Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => Other Bikes => Topic started by: Laverda Dave on January 12, 2021, 12:50:54 PM
-
Hi All,
Well, now that I'm locked up again for the foreseeable future and unable to continue with my volunteer tour guide work at the Battle of Britain Bunker and the Bee-keeping is now also in hibernation I needed to look around for something else to do.
The Triton rebuild I have previously posted about has now come to a complete stop due to being unable to rescue the parts I have in for chrome and zinc plating (it’s been 11 months now), and I need some serious machining work undertaken on the barrel but I am unable to visit the engineer to discuss the work.
My Brother in Law who lives 90 miles away wanted me to finish off getting his inherited 1981 Kawasaki Z400J1 running. As I couldn’t go there he sent the bike up to me via a courier. I’ve posted previously about this bike and its history via another thread:
http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php/topic,21367.0.html
When I put the bike on the bench I could see it was in a bit of a sorry state cosmetically. I thought Honda frame paint was thin but Kawasaki took it to another level, it’s not even tissue thin, it appears to be one very quick pass of a spray gun and that was it. The rust is actually coming up from below the paint and causing the paint to flake off in large patches. The engine paint is also really poor, bubbling and blistering and just falling off when I tried to clean it with soap and water with a soft brush.
What with all the above and rear shocks that were so rusty on the piston rods there was no oil left inside them and the petrol tank having serious rust issues on the seams and the same with the front mudguard it was time to bite the bullet and strip the bike. So the BIL has decided to go-ahead with the restoration in memory of his late father who purchased the bike in Guernsey whilst on a week’s holiday (PX’d a 250 Superdream for it). It’s a great shame the bike has ended up in the condition it’s in considering it only has a genuine 350 miles on it, it was never fully run in!
So, the engine is now partially stripped down as far as the crankcases, this will make it light enough I hope to enable me to lift it out of the frame. I have labelled, bagged, taken photos and made copious notes of everything as I’ve stripped it. I will repaint the cases and get the frame and all brackets etc powder coated. I’ll send the zinc and chrome parts off to Allen chrome in Hull as he seems to get some good reviews by forum members so worth a try.
My first impressions of the bike are it’s so heavy and over-engineered! The rear shock mounting bolts for example are 17mm, Honda 400/4’s are 14mm, the castings are also a lot thicker and heavier, the cams also have separate bearing caps and a cam cover!
I know it’s a Kawasaki and not a Honda and it’s got two cams and not one but I guess it’s always good to read about a restoration in the winter to keep us all going. And remember, this is the bike Kawasaki thought would be a successor to the Honda 400/4.
I’ll post progress photos as I go along, here some for now.
Dave
-
A few more
-
Really looking forward to posts on this Dave. Such a shame that it has corroded so badly and interesting to compare with the Honda model.
In the early 80's a lad at work dropped his Yellow 400F at low speed and even though the damage was only a dented tank and a torn seat plus mirrors and other very minor damage plus less than 10k miles, the insurance company deemed that the new parts were so expensive that they wrote it off. I bought the salvage, swapped over a tank and seat I had already, refitted the original air filter system and I was away. Sadly about six months later it was nicked from where I worked. The lad I got it form, decided he had had enough of Honda's and bought a Z400J, which he said he really enjoyed riding, although personally I much preferred the Honda (not it's replacement the 400T though, give me the 400J any day). At the time I didn't even know that the 400J existed and if they did sell in any quantity over here, I have never seen one since my mate at work had one. Not sure if it's true but I think I heard a few years ago that they are much sought after in Japan ...... but that may be cobblers.
-
I have it in mind Suzuki did a 400/4 for a bit too or is it a case of dodgy memory.....
Yes Dave bring it on lets follow this!
-
I think the GS400 was a twin.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
I know there was a twin but something is saying a 4 too??? Was it a GSX 16 valver?
-
Bless Google[attachimg=1]
-
The Z400J was basically a sleeved down 500 .... and they stretched it to a 550 as well. So the 400 is very understressed. I had one back in the day, and it was a tough old beast. But...yes...the cosmetics were awful in terms of paint quality. It was a good solid everyday machine.
