Z1 as a project?

[MrDavo]

Thanks for that, I have a flat surface plate in the garage that I made on a milling machine when I was doing a night school engineering course many years ago.

All the double sided tape is currently stuck on the corners of our furniture to ward off kitten attacks but I can get some more. I knew I couldn’t just take a file to my carefully finished brake pads, this approach makes a lot more sense.

[Green1]

Just lately I'v really fancied a Z and I think today I have worked out why.
When I get home from work my dad has been putting the magic picture box on and watching CHiPs almost every day.

[MrDavo]

Please wear arm protection folks, at least they have gloves on.



Apparently in one episode of CHiPs there's a bandit robbing motorists on a Triumph T140V, they just had to follow him until it broke down.

The sun was out again this afternoon, so I took to the garden to shave a bit off my pads. It took me an age to remove just 0.1mm from each pad on the offside, which was the draggy one. It does turn more freely now, so worthwhile, even if I do get a hard to explain case of RSI in my wrist....  :oops:

[kevski]

 I would have stuck them in my lathe, don't want no RSI.

[K2-K6]

I've still got my apprenticeship made small surface plate, but really wish I had a lathe. Working on cycles with my son currently and so many little bits could be worked with one.

At least you've got just a little more leeway for the pads to fit though.

[MCTID]

Hahahaha regarding your brake pads......you are just a lightweight Mr Davo ! In 1978 I went to work for a small engineering company next to Man Uniteds ground (I had previously worked for a large American engineering company where they had hundreds of the latest CNC Machine Tools - heaven). At this outfit I was building a Shot Blast machine (a big one with a rotary table and as big as a car) but the Drive Shaft of the Gearbox was about 30 thou too big.....it was about 6" diameter. The Boss asked me to file it to make it fit the Drive Coupling........I expressed my surprise - as only we Mancunians can, but he was having none of it and insisted I get on with my filing. It took me a couple of days to sort it out. The next week I got another job.....with my old American Company but at another location. We used to work to 0.0001" there as we used Rolls Royce Avon Gas Generators (basically Aircraft Engines) to power the Turbine Compressors.  Happy daze ! LOL.

[MrDavo]

News from the front, literally as I do all i can with the front end.

First job, once all the brake system was installed was to try and bleed it. All went smoothly, apart from a leak where the hose from the master cylinder meets the splitter block. Tightening the union bolt didn't fix it, what did was moving the cylinder inboard just a bit, so there was no pull on the hose, preventing it from seating square. This is the sort of drama that I'd much rather have now rather than when the bike is finished, imagine getting drops of brake fluid on my freshly painted tank!  :eek



Next job was to fit the clutch lever, you'd think it would be straightforward, but rather than have a split clamp like the brake lever, there's just one bolt and it slips over the bar end. All fine and dandy unless you already put the grip on. This was a beggar to get off again, though I'd want the grips to be a tight fit, having one pop off half way round a bend would not be a good thing. I notice the bars have plastic plugs in the end, when I was classic racing these were compulsory, so no one got hole punched by a handlebar end in an accident. While I was at it I fitted the front indicators and headlamp shell. Other than the obvious ones for the lights and indicators it is not clear what wires need to go in the shell. There is a large round hole in the base, but also a 'losenge' shaped hole above it. I'm not sure what should go where and haven't found a clear photo, can anyone advise?





Although the bike came with the original US market Stanley LHD headlamp, I've decided not to use it, and ordered a right hand drive Lucas H4 halogen one instead, safety trumping originality.

[MrDavo]

The first thing I did this weekend was make sure that my new 7" Lucas H4 RHD headlamp fitted in the old Stanley rim / adjuster ring arrangement, which it did perfectly, once I had cut a seized up retaining screw, the head of which was completely chewed up. I struggled to find a replacement screw until I remembered that I had a new and unused CB750 rim and retaining ring that I'd bought from Germany and found it wouldn't fit, I was able to borrow a screw from that. The screw holes were spaced differently on the CB750, or I might have used the whole set, my Z1A rim has a little patina, but many think that's no bad thing if its original.



I was going to try wiring up the lights and indicators, even considering pinching the battery from my CL450 so I could actually have power in the electrics for the first time. Than I learned why buying the cheapest headlamp connector block on eBay isn't necessarily a wise move, as the ceramic block fell to bits when I pulled it off the old headlamp bulb after I'd tried it. I've ordered a plastic one now, it should be more durable, and at least i didn't have it fail out on the road somewhere.

Anyway, next up I'm considering fitting the coils, horn, throttle cables etc, which will restrict the room around the cam cover. However when I come to ignition timing. starter motor testing etc, the engine is going to be turned over, and having been rebuilt an unknown time ago, it was concerning me that everything might well be bone dry in there. I'd already squirted some oil into the bores (pistons and valves are all new, looking in the plug hole with a torch), but I was concerned about the cams. deciding it was now or never, I whipped the cam cover off. As expected all was dry in there, but no rust, and the cam lobes are all in good shape.



I put a smear of Redline Assembly Lube on the cam lobes, and squirted some oil around the cam bearings, although how much ever gets in the bearing is doubtful until I have oil pressure one day. At least now I'll worry less when I turn her over, I did use the kickstart to get lube all round the cams, everything moved freely, and there was compression with the plugs in.

[Andrew-S]

Looking great Dave and at least you can take the cam cover off without removing the engine.........

Cheers, Andrew

[MrDavo]

This weekend I didn't get a lot of time in the garage, but I wired up the lights, horn, coils,and HT leads with new plug caps also I fitted the throttle and speedo cables.



