kz1300 banner

79 KZ refurb

  • bonyt
  • bonyt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Posts: 7
  • Thanks: 1

79 KZ refurb

3 weeks 2 days ago
#34606
Finally started the restoration on a 79. Under 40k kms, early bike. 
So far, I have removed the exhaust and separated the mufflers from the header/collector so I can clean them up, paint the collector, new gaskets, etc.  (The removal of the mufflers was a job in itself)
The swing arm has been removed, old bearings/ races out now, waiting for new bearing set.
The rear drive was disassembled, gave it good clean in/out and sealed back up with new fluid. The bearing and seal are still good, the original has not been removed as far as I can tell from the staked flat head screws.
All brakes disassembled, new seals and O rings installed, pistons still in great condition, unbelievably.
The carb rack was removed, disassembled, new carb kit purchased, The carbs had at least a can of carb cleaner blasted through every orifice, They are clean, clean, clean.
Everything pretty much done, except for removing the needle jets, still need a long circlip plier to get those deep circlips off.
I want to see if the single position needles are still in there.
Put the 3 nitrophyl floats into a glass jar with a bit of weight on top, I want to see if any fuel gets absorbed, if it does then will need new floats.
Anyone know how long it would take for fuel to be absorbed into the floats if they are in fact not good. The bike has been sitting dry for 36 years, since 1990 in fact.
From reading the forums, I see that member Scotch makes new brass floats. Thinking it might be wise to just get new brass floats. Any thoughts?
I'll get a few pics uploaded soon. Cheers.

 

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Kawboy
  • Kawboy's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Sustaining Member
  • Sustaining Member
  • Posts: 3217
  • Thanks: 1182

Re: 79 KZ refurb

3 weeks 2 days ago - 3 weeks 2 days ago
#34609
Nice to hear another bike being restored. Kudos !!  
as for those nytrophyl floats- if they are not garbage yet, they will be sooner than later. Just pull the pin and grab a set of Scotch's floats while the gettings good. Send him a private message (PM) with your address so he can reply with a price. He needs the address to calculate shipping. He will reply.  Usually all in i think it's just over $100 CDN.

Good luck and keep us posted.

KB
Last edit: 3 weeks 2 days ago by Kawboy.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • bonyt
  • bonyt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Posts: 7
  • Thanks: 1

Re: 79 KZ refurb

18 hours 21 minutes ago
#34654
Here's a few pics so far.
These were a bugger to separate, had to scrape the gasket material out of the joint, peeled the flanges back even further than the pic shows, used heat, lube, and a bigger hammer. Finally got them apart.
 

Refurbed the rear master, actually in decent shape, although gummed up. The bore was clean, and the plunger will clean up nice. 


Disassembled the carb rack, for a deep clean and a new carb kit. Main jets are 110R. The small pilot jets were in there real tight, in fact much too tight. I used a perfect fit screwdriver and still wound up with a difficult time to get the jets out after the heads of the jets were distorted. Only the middle carb was I able to get the jets out without issue, the other 4 took time. 
Used a lot of carb cleaner and compressed air to get all passages cleaned out.
 

Disassembled the final drive, lots of crud in there, but otherwise in great shape.
   

Took out the old nitrophyl floats, and although they hadn't absorbed any fuel over the 5 days I had them submerged in a jar with added top weight, I decided to get a set of Scotch brass floats.
Here's one installed,
 
All three had a solder blob on the underside of the float, is this part of the manufacture process or a mistake repaired?
 

Lots more to post, later 
 

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Kawboy
  • Kawboy's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Sustaining Member
  • Sustaining Member
  • Posts: 3217
  • Thanks: 1182

Re: 79 KZ refurb

14 hours 44 minutes ago
#34655
Coming along nicely..

Your question on the blob of lead on the barrel of the float. You'll find this on every brass float manufactured. A small vent hole is required to relieve the pressure inside the float when its heated up to solder on the sides of the float. If the hole wasn't there, as you close in the final part of the solder joint, the pressure inside the float will blow out the solder. When you go to close in the vent hole, the float is heated up to expand the air in the float and as it starts to cool down, you quickly fill in the tiny vent hole and allow the slight vacuum that developes to pull the solder in. Typical vent holes are 1/64" (.015").
The following user(s) said Thank You: scotch

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • bonyt
  • bonyt's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • New Member
  • New Member
  • Posts: 7
  • Thanks: 1

Re: 79 KZ refurb

12 hours 45 minutes ago - 12 hours 44 minutes ago
#34659
Thanks for the clarification on the solder blob, makes sense.
Is it necessary to do the wet float test or are the brass floats already set up at the proper angle?

Got my deep reach 90 degree circlip pliers today and used them to get the circlips off the carb
slides to replace the needles. It looks like all the needles had the tiny circlip in the 3rd slot position. Didn't get a pic.
Got the carbs back together, and was doing a static setup on the bench.

Got a few questions re: the static setup.
   

The stop has no clearance, the idle gap is .55 mm per the manual, and fast idle adjusted to accomodate the closed position on the stop.
Then the choke set at the highest position opens the throttle valves to provide necessary choke. The synch adjustment screw/nut I had turned in lightly to bottom and then turned back out 1.5-2 turns.
I also set a .006" gap at the throttle plates without the choke as a baseline. The choke opens the throttle valves, but closes to idle position once I get it past highest point on the cam.
It seems that the idle adjustment knob won't have an effect until I take up that .55 mm slack.
In saying all that, I'm not sure if I have this static setup correctly done.
I did read a bunch of threads and the manual, but it's still not clear 100% .
Any help appreciated.
 
Last edit: 12 hours 44 minutes ago by bonyt.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: dcarver220b
Time to create page: 0.167 seconds
Powered by Kunena Forum