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

[Terry in Australia]

God this thread has gone downhill, it's hard to believe we've denigrated from high performance Kawasaki's to underpowered old Swedish sh1tboxes, but there you go, there's no rules for what we can and can't discuss, no matter how far away from the thread we stray, ha ha!

Today I did all the things that I needed to do to make the engine ready to go back in the frame. I re-checked the clearances, and discovered that while all the exhaust cam clearances were fine, the inlet's weren't so good. I needed to pull the inlet cam twice to get them within tolerance, but was happy in the end, and installing the rubber end caps and new cam cover gasket (after grinding another couple of thou of aluminium cam cover away) and everything fit perfectly. I installed the oil cooler adapters, but as I don't have enough oil cooler hose to install a cooler, I'll just run a short cut off section of hose between the two adapters until I can order some more cooler hose from the auto parts store.

I turned the engine around, as I had to install a new stator. As you'll recall, the original black engine had the crankshaft cut off at the alternator end, so no alternator, stator, starter motor etc. This is fine for a drag bike, but less than useful than having the benefit of an electric starter and a means of recharging the battery, for rides longer than 1/4 mile at a time. Of course, first I had to clean out the silicon sealant that the PO had slathered in to stop any possible oil leaks from the stator wire seal.

1428 3 Oct 2020 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I've decided that big Kawasaki's are impervious to silicon, because wherever I looked on the old engine, there was silicon used in large portions, with no obvious self destruction that I see in Honda CB750 engines that have been treated to unhealthy amounts of silicon sealant. Anyhoo, I had a new stator to install, so I scraped out the silicon goop, and installed the new stator.

1428 3 Oct 2020 2a by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

1428 3 Oct 2020 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Once again, new gasket, new seal, and it was on. I even installed the old spark plugs (because I forgot to order new ones) so no crap can find it's way into the combustion chambers.

1428 3 Oct 2020 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

By this time I'd pretty much run out of stuff to install, so tomorrow, (drumroll............) the engine is going back in! Woohoo! Well I still need to install the oil pump and the sump pan, new oil filter etc, but all in all, shouldn't be too hard, just jiggling it back in the frame will be a b1tch. That's why I've held off on putting the Z1-B frame together, I'd much rather lay the bare frame over the engine, than have to muscle the 200 pound lump back into the freshly powdercoated frame. Hopefully, everything will go to plan. We'll see..........

[RAFster122s]

I had a ‘66 Volvo 122S, ‘82 244DL, ‘83 245DL, ‘86 244DL, ‘91 244DL, ‘92 245DL, ‘92 944GL.
Had Bilsteins on most of them and they handled so much better with that, heavier sway bars , and strut tower braces. Cornered much flatter and as a result of suspension upgrades and V rated rubber and some polyurethane bushings in key areas it was oh so much faster through the corners and it became an entertaining car. Sure it wasn't fast but making it able to carry more speed in the corners made it faster overall. When you could smoke other fast cars with drivers who knew how to mash to go pedal but knew nothing about how to apex and properly brake and what line to take on corners and when and how to roll on throttle... how to set the chassis for a corner and transition weight to where it was needed... well you could embarrass many drivers and leave them far behind on curvy roads. All without modern traction control aids...
It really would piss off Corvette drivers when you were all over their asses in corner after corner because they didn't know how to drive fast.

The 122s was a 2 door and sweet ride, B20, high perf cam, Bilsteins, sway bars, head work, fresh rebuilt dual Su HS6 carbs Rejected to SM needles, 7” wide rims with VRrated rubber,  2” exhaust, more aggressive suspension alignment, really Woke up the performance potential making it a rumbly car that was great fun to drive...really transformed the car. It was super fun to drive then. Turned heads too. Makes a difference when you add about 20 hp over the old stock performance.
Throw a good set of snow tires on it in winter and 70 pound roll of tube Sand over the rear axle and you could go lots of places and drive in deep snow that was stranding lots of other cars.

So, yeah...they may have been #$%*ty cars by many people's view but you had to respect how well built and durable and long lived they were. They had their faults and warts but I would rather be in one of them in an accident any day over tons of their more expensive competition. I could walk away uninsured or lightly injured when Other cars had you in an ambulance or worse seeing the undertaker.

Terry you pulled your finger out and made some nice progress...  hahaha
Seriously, nice work.
I seriously cannot believe you put a 2FastMoto stator in your bike...they make tons of cheap knock off Honda small displacement bike parts. Mislabel or mis-ID a few as being compatible for the C70,CT70 motor...
Honda did some strange stuff with that little 70 cc motor having a short cylinder short stroke and longer stroke longer cylinder Design with mix of heads and all that... so, lots of times they list valves or pistons or gaskets being compatible and they aren’t...

