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Houston, we have a problem...

I

icecadavers

Training Wheels
I guess I'll get to the point: My bike overheats within minutes of taking to the road, and shortly thereafter the engine cuts out instantly - no struggling or sputtering, she just quits on me. Even stranger, she won't start for roughly an hour afterward, long after the temperature gauge reads cold. This first happened a little over a week ago; I was waiting at a light, and it died as soon as I put it in gear. I don't remember whether or not it was overheated then, I didn't notice, but as I tried to start up again I noticed a little smoke coming from somewhere in the vicinity of the carbs. After getting her home I managed to get her to start later that night, but I didn't want to risk getting stranded again so I didn't go out. A couple friends and I made our best attempt at a diagnosis, and figured that the most likely issue was the oil. I'm a little ashamed at having driven a vehicle that contained the sludge I drained from my bike :/ but the oil change went smoothly. Oddly, afterward I couldn't start her at all, and the clicking indicated a dead battery. That hadn't been happening before, and might have been partly due to my leaving the ignition set to on all afternoon, but the battery was clearly ancient anyway so I replaced it. Finally I got her running again, so I took her out for a spin. I got a few miles out, stopped at a light, and she died exactly like before - with the exception of the smoke from before, which hasn't appeared since. I had noticed her overheating this time, so I checked the coolant and, sure enough, it was almost dry. My brother was kind enough to bring some out to me, we filled her up, she started fine... and then died before I could leave the parking lot. An hour and a half and countless failed attempts later, I got her running, and made it halfway home before she overheated and cut out again. With no other way to get her home by that point, I continued the process until I got within walking distance. So, I'm at a loss. I suspect my filling the coolant bottle was not the thorough filling and burping it should have been, but I don't think that would explain why it won't start for long after it's cooled off. I should also note that the petcock leaks gas from the diaphragm breather hole when running (and also when I set it to prime even with the engine off) so I am planning on rebuilding that, but I am guessing that this has been happening for some time based on the yellowish film on the carburetor below it (is that #1 or #4?) which I noticed long before I noticed the leak itself. Any ideas? Suggestions? I appreciate any input, this is more or less my only transportation and my family is getting tired of driving me around :p I'm out of time for now but I may be able to provide some more info later on. Thanks. Kellin Mavis COG #9068 Houston, TX '95 Concours "Nausicaa"
 
We need a WHOLE LOT more info before trying to guess what may the the cause of your problems. Year? Mileage? How long have YOU owned the bike? History (e.g. did it sit un-running for an extended time, what, if anything, have YOU done to/with it, is this a new issue, etc.). Tell us EVERYTHING, whether you think it's pertinent or not.
 
This bike needs some professional care. I'm gonna guess that IF it had enough coolant in it to raise the temp guage, then the thermostat is stuck. It probably blew the coolant out, and then was driven without coolant in it.Tthe long time before it wll restart could range from a j-box issue to pistons that are siezing then releasing when cold. I personally think you're out of you league on working on this bike, you really better get it to a professional. I'm not saying this to be difficult, I'm saying it to be helpful - I see a goood number of folks who end up costing themselves more money trying to fix it themselves than if they had the bike (insert car / truck / house, you name it) done by a professional who is honest. Steve
 
Wow. I will give it a guess here. The battery was bad, the coolant was low and the petcock leaks. Me thinks the bike set up for a long time and was not fully serviced before putting it back on the road. You may regret that. Anyway here is my guess. The coolant was low and having it full again may fix that. If not then the radiator or something is clogged and will have to be cored. That is assuming the bike keeps going a few blocks and over heating. Did you know to weep the weep holes? On the starting or not and dieing... one of the switches or relays in the starting circuit is not making good connection. My guess it is the side stand switch but could be the Jbox. The Jbox and side stand switch are both known problems. When it will not start next time. Hold the starter button and diddle with the side stand, if no love then whack the Jbox (fuse box). If still no love then mess with the clutch lever. If you need to fix the Jbox then look on here for who rebuilds them or ask. If the petcock is leaking from the weep hole FIX IT. If not next thing you will notice is gas shooting all over the bike and your leg. btdt Bad news. When you get all that right then my bet is on you having to rebuild the carbs because stale gas has clogged your idle passages. Don't bother to fix the carbs without making sure the gas tank is not full of rust. Photos[/url]
 
