Zx550 engine swap complete

Finished my engine swap. 81 kz550 with 84 zx550 engine. Runs great so much faster it will pull the front wheel right off the ground.
I have one issue my oil light is on but full of oil. Does that read low oil or oil pressure? I'm hoping it's just a simple wiring problem but it wasn't on for the first start( that was without the airbox) came on after I put the airbox on. maybe i loosened a wire.

AFAIK the ZX550 engines has only a oil Level sensor (oil pressure Switch?) in the wiring diagram.
Question is, is it an "on = no oil pressure" or "off = no oil pressure" Switch?

Scirocco wrote: AFAIK the ZX550 engines has only a oil Level sensor (oil pressure Switch?) in the wiring diagram.
Question is, is it an "on = no oil pressure" or "off = no oil pressure" Switch?

A normally closed OP switch, the light goes out with oil pressure. (grounds the light with engine off) Is the light on when the engine is not running, then comes on when you start it?

Oil pressure switches normally ground the light and the B+ 12 VDC goes to the other side of the indicator bulb. Also true on most older cars.

It does kinda look like it might be a NO switch, but I can't read the writing on that schematic without downloading it, then enlarging it in picture viewer.

The bike is wired for oil-pressure sensing. The motor is equipped for oil-level sensing.
The two sensors work opposite of each other.
Low oil press is closed. Adequate oil press is open.
Low oil level is open. Adequate oil level is closed.

I think Kawasaki's reasoning was, if the oil pressure light goes on due to lack of oil, it's already too late. So they made it an oil-level warning so you would get an earlier warning. Kz550's rarely have oil pressure issues for normal use ( racing aside), so the main worry is running low on oil.

Your options are to disconnect the wire and have no indicator, or install a pressure switch into the oil pan. or install a pressure switch into the main oil gallery plug, or use the oil-level sender with an inverter circuit. I think the best option is to install a pressure sensor into a plug in the main oil gallery. Someone probably has pictures around here for that. Search Corey Clough's posts. He may have done it. I know he added an oil-temp gauge and maybe a pressure sensing port.

Regarding oil pan options...
You can add an oil pressure switch to the ZX oil pan, but you will have to remove the pan to do it.
You could also install a pan from a 1981 Kz550D1 (Gpz) or maybe even a Zr550B (Zephyr), to have the oil-pressure port already drilled and tapped (and still have oil cooler ports).

Here's a link with all of the oil-pan variations that I know of.
s3.amazonaws.com/gpzweb/OilPans/Kz550oilPans.html

The light is on once the key is turned on. Should go out when engine starts. But now it just stays on. The oil pan is from the zx550. Could it not be grounded? I disconnected the battery and some wires when installing the airbox. Oil moves from the site glass once engine is running so I think it's pumping the oil(I hope) .

If it's just for level I'll probably just remove it.

Quigleyje wrote: The light is on once the key is turned on. Should go out when engine starts. But now it just stays on. The oil pan is from the zx550. Could it not be grounded? I disconnected the battery and some wires when installing the airbox. Oil moves from the site glass once engine is running so I think it's pumping the oil(I hope) .

You are describing the oil pressure light function. But you have an oil-level sensor hooked up.
If you pull the wire, the light should go out.
To get the oil light functional , you will need to do one of the options I described above.

I think this thread covers it. Read the posts by Wozza and Corey Clough.
Wozza adapts a pressure sensor to the main oil gallery at the back of the motor.
www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/607429-fi...-gpz-oil-pan?start=0

Wozza also shows how to add an oil-temp sensor in the old oil-level sensor housing.

I think we have our wires crossed somewhere. LOL

My bike has a NC pressure switch on the oil light, and the level can be seen through a sight glass on the clutch cover.

I would never disable a oil pressure or level sensor. As long as it is there, make it work. Just my $.02.

I have my bike out today, (70* F, sunny). time for some 100 hp therapy. :woohoo:

Now my neutral light is not working it will light up for a second and goes out. Maybe these are related. Guess I'll start tracing wires. This engine swap has been a nightmare. But the bike is so much faster. Well worth it.

Quigleyje wrote: Now my neutral light is not working it will light up for a second and goes out. Maybe these are related. Guess I'll start tracing wires. This engine swap has been a nightmare. But the bike is so much faster. Well worth it.

Mine does that too sometimes. Probably gummed up from sitting. It'll be fine once you work out all the bugs and ride it a bit. Not an easy task swapping motors, you'll be fine.

Have you a ground wiring form the engine case to the frame and battery negative wiring???

Not sure I'll have to check.