I had a GSX400F as well. Loud Alfa pipe...it was a buzzy little thing, but fun in the right conditions. I took it on a weekend trip from London to Aberystwyth...and I was utterly shattered when I got back. It was never in the power and never in the right gear on the twisties, or on the main roads. Was the first and only bike I have had with a gear indicator on it. Oh..look..I'm in 6th.... I didn;t care then...and IO wouldn;t care now! Had a sticky cam chain tensioner....which meant you would start it up one day and it was smooth and silent. Next day...it would rsattle like it was about to die! I convinced myself it wass a baby Katana...and lived with it until something better came along!
-
A bit more progress today aided by a packet of fig rolls!
The head came off with a few taps. I fully stripped it and cleaned all the parts in the trusty parts washer. All now left to dry overnight before bagging up. No wear at all in the barrels and they still have some feint honing marks. I cleaned the top of the pistons while the barrels were still on (same with the combustion chambers). A big sigh of relief when I found no rust in the bores and none of the rings were broken or stuck in the pistons after spending 39 years in the same place in the bores!
Tomorrow will be more stripping of the engine and removing it from the frame. Only issue so far are removing the gaskets, Kawasaki must have invented superglue, they are stuck fast and take a good soaking before they even start to give up their grip on metal!
A question for anyone who knows about Kawasaki's, can the rubber pucks on the end of the cams be reused or should they be replaced? They are held in with liquid gasket.
Ash, I checked out a few Japanese websites, appears that even ratty Z400J's sell for upwards of £7k! Problem is these are dealer prices and then there's to £2k shipping costs etc. I hope the bil will want to keep it and get a bike license to actually ride it!
-
Are you meaning the half moon bits held down by the rocker cove? If dont ever remember changing any BUT these are now a lot older!
-
That's the ones Bryan. They are still pliable hence my question if they can be re-used. The motor has hardly been used so maybe it's because they've not been through endless heat cycles they could still be useable. The cam chain tensioner system is of an industrial
scale compared to a Honda 400/4!
-
If they are still pliable, then they should be fine. Just so long as they keep the oil in.
-
Seems that the rumour i heard was true ;)
http://motorcycle.goobike.com/motorcycle/bike/stock_8201718B30200
[attachimg=2]
[attachimg=1]
-
I've made some major progress over the past few days.
The engine cases are now completely stripped with all parts being checked and no wear found (I'd be surprised if there was any with only 300+ running in miles completed since it was new)!
Everything came apart easily although unlike a Honda gearbox using large circlips to retain the bearings Kawasaki appear to use an interference fit. No problem, plenty of heat from my gas torch and they fell out. What was a big surprise was the quantity of the case jointing compound both under and in places, on the shell bearing surfaces. All the internal engine parts have been through the parts washer, dried, bagged and packed away ready for the rebuild. I've had to make pages of notes, measured every nut and bolt and taken more photos than a wedding album.
The contents of the sump was very thick and grey in colour like a bike that has never had an oil change. I've put this down to it being either running in oil (did Kawasaki put running-in oil in their bikes in the 70/80’s, I never had a new bike so wouldn't know?). Anyway the sump came up like new.
The engine cases are going off on Monday to be vapour blasted. I know what you are thinking but the company I use are meticulous and I've never had a problem but then again I wash the engine 2 or 3 times when I get it back to be absolutely safe. After blasting they will be painted black.
The frame is also stripped down and I'm in the process of degreasing everything before it goes off for powder coating. I was going to get it stove enameled but the cost will probably be a lot more and as the BIL is paying, the costs have to be kept tight.
Whilst the bike looked good from a distance up close you could see it was rough in places. This became really clear as more parts were removed, even the clocks that looked good have rust all over the bevels beside the glass.
A couple of questions now to see if you've been paying attention ::)
Does anyone know where I can get a parts book for this bike (or a download of one)? CMSNL don't have anything and neither do Z-Power. With a parts book ordering spares is a problem especially O-rings as the old ones are really compressed. I need a couple of 10mm Crankcase bolts but I don't know if they are high tensile, made of cheese or whatever!
Case jointing, the compound Kawasaki seem to use is like instant gasket although black in colour. I was going to use Hondabond in the rebuild simply because I have some, would it be ok to use it?
Ash, your theory about these being big in Japan is correct, these go for £7k+ even in highly non original form.
More updates as and when.
-
Looking good ...yes we are paying attention Dave ;D ;D
I would imagine Hondabond will be fine.