Best of luck sorting out the 1428 and getting back to the Z1 when parts arrive on their slow boat and customs delays, etc.

David

[PeWe]

Keep the thread boiling at the top so you can find it, Terry!!

Your engine look really beautiful!

P.S
I have had a 240GL -85 too ... with sunroof.
S40 2.0T is not a valid one since it is manufactured in Belgium, right?
D.S.

[MauiK3]

That motor will pull stumps!

[grcamna2]

Terry,I love the look of that engine sitting on the bench,almost like it's asking "Hey,we done yet" ! 
Did you wonder if that's an Arias engine related to 'the God of Holeshots' ?!

How's the quality of that repro stator looked compared to an oem to you Terry ? I think it looks good.

[Terry in Australia]

Terry,I love the look of that engine sitting on the bench,almost like it's asking "Hey,we done yet" ! 
Did you wonder if that's an Arias engine related to 'the God of Holeshots' ?!

How's the quality of that repro stator looked compared to an oem to you Terry ? I think it looks good.

Thanks guys, I think I might have upset David with my Volvo jab, but over here they aren't well liked at all, especially by bikers. Their safety reputation apparently attracted them to particularly poor and ignorant drivers here, who held the opinion that as they were driving a Swedish tank that would save them from injury in a crash, regardless of how poor their driving skills were, and there was for a time, a disproportionate percentage of Volvo car/motorcycle collisions. There were even stickers on bikes saying "Beware of Volvo drivers", or "Volvo aware rider".......

I've heard nothing bad about the stator, it was recommended to me by a member of the "Z Owners" facebook page here who's been running one in his KZ1000 for the last 3 years with no issues, and it appears to be well made, keeping in mind that a stator is a pretty simple device. Because I built these engines from bare cases and lots of Ebaying, I didn't have an OEM one to compare to, but they look as good as the OEM ones I've used in CB750's. (I compared a Honda one initially as I was hoping I could install one and save a few bucks because they're similar in size, but they have a different bolt pattern and a unique Kawasaki plug) Definitely not a safety issue, I'd installed a voltmeter when I first put the bike together, so I'll keep an eye on it, just in case the stator somehow explodes in a ball of flame, ha ha!

It looks like it's about to piss down rain and I slept in until 10.30 because I forgot about daylight savings starting today, the worst thing about Covid-19 for me is that I've completely lost track of time, it's amazing to think that I haven't left the house in 7 months, and it'll be Christmas in a couple of months time! Anyway, what that means is I'll probably not get the engine installed today, but I'll prime and install the oil pump, sump pan, oil filter and cover etc, and go over it again just to make sure there's nothing I've missed.

The Lockdown is ongoing, so this project should still be finished by the time we're allowed out again, here's hoping!      

[bear]

I would love to find a P1800 sport wagon,a very nice vintage sporty Volvo.

Does Sporty and Volvo belong in the same sentence?

[grcamna2]

I would love to find a P1800 sport wagon,a very nice vintage sporty Volvo.

Does Sporty and Volvo belong in the same sentence?

The styling looks that way to me,you ever see one ?
I think Volvo's are quality built cars.

[bear]

I would love to find a P1800 sport wagon,a very nice vintage sporty Volvo.

Does Sporty and Volvo belong in the same sentence?

The styling looks that way to me,you ever see one ?

No, never, I was taking the piss.

[PeWe]

It were som models with Sport as part of its name in the 60-70's
Dual carbs, probably mostly Solex and a few with Strombergs.
Later  Polestar versions...

Very well kept old Volvos always something to watch out for, often senile drivers. That was before.
Today, the small girly cars are the danger, driven by young women with no drivingcontrol at all. 
I was 0.5 m or so to be smashed (T-boned) by one a few days ago in a country road crossing in a very small village.
Not stopped when she had to, I just passed right before the front. I drove in legal speed, my mistake. Easy to relax too much then.

[Terry in Australia]

European cars have never been popular here in Oz, they're seen as gutless and fragile, so there's no "sports" mystique here in Oz, we call them "Euro-Trash", and you can pick them up for nothing second hand once they get to the 10 year mark. Sure, they're better handlers than American cars from the same era, but the US is a large lump of land with 10 lane freeways, so don't need to go around corners like a European car. I worked part time at a garage for 15 years, and the workshop manager's biggest headache were V6 Volvo's with disintegrating camshafts, just a terrible design, with no fix, except ridiculously expensive replacements. Having said that, I've always had a soft spot for Citroens, for some inexplicable reason.........  

