chain hitting frame

Is the chain adjusted correctly, if it is loose I could see how it could rub. With the bike on the center stand check chain adjustment. I do not have the exact spec for your bike, but for my kz650 you should be able to move the chain about 15 to 20mm when you push up midway between the sprockets on the bottom run of the chain. If yours is greater than this use the adjusters at the rear axle and bring into spec. Also make sure the chain is running straight between the 2 sprockets as this could also make it rub. If these things are correct, then pull the sprocket cover and take the chain off. The only way to really look at sprockets is with the chain removed. At this point you can also check the chain for any problem links or for its stretching. Clean and then lay the chain next to a ruler, compress the links and then stretch them out, if there is more that 1/4 of movement is possible then the chain needs to be replaced.

Boggle who in their right mind would take the belt off a 440, not like it's a quarter mile drag bike that might snap the belt. :laugh:

Oh well, if you have no intention of going back to a belt system the best favor you can do yourself is to cut that tab off the swing arm. If the chain is jumping sideways it's probably because it's catching on that tab.

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You should be able to just put the bike on the center stand, chock the front wheel and loosen the rear wheel axle bolt and adjusters, slide the wheel ahead, drop the chain off the side of the sprocket, undo the swing arm bolt and drop it down to where you can easily get at it to cut that tab off. Then just reverse the process.

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Not sure on the 440, I was never lucky enough to find one with a belt, but on the 750 the swing arm is completely different than all the others and won't accommodate the chain without modifications.

I agree. I'm thinking of going back to a belt drive. In the meantime, I still can't understand what exactly is going on as supposedly it's just take off / bolt on and everything is supposed to be fine. the swing arm is exactly the same. The belt is sounding better all the time. thanks for the input.
hyp

I converted my 750LTD to chain drive with no problems whatsoever. The reason I made the change is because a chain and two sprockets were a tiny fraction of the cost of a belt and two pulleys. Are those parts still available for the 440?

hypnohio wrote:
.... the swing arm is exactly the same....

Not exactly. The '81, '82, '83 440 belt drive bikes all share the same swingarm, but the part number is different for the chain drive. It's possible the only difference is the bracket that the chain is hitting. If you can compare a chain drive swingarm to yours and verify that this is true, removing the bracket may solve the problem. Ed

Hey Ed-
looking at the kawasaki parts diagrams it looks to me like the swing arms are the same part for the A3 chain and the D4 belt, #33001/A.I might be missing something and will investigate further. thanks.
hyp

Hyp,
I looked at the parts diagram for a 1982 KZ440-D4 and got part number 33001-1112 for “Arm-Comp-Swing.” When I did a parts search at the top of the Kawasaki.com page it listed:

KZ440-D3 (LTD Belt) (1981)
KZ440-D4 (LTD Belt) (1982)
KZ440-D5 (LTD Belt) (1983)

Maybe I missed something? Ed

650ed wrote:

...looked at the parts diagram for a 1982 KZ440-D4 and got part number 33001-1112 for “Arm-Comp-Swing.” ..parts search...listed:

KZ440-D3 (LTD Belt) (1981)
KZ440-D4 (LTD Belt) (1982)
KZ440-D5 (LTD Belt) (1983)
....

I concur with Ed that kawasaki.com shows:

33001-1112
Model (3):
KZ440-D3 (LTD Belt) (1981)
KZ440-D4 (LTD Belt) (1982)
KZ440-D5 (LTD Belt) (1983)


The confusingly similar swing arm part number 33001-1121 is shown at kawasaki.com as:

33001-1121
Model (2):
KZ440-A3 (LTD) (1982)
KZ440-A4 (LTD) (1983)

Good Fortune!

Ed/Patton-
I see what you guys mean. Does it matter that the pictures are identical? And also, how did you do the search to come up with such specific parts numbers? Thanks.
hyp

hypnohio wrote:

Ed/Patton-
I see what you guys mean. Does it matter that the pictures are identical? And also, how did you do the search to come up with such specific parts numbers? Thanks.
hyp

Click here > kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...w&catid=13&id=376734

Good Fortune!

I see what you mean about the part numbers, but in the drawings they look identical. How do you search the site to get such exact part numbers? I've been unable to get anything that specific and would like to know how to do it, as it's easy (and frustrating) to buy the wrong parts. thanks

TexasKZ wrote:

I converted my 750LTD to chain drive with no problems whatsoever.

OFF TOPIC:
Really, what did you do about the belt guard? What did you do for an engine chain guard??

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ON TOPIC:
If you don't want to modify the swing arm, you could get a flat chain guide that you could probably mount to that bracket on your swing arm, and keep from further damaging either the mount or your chain. Second row down far left on this page, should be available just about anywhere cheap.

www.scooterparts4less.com/dirt_bike_parts.htm