'82 GPz-750 No Start

This has been a very slowly-progressing project that I've had for almost 3 years now. Here's the cliff's notes on the bike so far:

- Bike sat for years before I got it. Gummed up carbs leaked when tried to start.
- Stripped carbs (except for 3/4 pilot jets, which wouldn't budge), cleaned them out, replaced o-rings, and JIS bolts swapped for SS cap heads
- Replaced battery, rebuilt fr/rr brake master cylinders
- Bike started, but I had to mess with the idle set screw a lot to keep it running when cold (see pilot jet issues above), much better once warm
- Went for a few test rides, and it felt great. Sat for a couple weeks, and it wouldn't start, intermittent spark while cranking.
- Life got busy, bike went on the back burner. Just got back to it.

So, over the long weekend, I swapped in Dyna 3-ohm coils (the green ones), and put in a Dyna S ignition. The spring-loaded weights on the original points setup were gummed up, and the rotor would not turn freely. Took it all apart, cleaned it, and oiled it. Before putting in the Dyna S, I tried starting it again with the original ignition setup. No go. The starter would spin, but the rotor wouldn't. Swapped in the Dyna S, same issue. From reading different threads here, I'm thinking my issue is the starter clutch. It's not really making a grinding noise, but it sounds like the starter is spinning, and the rotor only turns sporadically. I tried using some starting fluid, and it would start up momentarily, but would die immediately. Even though I put some Seafoam in the tank, I'm thinking the pilot jets might have gotten clogged up again in the year it sat. So, I may have a couple issues to tackle.

My question on the starter clutch, if that is part of my problem, exactly how big a pain in the ass is it to rebuild? I've read it's much worse on the 550-750s. I also read something about using the rear axle as a part of the removal, but I'm a little fuzzy on the details. I have "The Bible" downloaded, and the Haynes manual for '80-91 Kawasaki air-cooled Fours, but neither quite fills all the gaps. Now that I actually have my garage properly setup, and I have a little more free time, I'm pumped to finally get this thing on the road. Have a brand new set of tires ready to go on once it's ready.

Thanks in advance, and for all the good info on this site!

The key to getting the pilot jets out is having the proper sized screwdriver. Once you get that sorted if the jets just seem stuck then heat the carb body around the pilot jet threads and squirt some PB Blaster or similar on the jets and let them soak.

Short cuts are long cuts regarding carbs. You might want to review this tutorial and go through it. The carbs are almost identical to your GPz carbs. zeus.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/Mikuni_...Rebuild_Tutorial.pdf

Regarding the starter clutch, there are a lot of threads here in the archives on what to do. It's a pain in the butt but doable without pulling the engine out of the frame. The factory service manual details the process too.

Unfortunately, the only screwdriver I had that was small enough to fit down the bore for the pilot jet didn't have quite a thick enough blade for the 3 jets that were really stuck. When I cleaned the carbs out, I soaked them in a can of parts cleaner overnight, then sprayed the crap out of every orifice with carb cleaner & compressed air. I eventually got the pilot jets cleared out even though they were still stuck in the body. Looks like I might have to take the carbs out, and clean them up again. Hopefully it won't require a full tear down again. And, yes, I used that guide. That is an awesome resource for these carbs.

I'll search again, and see if I can't find it. Thanks for the reply!