Bit pricey but parts bok for sale here
https://www.ebay.com/itm/KAWASAKI-Z400-J-J1-J2-Z400J-Z400-J-PARTS-LIST-CATALOGUE-CATALOG-/202284853616
-
Laverda Dave, when you talk about bolt sizes in a couple of posts, 17, 14 and 10mm, you're talking about hexagon, ie. spanner sizes, not thread sizes I take it.
-
Dave,
Looks a great base for restoration - will be good to see how it truns out.
I've had vapour blasting done a few times and I think the key is if there are any inaccessible dead ends, how clean the parts are before blasting (avoiding grit traps) and very careful cleaning afterwards. Most recently used a guy in Slough and they seem to do a really good job and parts come back really clean. I did try on one engine to bung up all the possible grit traps with silicon bungs and this worked to a large extent with only a few being dislodged during blasting. I then spent hours cleaning, flushing and blasting air through everything possible. There's always a small lingering doubt that some grit remained but fingers crossed and the results are aesthetically really pleasing.
Had a look in my fiche collection and I've got a few for the Z400J and happy to scan one assuming the scanner and PC still work (always mention that as the kit is quite old and sat in a cold garage!).
I've got 3 fiches as photo -[attach=1]
It takes a while to scan and save the fiches but if you have an urgent area you need first I can always scan a couple of pages quickly and follow with the full fiche if that keeps things moving for you.
Cheers,
Andy
-
Laverda Dave, when you talk about bolt sizes in a couple of posts, 17, 14 and 10mm, you're talking about hexagon, ie. spanner sizes, not thread sizes I take it.
Hi Taysidedragon, yes, I normal quote by spanner size but.........I was asked the other day for the tread size as I was unable to provide a part number! The flanged bolt I need has a 12mm head with a 8mm thread size. I have been asked for a thread size before when I was restoring the Morini. The bolt that hold the petrol tank on has a 10mm spanner size, this normally equates to a 6mm thread but on this bolt the thread size is actually 7mm.
AndyD
Thank you for your kind offer, that would be a lifesaver. It's the engine parts list I am after most as that's where I need the O-ring sizes and part numbers for the bolts etc. I tried to place an order with CSMNL as although they dont show the bike in their parts list they do have a printed copy they can refer to. Sounds great but you cannot converse with them by phone only raise what they call 'a ticket' via email. I then had to try and explain the locations of the O-rings and bolts I needed via an email. After waiting two days for a response they said I need to advise them what page in the parts list the part was on! I gave up, if I had the page myself I could have given them the part number ::). I'm not sure if CSMNL are going to hike their already expensive prices even higher now we are out of the EU?
Ash, thank you for the link, I hadn't seen that listing, I did see one in the USA but it was over £40 exc shipping. Aas its not my bike (or my money) going into the restoration I dont think the BIL will be intrested in spending even more money especially when I tell him the news about the rusty clocks :(. Hopefully though AndyD has come to the rescue :).
I forgot to mention in my update yesterday what I found with the piston rings. When I carefully pulled the barrels off I checked the rings for sticking. They were all 100% in top health but.....on three of the pistons the gap in the top ring was directly +/-5deg in line with the second ring gap! Same applied to the oil rings, none of them were more then 30deg spaced from the ring gap above. All the piston rings were between the 9 & 1 o'clock positions on the pistons. I have been told to gap the rings out at 120deg and three part oil rings at 20mm gaps. Kawasaki must have had a fast production line going and the engine assembly line must have struggled to keep up with demand?
I can also see why Kawasaki are called Kawasaki Heavy Industries, everything on this bike is big and heavy. I need to compare the kerb weight of the Honda 400/4 with the Z400. I know the Z400 has DOHC and the engine will obvioulsy be heavier but its also heavy everywhere else as well from bolt sizes to casting thickness. All the frame brackets and made of thicker material and there's a lot more of them (something like 25 in total). It is a very interesting bike to work on though especially with it being Japanesse and comparing it to a Honda as opposed to my Jota, now THAT really does have some serious castings and weight to it :o
Thank you all for the help and advice so far.
-
Dave, any supplier of metric fasteners will list them by thread size and pitch. Then different head types, sizes and lengths.
Most hex heads are a standard size, but small heads are used quite a lot on motorcycles. Either for access or just a 'special fastener because they can.