OK, as Ranger Jim suggested, I'll give you guys all the info I have on the bike: Year: 1995 Mileage: 57916 I've owned the bike since January, and rode her about 800 miles without problems - until eleven days ago it ran fine. I'm the third owner; the previous owner rode it infrequently over the past year or so and regularly before then, as I understand. It hasn't sat unused for even as long as two weeks since I bought it. The temp gauge has always functioned normally as I could tell, and the bike would heat up regularly, never getting much higher than 1/3 on the temp gauge, until Thursday before last. Thus as far as I can tell the thermostat is working alright. The j-box is in great shape; it had problems when I bought the bike but I resoldered all the connections as soon as I got the bike home. The side stand switch is also fine, as is the clutch switch. The gas tank is clearly rusted; I've had plans to clean and seal it but haven't had time yet. The petcock leaking, from what I can tell, is entirely due to the diaphragm being worn and cracked; when I took it apart everything else was fine (the filter screen is clean and is not torn or warped in any way, o rings are good) but I wonder if fuel could get into the vacuum line or drip into the carb and cause problems? i did check to make sure that not fuel has gotten into my crankcase, which it hasn't. Oh, and the paint on the bottom corner on the left side of the gas tank is bubbled and yellowish - not sure what this means, could the tank be rusted through here? As I mentioned before I changed the oil and filter after the problem first happened; I did my research and made sure to follow the procedure on Brock Delp's website, which I've seen referenced a few times here. I've read that overfilling the oil will cause it to end up in the air filter, so I checked that out as a precaution; it's dirty but not excessively, and there's no oil there so I doubt I somehow put in too much oil. smithr: the bike had gone almost ten miles before it died the first time. after I changed the oil and battery, it made it almost as far before cutting out again; i got about halfway back before it died again, and then about a mile the third time. Definitely more than a few blocks each time - I don't know if this affects the clogged radiator theory, or how. Are you referring to radiator weep holes? Either way, no, when I noticed the coolant was low I simply filled the reservoir. The problem is almost definitely not electrical, as I said before j-box and switches are OK. Stale gas clogging the idle passages? I don't think so given how I'd ridden it through several tanks of gas before the problem occurred, but I don't know enough to rule it out based on that info. what do you think? Steve: I take no offense to your suggestion because I'm pretty sure I am out of my league with this problem. As much as I would like to diagnose and solve the problem myself and consider myself quite capable of doing so given enough time and money, I know that now is not the time, I don't have the money and a professional will do a far better job than I could at this point. Nonetheless, I figured it would be best to bring my problem here before finding a mechanic, on the (however small) chance that it might yield a solution I could work with. The last thing I want is to spend $500 on something only to discover it was something I could have done myself for 1/5 of the price. At the same time, if the issue is still unclear or if someone knows for certain what's wrong but that it's beyond my level, I hope maybe someone might be able to recommend an honest mechanic in my area. I don't think I've ever taken a car to a shop around here that hasn't embellished the crap out of their quotes. Well, that's all I've got. I hope it helps. Thanks again, everyone. Kellin Mavis COG #9068 Houston, TX '95 Concours "Nausicaa"
 
Hi Kellin; Well done for posting the thread! You do have a number of chalenges as Steve says but kudos for having a go as it were! :) At some point you really do need to fix the rusting tank, it's likely still to have a bunch of water in there. POR it as soon as you reasonably can. After replace the float needle valves. Its hard to tell from your post if its really overheating. Sounds like it probably is. Easy stuff, check the fan comes on, if not short the wires going to the temp switch LHS top of rad. If not check the fuse 10A I think. Next you may want to start by draining the coolant then flushing the whole cooling system with filtered tap water and 1 tablespoon of dishwaser soap, bring the bike up to temperature at home and run it for 5 mins or so. After this flush it through with clean water a couple of times. If it were me I would probably pull the thermostat (despite what the book says you can pull it without removing the carb rack, but its very fiddly) and check it in a pan of hotwater on the stove to make sure it opens between 80-84 deg C and is fully open at 95 Deg at 8mm. I might also pull the water pump, if I susspected it was faulty. Make sure you buy the o-rings you need first from Kawasaki. Good luck, keep us posted! :)
 
