Should these holes be blanked?

[ralpharama]

Hi as I mentioned in an earlier thread, I am restoring an XS650 engine that has been the victim of some serious abuse.

There are a number of holes in the top crankcase that look as if they have been filled with an epoxy putty and I'm wondering if they should have been. I have taken a few pix of them:-

On the first pic the holes look as if they were threaded holes?

Also in the bottom case there appears to be what looks like and engine mounting bolt that has been sawn off

Should that be there? The engine was fitted in an old Uncle Bunts hard tail frame so it's possible it's not needed, but if that's the case why leave it?

Any pointers on these would be appreciated.

Cheers

 

[VosaME]

Yes, they should be. The one that is covered when the case halves are mated needs to be checked and coated with sealant when they are mated.

The engine mount bolt that is in the bottom is a new one... might want to pull that out!

 

[5twins]

Yes, what you're seeing are the counter-drilling holes the factory needed to do to make internal oil passageways intersect and make right hand turns. After drilling, the outsides were plugged with filler and should remain so. Yes, someone cut both ends off the long lower engine bolt (#5 below) and left the center piece in there. Amazing the abuse heaped on these bikes, isn't it. Sadly, it's still going on big time. Read some of the posts around here and you'll see what I mean. Honestly, I wish all those guys would just buy Hondas, lol. They make about a million of them an hour so nobody will miss a few.

 

[ralpharama]

Thanks. That was really helpful

 

[gggGary]

That a KZ1300 in the background?

 

[ralpharama]

Hi Gary

Over here they're called Z1300s. I have wanted one for the last 31years since I first saw one and earlier this year I thought I had best get one whilst I'm still fit enough to ride one.

I took her to the Isle of Man for the Manx Grand Prix fortnight and clocked up some serious mileage. I just can't understand why I waited so long

 

[gggGary]

Nice shot!

I used to be a KZ1300 nut as bad as I am now a 650 nut. Almost all of them (11) got shipped to Finland. Great bikes for cold weather.
Nothing like overhauling those 3 2-barrels to train you to be meticulous about carb work.
What coils are you using on it?

 

[ralpharama]

Thanx

I ditched the mixture of crap coils she came with and replaced them with the Dyna compact coils. It was a right royal pain in the grinner to fit them, but some succinct engineering got them nicely in place and they're doing the business.

The carbs have been a bit challenging to say the least. I have already upped the pilot jets a size, but according to my last Dyna run they could still go up at least another size. She's still a little lean on the pilot circuit with the screw out 3 1/2 turns out. The mains are fine and she gave a hundred horses at the back wheel, which I'm told is very good for a thirteen. One of the plastic washers on the CV slides was missing and I had to get some suitable stock and machine a new one on my lathe - that was challenging

She's a bit special as she was prepped, when new, by Godier & Genoud in France ( of endurance racing fame). She has 1 1/2" overstock forks and a single Koni shock at the back. She was shod with Brembo goldline brakes on the front, but I have replaced them with Harrison billet six pots and a modern Triumph speed triple master cylinder. She handles and stops really well for a fat old girl now, and I embarrassed a few sports bikes on the IOM mountain circuit.

The Finns really are a nations of serious petrol heads Do you remember that Finn who used to wheelie a thirteen and take out the tail light? He's also used to jump off the back wearing clogs hanging onto the grab rail. They grow big testes in Finland

She's a keeper like my first love, my Z1000A1

 

[gggGary]

It's been a while but it seems to me it was the old KZ1300 USA site where I picked up the shimming the taper needle with a washer trick. Worked wonders to loose that just off idle stumble.

I could get the carb rack off the old 13 in about 10 minutes flat. Practice, LOTS of practice.

I hosted the KZ1300 rally one year.

 

[Airwolfie]

That one is a rubber stop, be careful you don't lose it, it does come out. That prevents the oil from pissing out between the halves. Remove this if you were to glass or bead blast your engine, but don't lose it!

And as above, that bolt underneath should not be there, unless it's on the frame!

 

[angus67]

looks like it was already blasted. my cork(last picture was fiber board, maybe cardboard?
I almost left it out during my rebuild, FINALY managed to get the case halves together, then looked down to see that f'er laughing at me on the table. Practice makes perfect?

 

[ralpharama]

It's been a while but it seems to me it was the old KZ1300 USA site where I picked up the shimming the taper needle with a washer trick. Worked wonders to loose that just off idle stumble.

View attachment 38317

Ahh, now I would really like to hear about the shimming of the taper needle. My 13 runs lovely, apart from that annoying stutter. According to the man at the dyno it was most likely that he pilot screw needed opening up a bit, but as it was already 3 1/2 turns out I needed to fit some even bigger pilot jets. But then when it came onto the needles he reckoned it was going from lean on the pilots to rich on the needles and then when actually on the mains it was perfect. He said I should drop the needles one slot.

There's not a huge amount of knowledge in the UK about the thirteens, that I have found. I'm a keen member of the Z1 Owners Club and there's a huge wealth of info on them, but the sixes didn't find huge favour in the UK , for some reason.

 

[ralpharama]

looks like it was already blasted. my cork(last picture was fiber board, maybe cardboard?
I almost left it out during my rebuild, FINALY managed to get the case halves together, then looked down to see that f'er laughing at me on the table. Practice makes perfect?

This set of casings was vapour blasted and then given a ceramic treatment, which gives a fantastic as new finish. The guy who does the treatment in the UK is Steve Smethurst, and he guarantees no beads left. You can't say fairer than that.

Apparently the finish is much less prone to getting dirty than straight blasting. These casings cost only £80 !

 

[gggGary]

My bad; the US KZ1300 carbs were EPA and did not have an adjustable needle.

There is (was) a lot of good info on the old USA KZ1300 site Dave Ewing ran it. Last I heard Dave was liquidating his 13 collection.
I see the site lives on
http://www.kz1300.com/