A steel rule, vernier caliper and a pitch gauge are workshop essentials to work on these bikes!
ps. People like Probolt do a little measuring gauge with holes and pitch gauges for working out what you need if that is easier. 👍
https://www.pro-bolt.com/progauge-bolt-measuring-tool/
-
Dave,
No problem.
Do you know which fiche is the best for your bike - from the 3 pictured it shows 1980 as J1 and 1981 as J2?
Cheers,
Andy
-
Andy,
The bike is a 1981 model so it's a J1. I think the only difference between them was the front brakes were changed on the J2 onwards and the paint colours were constantly changed as they all were back then!
Thanks for your help with this.
-
Dave,
Good news - the scanner and PC fired up despite the cold garage and I managed to scan the full fiche in reasonably quickly.
The file is just about 10mb total - can email across if you let me know address etc.
Quality varies hugely on the scans of these old fiches but if any important bits aren't legible on any pages let me know and I can check if it's clearer on one of the other fiches.
Cheers,
Andy
-
Although things appear to be a bit quiet with the restoration and I haven’t posted for a while a lot has actually been happening behind the scenes!
The frame has now been blasted and powder coated by Microblast in Windsor (they advertise in Classic Bike) and its due back with me on Monday. All the zinc I sent off to Chingford Tec on the recommendation of my usual plater who is currently off sick with claw hand (a nasty affliction to get if you are a polisher). I am due to get these back on Monday as well. The outer engine cases have been polished although not to a mirror shine as I want to keep the bike ‘stock’ looking.
I have spent the last three days hand sanding the rims and spoke edges of the wheels with wet and dry to remove the corrosion from the alloy but without rubbing off any of the surrounding black wheel paint. To say it’s been laborious is an understatement! 80, 180, 240 and 400 grades used in succession. Removing the old tyres was a nightmare, being the originals and 40 years old and after being stored in a shed with no air inside them left the tyres vulcanised to the rims, I could not break the seal no matter how I tried. In the end I had to cut the tyres with a hacksaw to allow me to get inside and prise them off! Still, the wheels are nearly done now and they are starting to look good.
I have ordered a set of Bridgestone BT45 tyres from HGB as they look suitably old school and will be getting these fitted on Monday as well. Once the tyres are on I will give the alloy a final polish with Solvol. With regards to the wheel paint, the Kawasaki applied black paint has been applied to the rough castings of the wheels and the paint is therefore flat. I have cleaned the paint with engine cleaner to get the grime off but I’m not sure what to do to bring the paint back to a nice black finish, I tried car wax but that just dries white as the casting is so rough below the paint finish. Does anyone have any ideas how to make the black paint stand out, I was going to try furniture polish as it contains silicon and doesn’t need rubbing off? Suggestions welcome if anyone has any :).
Piki (Redice on here) is making some new decals for the tank and tail piece after I managed to get a small piece of the original off using a hair drier and brute force. Kent 400 is going to refurbish the speedo and rev counter as the paint on those has corroded and I don’t fancy trying to separate the top and lower sections without the proper tools and know-how.
Hopefully I can get to work on the front forks over the weekend, like everything else they are full of accumulated grime. I drained the fork oil out yesterday, it was rancid!
Thanks to Andy D on here for scanning and sending me the parts list. I was able to order all the spare engine and frame parts I needed from Z-Power quoting the original part numbers, this made life really easy and took the guesswork out of ordering parts that may not be correct.
Unfortunately the proposed repaint of the tank, mudguard tail piece and side panels will now blow the budget, I’m about £250 over my original estimate (made before I undid a single nut). I think it was a bit of a risk just to get the tank and front mudguard painted without showing up the rest of the paint and especially as it’s a metallic colour, Kawasaki Grand Prix Silver. The BIL is pretty relaxed about it though and agrees it’s better to do a complete job so I’ll crack on for now.
In the meantime and when it gets dark in the evenings, I am busy completing the NOVA and writing a letter of explanation to HMRC as to why no import tax was paid 40 years ago when the bike arrived in the UK from Guernsey. I spoke to a very helpful lady at HMRC who advised me exactly what to do and why I should write a letter of explanation. I normally dread calling HMRC but on this occasion it was a real pleasure.
I’ll post some progress photos next week once the frame is back.
-
Sounds like good progress Dave, and quite a fair amount of work for you.
