My Z1 needs carbs synced NEED MANOMETER recommend

Motor Head wrote:

Even if that is a fairly new fuel filter, you should take it off and drain it into a clear glass bottle to see the residue from that Liner. Blow a bit of air, backwards from normal flow. Those Injectors will have a small filter screen where the fuel rail connects, inside the top of the injector, these can become dirty/ clogged as well. Also does your manual show an Idle Switch Adjustment? This could be part of your off Idle hesitation. If you remove those throttle bodies, I would clean the inside bore and blade well, so each will have a even minimum airflow. Set them up using a small drill bit or paper clip so they are really close to the same opening. Then Sync them, it shouldn't take much of a turn on the adjustment if the bench set up was close. I think you could Hang those Injectors off to the side and crank the motor, watching the spray pattern from each. Nothing like getting them ultrasonically cleaned and CC'd for proper flow rate.
Also have you checked the fuel pressure? Both regulated and pump output pressure? Most EFI systems will have a regulator with a vacuum hose to manifold vacuum, when the throttle is opened the vacuum drops causing a rise in fuel pressure. Causing an increased Shot of fuel, just like an accelerator pump on a carb.

Thanks MH. How do I measure the fuel pressure? That's one thing I have wanted to do -- put a gauge in the system like an oil pressure gauge works, hooked in to the fuel delivery -- that would show any fluctuations that are abnormal.

My new fuel filter is coming and I'm waiting for the call to come in that it has arrived. I am 100% going to follow your advice regarding checking the sediment that is in the filter that came on this bike. I am gun-shy about disassembling any of the throttle bodies/injectors -- but if flushing the gas tank, boiling the petcock in vinegar to clean it, and installing the new gas filter doesn't change the intermittent rough idle -- I'm going to come back to your advice above and follow it. Thanks for the help.

The one thing I have noted about this bike is that the more I have ridden it in the past few days, the greater percentage of normal running I'm experiencing. I think the 'Injector Clean' product that I'm mixing with full tanks of gas is doing something.

But I'm still getting a fuel blockage somewhere, and it may be in those screens you mentioned atop the injectors.

ANYONE KNOW WHERE I can find a parts list, parts diagram for this 1980 Z1 Classic? It would help to understand the fuel system's parts makeup. I realize the 1100 or GPZ manual might help but I really want to stick with the 1908 kz1000 G1 model for accuracy.

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationNo eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationHere is the workshop manual, and the supplement on FleeBay.
cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KAWASAKI-Worksho...&hash=item588b985c57


cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KAWASAKI-KZ1000-...&hash=item5ade6ba0b4

A tester like this with a Tee for going inline with the fuel pressure line off of the pump to the regulator. Then by checking with the engine running, record the pressure at Idle, then unplug the vacuum supply hose to the regulator, and plug the hose with your finger, the pressure will rise approx 5-8 psi. Then you can turn the motor off and "Dead Head" the pump by blocking the line to the regulator with a pair of pliers and find out what the pump itself will make for pressure. Usually over 80Psi, but the manual will hopefully have all these specs for fuel pressure. All fairly simple. Now it is said that the system on those models was not any good from Kawasaki, and the later systems are better. Some have converted from EFI to Carb on those models.

www.harborfreight.com/fuel-injection-pump-tester-92699.html

Also you may find reading through the Bosch Technical Manual at this link may help with your knowledge base on the design and operation of the system.
bama.ua.edu/~darren/boschindex.html
>>>>>>>>>>>EDIT: You need this whole link address with the /~darren/boschindex.html

On the Airflow meter there should be a plug on the top, under it is the mixture adjustment, if I remember correctly they are around 2 -3 turns out from the factory. I think turning it in a 1/2- 3/4 turn will richen the mixture. The tech manual will talk about it.
Anyway I also think that if those old injectors have the hose nipple, fuel hose clamped on, then there may be now screens inside the injector. If you have compressed air, you can blow them out backwards. You must energize the solenoid to open the pintle needle from the seat. @ test wires power and ground, check the manual for the voltage as it may be less than 12v.

Motor Head wrote:

A tester like this with a Tee for going inline with the fuel pressure line off of the pump to the regulator. Then by checking with the engine running, record the pressure at Idle, then unplug the vacuum supply hose to the regulator, and plug the hose with your finger, the pressure will rise approx 5-8 psi. Then you can turn the motor off and "Dead Head" the pump by blocking the line to the regulator with a pair of pliers and find out what the pump itself will make for pressure. Usually over 80Psi, but the manual will hopefully have all these specs for fuel pressure. All fairly simple. Now it is said that the system on those models was not any good from Kawasaki, and the later systems are better. Some have converted from EFI to Carb on those models.

www.harborfreight.com/fuel-injection-pump-tester-92699.html

Most probably will drive the 18 miles to my local Harbor Freight in the next few days to buy that fuel pressure checker, thanks for the pointer MH, it's under 20 bucks too, hard to beat.