[PeWe]

Typical aussi car is a Holden, right?
Holden HSV GTS-R W1 soon in the mirrors of Terry's  Arias Kawasaki eating the dust

[Terry in Australia]

Typical aussi car is a Holden, right?
Holden HSV GTS-R W1 soon in the mirrors of Terry's  Arias Kawasaki eating the dust

Thanks Per, I've always been a Ford fan, I own one of the last Ford's built in Oz and had several V8 Fords back in the day, but technology has moved on, I had a street light drag with a Mach III Mustang with my 2.7 litre V6 Turbo Diesel last year, and left him in my black exhaust smoke. The Mach III was one of my favourite Mustang's back in the day, but modern technology has surpassed good old American grunt, my diesel SUV will blow "Musclecars" of the era off the road, and still return close to 40 MPG fuel economy. Oh well, they were fun, "Back in the day"........

Motorcycle technology is much the same I suppose, my 1997 VFR750 (an "Old" bike now) produced 103 BHP and has a top speed of around 250 KPH, performance we could only dream about when our old 750's first came out with 67 BHP and maybe 200 KPH, on a good day. But that shouldn't stop us having fun with old bikes, should it?

As expected, I didn't get the engine back into the frame today. One of my big musclebound sons was at work, and the other was busy working on his car, so I continued doing little things on the big Kawasaki engine before installation. I tipped it (carefully) on it's back, so I could install the oil pump and sump pan.

1428 Sun 4 Oct 2020 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

1428 Sun 4 Oct 2020 1 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

1428 Sun 4 Oct 2020 3 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

The sump pan I installed may have been off the black engine, or one I bought from "Oink", but I'd cleaned them both in the ultrasonic cleaner, so it was as clean as a whistle. I found the new gasket and then spent the next hour or so looking for some bolts to install it. The PO of the black engine had used a combination of rusty unbrako's and hardware store metric screws, but as I have the world's largest collection of Kawasaki engine bolts after some Ebay credit card melting, using the OEM parts manual, I did a search for the 13 6mm x 25mm, 3 6mm x 35mm and 1 6mm x 50mm bolt, then cleaned them up on my wire wheel, and degreased them, then sprayed them with WD40, and installed the sump pan.

1428 Sun 4 Oct 2020 4 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I tipped it back the other way, and decided to install new exhaust gaskets while the engine was out of the frame, as it's easier.

1428 Sun 4 Oct 2020 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

I used some Wurth special exhaust silicon sealant, it does a great job, and unlike other silicons, doesn't stink when it gets hot. it's "Wurth" it's weight in gold, ha ha!

1428 Sun 4 Oct 2020 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

1428 Sun 4 Oct 2020 7 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

All good. OK, next job, I have oil cooler adapters on the engine, several coolers in my garage, but no cooler hose. Bugger. OK, I found a short length and looped it between the adapters, and clamped it into place. I'll leave it like that until I've fired it up for the first time, and if it's running well, will install the cooler before I go for a decent ride.

1428 Sun 4 Oct 2020 9a by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

And that was about it, it was hot (yes, hot weather, woohoo, where has this weird year gone?) and I was thirsty, so I opened a bottle of Ginger Rocket, and packed up for the day. Engine not in yet, but I'm running out of excuses, so I better get it done, I have lots more projects, and who knows how much time? More soon.

1428 Sun 4 Oct 2020 9b by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr



   

[PeWe]

You are really very productive Terry! Like a professional mechanic, shop owner.

[RAFster122s]

I would love to find a P1800 sport wagon,a very nice vintage sporty Volvo.

Does Sporty and Volvo belong in the same sentence?

The styling looks that way to me,you ever see one ?

The fuel injected ones goes really good as they are pretty light for their size.
Terry, you haven't offended me, just don't underestimate that even a box like a Volvo can be a potent weapon in the right hands and I don't mean crashing them...
Volvo and Saab were World rally championship winners for many years. BTTC saw the Volvo 850 Wagon kicking all the other Touring Car's asses when it debuted the one year it ran...they outlawed it so they races the sedan to victories then...
So, yeah sometimes a Volvo can be a winner. I wouldn't buy one now... Change to Chinese owners

[grcamna2]

Terry,
Arias is looking good and just itching to be installed into it's chassis and go do a few holeshots;I think it's smart to wait for one of your strong sons to help 'heft' that beast into place.
Maybe on one of your rides(hook-up a trailer hitch to that bike !) you can help pull a fellow's boat out of the water,with all that torque !