Black paint on wheels, I use things like this on black finish surfaces of anything thats not polished paint.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTOSMART-HIGH-STYLE-TYRE-SHINE-SILICONE-DRESSING-VALET-500ML-BOTTLE-TRADE-USE/283584527221?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=283584527221&targetid=1139674279347&device=t&mktype=pla&googleloc=1006886&campaignid=12125451284&mkgroupid=120711383910&rlsatarget=pla-1139674279347&abcId=9300480&merchantid=113623010&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_uSAnLGI7wIVkgCLCh1iCwW5EAQYDSABEgLw6PD_BwE&pageci=22da20d6-5473-4f15-8f61-28332dad94f4&redirect=mobile
If you have polish white residue on the black you can use a stiff bristle brush with this to get it in the nooks and crannies.
-
Thanks Nigel. I have a bottle of tyre shine in the garage that is silicon based so I'll give it a go. I used it on the MX5 to dress it up before we sold it, never thought of using it on anything other than car tyres so will give it a go.
-
Interesting restoration project, when I owned a Suzuki 750GS I was very disappointed in how rusty everything steel became. All the handle bar fittings etc went rusty. Clips springs cable ends you name it and it rusted. Bought it as a part exchange against a private car sale. Sold it after 3 months of summer use - put me off the brand.
-
At last some progress I can actually see!
Unwrapped the frame in the garden today and gave it a clean to remove any blasting grit that may be lurking. I'm very impressed with the finish, no runs, blobs etc anywhere. I placed old bolts in any threads as advised by Alan (MCITD) and this saved a lot of time. Microblast in Windsor get my recommendation, this is the third frame they have blasted and coated for me over the last 5 years. This one with everything included and 30 odd brackets was £280.
I fitted the hardest part first, the main stand and spring, luckily I placed washers between the spring coils before taking it off so another lesson learnt the hard way previously put into practice!
Next up was the lower and upper yoke and ball bearings. When I stripped the bike there were 19 upper and lower ball bearings but the parts list specifies 20 lower? Anyway I put 20 back despite only 19 coming out (and this bike has never been apart) maybe someone couldn't count on the Kawasaki production line (and that will explain something else I found during the strip down but that is for another day!).
Whilst all the above was going on the main loom was in the dishwasher. This is now hanging up to dry.
Next up will be the forks and the wheels that I spent three days rubbing down and cleaning.
This is the part of a restoration I like, when you can see a result for the hard work.
-
Looks that they've done a nice job there Dave.
Like the sheep in the background too :)
Also think the cast wheels on these are some of the best looking of the manufacturer kit of that era, believe they are Morris mag copies.
-
Looks brilliant Dave ..that's going to be one rare bike when finished with such minuscule mileage.
What are your plans for the exhaust system. On the 300 mile CX500 I got from, a very wet shed, it was heartbreaking to see both silencers totally rotted out at one end but the other end being so clean inside that there was hardly a mark on the original grey internal coating. They are pretty thick walls on the CX silencers too.
If this is any good .. if it is I can't see why DK have such a low price on it. also just noticed they have TWO R/H ones listed ????
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawasaki-Z400-J-Z550-B-1980-1981-Right-Exhaust-Outer-Downpipe-Collector-Can/313346016012?hash=item48f4e0c30c:g:Xm8AAOSw2slf2kAg
-
Funnily enough Ash it was the exhausts that were the cause of the restoration! The BIL had the original pipes replated as they had rust spots over them. When he paid his £600 🥴 to get them back for me to fit they really showed up the rest of the bike as in they no longer matched the rust on the tank, the paint flaking off the engine and the corroded wheels. It was after this he agreed to the restoration. So....the exhausts are now perfect and the rest of the bike is being restored around them, how unusual is that, normally genuine exhausts are the one item that will hold a rebuild up due to cost and rarity! So far I've had to buy two non original bolts and an exhaust collar that went AWOL at the platers.
-
Nice one Dave ... Any chance you can sharing the name of the company who did the chroming with please?
-
It was Hampshire Electroplating in Southampton Ash.
The finish was good but no pit marks were filled prior to the final chrome plating. Unlike the chrome plater who I used near me who was ultra fussy in a very good way but who now sadly is so overwhelmed he cannot meet demand. He is also off work for months having developed Claw Hand which is not good for a plater. I'm still waiting for my Triton parts that have been in the shop for over a year now. I tried at least six other chrome platers and not one of them want's to touch old chrome at the moment.
