have free weekends in the next month, I'll get the bike rideable just in time for winter, and it seems silly to have to repeat again in spring.

Thanks,

Thanks ! I should have realized why plugging it would be a bad idea.

Heh, I'm new to bikes, but I've learned my lesson a long time ago about checking the manual when there is one

This brings up 2 more questions :

1) I have the manual petcock which is slowly leaking gas from the lever. This is the one with the diaphragm with 4 holes that is no longer available except as a Honda part, right ?

2) How often do the carbs need to be disassembled ? At the rate I have free weekends in the next month, I'll get the bike rideable just in time for winter, and it seems silly to have to repeat again in spring.

Thanks,

Electric Monk,

If it's just a slow leak on the petcock, you can try taking it apart, crimping the circular compression spring a little more and giving it some more great, that may be enough to fix it.

I had to have a new four hole gasket made, at a marine engine rebuilding place.

Thanks,

George