TOPIC:

Hello. I recently aquired an 82 KZ440, but the PO replaced the factory air box with pods. I've found that its nearly impossible to get the carbs tuned correctly with pods so now I'm looking for alternatives.

I do have part of the factory air box (the large section that connects to the the carbs) but I do not have the section that holds the air filter. So I have a few choices:

-Try to get the pods to work
-somehow rig the current airbox with a filter over the opening
-Just use scotchbrite pads over the openings of the carbs (saw this in another thread)

Any other suggestions? Anybody have that part I'm looking for that would be willing to sell it?

Alibi wrote:

Hello. I recently aquired an 82 KZ440, but the PO replaced the factory air box with pods. I've found that its nearly impossible to get the carbs tuned correctly with pods so now I'm looking for alternatives.
...
-Just use scotchbrite pads over the openings of the carbs (saw this in another thread)....

Hi Alibi, welcome to the forum. It is not a good idea to run scotchbrite for a filter if you want your engine to last. It will keep out nuts, bolts and boulders flung up from the road, but not much else.

Im in the same situation, i'm planning to go with UNI pods and will just hope for the best.

Have you re-jetted with the pods on? What kind of issues have you been having?

I was guessing that the scotch brite pads wouldn't be as good as the pods at this point.

My biggest problem is that I'm totally ignorant of carbuerated engines in general. I've got a good deal of experience working on cars... but they've all been fuel injected.

As for problems, the bike was running fine for a couple days until I ran it around my house enough times to warm it up. It then acted like it was starved for fuel. If/when I start it now, it is very hard to keep it started and it will die as soon as I either open the choke or the throttle.

From what I've read, I need to re-jet (but I don't know what that is... is there a tutorial somewhere?) and maybe check for the clearance of the butterfly valve in the carbs (I know they don't seat right from when I looked at it when I had it off last).

My start procedure has been: turn key over, leave choke all the way closed (idles really high and then dies with the choke open), hit the start button, let it warm up a couple mins, play.

Also, my fuel petcock doesn't seem to have an "off" function as fuel flows freely in "Pri", "res", and "on". Is there something wrong with this too?

Oh, and I've got an in-line filter in place too to pick up crap from the fuel and whatever is in the tank so I'm assuming it isn't too restrictive...

Probably just need to get bigger jets to match your increased air flow. Check your spark plugs, see what colour they are, that way you can know for sure if you are running real lean.

might want to check your petcock too, perhaps a chunk of rust from your tank got through the filter or something and is giving you fuel delivery problems, before the gas even reaches your inline filter...

Our petcocks on the 440LTD dont have an off, as long as it is on you are fine. Its a vacuum petcock so gas wont just start leaking out. Put it on pri if you are having problems starting initially.

Jets are little things in your carbs (im such a newb), getting bigger jets increases the fuel flow at different ranges which you generally need to do if you are increasing the airflow with an aftermarket exhaust or pod filters.

www.armbell.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31...ght=jet&mforum=kz400

I have an inline filter also, shouldnt be a problem. Also you may have an air leak perhaps, check the boots on your carbs for cracks or tears.

I am going solely from things I have read but I think i'm along the right lines, hopefully someone else that has more practical experience can chime in.

Hello, I had the same problems a few weeks back. Double check your ignition first before doing anything with the carbs. Turns out after rebuilding my carbs it was a nearly cut wire going to the 2-3 coil that's giving me trouble. And check if your fuel is flowing well with the in-line filter,Had trouble with the smallish paper element filters. Just not flowing enough fuel especially when fuel is low.

Well... I think I found part of my problem. I had the fuel filters in backwards.

However, upon taking the carbs out again I'm finding that the butterfly valves just don't seem to fit right against the inner walls of the carb. Could this be a factor?

Hmm I would think the backwards fuel filter would be 100% of the problem Still dying on you after you corrected that?

Well, I got the fuel filter switched back the right way and while I had the carbs off I tried cleaning them again. I discovered that one of my needles (I think thats the right part I'm thinking of... maybe jet?) screw slot was stripped so I couldn't take it apart and clean it.

Hmm... I think I'm going to have to rebuild 'em... I could be lazy and just buy some pre-rebuilt and jetted carbs but thats potentially expensive. I know I can get rebuild kits off Z1 Enterprises for about 30 bucks.

The circled part is the one that is stripped...



I might have found someone on another forum that can ship me the factory airbox so all I'd have to do to the carbs would be getting them back to factory (or slightly richer) specs. Suggestions?

Its late so I didn't try very hard to get the bike to start but I'll do that tomorrow. Hopefully I got the carbs clean enough to run until I can rebuild them.