• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

  • In order to help others find info on a particular bike, be sure to put the year, make or model of bike that you are asking a question about, in the Topic Title. This will allow people to pass by posts they have no interest in.

1981 Kawasaki KZ750 Resurrection

Would you remove the dampeners before welding??? Cant they be out in after the reweld so they dont melt?? Just wondering as I am gonna be doing my KZ 650 at some point and may be doing this to the clutch..at least redoing the dampeners IF it has them. Are they needed in place for alignment reasons???

Where is a good place to find 76 KZ parts fiches???
 
Last edited:
rustybronco said:
What is the purpose for the three dark colored buttons and springs?
Click to expand...

Good question Dale! I don't know the answer but the only thing I can imagine is for noise control in case the back plate or the dampers were sloppy (which they were).

Got one of the R&D shop techs at work lined up to do the TIG work. Said he's got some silicon-bronze rods that are perfect for work like this. This guy is an amazing tech and I trust him. I feel fortunate that he volunteered. One less thing to worry about.
 
chuck hahn said:
Would you remove the dampeners before welding??? Cant they be out in after the reweld so they dont melt?? Just wondering as I am gonna be doing my KZ 650 at some point and may be doing this to the clutch..at least redoing the dampeners IF it has them. Are they needed in place for alignment reasons???

Where is a good place to find 76 KZ parts fiches???
Click to expand...

Chuck, your clutch is same as mine, so yes, you have the dampers. The dampers are used instead of the springs Suzuki uses on their clutches. The dampers are trapped inside the hub so you have to weld with them in place. If you don't like the idea of welding there is a tutorial on using screws instead (linked below).

Here is a thread from kz650.info on the repair...http://forums.kz650.info/index.php?topic=4820.0

There are two different guys selling new dampers: one guy uses neoprene and the other Viton rubber.

Here is a link to a tutorial that uses screws instead of welding to put the basket back together...http://www.750turbo.com/forum/download/file.php?id=5490

I showed a R&D tech at work this procedure and he said it would work fine but he thought welding is a better solution.
 
I have a MIG so thats the way I would go. I looked at Partsfish and few other places but I didnt see any fiches that go back further than like 1980 so i havent seen any exploded views of anything. Thanks for the links.


EDIT..............Just found CMS has the bike fiches.
 
Last edited:
TIG welding the rivets in short sections (1/2? way around) and moving to the opposite rivet- repeating the procedure and letting it cool down, then doing the same thing with the other rivets shouldn't produce any heat related damage to the isolators.
 
chuck hahn said:
I have a MIG so thats the way I would go. I looked at Partsfish and few other places but I didnt see any fiches that go back further than like 1980 so i havent seen any exploded views of anything. Thanks for the links.


EDIT..............Just found CMS has the bike fiches.
Click to expand...

Chuck,
Kawasaki.com has the fishe...http://www.kawasaki.com/Parts

Partzilla.com is pretty decent source for parts. Not sure if they are the cheapest but the service is decent in my experience. Thing with them is that they show stock on some part that have been discontinued. Bike Bandit's fishe is better in showing what parts are still available, but they are expensive and don't use Kawasaki part numbers so that adds a wrinkle when ordering.
 
rustybronco said:
TIG welding the rivets in short sections (1/2? way around) and moving to the opposite rivet- repeating the procedure and letting it cool down, then doing the same thing with the other rivets shouldn't produce any heat related damage to the isolators.
Click to expand...

Handed off the clutch this morning to my tech friend. Started to mention welding in sections and he took off talking about a clover weld pattern (or something to this effect), to minimize heat transfer. This dude is the most overkill guy I've ever met. I don't like asking for his opinion sometimes because he just can't force himself to "get er done", instead he shoots down the rabbit hole and reengineers everything he touches. He used to work for Porsche in their R&D / Race shop. At any rate, the clutch is in good hands.
 
A man after my own heart. :)

I'm doing a few repairs to my ex-wife's house. One of the things that need to be done, is to replace a few rusted away fasteners holding the balusters on the front porches railing. Years ago when I designed the railing (cedar and wolmanized ), I made it so each section could easily be removed, just in case something got damaged. I asked my son if he wanted me to repair the loose posts, and, if he did want me to, there was just one condition, I take it apart and repair it correctly. He said, "can't you just toe-nail them in place"? I told him, you get to fix it. :)

I love people who take pride in what they do.
 
I've was with you at the beginning but that was over 1 1/2 years, when do you plan completion and I'm sure it's mentioned somewhere but who or what is bike meant for? Your attention to detail is second to none but I am curious why so much fretting over a KZ750?
 
Scout said:
I've was with you at the beginning but that was over 1 1/2 years, when do you plan completion and I'm sure it's mentioned somewhere but who or what is bike meant for? Your attention to detail is second to none but I am curious why so much fretting over a KZ750?
Click to expand...

Hey Scout, please read that little blurb by Dale about fixing the rail and then come back and ask me again why I'm fretting.

The bike will be finished when it's finished. No timetable, but I'm targeting the end of the year.
 
I was going to respond by stating if you need to ask, you wouldn't understand. Glad I waited for you Ed. :)
 
Is there a clearance spec between the back and anything behind it?? Do you have to dress the welds down any???
 
The tallest of the welds is .025" proud, and the rivet heads stick up .040".

P1020588 by nessism, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
Thanks Dale!

I've been putting the engine together but had to pause for parts. O-rings, cush hub dampers, those sort of things.

Putting the engine together has been like figuring out a puzzle since it's been awhile since I took it apart. Think I've figured everything out now though.

I'll throw a couple photos up later today showing progress.
 
Still waiting on engine parts. The one part that's a must have is the last to arrive.

Keeping busy none the less. Did one of my least favorite parts of the restoration: polish the engine cases. Kawasaki, in their infinite wisdom, doesn't clearcoat engine covers, like Suzuki, so the corrosion sets in DEEP.

Restoration process included the following:

- Glass bead blast the cover. Was hoping this would remove the corrosion pitting but no. Had to go to step two...

- DA sander with 220 grit paper to remove corrosion pitting- Jim (Posplayr's) suggestion, and a good one

- Sisal wheel on buffer with black cutting compound, Not going for a mirror polish job, so no need to use rouge compounds and fluffy buffing wheels.

- Mothers polish by hand (quicky job) to remove any buffing marks.

- Mask and paint the background color with VHT engine paint. Baked the paint for an hour and then used sandpaper to highlight the lettering.

They are not perfect, but good enough. Can't seem to find the piece that goes in the center of the sprocket cover. It will turn up before the bike is together though (hopefully).

P1020637 by nessism, on Flickr

P1020640 by nessism, on Flickr

P1020638 by nessism, on Flickr

P1020639 by nessism, on Flickr
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top