Z1 as a project?

[MrDavo]

I won't bore you with the technical stuff from the posts in the Z1OC forum, but basically I have been trying and failing to get the fuel level right in the carbs, it's way too low, whatever I do.

Some sleuthing has turned up that the float valves are too small, and so the needles aren't going in far enough to achieve the correct fuel level. The 'why' is interesting, basically my carbs are nearly a year older than the bike. They are May 73, the rest of the bike, where there are date codes, was built March 74. So you need parts to fit Z1 carbs rather than Z1A, this is where the PO got it wrong and bought the wrong 2.0mm float valves. Whether the carbs were 10 months old when pulled from the parts bin, or whether they were swapped later for some reason, we'll never know. It does make my carbs, as original Z1, worth more, not that I'm breaking the bike for parts any time soon.

The correct 2.6mm float valves are at least available, from Kawasaki, at a hilarious £45 each  (4 required!). The cheap pattern ones all seem to be 2.0mm, for the later bikes. £180 is a bit of a leap from the pattern ones at £20 per set, that said I've never had much joy with non original carb parts - see my CL450 thread, where I ended up cleaning up and using the original carb parts, rather than struggle with kit replicas which just didn't work properly. Unfortunately what I got was carbs rebuilt with all new brassware etc, no original parts came with the carbs, so I can't try swapping.

[Laverda Dave]

Do Z-Power make any pattern 2.6mm valves Dave (or do they have any s/h valves from previous rebuilds)? I've found them really helpful during my Z400J resto.

[MrDavo]

Sadly no, but they have just emailed me to say they have posted the 2.6mm valves.

The only consolation is that genuine valves for later models are £52.95! That said, if you have a later model you can probably use pattern 2.0 ones OK, there are plenty around.

[MrDavo]

Well the float valves turned up, and I immediately got very near with the float levels, then disaster!!

Having bent the tangs (on only 2 carbs, there are separate feeds in pairs) a long way down, when I bent them back I felt them ‘go’, they have cracked. I persevered and ran some solder reinforcement along the float, but another tiny adjustment and one tang broke off completely.

Damn! These floats are totally unobtanium as far as I can see, please keep your eyes peeled for a pair, although the bike is so near finished it’s just a paperweight until I find some floats, I may as well put a dust sheet over it for now.

To make it more interesting my carbs are older than the bike, May 1973 147 3 carbs. Whether they got swapped or had just been on the shelf a long time we’ll never know. The float is part number 16031-024, has curved moulded cutouts on top, not straight, and steel, not brass hardware. Putting the part number into eBay just leads to a pair of later floats which are exactly what I don’t want, some people are taking the p&ss.

I’ll put a photo up later, I don’t know how to steal it from the internet on my phone.

[AshimotoK0]

What a bummer Dave  .. I once  imported some of those early Z1 carbs from Japan once  and they are f**kin expensive.

[K2-K6]

As above, what a bummer! It's a horrible feeling you get when the metal yealds as you know it but hope it hasn't.

Is there anything enough to solder a new made tab to?  Even a compromise in design to give you surface contact could work.

You'd need to heavily tin the new part, slosh something like bakers soldering flux onto original,  then contact solder with a big hot iron on the new part to attach instantly. 

[MrDavo]

I may have found a workround for the broken tangs, the idea was mine, the execution by my mate Mark, he's an ex classic racing buddy of mine, who's into pre war bikes, and therefore making stuff rather than buying it! He has previously got a loose baffle piece out of my CL450 exhaust (also made of unobtanium) using keyhole surgery, and defecked all kinds of crash damage and blowups for me over the years.

Basically, take a strip of thin brass, wrap it around the float 'pipe', then the double thickness where the tang is was soldered together and the strip sweated onto the float This is the result, at the very least worth a try, and if these floats are as elusive as it seems, my best shot! A picture is worth 100 words etc...



I need to polish the marks out of the tangs if I can, otherwise we are ready to have another go.

[royhall]

Nice one Dave. Always good to see parts repaired instead of thrown away.

[AndyD]

Great solution - love it when people get creative

Cheers,
Andy

[philward]

What a good solution Dave - and after the event, a logical solution

[Laverda Dave]

Always good to see a well thought out, executed and permanent repair. In all reality it's probably stronger and better made than the original!

[MrDavo]

The drama I had with the float levels finally sorted out, and the slides bench synched, here are the carbs, complete with pipework, about to go back on the bike.



I got to the stage where to do the remaining jobs (oil & filter, fit the pipes and sort the front brakes) I needed to finally get the bike off the grey plastic box that I have built it up on. I gave my mates a ring on saturday, and behold! we have a rolling chassis (well, with dragging font discs due to the wrong pads). The box is looking a bit worse for wear but surviving well considering I've built a Harley and a Z1A on it.



