Regrettable Engine strip down !!!! I think " Follow up". But it's not over.

Hi Guys, Update. 
OK engine bores have now been professionally honed, in the method of what KAWBOY recommended. This was done with a fixed hone and not the three leg type.  Piston rings purchased from IMD. Ring end gaps made no sense after looking through the official workshop manual ! But posted here by Kawboy is a very informative video by Wisco. They state always go by the Ring manufacturers specifications Only. 
Speaking to the guy's at IMD, they told me, they are ready to go.
So rings are in, Bore's are fitted, well almost !!!! 
So the question is, on the underside of the cylinders, we have 6 O rings, Is that correct ?  In the gasket set were 6 thin o rings and another 12 o rings but thicker. I presume the thicker ones would be if you had replaced the cylinder sleeves.  

z13phil wrote:

So the question is, on the underside of the cylinders, we have 6 O rings, Is that correct ?  In the gasket set were 6 thin o rings and another 12 o rings but thicker. I presume the thicker ones would be if you had replaced the cylinder selves.  

Ah, no.
The generic gasket kits contain 18 o-rings. 6 of the o-rings are on the upper grooves on the sleeves ( 1 per sleeve) and 12 of the o-rings are in the bottom grooves of the block (2 per sleeve bore in the block) to seal the sleeve to the block.
Have a look through this link  Cylinder sleeve Removal/Replacement  that I wrote up a couple of years years ago and there are pics showing the o-rings on the sleeves and in the block just prior to reinstalling the sleeves back in the block. I had fun doing this job and recorded it for the benefit of All.

Regarding the piston ring end gap quoted in the Service Manual - The Manual falls flat on its face regarding specs since it never mentions "As New" specs, only service limit specs. If a part is found out of service limits, then it needs to be replaced, but what if you buy  aftermarket parts that might need to be fitted?? You're on your own. This is the main reason I go to infinite lengths explaining fits and tolerances. In a lot of cases, we can no longer get parts for these bikes at Kawasaki and have to rely on aftermarket or used parts to keep them running and the only way to determine if a part will work is to know the As New fits and tolerances or rely on some standard and figure out what would be an acceptable spec.
The service limit for the top and second ring is .7mm (.028") which is the largest ring end gap that you can get away with. A new set of rings from some ring manufacturers might be supplied with a gap of 0.00mm to maybe 0.1mm and require you to file fit them to 0.1mm  (.004") x bore diameter 62mm (2.441") = 0.24mm ( .009") and some ring manufacturers may supply them expecting you to be fitting them to new bores of 62mm so they size them to the required 0.24mm (.009")
Bottom line - You need to know what the fitment needs to be so you can determine if you need to fit them or just install them. This is where the "mechanic" in me became the "mechanic with engineering background" so I can completely understand what I'm doing and why. I also share the "process" of determining all this on the site to enrichen all of you who take the time to read what I write to further your understanding to promote being better than backyard mechanics working on their toys.
Cheers,
KB

z13phil - 
Keep after it my man.

Appreciate you keeping after and going forward with project!

d

Big Update. The Z 13 is now up and running, just following the break in procedure. I have now done the first 500 miles, everything absolutely fine. 
In the next post I will have my note pad with me, to let you know the up's and down’s.
Not everything was plain sailing !  

OK Guys, here we go. If you can remember just over a year ago I re built just the top end. Some valves genuine head gasket ! 
But when re built, no compression on #6 !!!!  so removed the head again, changed the bent valves on #6.
Re using the new O.E.M  head gasket "not a good idea" had to use gasket sealant this time. Really not a good idea. 
  Got the bike started. OMG !!! smoked like a 100 two strokes.Took it for a ride about 5 miles, oil coming from the exhausts.  So much oil in the cylinders it stopped the bike, with the plugs fowling up.
So tear down again, This time i will remove the cylinders and check all the internals, pistons, rings, bores, valves again. So findings were, bores standard size, hardly any wear, but glazed . These were professionally checked and honed with a fixed hone, as Kawboy suggested. Pistons within specification. 
But wait a minute !  The rings were terrible all totally out of specification. End gaps some of them 3 times larger than tolerance. Thickness of the rings well under specification ! obviously a previous owner.
 So started the rebuild, New piston rings from IMD here in the UK.  Another genuine Kawasaki Head gasket. 
Now re-fitting the cylinders, not a easy job ! I have all these tools piston ring compressors, none of them worked at all. So my fingers and a small wooden stick did it. with the help of a small Victorian winch that helped me lower the cylinders into place.
 All seemed to be good so far. Well that’s what i thought.  Any guesses at this point what may have gone wrong ????
To cut a long story short. Engine all back together, first start and push of the button. Nothing but i could tell the timing was out, backfiring in the exhaust. Checked a few things and found the ignition timing to be 120 degrees out. So I think ? the little sprocket on the end of the timing shaft somehow got misplaced, or when fitting the pistons into the cylinders and having to turn the crank to seat the pistons ?
So i moved the pickup plate about 120degrees . 
Started perfect, strobe light then made a new set of timing marks. Had to move the cable to the plate, but this was easy compared to removing the head again !!!! 
 Now covered about 700 miles running better than ever and a much improved MPG about 42 to the gallon.
 Really happy and got the bike to what i always wanted. Giving thanks to all here that helped me along the way.    

 

Perserverence paid off. Nice !! Glad to hear of a happy ending. Maybe this will spur on some more resurrections.

Congrats !!