KZ650 cafe-racer

What a bummer! I feel sorry for your troubles. Finding 40 year old parts in good condition can be sketchy, even more so when they are coming from another country. Best of luck with your cylinder head.

That just isn't right I can't believe anyone could just look at those photos and say it's all good and that they're just old parts! I used to think this sort of thing was very rare in Germany, but a couple of my past experiences coupled with this has caused me to rethink this. I have been more careful about who I deal with recently and will be even more diligent now.

On a side note, get in touch if you need any more parts sent from Germany and you want them checked before they leave the country.

What a bummer! I feel sorry for your troubles. Finding 40 year old parts in good condition can be sketchy, even more so when they are coming from another country. Best of luck with your cylinder head.

It will be OK. I already have set of new exhaust studs plus looking like new chrome plated bolts for cam caps (came from KZ650) and two sets of dowel pins. Today I finished preparing cylinder head for glass beads blasting.

That just isn't right I can't believe anyone could just look at those photos and say it's all good and that they're just old parts! I used to think this sort of thing was very rare in Germany, but a couple of my past experiences coupled with this has caused me to rethink this. I have been more careful about who I deal with recently and will be even more diligent now.

On a side note, get in touch if you need any more parts sent from Germany and you want them checked before they leave the country.

Same thoughts was in my head when I received first answer from seller. I became used to get from German seller parts that pretty fit description, so what happened caught me completely unguarded. Once I had an issue with TourMax intake manifolds that turned out to be no TourMax at all, but that time seller apologized and refunded.

I hope it was the last THAT expensive part for the project. I am just used to not bother people when I could do things on my own:)

gazzz wrote: I hope it was the last THAT expensive part for the project. I am just used to not bother people when I could do things on my own:)

Know the deal - I'm the same.
However, I've never been to Vienna and a ride there on the 750 with a backpack full of parts might be interesting Figure it's about half way.

I don't think I would want to carry a cylinder head for an inline four, in a backpack, on a motorcycle!! :ohmy:

Skidmark wrote: I don't think I would want to carry a cylinder head for an inline four, in a backpack, on a motorcycle!! :ohmy:

Ha! He did say he had all the big parts, but I do have some saddlebags around here somewhere

I don't think I would want to carry a cylinder head for an inline four, in a backpack, on a motorcycle!!

Passenger seat is perfect place for heavy parts. I am used to call Kawasaki Zephyr 750 "cargo motorcycle" as I use this motorcycle to transport all kind of heavy things like crankcases, cylinders, cylinder heads. Not counting raw materials and large parcels.

Ha! He did say he had all the big parts, but I do have some saddlebags around here somewhere

Yep, I am sincerely hope that all heavy parts I already have at hand:)



However, the best parts are self propelling parts of riding motorcycle. Meanwhile, beware of walking head. :lol:

Gazzz, you are a very patient man. I think wars have started over less.
It is sad, but true that crooks are alive and well all over the planet, some pose as governments.

Gazzz,you are a very patient man. I think wars have started over less.

 
Patience seems to be the only way in such situations, even as one wish to make a holy war on crook.

some pose as governments.

Yep, we have a whole bunch of those here in Ukraine.

gazzz wrote: Thank you for good words!

I gladly share information, tips and tricks, however I never share blueprints. If I work out ready product (bolt-on solution which needs no modification of carburetors) I'll inform KZRider community about such option. There are some nuances with bolt-on solution: for instance I found out that outer diameter of intakes of carburetors with accelerating pump is slightly larger than those of carburetors without pump. And VM24 -s are very heavy, so I didn't like idea to leave them mount only to intake manifolds, so I am working on solving this issue too.

Sure, no problem at all ..that is why is better ask first.
Your build gonna be insane!
(btw.. i love the photo, well shot)

I finished previous part of story on a minor note, so let’s make picture a bit brighter in this part.

Remember those rusty camshaft cap bolts?

I have a couple of sets of similar non-rusty bolts, but I prefer to use KZ650 set of bolts. Turned out that original KZ650 cylinder head I have in my possession was equipped with chrome plated camshaft cap bolts. I gave them a bit of cleaning and look, they shine like new:



As for the dowel pins, I have eight brand new dowel pins with the same part number, but these days Kawasaki makes non tapered dowel pins.



However, with assortment of parts in my possession I could pick two sets of dowel pins of tapered design: one of bare steel pins and one of oxidized (or whatever their protective black coating is):



I already have set of brand new OEM exhaust studs:



So I removed all dowel pins and exhaust studs, and cleaned cylinder head through and out to remove old oil depositions and remains of rust in dowel pin holes.

Little hint. Usually I work on used cylinder heads, however I never put them on bare table, even if its workng surface is made of laminated chipboard. I use piece of cardboard or rubber sheet to protect mating surface of cylinder head (even if it has to be resurfaced) as I don’t like to scratch or damage parts in any way. But most of work on cleaning/porting of intake and exhaust channels usually is made with mating surface upward. And it’s essential to protect upper plane of cylinder head as it couldn’t be resurfaced. For this purpose I worked out some kind of legs that I screw in holes of valve cover bolts.



Rubber caps may be put on bolt’ head and in this way treatment of cylinder head became much safer for cylinder head and more comfortable for me.

There were at least two modifications of an early Kawasaki KZ750 (or later KZ650) cylinder head. The early version was quite heavier, had very neat casting and its design was close to early KZ650 cylinder head. This cylinder head is of later model, so one may see traces of cast sprues on its cooling ribs:





They look inaccurate, so I decided to remove them:





I had no heart to do anything to new untouched intake and exhaust channels. Thus, once I finished with cleaning and cast “flaws” removing I washed cylinder head with gasoline:



Then I started to prepare it for glass beads blasting.