However, I have found a zinc plater recommended by my chrome plater (and as I said, he's fussy so wouldn't recommend anybody unless they are good) called Chingford Tec in Maidenhead who did a superb job on all the Z400 zinc parts (an exhaust collar and brake disc bolt have gone AWOL though). They do silver or gold finish. They also do vapour blasting and can paint engine cases. Microblast in Windsor who powder coated the Z frame can also paint engine cases.
Hope the above helps, too cold to be in the garage today, sorting out the loft instead🥴.
-
Some progress over the past week with building up the rolling chassis whilst I await the return of the engine cases from vapour blasting.
I had to spend two days sorting through the newly plated nuts, bolts, washers etc after the bags split and they became mixed up in the box! I’m so glad Andy D was able to send me the parts list otherwise I’d still be sifting through them now!
After days of rubbing down with various grades of wet & dry I have managed to achieve a respectable finish on the wheels. I used tyre shine on the black paint (a tip from Nigel K2-K6) leaving it to soak in for a few days before wiping off.
I cleaned the discs using a dremmel in the drillings and making up a turntable with a length of wood with wet & dry attached, this cleaned all the rust off. The forks have been overhauled with a strip and new oil. The stanchions were fine, no pitting at all which was good considering the rest of the bike!
The brake callipers have new seals and pistons. The bodies were blasted before painting with VHT followed by an oven cure.
All the main electrical components have been cleaned by hand and the wiring checked. The main loom was given the dishwasher treatment. I have fitted as many components now as I want to as I don’t want to fit the coils and main loom as these will get in the way when it comes to replacing the engine in the frame.
I need to get a few more spares, the rubber cap on the air forks looks like it’s been the victim of a rodent at some stage during the last 40 years.
The clocks are now with Peter (Kent400) for a refurb and Piki (Reddice) is busy making the decals for the tank and tailpiece. My painter has told me Kawasaki Grand Prix silver does not exist (I’ve tried RS paints without any luck). The nearest colour is Moondust silver. The painter is going to make a swatch to compare the two.
Hopefully I’ll get a few hours in the garage today and fit the back end and I have a couple of broken studs in the sprocket guard to drill out and replace.
-
So the latest news is I've hit a wall with the rebuild. I'm still waiting for the engine cases back from vapour blasting, hopefully the end of the week or early next week.
I have now cleaned everything on the bike ready to go back on with most of it being stored in boxes. The painter has come back wiith a swatch of Kawasaki Moondust Silver as opposed to Kawasaki Grand Prix Silver that appears to be unobtainable. Thing is Moondust Silver is a perfect match so that's what I'm going with especially as I have now found out the bike is actually a J2 and not a J1 model.
Until I get the engine cases back and the motor put back together I dont want to fit any other parts as they will get in the way. Photo is as the bike is now.
Z-Power have been fantastic, parts supplied within a couple of days even if they have to come from Holland.
I recieved my reply from HMRC yesterday regarding the importing of the bike in 81. To their credit HMRC have been really helpful and sent a response to my letter within 14 days. Good news is there is no import tax to pay. They gave me a NOVA number to contact the DVLA to obtain the registration and this is where the fun has started. 45mins waiting on the phone yesterday to speak with someone who wasn't bothered about the NOVA number and who just sent a mail to explain the procedure. No email has arrived yet so I'm guessing they got my mail addres incorrect despite me spelling it out when they asked!
Thankfully I looked on the forum and found what I have to do. I contacted Kawasaki in NL late yesterday evening requesting a CofC and they replied first thing this morning to say CofC's were not applicable in 1981. They did send me a data sheet that itself has given some more information, for starters the bike is a J2 model and not a J1 as detailed on the original bill of sale from Kawasaki Guernsey. The paint is also Kawasaki Moondust Silver and not Grand Prix Silver (and I couldn't find anyone who could supply Grand Prix Silver, no wonder!).
Looks like I need to get a MOT before I can apply to DVLA for the registration document. Hopefully MOT in April if all goes smoothly.
-
I bet you wish you were back working instead of being Retired Dave !!!!!!
Chin up mate, you'll get there in the end.
-
Looks bloody lovely even at that stage Dave, very nice quality of work.
-
I bet you wish you were back working instead of being Retired Dave !!!!!!
Chin up mate, you'll get there in the end.
