Topic: Terry's NEW big Kawasaki build, the "Lockdown 1428" special.

[754]

Just for general info ,  I will draw up what I have used to hold pistons. Very rarely machine the tops, more often it's on valve notches.. that if course involves an angle fixture which I will  not draw. . So best to have one that can work for both.
 Of course what us important , is rerepeatability. 
Will add drawing later this morning.

Washer D is smaller when using this in the lathe, gripping on smaller portion of A.
When in use this on the tilt fixture, smaller part of A drops into a hole, and washer fits against fixture.
 Piston is supported by the ring groove and skirt shape , does not affect clamping, and you cannot damage tye thrust faces if the piston.

 Spend time on fixture, , you get it back in 1 or 2 jobs..

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, well it was absolutely miserable weather today, 6 deg C (42 deg F?) was as warm as it got, with rain coming in sideways and turning to hail for good measure. Even with 3 layers of clothing and my beanie, my poor old hands were freezing, so I didn't get that much closer to putting the 1428 engine together.

Oh well, before I started, I thought I'd better weigh the pistons just to make sure they were not too far apart after I gave them that haircut, and shaved around half an inch off the domes. To my amazement, they were damn near perfect.

1428 ring compressors 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Now back to the ring compressors. As I mentioned, I whipped out the front studs to give me the room to get them out, and cut 20mm off each of the piston clamps, and notched out 13mm so I could get them past the conrods.

1428 ring compressors by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I test fit a couple of pistons onto their rods and checked to see that the compressor would be able to slide down and out once the pistons are in the sleeves, and the middle two look like they'll go pretty easy, so hopefully it'll all go well, if not I'll modify them again as I go. Hopefully (again) the weather will be a bit kinder, God it's cold! (for an Aussie)  

[spotty]

6'C.....bloody luxury, when i were a lad......

also we maqnaged snow up here today followed by fog that closed visibility down to about 5 metres, lots of fun driving in that

[Terry in Australia]

6'C.....bloody luxury, when i were a lad......

also we maqnaged snow up here today followed by fog that closed visibility down to about 5 metres, lots of fun driving in that

That wouldn't surprise me at all Spotty, I reckon it was the coldest day this year, hard to believe we're almost in Spring!  

[scottly]

Oh well, before I started, I thought I'd better weigh the pistons just to make sure they were not too far apart after I gave them that haircut, and shaved around half an inch off the domes. To my amazement, they were damn near perfect.

1428 ring compressors 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Terry, your modified piston crowns look similar to my TRW 836 pistons, which I'm guessing are 11.5:1 with K1 chambers? I finally gave in to age and re-fitted an electric starter a few years ago, as it was getting too damn hard for me to kick it to life, especially if it had been sitting for any length of time...

[grcamna2]

Terry,
What are those holes on the top of the crowns on your Moriwaki pistons ?

[scottly]

Bill, those are gas ports: high pressure from compression and combustion feeds though them behind the top ring, forcing it out tighter against the cylinder wall. They are usually used with low tension rings, which reduce drag when there is no pressure. 

[dave500]

great work terry

[PeWe]

Tops reminds me about CB750 pistons.
https://www.dynoman.net/images/engine/piston/dp1000-71r/DP1000-71r.jpg

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, well today was a miserable winters day, but not as miserable as it was yesterday. In truth, crap weather aside, it was a wonderful day for me and the 1428, because all that machining I've been doing over the last few weeks, the piston blocks, the piston jig, the piston machining and the piston ring compressors all were used today for an excellent result. As I mentioned previously, once I'd machined the pistons (and you're right Scott, I'd reckon they're still around 11-12:1 comp as the GPZ1100's combustion chambers are way shallower than a Z1, or KZ1000's chambers) I recycled the piston jigs into ring compressors, and they worked way better than expected.

1428 piston installation 23 Aug 2020 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Seriously, these were fantastic, as once I had them all on the pistons (sorry I didn't take a pic of all 4 with the compressors in place) it was just a case of lining the compressors up with the bottoms of the freshly honed sleeves, and pushing the cylinder block down, and that was it! No fingernails, screwdrivers, no nothing, just pushed the sleeves down onto the compressors and they were in. I'm definitely gonna make another set for a CB750, it was as easy as installing new pistons and rods into a car's engine block from the top.

