1981 Kawasaki GPz550: Restoration

Looks like you are heading in the right direction. Looking forward to see it run.

[Nessism]

Here you go Steve. The process involves scrunching up the piece of scotchbrite (I used Gray), shoving it inside the seat, then twisting the scotchbrite while shoving it inside the seat. Once it bottoms out then push hard on the scotchbrite while spinning to polish the seat. Optional is take a small screwdriver or piece of wood and use that to shove the scotchbrite inside the seat while turning.

Hope this helps.

P1030171 by nessism, on Flickr

P1030172 by nessism, on Flickr

P1030173 by nessism, on Flickr

[hillsy]

I've had luck in the past with spinning up the float valves in my drill press and dressing them with some wet and dry (600). As long as they are not too dimpled it will take the shine off them and make them seal better.

Nothing better than getting new ones though......

[srsupertrap]

I like the test stand. Checking fuel level with the carbs off the bike saves a LOT of frustration later on.

On the last few sets of carbs I've done I've gone to automatically replacing the float needles. The needle springs get weak and then the fuel level rises. To clean up the seat I take a small piece of gray scotchbrite that has been worn down some already and stuff that inside the seat, then I take a wood stick and spin the scotchbrite around until the seat is bright and shiny where the needle contacts.

As an aside, regarding those plastic floats, I bought a low mileage Kawasaki ZX6E a number of years back and found one of the floats full of fuel. I bought a new float and threw the old one on the workbench. Now something like 7 years later the float is still full of fuel. Not one iota has escaped or evaporated. Makes you wonder how it got in there in the first place.

Looking forward to the upcoming start up video. Hope the jetting is reasonably close so you can get that bad boy out on the road!

That would be nice, Ed if you get a minute could you post a picture(s) of how you use gray scotchbrite to clean inside the seat. The ID of those pictured are pretty small. So far no response from Sudco concerning replacement needle vale assemblies so it cannot hurt to try and clean what I have right now?

[Nessism]

I like the test stand. Checking fuel level with the carbs off the bike saves a LOT of frustration later on.

On the last few sets of carbs I've done I've gone to automatically replacing the float needles. The needle springs get weak and then the fuel level rises. To clean up the seat I take a small piece of gray scotchbrite that has been worn down some already and stuff that inside the seat, then I take a wood stick and spin the scotchbrite around until the seat is bright and shiny where the needle contacts.

As an aside, regarding those plastic floats, I bought a low mileage Kawasaki ZX6E a number of years back and found one of the floats full of fuel. I bought a new float and threw the old one on the workbench. Now something like 7 years later the float is still full of fuel. Not one iota has escaped or evaporated. Makes you wonder how it got in there in the first place.

Looking forward to the upcoming start up video. Hope the jetting is reasonably close so you can get that bad boy out on the road!

[srsupertrap]

No worries Ray, I am probably close to giving it another attempt to start it.

When Ray & I attempted to start the GPz two weekends ago gas overflowed from both overflow lines which was likely caused by dirty or worn needle valve assemblies. The following Monday (7/25), I contacted several Mikuni distributors including Tucker Rocky (worthless), Orient Express & Sudco to see if any of them could source parts for these Mikuni RS27 Smoothbores predecessors of the present day RS34, RS36, RS38. Jon Walcher from Sudco took the most interest considering the easy answer was No. He mentioned another employee, Chad who was currently out of town had some 25 years experience @ Sudco might be able to help point me in the right direction but was not due back till 8/1/16.

In the meantime, I Googled for Mikuni RS27 smoothbores a bit and found this GS Forum thread came back on the top of the search hits . . . not very helpful. I started a parallel thread on the GPz550 Forum back in Jan 2014. While maintaining that thread, the Administrator Corey Clough who raced GPz550s in the Bay offered to sell a set of RS27s which he bought from another GPz forum member. Corey didn't like the RS27s and never installed them on his race bikes. He mentioned the throttle cables had to be custom length. Corey was very helpful on my GPz project . . . sorta like a Nessism for the GPz550 community. Regardless that some of the background for the following picture.

My leaky RS27 on the right and another set of used RS27s I bought from Corey Clough on the left.



