'73 Kawasaki Z1 900 pops/sputters, many problems, can we make it sing?

1973 First Year Z1 900 won't run, just pops and sputters, won't really run, has multiple problems, can we make it sing again? Video #1

[@garywhite6900]

Thank you from Melbourne. I am waiting for my dyna to arrive and this was just what the Dr. ordered. Great work! Stay well and keep the faith!

[@petermosdell580]

Really enjoyed you talking us through the diagnostic process especially as I’ve just bought a Dyna coil to replace 50 year old originals that tested inconsistently. Wishing you good health too

[@daveco1270]

I was occasionally dropping a cylinder on my 1975 Honda CB750. I put some Dyna coils and a Dyna S electronic ignition on it and it's run like a champ ever since.

[@MotoRestoFL]

Yea, truth is, it’s been decades since I worked with points ignition systems. I don’t recall messing with them on my ‘79 KZ650, but the ‘83 Seca 900 and everything since has had electronic ignition. Usually I’m diagnosing a problem with those. It was a crash refresher. Cheers.

[@fiero880]

Gorgeous Z1!!

[@jayc1116]

Excellent work.

[@johnnyrvf]

A ‘ 73 Z1. I note it has fitted a Dyna S ignition on it. As soon as I mounted one on my ‘ 76 Z900 BAM! It ran so much better!

[@petebird7171]

Don’t think it was crappy at all, looking forward to the next one 👍👍👍👍👍

[@johnpollock4257]

Nice work Tom.

[@ipfreelynow]

Nice video, the bike sounds great. hope the wife and you fell better.

[@karlvanboxel561]

Nice Job very thorough and u got that ol Z1 ticking surprised it’s been bored as it looks like low mileage may have been a storage issue and rusty bores

[@henryhawk978]

Enjoyed the video, Tom. Nice recovery on the ignition problem. On the valve clearances being out of spec. Moto Guzzi on their 2 valve per cylinder bikes had 2 specs on the clearances. Bikes to the U. S. Intake. .002 exh 004 all other bikes Internationally sold around the world were in .004 exh .006 exact same motor. Enjoyed the video and RIDE SAFE OUT THERE.

[@petegkSalonika]

Many thanks for the video mister, nice video and audio quality, wish you well with your health issues and keep going with the motorcycle work, my regards from Europe Greece ...

[@davidevelyn530]

I really enjoy your videos and the wealth of knowledge you share. You make goofy cool !

[@MotoRestoFL]

Thanks. Subscribe w/notifications and you'll see the next one coming out on a ZRX1200, with some O-Ring detective work, air-cut valve carburetor nonsense and other goofy stuff!

[@Bobby-fj8mk]

Great video. You might find if you can master the use of an oscilloscope you would be able compare each ignition circuit for each cylinder and actually see what's going on. It would make it much easier to diagnose faults.

[@MotoRestoFL]

That's a great idea, in fact, I purchased a cheap hand-held oscilloscope over a year ago, haven't figured out how to apply it to my jobs, but that's a good way! I'll have to research how to do that. Thanks.

[@Bobby-fj8mk]

@@MotoRestoFL - OK - I prefer a bench top oscilloscope with a large screen. Some of the more expensive ones have 4 input channels - each with their own colour on the display so you could monitor many circuits at the same time on a Z1 900. I like them because I can actually see what's going on. Unfortunately high voltage probes are expensive to monitor the actual output voltage of the ignition coils but you can still see a lot from the 12 Volt input side of them. You can also take screen shots of a good working bike and use those to compare to a non working one. After a while you'll have a library of good and bad motor screen shots with notes as to what fixed it and you'll be miles ahead.

[@johnrowley4993]

Hi Tom thanks for sharing your video. Just a quick comment on your covid. After testing positive for virtually two weeks I thought once I tested negative I’d be fine. Sadly no. My vitamin D had depleted. Once I started on supplements I began to get better. Best wishes

[@terryhardesty246]

Gotta love dynatec ignition remedies !! Made a world of difference on my 80 self restored 1000. LTD !! The hardest part about Mikunis he’s getting the things off the bike with factory air cleaners

[@MotoRestoFL]

They’re great when they answer their damned phones.

[@garyspracticalworkshop357]

Nice Work

[@ridervfr2798]

Nice video, hope you feel good in the future. .002 is a thin ass feeler gauge.

[@thaddeuslevandoski5492]

Hey Tom, really nice diagnostic process. The 73 had a funky advance plate. Change it to a newer one from a 74/75. There was a bulletin back in the day.

[@MotoRestoFL]

You mean the actual mechanical advance mechanism? Because I noticed the springs on this one are weaker than what I’m used to. Thanks.