I wonder if it could be water in the tank is why it is dieing? Have you just switched to reserve? Another guess is a bad wire or relay. It makes contact until you turn the bars or heat swells a bad connection. There is a procedure for bleeding the air out of the water system. If it has air in it will it not cavitate causing it to over heat fast? This is from the tech area on the home page here. http://www.cog-online.org/clubportal/clubstatic.cfm?clubID=1328&pubmenuoptID=30824 Photos[/url]
 
colinp386: I'm pretty sure it's overheating. What I'm not so sure of is if the overheating is the cause of the problem, or merely a symptom. The only way to find out is to treat it like the cause and do the things you and smithr suggested - check the fan, fuse and thermostat, and drain and clean the cooling system. I'll make sure to bleed the air out as well. smithr: When the problem first occurred I was almost but not yet at the point of switching to reserve. However, while I was changing the oil I drained the tank to take out the petcock, and then afterward I filled up the tank before hitting the road and having the same problem again. So, I don't <i>think</i> it's water in the tank, or old gas. As for a wire or relay, well, when the bike dies the electrical stays on, and when I press the starter button I can clearly hear the starter turning (the "VRR-RR-RR-RR-RR-RR-RR" sounds like it's trying to turn over but not getting any combustion.) This happened after every time the engine cut out, acting the same way with every attempt to start until finally succeeding at least an hour later, whether I had moved the bike at all or not. Could a bad wire/relay/connection cause that behavior? In any case, I'm going to go play with electricity and then get coolant all over my garage floor. I'll post results when I'm done. EDIT: Update - checked the fan and fuse, both work OK. I started up the bike to make sure it would run; the fan didn't start up but i'm guessing that that's simply because it hadn't gotten hot enough. I proceeded to drain the coolant (There was only about 2L of it and it was kind of dirty) and then filled it with filtered water with 1tbs of dish soap as per colin386's directions. Now the bike is refusing to start again, as before, but I had hardly run the bike at all before; it hadn't completely warmed up let alone overheated. I am worried that this might signify that the problem is not related to the cooling system. Unfortunately I don't have time to finish the flush job because I have work soon (I'm already going to be late :/) so it will have to wait until tonight. I hope letting the soap/water sit in the radiator until then will not have a negative effect. Until next time, Kellin Mavis COG #9068 Houston, TX '95 Concours "Nausicaa"
 
Its possible you have water in the float bowls connect a small hose to the drain nipple on the very bottom and crank open the drain screw. repeat for all 4. Water is denser than gas/petrol so if you did/do have water in the tank that's were it ends up. Drain it all into a jar and hold it up to the light, you will see water in the bottom if it's there. If you let the bike idle for about 10 - 12 mins the temp should rise enough for the fan to come on. It does so when the temp needle is about 12:00 o'clock.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention earlier, I did drain the float bowls. No water as I could see, but the rusty silt in there may have obscured my view of it. On the topic of float bowl draining, three things: -First, #1 and #4 would not drain at first. I had to suck on the hose to get them to flow. This is likely due to the aforementioned silt but I figured I would make note of it in case it had some other significance. -Second, is it possible to replace those drain plugs with a simple screw? I know they have tapered ends, if those are necessary I understand, but the sockets on a couple are stripped to hell. I actually had to cut a slot in the #4 plug to be able to remove it, it was so far gone. -Lastly, and this is honestly a silly question that bears no relevance to my problems... Why is it that the right-hand drain plugs protrude a few mm from the float bowl, whereas the left-hand plugs set totally flush? I've seen a couple pictures of others' carbs that are exactly the same so I know it's not just my bike, but it strikes me as very odd. I just finished flushing the cooling system now, but I'm going to have to go and pick up some more coolant to refill it. In the meantime I'm going to pull the t-stat and make sure it works alright. I'm rather wary of taking her out on the road again, or even just down the street, because of the leaking petcock. It drips all over the carb, alternator, crankcase, everything below it, and while I discovered that the "smoke" I had reported before was simply fuel evaporating off of a hot engine, it's been damaging the paint and I don't want to take a chance on it getting into the oil or coolant :/ I did order a petcock rebuild kit from Murph's this morning, however. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email less than an hour after saying they'd shipped it! I've heard that the diaphragm in that kit is weaker than the OEM one, but I really just need it to last until I can save up the cash to get the automatic solenoid. I did notice the fan turning on at about the right temperature while I ran the bike during the flush. One less thing to worry about, in any case. What does that signify, though? Does that just mean that the fan switch works, or can I consider the thermostat and temp sensor to also be in working order? I'm going to get some coolant, and then I think I'll pull the spark plugs and see what's up with that. Nothing's really suggested that they'd be part of the problem, but spark plugs are basic maintenance 101, I don't know why I didn't think to check them out sooner; and until the petcock kit comes in I may as well work on some other stuff. Kellin Mavis COG #9068 Houston, TX '95 Concours "Nausicaa"
 