I didn't have an oil filter to fit when the fame and engine went on the box, so I've been unable to turn the engine over at all. I fitted the filter, and chucked 4L of 10/40 in, and started to turn the engine. I took the plug out of the oil gallery, and peered in. No sign of oil, worrying, my CB750 had dramas at this stage due to an airlocked pump - I had to prime it with Vaseline before it would work. This time I pressed the starter and suddenly the oil light went out. Looking down there was a welcome pool of oil on the floor, from the oil gallery, so I put the plug back in, and at last could turn the engine over in search of sparks. I also fitted a set of the little plug lead number tags, from PMC.



Happy with that I fitted the plugs, next I got the tank out of the attic again to sort out fuel. A big disappointment here, despite new O rings, my genuine fuel tap does not understand the concept of 'off', fuel still drips through. This seems quite a common problem, some research reveals OEM ones to be unobtainable, and most cheap replicas to be a waste of time. I did read however that PMC have upped their game, and found a better source. We'll see, I've had to order one, not much option other than a real cheapo one that I know will be rubbish.

So no attempt to start her up yet, but I've put the exhaust pipes on. A couple of issues with bolts too short, and nuts that don't match the thread on the long bolts, but here's a sneak preview, better pics when I can drag her out of the garage at last. Note that the plastic box is now in service as a box again, with all the remaining Z1 bits. When I bought the bike it filled five large boxes.



Can someone confirm that the four rubber / steel exhaust bushes all go in the two frame brackets, the parts diagram gives the impression that the bolt goes through the bush, then the pipe (see https://images.cmsnl.com/img/partslists/kawasaki-z1a-1974-usa-canada-air-cleanermufflers_bigkar119561216_8faa.gif ) but I don't think that's correct.

[royhall]

Looking good Dave. I had the same issues with my GS1000 fuel tap. In the end I gave up with standard and fitted a mighty expensive Pingel tap. I'm glad I did as it's a top quality piece of kit.

[sprinta]

The drama I had with the float levels finally sorted out, and the slides bench synched, here are the carbs, complete with pipework, about to go back on the bike.



I got to the stage where to do the remaining jobs (oil & filter, fit the pipes and sort the front brakes) I needed to finally get the bike off the grey plastic box that I have built it up on. I gave my mates a ring on saturday, and behold! we have a rolling chassis (well, with dragging font discs due to the wrong pads). The box is looking a bit worse for wear but surviving well considering I've built a Harley and a Z1A on it.



I didn't have an oil filter to fit when the fame and engine went on the box, so I've been unable to turn the engine over at all. I fitted the filter, and chucked 4L of 10/40 in, and started to turn the engine. I took the plug out of the oil gallery, and peered in. No sign of oil, worrying, my CB750 had dramas at this stage due to an airlocked pump - I had to prime it with Vaseline before it would work. This time I pressed the starter and suddenly the oil light went out. Looking down there was a welcome pool of oil on the floor, from the oil gallery, so I put the plug back in, and at last could turn the engine over in search of sparks. I also fitted a set of the little plug lead number tags, from PMC.



Happy with that I fitted the plugs, next I got the tank out of the attic again to sort out fuel. A big disappointment here, despite new O rings, my genuine fuel tap does not understand the concept of 'off', fuel still drips through. This seems quite a common problem, some research reveals OEM ones to be unobtainable, and most cheap replicas to be a waste of time. I did read however that PMC have upped their game, and found a better source. We'll see, I've had to order one, not much option other than a real cheapo one that I know will be rubbish.

So no attempt to start her up yet, but I've put the exhaust pipes on. A couple of issues with bolts too short, and nuts that don't match the thread on the long bolts, but here's a sneak preview, better pics when I can drag her out of the garage at last. Note that the plastic box is now in service as a box again, with all the remaining Z1 bits. When I bought the bike it filled five large boxes.



Can someone confirm that the four rubber / steel exhaust bushes all go in the two frame brackets, the parts diagram gives the impression that the bolt goes through the bush, then the pipe (see https://images.cmsnl.com/img/partslists/kawasaki-z1a-1974-usa-canada-air-cleanermufflers_bigkar119561216_8faa.gif ) but I don't think that's correct.

I can confirm that the 4 rubber/steel bonded bushes go either side of the frame silencer mounting brk holes. The parts book diagram is wrong in the way in which it has shown it.

[MrDavo]

Thanks for the advice about the exhaust bushes, I finally got these sorted properly last night. All I need to do now is to sort the front brakes out, and fit a non leaking petrol tap, then I can see if she fires up! Once ready I'll fit the number plate and get some insurance so I can start to run the engine in. I am watching my emails like a hawk, waiting for notification that the tap is on its way.

Thanks also for the comments, I took these photos yesterday when I was maneuvering the bike to the back of the garage, so I could get my car back in out of the rain.