75 Z1 project

I called an old bike shop today to ask about my project. This is how it went.

Hi I bought a project bike and Im hoping you'll help me out?

What is it?

75 Z1

Thats a winter project, wont touch it til winter Too busy now

Okay no problem that is my plan also, However I want to get he mc and caliper rebuilt so I can get it rolling when I bring it to you this winter.

Oh Okay, bring your kits and banjo bolts and I'll do it in between other stuff.



Perfect thanks.

The guy is older and crotchety with not so good customer skills I hear. Im happy I got it going. Feeling good

Ventured a bit deeper, asking if I should buy a new rotor? No it wont look good just use the one you got. It won't stop as good but will still work fine.

Kinda fun and funny to me.

Hi Tim,
At a glance, and within the resolution of the pic, the rotor doesn't look bad. Unless it's deeply scored or exhibits lateral runout we'd leave it in service. Providing it's the original rotor (likely), it will have the correct date code on it for the bikes' build date, keeping with the theme of originality.
Clean the swept area with brake cleaner, clean the corrosion spots from the unswept area gently with a kitchen Scotchbrite pad (the least aggressive) & ride. If it's deeply scored but runs true, turning it with an absolute minimum of metal removal is an option. The spec for the minimum service thickness is cast into it on the carrier.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Glad to see you moving forward and glad to see others supporting the idea of leaving the original finishes intact. This probably says more about my little black heart then I care to share but... I would not leave a special vintage motorcycle in a shop for months unless you know these guys really well. As a recent example our Colo Pontiac Club was contacted to help a recently discharged veteran. He had a 65 GTO that he left with a shop to work on when they had time. He did his last tour and came back to chained doors and a nearly bare chassis sitting in the yard behind the shop. Some do it with malicious intent, others just borrow parts to solve a current problem and "I'll get another part to replace it when I have time" kind of thing and the project goes pear shaped. I wouldn't drop it off sooner than you have to and I would check in frequently.

I'd be making absolute sure you're sending your stuff to a legit shop. From what I hear (never sent my stuff to a shop) they take their sweet time on vintage stuff.....parts lay around...stuff gets lost, yadda, yadda, yadda. They just swap stuff out regardless of how rare it may be just so "it works".

You're much better off finding a club (facebook or forums) and have someone show/help you how to fix your bike.

Sweet helmets though!

Hi Tim,
Good advice from the two members above, especially given the rarity due to the complete, unmolested condition of your Z-1.

Few shops are even willing to work on old bikes. Fewer still will have detailed knowledge of Z-1's. Of those that remain, $$$ will be the name of the game.

You had mentioned getting your Mopar running. We had assumed that to mean you're a Motorhead with mechanical experience, good selection of tools (metric is a necessity) and a location to work on the bike. Apologies if we were mistaken in those assumptions.

Z-1's aren't nearly as complex as a car. They're really quite simple. If you can do automotive work, you can do a Z-1. They're the same just different, if that makes sense. Some specialty tasks (boring cylinders, driving valve guides & cutting valve seats in our case) are better farmed out to a shop that has the equipment and knowledge to do them right.

We're not asking you to bare your soul in front of the forum, but ask yourself this; are you capable and equipped to do basic maintenance, R&R assemblies, and perform rebuilds of simple components on a car? If yes, we suspect that you're perfectly capable of refurbishing this bike. A few special tools, accurate documentation and good forums are mostly what you'll need.

And patience. Lots of patience. A good refurb might take 'till next Ridin' season.

This forum and the one in our signature below will get you access to the most knowledgeable Z-1 enthusiasts in the world. We're passionate about these bikes, and we truly want to see them being ridden, enjoyed and remain in-country instead of being exported back the the Orient. Please don't hesitate to ask for assistance.

Now that that's said:
Calipers are easy. The rebuild parts are still available from Mama Kaw. Usually the only items needed are a new piston seal, perhaps a piston if the hard chrome plating is perforated by rust, and maybe new pads, although with only 13K on the bike it's unlikely. When you split the caliper halves, remove the four tiny O-rings from the two bolts first, before trying to remove the bolts from the outer half of the caliper, or else the tiny O-rings are likely to be damaged. Reassemble in reverse order: bolts, O-rings, then caliper carrier w/dust seals.

MC's require a special snap ring tool to remove a truly hateful, buried snap ring that retains the piston assy. There are few tasks on Z-1's that elicit the breadth and depth of language that Z1BEBE hears erupting from the shop than slmjim removing that snap ring. What we often see upon disassembly is, that the MC bore will have sustained corrosion damage, such that even a new piston and seal will usually weep brake fluid into the brake lever pivot area. Honing the bore only works sometimes, if the damage to the bore isn't too severe. We currently have two MC's in the shop that have sustained corrosion damage to the bore, such that it would be futile to rebuild them. We're going to send one each to two different outfits that claim to be able to re-sleeve them this winter. Only reason we bring that up is, if you take the MC to your crusty oi' guy and he says he can't/won't rebuild it, he's been down that road, sees the bore damage and is being straight with you. If that's the case, very good aftermarket reproduction MC's are available.

You had asked about parts. A surprising number of items are still available from Mama Kaw. Z1Enterprises.com and Z1Parts.net are reliable, respected vendors. For oddball fasteners, Fastenal.com is a good source, in our experience.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

This shop has a long history of doing good work at reasonable prices. I will be making it clear to them where I am when I take these 2 parts in. I will be watching them. Yes I have been a gearhead for 35 plus years now so not afraid just making it easier for me and seeing how this shop works for me. The only other work I'll probably have them do is rebuild the carbs and get it running.

My plan is get the brakes working. Clean up the rear end, new tires, new exhaust, then carbs done.

Thats it. Oh the rotor is in great shape. I bought all my rebuild parts and new hoses from Z1.

Where is the best deal in price and quality on a complete stock exhaust system?

Thanks again

Since you're going to have the wheels off anyways, now would be a great time to replace the wheel bearings.

You could use this time to clean up the master cylinder and maybe replace the rubber brake line too. (it's a slippery slope of "while I'm in there)

Yes it is. Already bout all new hoses and a new line too

Update,
Today I took the battery box out to clean it up. That took a while and many bolts to get it out but it will make cleaning up the rear easier.

Question, The steering has a detent in the straight position when turning the handlebars.. Is this normal or is it suppose to be smooth from end to end? Left to right

Smooth all the way thru entire swing side to side .
Install some All Balls tapered steering neck bearings and races. Throw away the factory balls sitting on a bearing race JUNK.
Everyone replaces these as a 1rst mod . even on stockers as a safety concern to help eliminate steering head shake and the dreaded death wobble
Dave

Took out the battery box. What should I do with it as far as paint goes? Sandblast, hand sand and light paint, leave it?

Thanks,
Tim

You'll be happy to hear the guy at the shop I am going to said the exact same thing as you on the bearings. Other things he has said and other people I know make me feel completely comfortable this is the guy. Very obvious he knows these bikes.