77 kz650 rear disc brake

by other threads i believe i may have a frankenstein bike. It is a '77 kz650 with a rear disc brake. I recently tightened the chain. Since then the rear brake began to squeek a tad and eventually, after several miles, now is constantly clamping down on the rotar. The Haynes manual only covers drum brakes. Is there something I need to adjust on the rear brakes when i tighten the chain or is this a coincidental failure.
thank you,
the resident noob

There is no adjustment to the brake itself. When you adjusted the chain did you loosen and retighten the torque link nuts so the torque link doesn't bind? Also, check brake line to make sure it is routed properly and not pinched. When adjusing chain, did you ensure left and right ajusters are adjusted evenly on the swingarm? One other thing to check, though it is unrelated to chain adjustment, is to ensure there is approporiate slack or play at the master cylinder where the rod enters from the bottom. I suggest you track down the appropriate Kawasaki factory service manual for your specific model; they can often be found on eBay. Oh, BTW, what makes you think you have a frankenstein bike? Ed

Yeah it sounds like you have something bound up. As long as the axle is square in the frame and the torque link is free to move when you do the chain adjustment there aren't any more adjustments to do.

650ed wrote:

...One other thing to check, though it is unrelated to chain adjustment, is to ensure there is appropriate slack or play at the master cylinder where the rod enters from the bottom....

Yes. Insufficient gap may result in pads seizing onto rotor.

If rear wheel is brake-locked at roadside, may bleed out some brake fluid to relax the grip and resume wheel motion. Caution: the rear disk will be very hot.

The rod (see pic below) likely has a lock nut to first loosen, then turn the rod itself to gain additional slack, then tighten the locknut.

The slack is immediately taken up when the brake pedal is first depressed.

Good Fortune!

Sounds like you have the 77 KZ650 C Model. C Model had dual front disc's and single rear disc. plus cast rims. Good luck

At bottom of master cylinder reservoir, should be two holes (ports). The larger port supplies fluid to the bore. The smaller (tiny) hole is a relief port which allows the brake to relax when no longer being applied. Sometimes the tiny relief port gets blocked, so the brake remains applied.

Once the brake parts start heating up, then the trouble starts.

Good Fortune!