1428 piston installation 23 Aug 2020 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Okay, so the pistons went in quicker than I've ever done before, with no broken rings, bonus! I removed the compressors, piston blocks and pushed the cylinder block home, and holding the cam chain, rotated the crank to ensure all was good.

1428 piston installation 23 Aug 2020 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Now I need to do some work on the head before it's all finished, apart from fitting the APE top cam chain idler pulley (that hasn't even left the US yet, dammit) I need to helicoil several of the camshaft saddle bolt holes, and drill out the blob of JB Weld (or perhaps real weld) That the PO used to blank off the tach drive. Nevertheless I installed the copper head gasket and the head temporarily, tweaking the head nuts down to maybe 10 foot pounds, just so I could crank the engine over and make sure nothing was hitting. I'm not worried about valves hitting pistons, at Franks advice I "clayed" the pistons before I gave them a haircut and even with the Norris .425 cams the pistons didn't make a mark in the 6mm thick coat of play dough I used, so I didn't bother this time, even though I'd removed the 3mm thick spacer plate under the cylinder block.   

1428 piston installation 23 Aug 2020 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

And that was it men, all done now until my small box arrives from the US. That's fine, the bits I need to finish the Z1 engine will hopefully arrive tomorrow, so the 1428 can take a break while I'm working on that bad boy. More (on something) tomorrow!
 

[Terry in Australia]

Tops reminds me about CB750 pistons.
https://www.dynoman.net/images/engine/piston/dp1000-71r/DP1000-71r.jpg

That looks about right Per, it'll be interesting to finally fire it up and see how it goes!

[dave500]

great day Terry,ive a got a week off now but no projects apart from doing a few little(little being the operative word)jobs around the house and drinking beer.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Dave, I guess the good thing about working from home for the last 5 months is I've only had to take one "sickie" on the day I had the big blue Yamaha re-registered back in June. Usually by this time of the year I've used up all my sick days with various doctors appointments and medical procedures, but of course, due to the "Wu-Flu" I've been nowhere, and all my medical appointments (including some more surgery) have been put on hold, or conducted over the phone. (not the surgery, obviously)

No biggie, as long as the Covid restrictions are eased in the next few weeks, I'll be able to ride my bikes again (have you seen my  latest Honda build thread?, It might be my new daily rider) and am planning an interstate odyssey as soon as the borders are open again, and have purchased an extra 10 days annual leave to give me the time off to do my "Long Ride".    

[dave500]

is that the #$%*ing F2 one?thats gotta be a labour of love,where do you find the energy?

[PeWe]

.......where do you find the energy?

Ginger beer?

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, thanks guys, that's one of the great things about having a psychological disorder. I suffer with anxiety, which sounds terrible, but it actually keeps me going, so instead of sitting on my butt daydreaming, I just go for it. This has caused just as many problems (why would anyone in their right mind own 21 motorcycles?) but it helps me finish (most) of my projects. The good news is that the "Effing F2" is a runner again, I'll be posting a video of it making noise for the first time in 10 years a little later tonight. Sweet, another CB750 (almost) back on the road!

[PeWe]

I'm sure that most guys here would love to have 21 bikes. I have heard about much more.

Can be the male thing to do as many women as possible, when married do bikes instead. A harem in the garage(s)
- Which one today, the blonde Honda or.....?

You might work as a journalist too since you like to share your work and thoughts about it.

[grcamna2]

I'm sure that most guys here would love to have 21 bikes. I have heard about much more.

Can be the male thing to do as many women as possible, when married do bikes instead. A harem in the garage(s)
- Which one today, the blonde Honda or.....?

You might work as a journalist too since you like to share your work and thoughts about it.

I like what you're saying about "which one today"   ahh,choices !

[Terry in Australia]

Well even though we're getting close to mid spring, we've gone back to winter for the next couple of days, so while I will be doing a little more work on the Effing F2 between showers, I'm back in the sheltered workshop, and back into the 1428 build. The much awaited package arrived from APE, they were most pissed off when I dared to ask when I could expect them to send it 4 weeks after I ordered it and discovered they hadn't sent it. I got two different (piss weak) excuses but the tone was that somehow I'd done the wrong thing by asking? Fcuk them, and the horse they rode in on.