I pulled my gas tank hoping to find the petcock was very dirty and partly clogged after 10 years sitting in the p.o's garage.

The petcock was spotless.

I also drained the remaining gas in the tank into a clear container to inspect for any sediment or signs of that tank liner coming off. The gasoline was also spotless, nary even a speck of anything.

So now I'm waiting for:
- the new Kawasaki fuel filter to arrive
- my Morgan carb synchronizer to arrive

If the existing fuel filter is also okay, it's starting to look more and more like injector, regulator, fuel pump or something as the issue causing the rough idling and poor/jerky engine from idling to 1/4 throttle position. So far, I've eliminated alot of the possible gremlins.

HOWEVER -- I *did* learn something. I think I know why the bike would start to act like it was running out of gas and needing me to switch over to the Reserve setting on the petcock, despite there being a lot of gas left in the tank, which led me to the 'clogged petcock' reasoning.

The brass fuel tube for the 'On' setting of the petcock is TALL! Just TOO tall in my mind.

When the petcock is installed, the top of the brass tube for the normal "On" setting of the petcock is only 1 1/2" below the "Kawasaki" badge on the gas tank.

Here's a picture of the bike, you'll notice the "Kawasaki" tank badge is high up on the tank:



The dang 'On' setting is getting too little of the tank's gas capacity due to a very tall intake pipe, although that means the bike has a real generous reserve.

What that means is -- when I open the gas cap and use my 35 years of motorcycle owning wisdom to size up how much gas is in there I'm guessing wrong about when the reserve might kick in. The dang brass tube for "On" position is TALL. You would never have guessed that unless you pulled the petcock for a visual inspection of it.

So a couple times when I thought the petcock was clogged and forcing me to switch prematurely to 'Reserve' due to that clog -- nope, that was just the overly-tall brass pickup tube for the 'On' setting of the petcock, it gets starved of gas much sooner than what your eyeballs tell you when you pop open the gas cap.

However that does not explain the rough idling.

You really should just fill your tank up every time it gets down to about half.

TeK9iNe wrote:

You really should just fill your tank up every time it gets down to about half.

The gas tank on this 1980 kz1000 has a different shape than my 1978 kz1000 A2 bike. The dang "on" pipe is about 4 inches tall! Crazy.


Here is a photo -- the tall one on the left is my 1980 z1 classic -- the normal-size petcock pipe on the right is from my 1980 CBX Honda, which is also out for cleaning at this time -- most bikes I have owned, triples, cb400f, kz1000, rd400, rd350 and so on, they look a lot like the petcock on the right:



I may cut that 4" too-tall pipe down some because having a bike always jumping into reserve too fast will be annoying! I'll fill up the tank, go down the road 90 miles (45mpg, 2 gallons) and the dang bike is gonna be crying for another fill up.

Since it gets 40 to 45mpg, having a 1-gallon reserve, which gives the rider 40 to 45 miles to find a gas station, is *fine* so I think I'm gonna cut that tall brass pipe down to about 1/2 or so. This bike does *not* need a 3-gallon, 120 mile reserve.

Heck I just bought the bike and it's already a pita. I don't know why they made that 'switch to reserve' so dang quick, after all -- my gas tank holds nearly 5 gallons.

To your original question: You can use a single vacuum guage to synch the carbs, you just have to keep pulling the hose and switching it to the other carb whilst you plug the open port. You will need a good vacuum guage that is damped for carb tuning. You can use a very long piece of vacuum hose (6 feet) or put a restriction in a short line, like a ink pen top with a needle hole poked in the end or a fish aquarium valve can be used to damp the needle flutter. On a four cylinder kaw you synch the two carbs on one side to each other first (1&2) and then the opposite two (3&4) and then the two sides to each other using the center adjustment screw, so you can switch the vacuum guage between the two outer carbs for ease. Write the values down on the piece of paper so you don't lose track. Keep the rpm at a constant speed as you check and adjust. You will be able to get them all to the same reading with some effort. I just did my 82 kz1000 this way and I go them all to 9 in Hg. When I started I had 12, 6, 7, 11.

cyclhed wrote:

To your original question: You can use a single vacuum guage to synch the carbs, you just have to keep pulling the hose and switching it to the other carb whilst you plug the open port. You will need a good vacuum guage that is damped for carb tuning. You can use a very long piece of vacuum hose (6 feet) or put a restriction in a short line, like a ink pen top with a needle hole poked in the end or a fish aquarium valve can be used to damp the needle flutter. On a four cylinder kaw you synch the two carbs on one side to each other first (1&2) and then the opposite two (3&4) and then the two sides to each other using the center adjustment screw, so you can switch the vacuum guage between the two outer carbs for ease. Write the values down on the piece of paper so you don't lose track. Keep the rpm at a constant speed as you check and adjust. You will be able to get them all to the same reading with some effort. I just did my 82 kz1000 this way and I go them all to 9 in Hg. When I started I had 12, 6, 7, 11.

