Making 79-80 KZ1000 SMOG heads useful

I know these heads and valve covers are ugly after the originals! They are selling a little cheaper on eBay than the old originals.
I have 2 complete heads that I am working on. These can be used on all 73-80 engines. I took a valve cover and milled down as low as I could go. Then put some flat 1/8" aluminum cover plates on. Had to tap down a 1/4", the 2 holes that were milled down. And I tap the air holes with 1/8" NPT standard pipe tap and use small screw in plugs to close the hole in the head. You just have to use a correct cam chain tower that works with the valve cover. So Guys looking for a head for the early 73-77. Can use a smog head. I did this when I seen a RARE - Canadian or European valve cover sell for $134 on eBay. Without that ugly lug on top of the cover.
Just something I did Friday playing with the old Bridgeport Mill.

Nice neat job.
This is what I do with mine to make them even more useful.
Plug the head and camcover so the the chambers are now sealed.

Bore a couple of holes in the floor of the chambers above the cam caps to avoid oil splash.

Re-fit the reed valves upside down.

You can then re-fit the stock caps and voila! you now have a one way top end engine breather.

It almost as if Kawasaki wanted you to do this.

You can also do away with the reed valves and fit some gauze to trap any oil mist and then fit some billet style caps with earls type hose fitting for a tricker look.

I'm a bit late to the party on this thread, but would appreciate one piece of information: can the 78 & earlier cam cover be used on a 79 - 80 head with the screw plug mod.?
Does the centrally located chain idler have to be changed to earlier style? Lots of these MKII heads are being tossed and the doorstops being sold on Epay are nearly criminal.

zinnco wrote: I'm a bit late to the party on this thread, but would appreciate one piece of information: can the 78 & earlier cam cover be used on a 79 - 80 head with the screw plug mod.?
Does the centrally located chain idler have to be changed to earlier style? Lots of these MKII heads are being tossed and the doorstops being sold on Epay are nearly criminal.

Yes! the earlier style covers bolt straight on.
The MK2 head is mechanically exactly the same as all the others except for a slightly squared off casting around the cam end plugs which is barely noticeable.

With the scarcity of good KZ900 heads, I put a KZ1000 head on a project bike and love it. Iron guides last a long time and 8mm studs are sturdy. Now I can recommend the option to my customers. I sincerely appreciate the info, saves me a bunch of time and $$$!

If you need a Z1 head, you can buy a new one.

www.kzrider.com/forum/2-engine/610743-re...n-z2-z1-heads#804899

I read about their development but did not know they were available yet. Plus, I suspect there may be a cost issue. Who is marketing them?

That be looking goooooood. Thanks for sharing. I think I probably should have taken care of that when I had the head off. I will get to it for next bike. I did put block off plates on it.

zinnco wrote: I read about their development but did not know they were available yet. Plus, I suspect there may be a cost issue. Who is marketing them?

Will be taking orders sometime this fall, with delivery sometime next year.

japan.webike.net/moto_news/reproduction-...cylinder-head-z1-z2/