1981 Kawasaki GPz550: Restoration

[Wester Cooley]

Take motor out of frame, flip motor over. Remove clutch assembly, and spin transmission shafts slowly and look at each gear for that missing tooth. I have not done a 550/4 Kawasaki motor since back in 1982 or so. But you should be able to look at trans from the bottom if I remember right. Three things you NEVER shortcut on a motorcycle.....Brakes Tires and Transmissions.

No special tools needed if you don't take rotor off of crank end when you split cases on that motor. Just make sure you have ALL the case bolts out when you try to separate the case halfs. While you are in there you can also check out the condition of the main crank bearings.

You gotta save that GPz550. A stock one is a gas to ride. One with a nice built motor would be up there with riding a RZ350 or a H1 500 triple I think!!!

[koolaid_kid]

Did this to my GPz a year or two ago. You can split the cases with it upside down on your bench and work on the tranny.

[tom203]

Oh look, another with special winter pricing

http://maine.craigslist.org/mcy/4308129330.html

[srsupertrap]

Good stuff . . . . Didn't do anything to the GPz yesterday but I got talked into "helping" replace my nephew's 2004 Honda Civic EX water pump, timing belt & tensioner. I ended up doing 99% of the work although he did hold the light pretty well

Back to the GPz, I will bolt the pan back on, pull the engine and let you know what I find. Cory Clough (Admin & Racer @ GPz550 forum) has a couple of GPz engines which he has offered to cannibalize for the gear sets (nice to have friends). Probably also a good idea as Ed mentioned to rebuild the starter clutch with new rollers & springs if available. I don't know if they are weak but they have sidelined other GPz 550's. While the engine is out I can remove a couple of sheared off bolts in the C/S cover too then replace them with S/S allen heads.

And I am still looking for the following GPz/ items

1. 1981 GPz seat (Like tom203 reply)
2. 1981 GPz rear fender
3. Wiseco XC 61mm piston ring set (1.0, 1.2 & 2.8mm)

[tkent02]

Maybe that guy will sell you his extra engine?

[srsupertrap]

Did this to my GPz a year or two ago. You can split the cases with it upside down on your bench and work on the tranny.

Pulled my engine this afternoon, note the D on the back


Flipped the engine over but my progress halted because I could not break the clutch hub nut loose. Think I need a 1/4 bar stock with a couple of holes spaced correctly so I can bolt the bar stock to the inner clutch hub . . . other novel suggestions ?


I spent considerable time looking for the broken tooth by rotating the crank then rotating the countershaft which rotates the gear set but could not find a missing tooth. The sheared tooth looks larger than all the gear set teeth I could see. It really looks like one of the crank Hy-vo teeth, has the same horizontal striations and oddly that is where I found it.

Edit: Yes I can see all the crank & crank secondary teeth from underneath

[tkent02]

Did you try an impact gun?

[rustybronco]

Barring not having an impact gun, take it down to a local repair garage. Bet they will blip it off for you in a jiffy.

[tkent02]

My jeep engine just did the same thing, the timing chain broke, and all the sprocket teeth came off the camshaft. Not sure which happened first, but there are teeth and cam chain pieces everywhere.

You should be able to see all of the crank teeth from underneath?

[srsupertrap]

Barring not having an impact gun, take it down to a local repair garage. Bet they will blip it off for you in a jiffy.

Yes, I don't have a impact gun & by the time I get home its after 6pm. So I found a piece of metal to secure the inner clutch hub, well they torqued that clutch hub nut pretty well

[GSXR7ED]

Broken Hub

^^Oh dang!

I recently did a Clutch basket removal but was fortunate enough to apply the rear brake so I could remove the hub. That piece for my bike costs about $90. I'm sure your's will cost about the same.


Ed

EDIT: Where's the Lock Washer that bends over the nut?

[JEEPRUSTY]

Now we know why they used 5 instead of two posts.
Man you are having it rough on this thing.

The Kawasaki Zephyr should use the same clutch basket as the gpz if that helps an ebay search.

[Nessism]

Wow, that sucks. Live and learn. Shouldn't be overly difficult to find a clutch hub.

BTW, in case you didn't know Steve, Kawasaki hosts the parts fishe for all their bikes. Best way to know if the parts are still available, and what models shared the same parts.

https://www.kawasakiepc.com/SystemSearch_Frames.cfm?QuickSearch=1&SearchFor=KZ550-D1&SearchBy=Model&cGroupID=&CFID=8593161&CFTOKEN=17594752

[rustybronco]

Steve, I figured that would happen if you used those post's to hold the hub stationary. Sorry about that. Easy fix anyways.

Can you get a strap wrench to hold the hub with, or can you weld a flat piece of metal to one of the clutch discs?

[srsupertrap]

Steve, I figured that would happen if you used those post's to hold the hub stationary. Sorry about that. Easy fix anyways.

Can you get a strap wrench to hold the hub with, or can you weld a flat piece of metal to one of the clutch discs?

Well the manual states that clutch hub nut is torqued to 98 Ft Lbs (2X a GS). I don't own any welding gear but I am exchanging something @ Harbor Freight on the way home. My next neighbor does have an air compressor so perhaps borrowing the impact gun is the quickest root although that clutch hub currently just free wheels? Don't know if this is normal or not

BTW, in case you didn't know Steve, Kawasaki hosts the parts fishe for all their bikes. Best way to know if the parts are still available, and what models shared the same parts.

https://www.kawasakiepc.com/SystemSe...TOKEN=17594752 ?

Ed, I could use the information but when I clicked on the the link it's logged out?

EDIT: Where's the Lock Washer that bends over the nut?

They don't use one . . . Kawi uses a special this side out washer under the clutch hub nut to prevent the nut from loosening. Seems to work pretty good Nothing like a GS1000/1100 clutch hub nuts which become loose over time.