If your BIL is not retired I guess he will be able to if he sells the finished bike to someone in Japan. ;D ;D ;D
-
I bet you wish you were back working instead of being Retired Dave !!!!!!
Chin up mate, you'll get there in the end.
😁😁 There's a HS2 construction site just up the road from me Alan (it's the tunnel portal site). Maybe I should knock on the site office door and ask if they need a PM! The money would come in handy to fund another project.
Ash, the BIL said I can use it when it's finished but to be honest I'd rather ride one of my other bikes. I want the room back in the garage to finish the Triton project before summer!
-
Really nice project there Dave, a bit different to the usual fare. You have my sympathy with DVLA, I'm in the middle of that nightmare myself. I wish I had ignored the advice given and had it MOT'd first as proof it actually exists. Would have been worth the small outlay.
-
Yeah...I got a soft spot for these bikes. My first 'real' Jap 4 was a Z400J of 1981 regtistered.... but a J1 model without the air assisted forks :)
Motad exhaust.,.... which the previous owner had drilled a hole in the collector to make it sound rortier. Had to get that welded up...as water would pool there and drip into the pipe. That sort of steel grey colour with a black and orange stripe.
Felt like a proper big bike back then, even if it was a 400 motor carting a 550 about. One of several bikes I wish I still had.....or would try and get again if I had somewhere to keep it!
-
The decals arrived yesterday from Spain. Another fantastic job by Piki to make perfect replicas and especially considering I could only supply him with a slither of original decal to work from.
These will go to the painter tomorrow.
The engine cases are due back later this week and I can begin the motor build.
-
I forgot to add the picture of Piki's handiwork!
-
I've had quite a few items from Piki from tank decals to frame labels and seat stencils. Always does a fantastic job.
-
Thank you friends, if you need a sticker and I can help you, do not hesitate to contact me, do not buy through my Ebay Link, since due to what you already know since the beginning of the year VAT is being applied automatically to all customers in the UK, if you need something ask me from the forum.
Best Regards.
-
Thank you friends, if you need a sticker and I can help you, do not hesitate to contact me, do not buy through my Ebay Link, since due to what you already know since the beginning of the year VAT is being applied automatically to all customers in the UK, if you need something ask me from the forum.
Best Regards.
I've recently bought a full set and seat stencil from you via ebay Piki - didn't want to appear cheeky contacting you via the forum - I'll know for the future!
-
Time for an update and things have been moving on apace over the past week.
I got the cases, barrel, head, cam cover, cam chain tensioner and exhaust collars back from I-Cleenz last week. They have done a fantastic job of the vapour blasting and they do know what they are doing, they left all the internal bearing surfaces well alone just giving the inside of the cases a light going over to remove the residue. All the oil ways were sealed with rubber bungs and when finished everything was cleaned with very hot water and compressed air. The quality of the engine painting is also fantastic and many, many hours were spent by the painter in masking-up. I still cleaned everything three times again when I got them home just to be ultra safe.
On with assembly and everything went back in smoothly with the exception of the countershaft bearing that despite being placed in the freezer for two days and the cases heated refused to go in easily resulting in me making up a suitable drift on the lathe. I used a very thin smear of Hondabond on the cases to join them. I then lifted the bare crankcases in the frame, gez it was heavy, Kawasaki like to make their castings thick and heavy!
On with the pistons, rings and barrels, no problems apart from the pattern gaskets (High Gear, they were the only ones available) not having the cut out on the l/h side as a genuine gasket would do but to be honest I cannot see what the cut out is for, there isn’t an oilway or holding stud anywhere near it and the gasket fits either way up, it’s absolutely symmetrical?
On with the re-assembled head (just a light hand grind of the valves was all that was needed and I 'knocked back' the paint on the top fins at the sides to expose the alloy) and gasket. I didn’t use the High Gear supplied head gasket but an Athena gasket as I trust these, and then on to the cam timing. Haynes explains this subject over three solid pages of text and I had to read it four times to get my head around it. All went well and the timing appears to be spot on.
Today will be spent running the main loom before installing the air box and my least favourite part, having a wrestling match installing the carb bank into a tight fitting space without damaging the surrounding paintwork!
I called the painter today who is still preping the tank, hopefully I should be able to collect within the next two weeks.
I also recieved the overhauled speedo and tacho from Peter Horton, utterly superb, like new, fantastic work from Peter, I can see why he's the 'go-to' man for this type of work.
