[Bandit12k]

So i've cleaned up an old 1982 kawasaki kz440 for my mom's lady friend.

New battery, new headgaskets, complete engine gasket set, new piston rings and cylinder hone.
Eliminated the stock crappy plastic airbox that was cracked and falling apart, and put individual pod filters on. Next, the exhaust was falling apart and had holes, so i welded up a set of straight pipes for it.


SO, here's the problem. It wont ru well. I've tinkered as much as i know with it, but now i'm stuck. I cleaned the carbs out, which were kinda gunky. but the bike still runs like it's LEAN. or sometimes RICH.?

W/ choke on, and petcock on prime for a couple seconds, and switch back to "ON", bike starts up first couple pops and runs at 4-5k rpm.

After riding it around to warm it up, it takes a little bit of work to get it to idle at 1100 rpm.

I've turned the Air Fuel screws to 3 turns out. @ 2 turns, it doesn't like to run well.

BUT HERE IS THE PROBLEM:
~When it's idling, and you rev it just a bit, it hangs at a higher RPM (lean trait)
~When it's idling and you hit it at WOT, it bogs and putters and wants to die (Rich Trait)
~When riding at higher rpm at WOT, it runs fine
~When running at lower and mid RPM at WOT it wants to putter and die.
~After running at WOT, coming down to an idle, it wants to putter and die. When you fiddle w/ the throttle, it'll stay running and eventually come back to idle.


I cleaned the bowls, synched the float bowl height to the one that wasn't tweaked.
When i opened the carbs, they looked like they had been tinkered with already. Jets were almost stripped etc, bowl screws etc.

SO BASED ON THOSE SYMPTOMS, WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? LEAN? RICH? NEEDS RE-JETTING?

This is some good info too:
CV Carb Tuning Procedures

[BostonSVkid]

Contact TLRman he should know.

[Kurlon]

Given the exhaust and intake changes, I'm going to say lean on the pilot, and in need of a rejet overall.

[lady flyin' low]

Originally Posted by BostonSVkid

Contact TLRman he should know.

+1...my bike was nearly in shambles and he took it apart and fixed the carb issues i was having. he knows his stuff

bike is still running wonderfully

[SSearchVT]

Did you clean the jets in there or replace them with new stock ones? If someone had been in there before the jets may have been changed out, drilled out, etc...

Are the intake boots sealing?

If they're vacuum diaphram carbs - could be a leak there. With the air filters off and the engine running carefully watch the slides in the carbs to see how they're moving.

[bergs]

Measure the header temps...that could at least tell you if it's related to a certain cylinder.

Call Hudson Cycles and see if they can tell you what the stock jet sizes are for this bike. They are a Kwak dealer and have that information.

Also, if you suspect a lean condition and you're sure your carb settings are correct, try lightly spraying some WD-40 around each intake boot, one at a time and listen for a rise in RPM's. If you get that then you've found an intake leak. Check all 4 one at a time in this fashion.

The pod filters and no jet kit is another concern of mine in this scenario.

You may want to go more on the air mix screws and possibly raise the needles a half a step to start and go from there.

After I did my jet kit, I ended up setting mine at 4 turns out.

Worse comes to worse, PM me and I can head over sometime this week....I'm one town over and have all the tools.


One last thing--> Is your mom's lady friend hot?

[Bandit12k]

Well, firstly, the mom's lady friend is a lez. lol
Second, i'm not sure if they're stock jets. I'll look up on that tomorrow, And i'll try out the wd40 on the intake boots. I'm pretty sure they're sealed well, but i'll check.
If that checks out, i'll shim the needles.
(PS, they're only 2 carbs, 2 pistons)
And the vaccuum diaphrams all checked out fine.
Update tomorrow.

[vintage ex race]

rejet,you made way to many changes not to,If you want to go back to the stock air box I may have one. I parted 1 of those out this winter

[vintage ex race]

also have a nice stck exhaust and a almost new 2 into one header

[Bandit12k]

You have the stock exhaust lying around? and airbox? Pm me, i'm interested!

[Doc]

Definately needs a rejet and a bigger main.