Some assembly required. 1996 Kawasaki GPz1100

Nice

Update on this dead kaw.:

The USPS managed to shove my manual into my neighbors mailbox yesterday. At least she didn't find a need for a 96 GPZ service manual and gave it to me instead. :huh:

It looks to be totally unused with no greasy fingerprints anywhere. It does show a little wear as a book might get from riding in a vehicle a lot of miles. I do try to keep books clean myself, but in the heat of the moment, smudges are sometimes inevitable.


Even the page most likely to get greasy (valve adjustment) is totally unmolested.


Just a little "rubbing wear" is evident.


I got a little quality time with my pressure washer in yesterday. I dropped the pan and found a LOT of bearing material in the sump.


I also noticed that #3 piston is broken, but did not get any pics of it yet. Lookie here what I found when I removed the oil filter. Maybe this manual gives the KHI explanation for the fence?

When I saw the pick of that bearing trash in the pan, I was going to reply that I bet it is from the big end of #3, but your comments about piston #3 seemed to make my comment redundant.
Evidently, there is something in the design of the oiling system that causes the crank bearing on rod number three to disintegrate almost immediately any time there is momentary oil starvation. It is common enough that KWIK even designed, assembled and sold a kill switch that would activate if the bike was going down. Sadly, the switch is nla.

TexasKZ wrote: When I saw the pick of that bearing trash in the pan, I was going to reply that I bet it is from the big end of #3, but your comments about piston #3 seemed to make my comment redundant.
Evidently, there is something in the design of the oiling system that causes the crank bearing on rod number three to disintegrate almost immediately any time there is momentary oil starvation. It is common enough that KWIK even designed, assembled and sold a kill switch that would activate if the bike was going down. Sadly, the switch is nla.

Update on this dead kaw because I'm sure inquiring minds want to know.
I received a shiny new MO title in the mail this week with my name and address spelled correctly on the front. I'm simply amazed to get a valid title AND a key to this basket case. :S
I would tend to agree that there is something inherently wrong with the oil / lubrication system in these engines causing #3 to go into melt down constantly. I have searched for a replacement engine rather than the endless parts list of part after part to repair this motor, and they ALL seem to have the same problem mine has. One on fleabay says it has a top end "tick" that I would be willing to bet the "tick" is a broken #3 piston, just not completely shelled YET.

I did take the pistons off of the motor, no biggie since they were just flopping around on the engine after the PO had scattered it all over his garage floor. This motor had multiple problems. The starter chain tensioner towards the bottom of the list.

The nut spun off of the alternator shaft and pressed up against the right engine cover and kept grinding away.



I'm amazed the side cover did not break.


The alternator shaft nut is not the only thing to spin it's self off. I assume this is because the last person to assemble this did not clean the threads and use loctite to hold these fasteners in place. The crankshaft bolt also spun out and sat there eating it's self against the right cover. Both leftie loosie (RH threads) with the crank spinning clockwise would spin them both off, and they DID.


I did manage to find all of the cam caps and bolts in the buckets of parts, cleaned and sorted them all out and put them on the clean head so as to not loose track of them in the mess.


#3 has seen better days:


I did clean it up after I put the wheels back on making it into a "roller" rather than a "dragger". LOL


No room in the shed. Mower may need to go. lol


A shot of the clocks.

That may win the prize for most problems in a single engine.

Update on this dead 96 Zx1100-E1. I ran an ad on the STL CL motorcycle parts section with either selling the bike with title and keys for $1K OR if someone had parts to repair I might be interested in buying them.


Welllllll... I got a call yesterday afternoon from a guy in Wood River Il telling me he had a >complete< 97 ZX1100 engine with #3 rod punched through the case.. I ask him what all is there.. he tells me it's complete, and even the head is still on it... Well, in the hour it took me to gas up and look up the address in my Madison county map book, he had stripped every part off of it he possible could.. Yet another fine individual that gives CL it's "stellar" reputation for honesty and morals.. I only paid $80 bucks for this carcass (offered him 50) , I >should< have walked and I actually had started to close up my truck when he said 80... Hindsight is always 20/20.

I rushed over there thinking of all of the little parts that SHOULD have been there.. valve shims, bolts, washers, blah blah.. "A fool and his money are soon parted". I still got a LOT of parts, just not the ones I need.


