My Z1 needs carbs synced NEED MANOMETER recommend

Motor Head wrote:

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.

MH good reads there, I'm taking a 'check the simple stuff first' and next up are the throttle valve sync, and installing the new fuel filter. Then after all the simple stuff is checked I'll dive in to the FI, thank you for the pointers to the info I'll need.

So far I've done:
- valve adjustment check
- timing advancer freely-moving check
- new plugs
- new oil and filter
- removed tank and petcock to check for blockage/sediment, none found
- nearly new battery

So after the Morgan sync tool arrives and my Kawasaki fuel filter arrives next week, those will be added to the list above. Good to hear that my rough idle problem may simply be out-of-sync throttle bodies, thanks for that cyclhed.

If all the 'simple' checks and new parts/adjustments above do not cure it -- next I will move to the FI system and MH I am thankful to your stuff above because that's what I need for the next troubleshooting phase.

However there *is* one thing I'm gonna do tomorrow. I'm going to remove the computer from its storage compartment under the rear of the seat. Then I'm going to disconnect the battery from the bike.

Then, I will disconnect the connectors at the computer and clean the contacts. I'm also going to check the wiring harness for any obvious loose wires or ground.

Because today while riding I again experienced what I think is either an intermittent ignitor failure or a computer shut down. The symptom is the bike just stops firing. I'm driving along, then it's dead motor time, like someone just removed the red wire from the battery.

This has happened about 4 times since I bought the bike about 3 weeks ago. The first 3 times I went looking for a fuel problem. Well that turned up nothing and made me realize something today.

Today when the bike stopped firing I simply turned off the ignition for a couple seconds, then turn the ignition key back on, hit the starter and off I went.

It reminds me of rebooting a computer. And this bike has a computer.

So I think I'm getting a sporadic bad or slightly oxidized connection on the computer's electrical connnector and I'll bust out my contact cleaner and a pencil eraser to make sure the computer's connection is OK.

The bike should not transition from 'not firing at all' to 'firing just fine' by simply turning off the power then turning it back on -- unless this is resetting the computer.

*Maybe* the ignitor is iffy, but I'm thinking over the 31 years that computer connector has had plenty of time to oxidize just from normal moisture in the air and is due for a cleaning.

With a Volt meter, starting at the battery, then on to the fuse panel, check the voltage with the key-on and then with the bike running. The "Main" fuse is a good suspect, you don't want to loose voltage along the path. Check the voltage going to your coils, and the Fuel injection computer. Ideally it should be within 1/2 volt of voltage measured across battery terminals. Fuse panel, Ignition and Run/ stop switches, as well as connectors will get bad connections. Sometimes a 2 volt drop is found, bad!
Also that Idle switch adjustment is pretty critical, on some of those you could get an audible click just slowly turning it, with everything off. Turned adown with throttle shaft travel then back up against travel, "click", then just back, maybe recheck to confirm, then move the throttle, "click" just off of Idle.

Motor Head wrote:

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.

When I disconnect and clean the computer connector I will also check the Air Flow Sensor box. The 'Air Flow Sensor' part on my 1980 Z1 Classic is just under the seat, just above the battery, and it looks very similar to item #1 here in a picture from that Bosch manual:



Tomorrow I will check for air leaking at the junction of this box and the throttle bodies, and in general I will follow your advice to check for any "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."


Sheesh. I'm going back to RD 400s after this.
Piston; rod; crank; carbs; gearbox; that's it. There is a lot of extra STUFF on this here motor.

We have all learned that the chance of any system experiencing a failure increases as the number of parts in the system grows.

When I look at this fuel injection-replaces-carbs deal, with its fuel pump, regulator, filter, computer, sensors, high-pressure lines, yada yada, two words come to mind: TREE HUGGERS.

However I do like to learn new stuff and am okay with it, as long as the bike pulls my arms out the socket. And this one does.

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.[/quote]

You can access the complete parts diagrams on Kawasaki.com under Owner Information Parts Diagrams

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.

OK, since you figured out the reserve issue, then on to the idle hunting around. I would take a look at the air flow meter. Has it been tampered with or opened up does it look like by somebody? There are contacts in there that tell the computer how much air is flowing and the computer adjusts the fuel flow based on that. This is after the engine is warmed up. I looked at the parts diagram and I see this has a manual fast idle control for when the engine is cold, so no idle air motor like on a car with L-Jetronic (Porsche). So sometimes the air flow meter is gummed up or the contacts are dirty. You may be able to clean it, or maybe not. Or maybe someone has tried to adjust the contacts and screwed it up or maybe its just f'd up. Check the intake system for vacuum leaks really good. You can adjust the air bypass screw on the air flow meter and see if you get it to smooth out, That is the screw under the cover that you may have to drill and put a sheet metal screw in to remove the plug. Count the turns in until it stops so you know where it was. This is you idle mixture adjustment. I suspect though that either the airflow meter is bad, or the injectors are dirty and not spraying a nice constant even pattern. Oh yeah sometimes if the engine popped back it can also damage the airflow meter. Fuel injection on a zed oi shiite! Sorry its a cool bike, but...

Check this out, it was in the File Base here at KZR, color wiring for your model!

Maybe having this will help?