[Cougars750F0]

I would love to find a P1800 sport wagon,a very nice vintage sporty Volvo.

Does Sporty and Volvo belong in the same sentence?

The styling looks that way to me,you ever see one ?

The fuel injected ones goes really good as they are pretty light for their size.
Terry, you haven't offended me, just don't underestimate that even a box like a Volvo can be a potent weapon in the right hands and I don't mean crashing them...
Volvo and Saab were World rally championship winners for many years. BTTC saw the Volvo 850 Wagon kicking all the other Touring Car's asses when it debuted the one year it ran...they outlawed it so they races the sedan to victories then...
So, yeah sometimes a Volvo can be a winner. I wouldn't buy one now... Change to Chinese owners

Volvo P1800ES with some enhancements

[grcamna2]

WOW,is that a custom P1800 and is it yours Cougars750F0 ?

[Cougars750F0]

No I wish it was though! Don't want to hijack the thread just had a picture of one. I do have a 94 960 though it's always being underestimated its light weight and fast for an old car. Weights 500lbs less than my friends 2017 Mustage GT! 
Now back to the tread out of respect there's another thead for this kind thing

[grcamna2]

Terry,I was curious on those oil coolers,is there a thermostat to regulate the temps similar to a watercooled engine ? I asked folks through the years and a couple individuals said there were.I would think it helps a naturally cooler running engine warm-up quicker until it kicks-in.

[Terry in Australia]

Terry,I was curious on those oil coolers,is there a thermostat to regulate the temps similar to a watercooled engine ? I asked folks through the years and a couple individuals said there were.I would think it helps a naturally cooler running engine warm-up quicker until it kicks-in.

Thanks Bill, when I was building and selling oil cooler kits for CB750's and Suzuki GS/GSX bikes, I'd add an inline thermostat from Lockhart as an option. I don't think anyone in Oz ordered one because it added around $100 to the price, and over here it doesn't get cold enough to need one, in most states, apart from maybe here in Victoria, and Tasmania, in winter?

A few of the American guys bought one, along with some Brits, European and Japanese guys, but many didn't, probably because of the price. The guys on the "Z Owners" FB site have all advised me to install an oil cooler, but they don't know my background, I would have anyway, and I bought the cooler adapters from "Oink" before I joined their FB group.

By the time this bike, and the Z1 are up and running (and actually being ridden, whenever we get out of lockdown) it'll be warm enough to need an oil cooler on both bikes, for sure. I've got some fairly big cooler radiators here that I bought years ago, I'll probably put a standard lockhart cooler radiator on the Z1, and a bigger one on the 1428, just for a bit of extra security.  

[grcamna2]

Terry,those inline Lockhart thermostats,did they work as a type of limiter,to block-off some of the volume so it would recirculate in the engine more than going through the cooler and lines ?

I had a 1978' Kaw. KZ1000 Z1R (silver) in 1981' which I installed a standard size Lockhart oil cooler kit(no thermostat) and the salesman at the place I bought it from said to add about 1/2qt. extra motor oil on top of the standard capacity,which made it look a good bit above the marks in the sight-glass.How much extra oil do you add to your engine when running oil coolers ? Do you remember ?

[grcamna2]

No I wish it was though! Don't want to hijack the thread just had a picture of one. I do have a 94 960 though it's always being underestimated its light weight and fast for an old car. Weights 500lbs less than my friends 2017 Mustage GT! 
Now back to the tread out of respect there's another thead for this kind thing

Understood

[PeWe]

If I should use an oil cooler, thermostate that does not connect cooler until after 100C.
Condense in engine needs to evaporate. I have seen on my oil tank thermometer that it take a while to reach 100C.

Need of a cooler those few days when temperature pass 110C going to 120C which is the highest seen so far. Ambient temp around 30C.
Better oil withstand higher temp a longer period of time.

[grcamna2]

If I should use an oil cooler, thermostate that does not connect cooler until after 100C.
Condense in engine needs to evaporate. I have seen on my oil tank thermometer that it take a while to reach 100C.

Need of a cooler those few days when temperature pass 110C going to 120C which is the highest seen so far. Ambient temp around 30C.
Better oil withstand higher temp a longer period of time.

Per,What is optimum oil temperature for the best performance on your CB750 ?