Now I can open the throttle i have a slight problem with #1 carb. As it comes off its stop there is a noticeable 'click'. Removing the polished top and looking down at the slide I can't see anything fouling, but its not right. Something is catching, either the opening mechanism, the slide or possibly a bent or displaced needle.I am loathe to take the carbs off again to dismantle the carb body, but I may have to if I cant fix it as it is. I may be able to ignore it, but if its not right, now is the time to sort the problem out.  Any suggestions?

[MrDavo]

I got to the bottom of #1 carb sticking. I'm still waiting for a new emulsion tube and needle to show up from CMS, the original tube was slightly bent.

Yesterday I fitted some new odds and ends that arrived from Z Power, like the seat latch and the bracket for the brake light failure switch. I then started on the alternator, the loom is being replaced. Looking at the connections sealed in epoxy I thought this was factory...



But when I had dremelled away the epoxy I don't think so!



My replacement loom has three yellow wires, but from what I can glean from the web it doesn't matter which coils go to which coloured wire. Unfortunately I discovered at this point that my cheap eBay soldering iron has packed up, so I have ordered another one. Each wire comes with a metal sleeve and some heatshrink, I assume I solder both ends of each wire into the sleeve.



I then had a go at installing the NOS points plate, however I found that it doesn't fit over the cam on the advance retard! Closer inspection and a check on the net reveals that it is in fact the trigger rotor for an electronic ignition which I haven't got. I need a points cam, unfortunately the advance retard and its cam is all one part, so I need to either find a points cam or complete A/R unit. Pm me if you have one!

[MrDavo]

A courier turned up this morning - only a week after I sent it to them, my chroming is back from Agbrigg in Leeds! Excellent service and excellent finish - shiny shiny things! The original chrome on the parts was still there when I first got them, but had been polished away over the years to reveal the nickel beneath. Now they look as good as new.



As I'm working from the front of the bike to the back (mainly because I won't be able to get past in the garage once the back wheel is in), these parts have been rewrapped and stashed in the attic, with the paint set and rear wheel. One day i hope to have an exhaust system to squirrel away up there too! No sign yet though.
I was confused to get a Paypal email to say I'd paid Dave Marsden, mainly as I already received the chainguard etc that I ordered from Z Power last week. eventually I realised that my used advance retard unit is on its way, and that the eBay seller was in fact Dave. He also sent me a reduced 'buy it now' offer, completely unprompted - good man!

[kevski]

Originally the wires to stator had a brass crimp and a little solder covered over with the fabric type sleeving, when i replace the little harness i did it the same way and also used shrink sleeve to boot, there would have been a tab to fold over the wires to hold them in place also.

[AshimotoK0]

A courier turned up this morning - only a week after I sent it to them, my chroming is back from Agbrigg in Leeds! Excellent service and excellent finish - shiny shiny things! The original chrome on the parts was still there when I first got them, but had been polished away over the years to reveal the nickel beneath. Now they look as good as new.

Dave ... any chance you can share any chroming prices with us please. I was chatting to the Agbrigg owner at Rufforth Autojumble in August. He reckons he is one of only a few chromers now, that will take on rechroming exhausts (He quoted me £350/side for a CB250 exhaust), without actually seeing it). I did have some wheels rims done by an outfit close to them in Leeds .. The chroming was OK but still the odd tiny pit left .. turns out that Agbrigg do the chroming for them but not the prep. Chroming is a real lottery and I find a lot of places don't do their own chroming, they are just stripping and polishing outfits.

I have never used Prestige in Mexborough but always hear good reports.. They do silencers but only if they drain liquid very quickly. Unfortunately, a lot of silencers have  baffles that are not removable and therefore take a while to drain liquid.

For Honda-4 stators I have some white, glass woven insulation, wire that's the correct conductor gauge. I dye it yellow with a Dylon pen and then coat that with silicone conformal coating spray. It's the closest I can get to the original stator wire type.

[MrDavo]

That is the ultimate in attention to detail, Ash, I can't imagine even the pickiest concourse judge (or potential buyer) asking for the stator cover to be removed to check the connections look factory, but hey, you know its right and that's what matters! I will try a little solder and possibly a bit of a crimp too, trial and error I guess. I am more concerned about the connection of the heavy gauge copper coil wire to the sleeve than the cable to the rectifier etc. There is a small tag in the sleeve which I will use, not sure for which wire yet. My 2 new soldering irons (one large, one small) turned up today so I will have a go at the weekend.

The chroming was £100 plus £10 P&P for the three pieces, I got a quote by email from them before I sent the parts, so there were no unpleasant surprises after the event. As you say, like paint, it's all in the preparation. Agbrigg had been recommended to me by the Z1 Owners club when I was going to get my original front wheel rim rechromed, before someone on that forum saved me wasting a lot of money by pointing out that the Z900 A4 Takasago rim which I had, had the wrong spoke angles for a Z1, as well as (horror of horrors) the wrong date code. As mentioned before Kawasaki code by year and month, I am swapping my A4 spare wheel for a rim which is April 74 same as the code on the swinging arm, but I doubt I'll ever bother to ditch the brand new plain rim I now have fitted to get it 100%, my OCD isn't strong enough to make that necessary. I'll still have the correct rim stashed away though in case the next owner can be bothered. same with the rear, if I ever see the right date coded rim (a long shot) I'll probably feel compelled to buy it. You'd probably best never buy a Z1 Ash, you'd end up chasing the right codes on the switches, torque arm and front disc too! (there may be others as well) And I thought Honda people were being anal about correct DID rim stamps!