[@kevincampbell8298]

Parts guy is slacking. LOL Stuff happens!

[@BobtheYob-up9sv]

Ace vid, those old coils look like zzr600/1100 coils , I don't think they're compatible ( ohms and ballast resistor issues ) with points ignition, I was about to put some on my '76 kz900 (still on points) but refrained, maybe it negatively effected the condensers on yours, or vice versa and your plugs were behaving very oddly. I've used zzr coils on previous Kawasaki's and Suzuki's but only with CDI ignition, it's a way of getting a screw in HTlead and the low tension wires disconnected easily instead of the moulded in earlier coils. Your compression figures from incorrect valve clearances was eye watering and eye opening, got a 79 gs1000 engine here showing the same symptoms and suspicions, thanks for sharing. Just a suggestion but every start up and running check I do, I try and get in the habit of doing a finger licking temp touch tests on the header pipes always looking for the cold.one..keeps me focused on the iffy cylinder/s. Try a touch test if you can on your ign coils ( warm up,.turn off first ) too as they can over heat when faulty or when other ign issues are happening like failing black boxes. They should be the same temp. Probs with cyl 1 and 4 together and /or cyl 2 and 3 together will always be ignition related. Jumped out my chair when you said that 9.2v drop, because earlier Kawasaki CDI boxes also need +9.2 v to function.. below this the spark at the plug vanishes..shows up as sudden, random cutting out ( intermittent running ) Get well soon, that sewing machine whirrr was whistling.. it's the musical holy grail of the jap 4 we quest for..great job ,carb work, diagnosis and content

[@MotoRestoFL]

See, that's why I like even the old-school electronic component pickup. Hall Effect or otherwise (I don't know how those worked) but all you have to do is simply match or come close to the stock resistance reading of the original coil primary winding and virtually anything will work. Even stick coils if you can find the ones with the proper resistance, or in a wasted spark situation, aggregate of two coils in series if that equals the resistance of a primary coil, even those sticks will work (if they physically fit). No ballast, no nuttin... cheers.

[@BreakStuffClub]

Most people go by .002-.006 on the valves on the Kaw 900 and 1000 I always set mine as close to 6 as I can get them mine runs good that way

[@MotoRestoFL]

Service manual says .002-.004. It's not my engine. If it eats a shim, I'd be responsible. Therefore, gets set exactly for the service manual standards. They were all, except for #3 exhaust (.003), at the high side of .004 however.

[@alanarmstrong2323]

Allways thought the 900 was a tamed down H2 750.

[@MotoRestoFL]

Very tamed down.

[@wdhewson]

Why does that throttle cable bouce around when yo jazz the twist grip?

[@MotoRestoFL]

Only have the pull hooked up loosely. For testing, to make taking the carbs off easier.

[@timlangley8926]

those carbs are a pain,good luck with health stuff

[@destroytheilluminati770]

yeah points sparking=bad condensers, cause of popping, I had same bike ran points for a couple years, swapped to dyna and it purrs now

[@MotoRestoFL]

If it looked like I was fumbling with the points, that's because I was. Haven't worked on points to any great extent since the early 1980's and before that. I am so used to diagnostics on the old school electronic pickup ignition/coils, whipping out my Fluke and testing values of pickups, coil primary/secondary, points kind-of had me scratching my head like, "how do these work again"? lol...

[@terrybarton8388]

Everything on that bike (apart from that exhaust) looks really nice. Surely the owner wants a better looking exhaust on it than that nasty bitsa one, it looks really awful and totally spoils the bike!

[@MotoRestoFL]

Already done. You folks just haven't seen it (yet....)... cheers.

[@catfish500mark9]

☆☆☆☆☆

[@russchamberlain8755]

Water only.

[@russchamberlain8755]

This is only a suggestion: Cook all meat in water for hours add vegetables and roots. The fat will needed nutrients. Stop all pork. Unless slow cooked. Cured meats and aged cheese. Dry not wet. Look up mushrooms. Lions main, morels, Chantelle, oister, chicken of the woods. Stop all fast food and restaurants. Eat only garden raised vegetables and roots. Herbs and flowers. No pesticides or hurbasides. Fresh air hart pumping and heavy breathing. Clean water. Do not drink liquid while eating. You stomach acid wi become diluted. Rating and fermentation will occur. Use sticky rice to clean and strengthen your intestinal track. Fish is good with sticky rice. Natural fermentation veggies and roots. Steam vs fry. Find a good tea.

[@DavidElleker]

i think your on the wrong site

[@russchamberlain8755]

@@DavidElleker it is for health. Not this ...sight... u mean platform....