1981 Kawasaki Z400j

[Laverda Dave]

This request for help is a bit 'out there' but if anyone can answer technical questions I guess the experts on this forum can😊👍.

I am currently helping my Brother-in-law to get his late father's 1981 Kawasaki Z400j up and running. This is the 400/4 Kawasaki thought would fill the gap left by the mighty Honda 400/4. Sadly the bike bombed in the UK mainly because it was slower than most 250`s because it was so heavy, it looked nice though, a mini ZR!

The bike in question was bought in Guernsey whilst the B. I. L. was on holiday. The bike was ridden back to Southampton when it was put in the garden shed and left for 38 years! It has a genuine 315 miles on the clock!
I've just about finished rebuilding the carbs and have hit my first problem, I am unable to find out what the float height should be for the slide type carbs. Haynes has nothing and there's nothing on the Internet either😕. Does anyone have any ideas???

Secondly, the bil has decided to get the entire exhaust rechromend at a cost of £650. The chromer has asked if there is any wadding in the silencers as he doesn't want to contaminate his tanks. These are the original pipes and I'm pretty sure bikes of this era did not have wadding installed as there was no way of repacking them? Has anyone cut into a late 70`s early 80`s Japanese silencer, was there any wadding in there?

The bike is going to be put up for sale when finished if anyone is interested, I have no idea how much it would be worth though, they were never popular although it's low miles and rarity may add something?
I have included a photo of the bike prior to work starting.

[Bryanj]

Yes i think they did have wadding originaly but not sure, as to float level only think you can do is try walking into an established dealer and asking them

[AshimotoK0]

CB750s had wadding I think .. If Z400J had it, I assume the baffles would be removable to replace it... how about endoscope to look internally? My work  mate bought a Z400J with the insurance claim funds from  his  written off 400/4 Honda and  I seem to remember he liked it. Not sure if this is true but I thought I heard that the model is very popular in Japan .

[AshimotoK0]

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/s719476280

[AshimotoK0]

I asked the questions on here for you ...I know I shouldn't be promoting FB on here but some of the brand/model-specific are spot on for info. Having said that this is not a massive group.
Sadly some of the forums seem to be suffering because of the popular FB groups but that's probably because with a lot of the older forums, you don't have the great responses/feel good factor that you get on here.... Steve says we still get plenty of new members.

I have almost totally given up with posting on HondaTwins.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/kawasakiz400j/posts/?ref=page_internal

[Moorey]

This is purely from memory so I could be talking out of  my arse  Kawasaki used a fuel level gauge tool on the bottom of the carb and not float height measurements. Just a clear U tube and fuel level was  3mm below the float bowl / carb body joint  on a lot of models . #@%$ knows were i dragged that one up from.
Or as I said that's a load of  bollocks.   If you find the answer let us know on here. 

[AshimotoK0]

Thinking about it ..if it's only done 315 miles then I would leave the float heights as they are ... presumably the same as the factory set them up as no wear will have occured and no tampering presumably.

[Laverda Dave]

Thanks all. Yes Ash I agree with you, I'll leave them alone although they were the WORST set of carbs I have ever seen in terms of gunk in the bowls! Nothing moved and it took five attempts in the Ultrasonic cleaner (and brushes etc) to finally get them clean enough for reassembly.
Thanks for the FB group tip as well.
Moore, your memory is 100% correct, the only way of measuring float height is by using the tube method, I couldn't belive it when I read it, talk about long winded methods!
Thank you both for your input, once again the knowledge on the sohc forum is the best there is👍.

[Laverda Dave]

The carbs are now clean and just about to start reassembly 👍.

[JamesH]

That's a pretty cool little bike I'd say. Quite a lot of similarities to the larger 79/80 MkII Z1000 styling-wise.

[Laverda Dave]

Funnily enough I wanted one of these when they first came out. I remember reading a road test in 'The Biker' magazine and edited by Bob Berry (anyone remember that publication, it didn't survive for long?). I remember Bob saying nice things about its styling but it was slow and heavy. It was really a sleeved down 500. I went off it and turned my attention to a Morini 350 Sport that was twice the price and I couldn't afford it anyway!!!

[SumpMagnet]

I love these wee beasties. Had one back in the day, and while yes...it was a bit slow....it was a 'proper' 4 cylinder bike, and at the tender age of 18, I was king of the road.

Sadly...it hadn't got stock pipes, so I can't comment on any wadding. Mine had a Motad, which had holes drilled in the collector to make it sound 'bigger' .... I plugged the holes drilled on the top as it was an excellent way of collecting water when it rained....

Never needed to touch the float heights, so I would leave them as they are and just make sure they are all roughly the same when you put the carbs back together.

[AshimotoK0]

I reckon your B.I.L. would do really well selling that in Japan Dave.

[flatfour]

From personal experience, shipping a classic to Japan and preparing/registering it for the road is likely to cost the better part of £2,000 before the cost of actually selling it is taken into account, even if no repairs or modifications are needed.

Anything produced later than 2006 will probably triple that cost!

If you do go that route, you would need to arrange for your shipping company (via their agent in Japan) to submit the V.I.N. number to the authorities to decide whether or not the machine would be accepted for import and registration. They will also be able to quote for the documentation (excluding any modification or repair costs). The time frame after arrival is not too long, however - typically three weeks or so.

[Moorey]

Thanks all. Yes Ash I agree with you, I'll leave them alone although they were the WORST set of carbs I have ever seen in terms of gunk in the bowls! Nothing moved and it took five attempts in the Ultrasonic cleaner (and brushes etc) to finally get them clean enough for reassembly.
Thanks for the FB group tip as well.
Moore, your memory is 100% correct, the only way of measuring float height is by using the tube method, I couldn't belive it when I read it, talk about long winded methods!
Thank you both for your input, once again the knowledge on the sohc forum is the best there is👍.

A good job i didn't read about it a month ago or i would have already forgotten it.