And to top it off, the ignition inductive pickup wires were CUT. This a-hole kept saying " the transmission is worth $300.00, if I advertised it on CL". DUH.. yeah I NEED a transmission. Too bad he robbed the transmission cover while I was driving over there.


I got at least 3 used pistons, and 3 hopfully usable connecting rods. I need to scatter this and clean it up to see if anything is usable. Not sure what to do with 2 bad cranks YET.


Not much there, maybe a few usable parts. Nice hole. Crank looks screwed. It's still in the van, leaking oil all over I'm quite sure. :S

Another slow day, so update.. I started dissecting the blown (engine spare) with the extra special crankcase ventilation system. :pinch: I have not fully figured out this 2 pump, ultra complicated, engine lubrication setup with the (2) pumps - left and right georotor pumps. In glancing over the diagram in the OEM service manual, it's no wonder that this engine might have some lubrication issues. What a freakin mess, tubes, o-rings, mismatched passages, and a bunch of orifices to plug up at any given moment :woohoo:

This is an actual pic of the lube system from a paperback oem manual.


And the flow chart. Remember that the #3 rod journal is shucked on both of these motors.


The ventilated engine is totally contaminated with flaking bearing material.. (silver glitter).


Custom crankcase ventilation system. Been copied on many ZX engines. lol


Not sure what I missed, but these cases don't want to separate.. Even after a good beating with a rubber mallet.

EDIT: this pic was taken before I removed the bolts pictured. Since I was unable to get a socket straight on the main bolts beneath the balance shaft, I assume they come off separate of the lower case half.



It was quitting time anyway.

OH MY EFFING GOD :ohmy:

SWest wrote: OH MY EFFING GOD :ohmy:

Exactly my feelings my man! I have been completely ignoring this blown, then scattered at a different address, 96 GPZ1100, while a LOT of tiny parts are still residing all over that garage floor in Florissant MO. Truly a >project< with LOTS of learning a new engine once again. Somewhat of a challenge instead of the usual antiquated engine designs that actually work (while being mass produced). I am just now starting to get into the "project" and learning mode.

I realize this isn't a KZ, but it's still a ZX1100E1 Kaw intervention. The humanity! lol



People have been experiencing these failures, and some not. It is the general consensus that if you own one of these bikes and it is stiill running, it will continue to run.. and vicea, versa.. if your bike in NOT one of the "still running" group.. welll.. You know the outcome already. It does seem that there are a few things that can be done to help prevent #3 from being oil starved during oil changes and such. It seems the big one is to keep oil levels right, since there is ~1 1/2 quarts of oil out in all of those tubes and hoses...



And with a bunch of oil pan mods, but I am just now reading this info.. late bloomer, I know. I just found this site. The post on the oil system date ~ Nov 4/2007

I am just starting to read this, so feel free to read along Steve.

www.zl-oa.com/community/threads/oil-pan-mod-update.6277/

From what I am seeing in the diagram this is #5 is the "J" pipe in the pan. In looking at the lube diagram, the "J" tube feeds oil to the main bearing on both sides of the #3 rod.


It sticks out of the pan, while the "I" tube feeding from the left pump and oil filter outlet then feeds oil to the pan. (I tube not pictured) It flows multiple places in the block and pan from the I tube connection at the filter .


I found the rod cap laid sideways, not stuck. It looks like the rod came apart by those torque to yield rod bolts / nuts coming loose. Not sure if the breaing shucked first or last. The rod cap looks unmolested except for a gouge from the crank nailing it after it came off.

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. Can you find cases and a crank?
Steve

SWest wrote: Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. Can you find cases and a crank?
Steve

The broken cases are the spare junker I bought for parts. It is also a learning tool, so mistakes can be made in disassembly on a broken set of cases.



The original motor is still intact with just the pan, jugs and pistons removed.



This engine is supposed to be a good 6 speed transmission, 3 piston and rod assemblies., schucked crank.. ( too bad it isn't a overdrive setup, or a KZ 1000 6 speed transplant might be in order.)



I need to figure out what to do on the cranks.. It would help if >I< had them both out and able to inspect. Working on it. Money is definitely an issue on this repair.. and with too many stretchy torque to yield nuts / bolts to replace. Open to any parts donations. LOL

Plain bearing lower end. I'd have the internal mod done as suggested.
Steve