1978 KZ650: Refitting carbs

Please someone, tell me how I can get the bank of four carbs back in
position between the engine and the standard airbox. I've tried removing the
four engine ducts that attach to the carbs which allows me to manuover the
carb bank into place but looks like it'll be almost impossible to get the
cross-head screws back without a course in advanced escapology. I've
considered loosening the engine mounts to buy up some space whilst refitting
but this seems abit drastic. Is there an easier tact I can try?

 

This is a *bastard* job on older Jap bikes, especially when the inlet
rubbers harden with age.

What you need to do is attach the inlet rubbers to the cylinder block
first. Ideally, you should soften them in boiling water first.

The airbox is best displaced slightly rearwards. Jiggling the carb bank
so that all the tracts slot into the inlet rubbers on the block is a
sod, but it can be done. The rubbers joining carb bank to airbox are
usually thinner and more flexible - a long this screwdriver helps lever
them in place.

There's no easy way. It's a bitch. Sorry.

 

martinski said...

Try undoing all the screws holding the airbox in place, moving it
backwards to give some room, and then refitting it once the carbs are
back in place. Some jiggery-poker is required to get the inlet rubbers
on the airbox back on the carb mouths, but I've alwys found this the
easiest option.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, The Older

Assuming you mean a long *thin* screwdriver this is true. However, a
long thin flat bladed screwdriver which has had the last 1/4 inch of the
blade heated up to red hot and bent at 90 degrees rocks like a rocky
thing for getting the bloody things in place.

You'll obviously want to let it cool down again before using it. I
wouldn't normally say that, but this *is* UKRM.

Then you can heat it up to red hot again and shove it up the designer's
arse[1].

[1] Obviously, you can't. But it is a nice thought.

 

Nigel Eaton said...

Snap_On do a simple tool for the job with a nicely rounded off end. it
was designed for the job and works well. Not expensive either.

 

Ditto to what TOG and Lozzo said, I owned a '77 KZ650B1 and I had that
carb set in and out many times, but it never got much easier despite
the familiarity. You *have* to loosen up the airbox to make it work.

 

The Older Gentleman wrote

If you can keep it going with some help from a hot air gun so much the
better

Ain't dat de truff

 

Do remember to loosen the air box mounting bolts so that you can slide
the air box back out of the way. Leave the inlet side rubbers in place.
With the air box moved back you can slide the carbs in (can't remember
if its lhs or rhs) with the front of the carbs pointing down slightly.
Easy the into the inlet rubbers by using the handle of a hide mallet (
put the end of the handle on the carb and push. Spraying the inlet
rubbers with a light oil helps. Now push the other side in the same way.
This will make the carbs horizontal. At the same time you can align the
rear rubbers up. Make sure the rubbers on the air box are in the correct
position. It's always better to do this job on a hot day. -0.2Dec C does
not help.

--
SimonB - South Wales. BOF#32
email simonb@zapikdotcodotuk
Triumph Sprint ST,
ZXR750L2 Wazimbaki.
Kawasaki Z1R For Sale

 

CAUTION.

Petrol fumes running through a hot air gun could make it an eyebrow free
zone...


Like dont spill half a gallon of petrol on the fan heater in the garage.
Or try to vacuum the last drops of petrol out of the tank with the
vax...

--
SimonB - South Wales. BOF#32
email simonb@zapikdotcodotuk
Triumph Sprint ST,
ZXR750L2 Wazimbaki.
Kawasaki Z1R For Sale

 

eric the brave wrote

Only if you are the sort of dumb fucker who puts carbs back on full of
petrol.

<fx: looks at posters name>

Oh right, as you were then.

 

Not me gov. stories from an AA roadie...

--
SimonB - South Wales. BOF#32
email simonb@zapikdotcodotuk
Triumph Sprint ST,
ZXR750L2 Wazimbaki.
Kawasaki Z1R For Sale

 

You didn't, did you?

Hohohohohohohhoooo....

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19

 

Well, i got there in the end. A combination of heat gun, a hammer handle and
patients of a saint. Only down side was that i managed to split one of the
connectors to the airbox but im not overly surprised. There was a point,
about 2hrs into the saga, when i was ready to open the fuel tank and drop a
match.
The person who was responsible for that particular area of the bike has gone
straight to the top of my 'people i'd like to meet in a sealed,
sound-proofed room' list. And he/she wouldn't be allowed to leave until
they'd either explained their reasoning behind the afore mentioned bit of
kit or been made to take the carbs off and refit the bastards back in the
frrezing cold rain with his wife starring stoney faced through the kitchen
window pointing to a pair of garden sheers knowingly......

Thanks for the advice fellas.

 

martinski wrote

Somewhere you haven't been seems to be web site that contains the ukrm
cbt. Best you do really.

 

And no right-thinking person would want lots of Gyp. Not even Tracy.

 

said...

However, lots of people would want lots of Tracy

 

And no right-thinking person would want lots of Gyp. Not even Tracy.[/QUOTE]

He's handy round the house, looks good in overalls and has a King
Dick.

What's not to like?

 

He's handy round the house, looks good in overalls and has a King
Dick.

What's not to like?[/QUOTE]

The fact he likes to wave his King Dick around in public.