TOPIC:

Hi all... I recently picked up a '79 KZ1000 for $20. The bike is in very good condition cosmetically, and I'm just getting it ready for the road by doing some basic maintenance.

Spark plugs, wires, oil change... all that good stuff.

I took the cover off of the stator to investigate the internals and look everything over. About a quarter cup of oil spilled out. I've never worked on a motorcycle before since I've always been a car guy before I bought this bike, so I don't know if it supposed to be there or not.

If it is not, then I'm guessing that there is a crank seal of some sort behind the stator that is bad?

Thanks in advance!

That's normal. When you change oil and filter to the recommended fill amount, it will flow back in and you'll be fine.
And even if you just add oil, you'll be fine. OR oil fill find it's way back even if you don't add oil. So anyway you look at it your ok.
WElCOME aboard!
Want to double your money on the bike??
Pat

I've had 5 people offer to buy the bike off of me for anywhere between double my investment up to $600.

I realize that I got an AWESOME deal and have the potential to make quite a bit of money by simply selling, but I have every intention of getting this stylish muscle bike on the road.

I'm going to be more than happy to be getting around 40 mpg as my car only gets around 26 mpg.

Thanks for the help, I'm really glad that it is supposed to be there and I don't have to tear even more parts off the bike to get it running ok.

My dad is a Harley guy and said that oil should not be in the stator. I replied with, "Different bikes are different just as different cars are different." For example, my BMW shares clutch fluid and brake fluid... weird huh?

This has been debated for 30 yrs. There are at least two thoughts.
#1. Oil is not supposed to be there, the crank seal is leaking.
#2. Oil is in there in small quantity to aid in cooling the stator.

Some guys open the engine and find no oil, some do. My personal thought is #1 above although all my KZs have always had a little oil in there. I think it's #1, but add "don't worry about it" at the end of the sentence. It's not part of an oil change though, once oil is in there it stays until it either leaks out or the cover is removed.

RonKZ650 wrote:

This has been debated for 30 yrs. There are at least two thoughts.
#1. Oil is not supposed to be there, the crank seal is leaking.
#2. Oil is in there in small quantity to aid in cooling the stator.

Some guys open the engine and find no oil, some do. My personal thought is #1 above although all my KZs have always had a little oil in there. I think it's #1, but add "don't worry about it" at the end of the sentence. It's not part of an oil change though, once oil is in there it stays until it either leaks out or the cover is removed.

I must be missing something...I didn't know there was any debate about this issue. I have always seen oil in there. In fact (I may be remembering wrong)I thought there were holes where the oil gets pumped in there to keep the starter gear lubed.

There seem to be a lot of people who have posted regarding problems with oil leaking from the wire grommet. I think if oil were not meant to be in there, that wouldn't be such a common problem. Am I wrong?

I am glad to hear that it is a common problem, but you guys ride regardless.

I think I'll do the same. The only things left to do in order to get this thing running is an oil and filter change along with fresh gasoline!

Thanks!

Skyman wrote:

I must be missing something...I didn't know there was any debate about this issue. I have always seen oil in there. In fact (I may be remembering wrong)I thought there were holes where the oil gets pumped in there to keep the starter gear lubed.

There seem to be a lot of people who have posted regarding problems with oil leaking from the wire grommet. I think if oil were not meant to be in there, that wouldn't be such a common problem. Am I wrong?

Nope, you are not wrong...if it were a dry system, there would not be a grommet sealing the stator wires and a gasket on the stator cover...those are designed to keep oil in...ergo, there must be oil around the stator.

I believe a lot of confusion stems from the fact that the KZs run two different setups - it was always my understanding that the big inline fours (900/1000/1100) run wet alternators (in fact my manual for the GPz 1100 specifically states that you should place an oil drip pan under the engine before removing the alternator cover), while the small inline fours (KZ 650/750) run dry alternators - don´t know about the 500/550s??

In other words, if you own a 900/1000/1100 you should expect to see oil behind the alternator cover, if you own a 650/750 you shouldn´t - and if you do in the latter case your crankshaft seals are indeed leaking.

OnkelB wrote:

...manual for the GPz 1100 specifically states that you should place an oil drip pan under the engine before removing the alternator cover)....

Same as stated in the FSM covering 1977, 1978 and 1979 KZ1000 models. But nothing mentioned about it in the FSM covering 1973 Z1 through 1976 KZ900 (so on those models it must be okay to just let it run out onto the floor ).