Taking a dive! 82 KZ550 LTD Build

Well, i've had my KZ for almost 11 months now. I bought it from a guy off Craigslist in decent condition. It's my first bike and i just started riding a few weeks before i bought it. Sooo, yeah, i'm a n00b and I didn't want to pay for a super nice bike to start.

It looked like this when i got it



Ran OK and I rode it around town for a little bit without many issues. It had some strange idling issues that sometimes were there and sometimes were not. Wish i could explain it but everyone said it was most likely a vacuum leak somewhere but i couldn't find one. The battery wouldn't charge, and of course i found this out after i was stranded... Thus i was hesitant to take it out a lot and then winter hit so i didn't ride at all.

I decided to get my hands dirty and get familiar with my bike. so i took it apart...



Turns out, after much research and confusion, it has a Wiseco Big Bore 615cc Kit int it! Pistons looked real nice after i scrubbed the heck out of them. Bought some new rings and put those on. just popped the jugs back on and am working on valve clearances.



Oh yeah, i decided to paint engine semi-gloss black. Going to file the fins later.

more pictures and info to come.

Anybody know a good place to get 13mm shims on the cheap? Maybe in the Dallas Ft. Worth area?

I'm assuming you had the cylinders honed? Just popping on a new set of rings without a hone will usually lower compression for a long time, especially if the cylinders were smooth.
The old rings probly had a decent seal. Compression numbers?

Shims can be had all over the place. Try Sudco.com

Good luck. Make sure your reading your service manual carefully.

TeK9iNe, i forgot to add that detail. I did have them honed. $12.50 a cylinder @ Texas Machine Works. I haven't checked compression. I've actually never done that before. is there a way to check without the wiring harness hooked up? I'm in the process of rebuilding that...and by "in the process" i mean it's been sitting on my workbench for a month because it looks like the most complicated mess i have ever seen.

Hello forum. I am having issues timing my cam chain... for some reason when i line up the sprockets and bolt them down they click when i turn the crankshaft. I've aligned and realigned about 6 times already! Its driving me crazy. I don't understand why the chain is clicking. If i turn the shaft without bolting down the camshaft guides, it turns freely. Its only when i bolt it down. Not quite sure what to do. Any help would be much appreciated.

Are you using a manual? There is one in my signature.

If not, there is a very important warning you should read about camchain tension:

home.comcast.net/~loudgpz/GPZweb/CamsKZZ...KZZXZR550500400.html

You should not really turn the cams if the cams are not fully installed and torqued. IT can damage parts. Also pay attention to the valve guides to make sure they aren't loose.

When you turn the motor, to confirm timing, the tensioner should be in place and you should make sure to put pressure on the chain in between the cams. Otherwise it may want to jump a tooth. But make sure to remove the tensioner cross wedge when you install the valve cover.

Also, make sure the tach gear is out when installing the cam. It's way too easy for the tach gear to bind and you can break a camshaft that way.

loudhvx, i am using the manual. I did notice the discrepancy that is explained on the link, and adjusted to that. I think my problem is placing pressure between the shafts when turning. The exhaust sprocket is jumping a tooth about every 1/2 revolution. I suppose i will line it up, install the valve cover, give a few turns and listen for any noise. Then make sure its at TDC and double check... sound like a good idea?

Just in case this happens... If you turn the motor forward and it seems timed, but after another revolution is seems to be off, then there is a chance something fell down the camchain hole. I've seen that happen a few times.

Well, i took the cam chain tensioner off and disassembled, looks to be in good condition. Actually, I had a tough time taking the cap off. I had to clamp it down in a vice and use a cheater bar to get enough torque. Works well though.

Now for the headache: I timed camshafts again and put pressure between them as if the valve cover were in place and gave them a turn. Worked great and there was no jumping! Unfortunately, once i put the valve cover on and gave it a spin, it's back to jumping. I guess there's not enough pressure?? After taking the cover off, it looks as if the exhaust side has too much slack from the crank to the sprocket. There's no way to adjust this, right?

In the meantime, I put down a solid first coat of rust-oleum appliance epoxy on my freshly de-tabbed frame. Angle grinder and a wire wheel are my new best friends.



Going to do the mag wheels next. Going for this look


love the wrenchmonkees bikes!

You have your work cut out for you if you're going to make a 4 cyl Kaw engine look like a Honda twin. :laugh:

Hah! No kidding! I meant i'm going for the look of the wheels.

cte.matt wrote: Hah! No kidding! I meant i'm going for the look of the wheels.

I know everyone has different taste, and it's your bike to modify as you like, but in all seriousness the wheels on your bike in your first picture look 1,000 times better than those crappy black Honda comstar wheels. That little bit of exposed alloy silver on your wheels makes a nice match with the alloy on you engine. Might want to think it over before repainting them. Ed

I agree. The Kawasaki Enkei wheels look way better than the Honda Comstars. The Honda Comstars look like they are stamped out of sheetmetal and pop-riveted together... very cheap looking (and probably cheap to make). Honda was always about cutting corners.

On your motor, you should not have turned it over until the tensioner was in place so it could take up the slack before any jumping could happen.

But before you put the cover on, you should rotate the crank at least 3 full rotations (with tensioner full installed and you pressing on the middle section of chain) and verify the timing each time. That makes sure there is no walking.