A picture is worth a thousand words. The RS27 float are plastic and probably not meant to be adjusted. My floats are the bright yellow ones. Notice the tab/tang has curled on the float right on the right. The brown one has no deformation (WoHooo)



Everyone knows the strategy now, time to swap bad for unknown and see what happens. That is until Sudco replies. Jon Walcher mentioned these RS27s might have been made for the Japanese market only?



I swapped floats first because I am conservative. I found several of the float pins were gummy because in 2015 I filled the carbs but never started it . So I cleaned them again. The float height with the RS27 inverted is approximately 14.25mm



This picture illustrates the warped float tab. I probably will try to bend them back with heat at some point.



I have now swapped all the floats into the RS27s that will be reinstalled on the GPz550. In the foreground, I swapped out the pilot jet (30s - I am at 5000+ Ft) and replaced them with the 32.5s which were originally installed. I also adjusted the air screw from 1 full turn out to 3/4 of a turn out based on my second set of RS27 because Corey stated they came off a running bike.




Could definitely use any Forum help here because you never know what is lying around from previous projects etc. These are the leaky Mikuni Needle Valve Assemblies. The Needle Valve body measures the following

Ht: 10mm & OD 8mm. The body is marked like jets with a Mikuni symbol 2.0



Leak testing this last Saturday . . . very high-tech



Looks so sweet but they still leak from Carb 1 & 2. Back to it this time though, I swap the needle valve assemblies with better results. No leaks this time.

Sorry, I missed your call. I've been doing a bit of looking at posts talking about level problems on flatslides. There is one by Skip titled float level Mikunis flatslides? Dated 6-26-2003. It may be pertinent. Really strange!

Steve, They should be adjustable by bending the brass tab that rests on the float valve. If they are 29s thee level is 23 mm from flange to float bottom when inverted. This should give you a fuel level 4 mm below the flange in service. You can make a test device using a spare drain plug, a small metal tube pressed into a drilled hole and connect a fuel line (clear). Ray

[srsupertrap]

"I would like to be done by June..."

Only missed by a month!

Very nice.

by a month and two years but who is counting . . . Couple of more pics & question






PS: Unfortunately it didn't start when Ray came over On Saturday over to shoot the video. We had spark, starter spun the motor way fast but on Prime gas overflowed out the carb drain lines and when I pulled plugs from cylinder 1 & 4 they were completely dry? Initially when starting we did hear it backfire through the exhaust.


Stranger yet the floats are plastic so I assume they are non-adjustable and they can only be installed one way. Perhaps the idle adjust screw needs to be turned in to lift the slides a bit to get it started. I am missing anything?

[Rob S.]

"I would like to be done by June..."

Only missed by a month!

Very nice.

Very cool indeed,you help keep me going on my 82 750

This is amazing! Even better in person, looks like a new bike on the showroom floor! Terrific work Steve.

[tkent02]

Looking very nice, Steve.

[srsupertrap]

Lower Fairing bracket which bolts to the front brake union.



Original rubber gasket is very thick and was still in great condition





Upper Fairing Brackets. The fit of this fairing is slightly better than my Racer Supply GS1000S fairing but left a lot to be desired.
Next got the tank installed & tail section



Lights work correctly








Murphy's Law strikes: While installing the front fender, I loosen the axle nut, brake caliper bolts and find the PO ham fisted bolt tightening technique has stripped the threads for Upper Lt Brake caliper bolt. The The M10 x 1.25 bolt is torqued to 22 Ft-Lbs. . . . must have torqued to 100 Ft-Lbs to strip it

[srsupertrap]

That looks like it.

Some pics from last weekend. Installing side cover emblems



Put a dab of RTV on later to secure those clips



Last time GPz was registered . . . .1994



Gas Cap: Emblem from Z1A Kawasaki in Albuquerque, NM . . . I will keep this for historical sake



Two repainted fairings to choose from . .. Not Never2old quality but its okay. I sure don't have time to paint



Fairing assembly: New OEM rubber grommets, plastic washers with socket Pan Head hex screws to secure the plexiglass fairing.



Lots of rubbing compound to cut through decades of grime, UV and who knows what else



Repainted this fairing bracket, not much paint on that from the factory



Fairing brackets ready to be assembled