'78 KZ1000 makeover

Hello everyone! Long time listener first time caller, here to lay my project open to the very discerning KZ public. I will warn you from the beginning that funding will keep this project moving a little slower than I would like, but with all of your motivation and encouragement, move foreward it will! So, we begin.........

I must apologize that I did not take pics of the machine before or during engine removal, as I know that these forums thrive on pictures. I will strive to be more dilligent from now on It would appear that these pics require some downsizing to attach, so bear with me while I figure it out.

Welcome, We will follow your project. Roy

History- I aquired this machine for the hefty sum of $400 last May. It appeared to have been stored outside for a good part of its life, the side covers were held on with bungees, the battery was dead and it had a nasty little headshake if you didn't hold on to the bars tight above 50 mph. But it was registered, started up with one kick and the price was right! The bike ran, and the weather was getting awfully nice for riding, so I was reluctant to tear into it until I absolutely HAD too. After riding it all summer, the worst problem I had was the bike crapping out due to worn out points. A Dyna S, Dyna green coils and some home fabbed spark plug wires left over from scraps of MSD wire and plugs ends fixed that. The current state of disassembly came about because I wanted to check the valve clearance, and it went down hill from there.....

Well, that's a good start with the ignition upgrade... and the starting price was right - you even got to ride the first summer with very little invested.

We all know how funding projects can be an issue, and it looks as though you have a few... is that a small block Porche 914 w/ box flares in the garage?

My 77 kz1000 LTD started out as a 200 dollar basket case. I have saved all of the reciepts but will never add them up. Way too much! I am at the point where if the old girl needs something then i just buy it. Good luck on your project and remember dont get cheap on upgrades to lower end. Do it right while you have it torn down

I thought I had a loose valve, since I had heard a ticking noise from the right side of the valve cover since I purchased the bike. After getting a valve cover gasket, I pulled the valve cover and started checking. Far from loose, I found 4 valves that were much too tight - I couldn't even get my smallest feeler guage in there so (here is where my laziness and murphys law conspired against me)I decided to use the Motion Pro valve tool to pull and check the shims to order the right ones. I DID NOT stuff a rag into the cam chain tunnel. I knew I should, but I thought "hey, whats gonna happen?" -you know where this is going.....Checking the #3 intake, I was putting the shim back in, hit the "batwing" which wasn't seated well and the valve spring popped up, shot the batwing up, ricocheted of the frame back bone and straight down the cam chain tunnel! I couldn't believe it.....If I TRIED to do that 10,000 times I doubt I could repeat it again. Now, I had checked the engine compression after purchasing the bike, and the readings were LOW. 75-130 psi. I knew that I'd have to take care of that eventualy, and here I was, starring eventuality in the face.

Bad Dad - YES, that is a '74 porsche 914 with a 350ci small block chevy and an old Beach Boys Racing (body shop in Venice beach) fiberglass body kit. That car is SCARY if you're not familiar with that kind of power to weight ratio.

Very nice... I know your new to this site, but you have expieriance modding stuff,(noticed a lifted 4X4,a 914, and who knows what else you got hidden in there) I'm sure you'll do fine with the bike project!

Tony

I pulled the exhaust and peered into the head and saw a couple leaking valve stem seals, and probably worn valve guides (the engine has some 75k + miles). I don't believe this engine has ever been apart, and the cylinder was glued to the crankcase. Once I finally got the jugs seperated (dead blow and brass drift), I discovered the inner cylinder studs are exposed to the enviroment. At this point, I had reserved myself to rebuilding the top end, but did not plan to split the cases. The accumulated course sand, dirt and small pebbles built up around the studs then sloughed down and into the crankcase. Great, now I have rocks inside my engine! Murphy strikes again.... Here is a pic of the dirty, disassembled lower crankcase before cleaning.

I dropped the cylinder off at Ape to have them bore and hone for a 1075 kit. APE was kind enough to bead blast my cylinder, as it was in bad cosmetic shape like th rest of the engine: oxidation, 32 years of grime and oil leaks make for ugly aluminum. I began trying to clean the cases with brushes and solvents, but I was not getting too far, and I wanted the engine to look new again. I began searching for alternative cleaning methods, and had settled on soda blasting when an alternative popped up. Here is my oil pan after 2 hours of scrubbing