'80 KZ250-D1 LTD Project

Wanted to chronicle getting our running project back onto the road safely/legally.  Bought it several days ago, and it needs a few things done.

First on the list was to take care of a slow oil leak from the drain bolt and a very, very slow gas leak from somewhere on the bottom of the carb.  As I always do when I buy a used bike/vehicle, I change all the fluids so I have a baseline going forward.  No matter what the previous owner has said/done, it's cheap insurance...and in this case, it's the only fluid in the bike.     So I was looking at the drain bolt for a crush washer when we were inspecting it before the purchase, and I noticed there was some kind of copper washer but it wasn't very thick.  When I pulled the bolt, I realized he had used a banjo bolt washer, and it's O.D. wasn't as big as the flange of the bolt.  So I grabbed an aluminum crush washer from my parts bin, tightened it up (after the draining was done) and filled her up with Amsoil 10W-40.  It sat overnight & no more leak.

Next up was the gas leak.  The guy we bought it from had mentioned that he went through the carb and cleaned it well, but he said he did not replace the float needle.  After we got it home and unloaded, I didn't mess with it until the next day.  When I came out to start inspecting it, the leak had stopped, so I knew that it was just the gas left in the bowl that was leaking out.  I took the bowl, float and float needle off to inspect them all.  When I removed the bowl drain screw, I found the problem...there was no o-ring on the inside part of the screw.  I have one of those ordered from Partzilla, and it should be here by Wednesday.

Next was the front brake cable...which wasn't on the bike when he test rode it for us.  The cable the guy had on it had seized up and wouldn't move anymore, so he just left it off and used the rear brake.  I set out looking for one online.  Going through my usual avenues (eBay, Partzilla & a few other sites), I realized that this cable was no longer available (P/N 54005-1022).  Looking at some pics on eBay of the front brake cable for a KZ400, it sure seemed to look exactly the same, so I ordered one (P/N 54005-080).  Got it today, installed/adjusted it, and now we have both brakes...fit perfectly.

The fork sliders are nicked up quite a bit, to the point that the seals are leaking slightly.  We found a used complete set of forks on eBay & the sliders are in great shape, so I'll just break them down to replace the seals/fluid (and bushings if needed) and have that area done.

The rear running light isn't working, even trying a new bulb, so it's got to be in the wiring.  I'll dig into it more and find the culprit.

Once we get all of those done, she'll be ready for the road.  We're taking it to get the VIN inspection done at the end of the month, and then we'll get it registered/tagged and start tearing up the streets.     

There are some cosmetic pieces that have already been ordered...all from eBay.  The rear fender and grab bar were run into, and I found replacements in great condition (fender coming from Canada).

And my wife found the factory service manual on eBay, too, so we have that going forward for any other items we need down the road.

 

Nice save. I would also recommend replacing the brake shoes, even if they look good. The adhesive that binds the friction material to the backing plate deteriorates with age and can fail an an in opportune moment. 
Also, I would tend to two other items that are often neglected. Valve lash and the steering bearings. Out of adjustment valves can lead to burnt valves and seats. Dry, maladjusted steering stem bearings can lead to wobbly steering and maybe even a bearing failure. 

TexasKZ wrote:

Nice save. I would also recommend replacing the brake shoes, even if they look good. The adhesive that binds the friction material to the backing plate deteriorates with age and can fail an an in opportune moment. 
Also, I would tend to two other items that are often neglected. Valve lash and the steering bearings. Out of adjustment valves can lead to burnt valves and seats. Dry, maladjusted steering stem bearings can lead to wobbly steering and maybe even a bearing failure. 
 

Good call on all of those.  I'm used to valve adjustments, since I have to do it on my two VTXs...will be nice to just have to do one cylinder.  I'll check the steering stem bearings, too, while I'm changing the forks out.