TOPIC:

Well my brilliant deduction re the relay shorting out did not pan out. Tested the pressure switch with air pressure and it's not lying, so decided to drop the oil and have a look. I pulled the plug and while the oil was draining a piece of aluminum (piston?) attempted to exit the drain hole but was too big to fit through the hole!
It was probably blocking the oil passage to the pump or the filter. So...
I'm looking for a set of pistons but I'm finding used ones, expensive new ones and reasonably priced oversize kits.

My questions now are;

1) can I use the standard head gasket with these kits as I located a NOS head gasket and ordered it just in case after reading here about not so good aftermarket gaskets.
And.........
2)Is it required to bore the cylinders to the last oversize to install these pistons or do I need an oversize cylinder block? And...........

3)Would it be easier/better to simply replace the motor? I've located a reasonably priced low mileage '79 engine but my concern is the lower capacity sump which Kawasaki increased in later models. Is that just a matter of changing to a later belly pan?

The answers may be common knowledge to you guys but I'm new to this particular animal and as you can see I'm up to my butt in alligators at the moment. Any help on this will be greatly appreciated. And thanks for all the info I've gotten here.

Dogfight

Sorry for your grief. I feel the pain.

First the assumption is it's a broken piston skirt?? I somehow doubt it but anything is possible. Just to provoke thought, it could also be a broken tab off of the clutch basket. Similar shape (thin curved).

If you're thinking about the 64mm kit, I'm pretty sure you'll have to go with the oversize gasket. The "standard oversize pistons" can be used with the stock gasket.

As far as the oil pan, yes they are interchangable. Lots of members have bought the later oil pan and changed out the earlier pans.

Hi Kawboy;
Thanks for all the info. Funny you should say that about the clutch basket piece 'cause that's what my first impression was but I couldn't see how that could get into the bottom end. I'll drop the belly pan today and have a good look at what's in there. Does it make sense that that chunk would have blocked the oil flow and caused the low oil pressure? I'm really hoping so.
Dogfight.

There's a strainer screen on the pick up tube and unless there's a few more pieces stuck up there......... Drop the pan and have a look about.

Anxious to hear what the piece of aluminum is, once you've got the pan off.

When you replaced the signal/running lights with the A/M ones you indicated you had purchased did you also include the two required diodes in this circuit? One in the running-light circuit found under the tail-piece and the second directly connected to the flasher.

Hey Guys;

Thanks for all your advice and support. It turns out that the thing sticking out of the drain hole is not aluminum but plastic, kind of a white colour with chain grooves running along it's length. I'm going to assume that's what's left of my cam chain tensioner guide. I also panned the oil (it's like panning for gold except you hope you DON'T find something.) and there were bits of black rubber-like material which I guess is the remains of a cam roller.
So obviously major surgery is called for and I like to get at it so I tore the bike down to pop the motor only to find that the pan does not want to come off the motor. I've done the dead blow hammer and some gentle prying at the pry tab on the front of the pan but nothing. That pan is really on there. Short of some truly dumb (potentially damaging) approaches I'm really stuck. Yes, I double checked to make sure that all the screws were out and loosened the pipe thing at the front. Am I just being too gentle or what? I stopped for the day before doing something stupid out of frustration. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Dogfight.