The top cam chain guide is essential for installing a GPZ1100 head on a KZ1000 (albeit 1428cc) bottom end. I almost just bought the guide ($59) without the special drilling jig, (also $59) knowing (or at least assuming) that I'll only need it once, but the foot long special drill bit needed would have cost me that much here, if I could even find one. Tomorrow or Sunday (depending on weather, I'll be jumping between the 1428 and the F2) I've gotta whip the head off and drill it for the top camchain guide and helicoil some of the cam hold down saddle bolt holes, that have stripped out over the years, a common enough problem with DOHC engines running big cams and heavy springs.

With luck, I may actually have the engine in one piece by close of play on Sunday, maybe even back in the frame! But I won't get too excited, there's always something that gets in the way of my Kawasaki dreaming.........

1428 APE custom cam chain guide by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

1428 APE custom cam chain guide 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr   

[Terry in Australia]

So even though it's Spring now in Oz, today was back to winter. Cold, wet, and miserable, with occasional short periods of sunshine. I swapped the coils out on my CB750F2 with some good used Dyna's, and moved into the sheltered workshop to do some Kawasaki work.

The $59 drill jig, which included a super long drill bit was definitely worth the money. Just bolt it down to the top of the head via the cam cover bolt holes.

1428 cam chain guide by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

1428 cam chain guide 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I took the head off so as to ensure I didn't drop any swarf into the cam chain tunnel, and drilled the holes. The jig worked a treat, and I had 4 neat holes which lined up exactly with the APE cam chain guide. There was a requirement to "mill" some material out of the cam chain tunnel that I wasn't expecting, and personally, if APE had designed their guide better, it would have been unnecessary. Anyway, Dad's dremel with a carbide burr did the job, and I test fit the guide and it looks good.

1428 cam chain guide 4 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

1428 cam chain guide 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Anyhoo, I decided that I'd had enough excitement for one day, and packed up. Tomorrow I'll spray some copper adhesive on the head gasket, and torque the head down, do the cam timing, and think about shoving the engine back into the frame. All going well.......

[PeWe]

Your winter is almost like a bad Swedish summer!
Or more true, spring...

[grcamna2]

Terry,
You get that engine in there and fine tune it and be all ready to out-run a motorcycle policeman.. 

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, thanks guys, I've only been chased once (in a car) and it was a scary experience, luckily back then the cops didn't have onboard computers, and anyway, the car wasn't registered in my name, so while I couldn't outpower him, I was able to outsmart him, and I didn't get a knock on my door the next day.

The cops here in Victoria ride BMW's, which aren't super quick, but they can just radio ahead and I'd be in more sh1t than a Werribee Duck. Nowadays, I have a couple of favourite stretches of country roads where the only threat is wandering cattle or Kangaroos, and the occasional flyover by the Police Air Wing, so I can usually go see how fast I can go, just for a minute or two..........    

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=In%20more%20#$%*%20than%20a%20Werribee%20duck

[dave500]

when i was a kid i got chased by cops,i was on a mates xr75 taking it back to his place,i noticed a brown hx or z holden,then a flashing light was on the roof,i didnt get very far!went to court got 150 dollar fine!was like a months wages for an apprentice.

[Terry in Australia]

I was 19 Dave, and had a 1972 Mazda RX2 Coupe. (rare as rocking horse sh1t nowadays, and very collectable) No license, unroadworthy, but really quick, when it would start. I had it up to 140 MPH with me, my wife (girlfriend then) my cuz and his girlfriend in it one day, it'd leave big V8's in it's dust.

I was driving over to pick the girlfriend up from work, driving up Settlement Road, when I went past the service station on the corner of Settlement and Plenty Road, as a Police "Candy car" (Ford V8 pursuit car) was driving out. I felt that he was checking me out, so at the next street, I turned left, went past two sidestreets, and turned left again. It was a "Cul de sac" (dead end street) so I turned the car around, facing out. He drove straight in beside me, and wound down his window to talk to me.

I took off, turned right back towards settlement road, but turned right again into another dead end street. The house at the end of the street had a high hedge at the front, so I drove up their driveway and behind the hedge. The cop, in the much bigger Ford, had to do a 3 point turn to turn his car around, and I heard his siren as he screamed back towards Settlement Road.

I don't know where he went from there, but I lit a cigarette and stayed another 15 minutes before reversing out of the house's front yard, and continued on my way to pick up my girlfriend, who was pissed off that I was 15 minutes late to pick her up. Oh well, one more story for my memoirs..........