Thanks dude, question though, did you have a rough idle and/or did you have a less-than-smooth throttle roll-on between idle and putting it into 1st gear and then release the clutch?

What I'm really fighting is that 0 to 1/4 throttle range. At 0 (zero) throttle, the motor rpms are fluctuating up and down, up and down, between about 1100 to 1500 rpm.

Then when I pull in the clutch, and give it some throttle the engine is jumpy as I slip the clutch out, just like the oscillating between 1100 and 1500, the up-and-down, that's happening when I go from a dead stop to letting out the clutch and 'moving, under way'.

Did you have a funky up-and-down idle that went away after you sync'd your bike?

This bike of mine, a 1980 Z1 Classic, is fuel injected by the way. If I rev the motor high I can slip the clutch and get under way but with most bikes in good operating condition, you are not fighting an oscillating up-and-down RPM on the motor at low throttle openings and you don't have to gun the motor and slip the clutch like this one.

newOld_kz1000 wrote:

cyclhed wrote:

To your original question: You can use a single vacuum guage to synch the carbs, you just have to keep pulling the hose and switching it to the other carb whilst you plug the open port. You will need a good vacuum guage that is damped for carb tuning. You can use a very long piece of vacuum hose (6 feet) or put a restriction in a short line, like a ink pen top with a needle hole poked in the end or a fish aquarium valve can be used to damp the needle flutter. On a four cylinder kaw you synch the two carbs on one side to each other first (1&2) and then the opposite two (3&4) and then the two sides to each other using the center adjustment screw, so you can switch the vacuum guage between the two outer carbs for ease. Write the values down on the piece of paper so you don't lose track. Keep the rpm at a constant speed as you check and adjust. You will be able to get them all to the same reading with some effort. I just did my 82 kz1000 this way and I go them all to 9 in Hg. When I started I had 12, 6, 7, 11.

Thanks dude, question though, did you have a rough idle and/or did you have a less-than-smooth throttle roll-on between idle and putting it into 1st gear and then release the clutch?

What I'm really fighting is that 0 to 1/4 throttle range. At 0 (zero) throttle, the motor rpms are fluctuating up and down, up and down, between about 1100 to 1500 rpm.

Then when I pull in the clutch, and give it some throttle the engine is jumpy as I slip the clutch out, just like the oscillating between 1100 and 1500, the up-and-down, that's happening when I go from a dead stop to letting out the clutch and 'moving, under way'.

Did you have a funky up-and-down idle that went away after you sync'd your bike?

This bike of mine, a 1980 Z1 Classic, is fuel injected by the way. If I rev the motor high I can slip the clutch and get under way but with most bikes in good operating condition, you are not fighting an oscillating up-and-down RPM on the motor at low throttle openings and you don't have to gun the motor and slip the clutch like this one.

To answer your question: no, but my bike is carburetted so not really comparable to your FI issue. I did have a rough idle which smoothed out completely when I synched the carbs. You can hear it start to run much smoother and the idle will speed up when you start to get it right. If you have not synched your throttle valves though it could possibly cause what you are talking about if you have eliminated everything else. Everything needs to work together so you have to go through and make sure all the parts are working. Clean tank and fuel valve and filter, correct fuel pressure with FI, clean injectors and good spray pattern, no air leaks (vacuum), control unit operates properly, and of course the ignition system and engine mechanical condition must be good.

I just went and Edited one of the links to that Bosch tech manual for the L-Jetronic. Somehow only the homepage part of the link is highlighted for clicking on, you need the whole link as I stated above.
Put this whole line into your browser search bar:
bama.ua.edu/~darren/boschindex.html
Read about how to adjust your Idle Switch.Also the mixture on the air flow meter,i.e "Flapper Box". Check your sensor resistance, best from both the sensor connector and the Control box/ computer connector. Then you can compare readings to see if the wiring is throwing off the sensor resistance.
Did you try for any of those Fleebay Service Manuals? I had a look on KZR and did not find a Free pdf version, but maybe someone has it? You checked for vacuum leaks, but did you also make sure there is no un-metered air leaking in at the main Duct between the Air Flow Meter and the Throttle Bodies? Also those Air Flow Meters from Bosch always had a "Back Fire Valve" on the Moving Door. This can get damaged and be an air leak, its spring loaded and is a 1 way valve designed to keep the door being wedged backwards/ stuck, or other damage from a backfire in the intake.

Here is another link with a good article on trouble shooting the system, but where it was used the most Automotive.
www.hiperformancestore.com/Ljetronic.htm
They would have some design differences for the Kawasaki, no O2/ Lambda Sensor, I believe no Idle control valve, also no Cold Start Valve/ 5th Injector used on a cold start injecting gas, also Pulsed on a hot restart on Cars.
Hopefully your head is not hurting too bad from all the babble.