I have to mention Z-Power, what a great supplier they are. Always willing to speak on the phone, parts appear to be a lot cheaper compared to DSS for the same type of part, ‘normal’ postage charges apply AND...with next day delivery. I ordered a tacho oil seal, a pair of mirrors, oil filter and a couple of screws at 3pm yesterday; they were here at 10am this morning. I’ve had to wait over a week for DSS parts to arrive and that’s after paying the £5.95 standard delivery charge.
-
More progress over the past three days whilst the sun shines and I can still hide in the garage before all the fun begins again in May and I can sit in a pub!
The valves were timed and the cam cover replaced along with the clutch, oil pump, sump pan and transmission cover. I had to buy a 'universal clutch holding tool' in the end as I couldn't get in to lock the engine any other way and I didn't really like the idea of wedging a piece of wood in the drive gear and then applying the 97LB of torque. At least I now have another useful tool in the collection!
Closing the engine up allowed me to install the wiring loom that takes on some strange twists and turns along the frame in order to avoid the airbox. This was followed by my least favourite job, installing the carbs and airbox. Unlike the Honda 400/4 the airbox on the Kawasaki has to go in first making the already tight space for the carbs even smaller! I got there in the end with the help of some WD40 and a mug of tea!
On with the side stand and its Heath Robinson cut out switch arrangement. There are three springs to the side stand together with a sliding bracket and a shaped flat washer that both fit in between the mounting fork of the side stand. All the holes then have to line up to get the main bolt in. I thought installing a side stand would be a ten minute job, it actually took two hours to set up and adjust as I had to remove a lot of the powder coat to ensure it was a sliding fit.
Next jobs will be to install the instruments & headlight, completing the wiring, bleeding the brakes and maybe turning the engine over without the plugs in to build up oil pressure.
-
Dave,
That's looking fantastic - a really nice looking bike all round.
Agree with the carb fitting pain - I can never understand why they couldn't allow a little extra space to allow carbs to be pulled back out of the stubs etc. without a full-on wrestle every time.
All the bikes I've done have had this to varying degrees and I found the 400/4 the easiest so far but still not easy.
Looking forward to seeing the Z400 finished.
Cheers,
Andy
-
Thank you friends, if you need a sticker and I can help you, do not hesitate to contact me, do not buy through my Ebay Link, since due to what you already know since the beginning of the year VAT is being applied automatically to all customers in the UK, if you need something ask me from the forum.
Best Regards.
I've recently bought a full set and seat stencil from you via ebay Piki - didn't want to appear cheeky contacting you via the forum - I'll know for the future!
Noooo, any member of the forum is welcome to contact me privately, you will also have better prices than Ebay and especially now due to the famous #@%$
Best Regards
-
You have my sympathy with the carbs Dave, I just refitted my GS1000 carbs that have the exact same layout. Why do they design them millimetre perfect when a 3mm smaller airbox would make the job easy. I used some swearwords that I hadn't heard myself, not a fun job and takes all the enthusiasm out of the project.
-
Agree Roy,
On the GS1000 and the GSX1100 carb fitting was far and away my least favourite job.
Always feels like you're going to bend or damage something - or do yourself a mischief straining to get the bloody things on or off.
Cheers,
Andy
-
After an eight week wait I finally received the new registration document from the DVLA. I must give them credit as they were very good in contacting me for proof of ID rather than just rejecting the application.
I got a number plate made up and fitted yesterday.
Today was the first ride and it went like a dream, very smooth and turbine like, no noise at all, no doubt as a result of the very thick engine castings compared to a Honda 400/4.
I think the bike will now be sold as the BIL doesn't have a motorcycle license and I have enough bikes to look after! Surprisingly to add the bike to my existing insurance policy only cost an additional £6 (+£20 admin fee).
-
That looks really nice Dave - great job
-
That looks stunning Dave ... wonder if it will end up back in the 'Land of the Rising Yen' as Eric Trode used to say. ;D ;D
-
Very nice job, whats the values like for the 400 ? I’ve a Z650 to do but I don’t like to put more into a bike than I can get back out of it but the 650 prices seem low at the minute
-
Great looking bike Dave. Looking back through older posts it was interesting to see how similar the insides of the engine are to the Honda 400/4. Much beefier looking cam chain though.
-
Impressive looking build Dave.