Pickup coil gap?

Hello fellow KZ owners! This is probably another annoying ignition system question.

I've been all over the place trying to troubleshoot what is happening to my 82 KZ440.

Long story short, through tearing the engine and carbs apart, I'm suspecting that the reason my bike ran like crap and now doesn't run at all might be the ignition system.
When I first got it and got it started, I had runaway RPMs which I tracked down to air leaks and bad piston rings.
I didn't really ride it, but then it started working worse and worse. First shutting off after being warm then not starting at all. Suspicion is the crazy beat up pistons amd jug.
So I got replacement head, pistons, and valve parts.

Now on to the electrical:

I resistance-tested the stator, ignition coil, and pickup coil.
Stator and ignition coil resistance came in a little above the manual specs, but I'm thinking that's because I have dying batteries in the multimeter.
Pickup coil came in right at 450 Ohms.
I have the engine apart right now for new piston rings and decided to do a quick test and see if I even get a spark.
Here's where it gets interesting:
With the pickup coil and the (timing washer?) installed the way they're suppose to, moving the washer by the coil doesn't produce a spark. Then I waved a screw driver closer to the pickup coil, I got a spark at the plugs...seemed a bit weak but it was blue.

Question is: Is there a gap adjustment between those two parts or is it a one gap fits all and my pickup coil is not really working the way it should? I've read the shop manual for the bike but for some reason it only lists the contact and capacitor system, not pulsing coil.

Any info would be greatly appreciated! I'd really like to get this thing running right

Don't think you need to worry about the gap. It is what it is (set by Kawasaki). If I were you I'd focus on getting a proper hone to deglaze the bores and then clean the carbon off the valves and install new valve stem seals. After that, reassemble the top end and triple check the cam timing and set the valve lash. While the bike is part I'd clean the carbs by fully dissassembling them and soaking in carb dip, followed by installing new O-rings and gaskets. You will need new carb boots and maybe airbox boots too. In other words, do all the various tasks that get neglected on 40 year old bikes. Do all this and very good chance the bike will fire right up when done and off you will go riding into the sunset.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "washer". Do you mean the cast steel rotor-slug that is the pointed part of the rotor?
The gap is roughly 1 mm from the tip of the rotor to the center pole-piece of the pickup. If you set the gap too small, the rotor will collide with the pickup during extreme power events like going full throttle or getting near redline. The crankshaft flex allows the rotor to move closer to the pickup and sometimes collide.

Also, make sure it is in the correct orientation, which is 180 flipped from an inline-four Kz.

If that rotates too slowly, or the magnet or pickup polarity is wrong, it might not cause a spark even if the screwdriver test causes a spark.

This page will have a photo of the rotor for an inline-four Kz. The twins will use a mirror image rotor (or the same one flipped over).
The page will also detail how to check the magnet polarity for an inline-4 and pickup polarity because those can effect operation as well.
The polarity check using a voltmeter will work for the twins as well as the fours.
s3.amazonaws.com/gpzweb/Ignition/PickupA.../PickupAndRotor.html

I agree with Ed (Nessism) the engine should be addressed before getting too deep into the ignition.

If it had runaway RPMs, the electrical parts of the ignition probably work fine. The mechanical timing advancer might need a quick check just to be sure the advancer snaps back easily and firmly.

Hey guys thanks for replies!

The bike is actually in pretty damn good condition from sitting in the garage for all these years. I don’t have one dry rotted piece of rubber on it! Only has 13K original miles. Only problem I’ve seen with it was pistons getting stuck from sitting. The right one is pretty bad and I’m pretty sure somewhat warped. Valve rockers were out of tolerance, Carbs were out of sync and fuel screws were out only one and a quarter turn.
I’ve taken the carbs fully apart and cleaned twice now but I can soak them in too.
I have replacement jug with pistons, new piston rings, replacement valve part of the engine, and a new Athena seal kit. Spending time today and tomorrow getting all the funk and carbon off all of the parts and honing the cylinder walls.

Yes I meant the nut that makes the pickup coil pulse. Gap I have on that is huuuuuge that’s why I asked! Does the pickup magnet come out of the case like a notch? Mine is pretty much flush...did it break off or something?

Did you go to that link I posted? It has a picture of the rotor. The rotor does not look at all like a nut.

Can you post a photo of your advancer and pickup assembly on the motor?

That website has a ton of information! I’ll throw a picture of mine in tomorrow!

Ok. Here is what it should look like.

Here’s what mine looks like.

That ignition pickup is fine.

Athena gaskets are crap. Particularly the green ones.

A runaway idle is almost always caused by vacuum leaks. Primary reason is leaks in the rubber boots that attach to either side of the carbs, particularly the ones on the head. Secondary possible reason could be the throttle cable binding. That's easy to check though (open throttle and release, it should clunk closed forcefully).