As I read through this it sounds alot like the clogged fuel tank vent problem that is fairly common on on old Yamaha's, bikes starts runs normally for awhile and then just sort of dies. What happens is that with the fuel tank vent plugged eventually it draws enough of a vacuum that the fuel stops flowing. After the bike sits for awhile enough air leaks in to allow the fuel to flow only to repeat once the vacuum comes back. If you get into a no run situation again try opening the fuel cap if you hear air rushing in and the bike starts you'll know what's happening you just have to figure out why. This is kind of a long shot I've heard the same symptoms before minus the over heating but always been on old Yamaha's XS's and XJ's which actually vent thru the gas cap. Another thought if that's whats happening your new overheating problem could just be a marginal cooling system(low dirty coolant) being over taxed when the bike starts to run lean as it starves for fuel.
 
I think Russ may have hit the nail on the head. I had the same issue with my XL250 until last week when I unblocked the hole in the gas cap. Depending if its a CA model or not changes how the tank breaths IIRC. The CA Tank has 3 tubes at the back of the tank. One is the water drain from the filler cap the other 2 relate to the tank breathing. As Russ says crank the filler cap open once it stalls out and see what gives. You could also simply run the fuel line from the petcock into as gas can put it on prime and see if it free flows as it should. I have a feeling its not overheating If the fan cycles on and off when its simply sitting idling alls well. I think mine does about 1 min of fan then 2 mins off at about 70Deg ambient Hope that helps! Colin
 
I think the last suggestions are definitly worth a try. Its so easy. But lack of fuel to me means sputtering as it dies. Wouldnt it be like hitting reserve? And the desc says no sputtering just quits. Personally I say try those suggestions and see because its easy. And probably easy to fix too. -- But 'just quits' makes me think electrical. The J-Box and all that as been checked, but what about the safety switches, ignition switch, and so on. If it thinks the kickstand is down while the clutch is out its gonna kill the ignition just like that. Ignition switch, disconnect switches, loose wire, short somewhere, etc. wondering about electrical and not necessarily spark ( plugs, wires, coil ) but the circuits feeding that. 2003 Concours, 59K COG #6953 IBA 28004 http://home.comcast.net/~slybones/Concours/connieMain.htm
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That doesn't jibe with the long wait to restart. If it was one of the safety switches it would restart as soon as the clutch lever was pulled in or put in neutral. If not the vent or a pinched gas that closes as the it warms up and opens as it cools (had one when I installed an in-line filter) then I still vote for the J-box. Note on the pinched gas line. The bike would run just fine until below half a tank then would start and run fine for a little while then die if the bike had set in the sun for a while before starting. Very perplexing. "If it hasn't killed me yet, it's runnin out of time" COG # 8062 AMA # 1084053 ROMA or Scarlet harlot acording to my wife
 
As you guys say, checking the gas cap is so easy it would be stupid not to check, in any event, though it doesn't act like hitting reserve when it dies. but as for safety switches, I checked those and they are ok. unfortunately, i can't seem to think of anything else to check aside from the carbs, canister and combustion chambers. honestly i'm a little afraid of pulling any of those, though i've read enough posts by other people that speak of pulling and even rebuilding carbs as a simple enough task. would it be easy enough to open them up and take a look in the space of an afternoon, or are my anxieties justified here? Kellin Mavis COG #9068 Houston, TX '95 Concours "Nausicaa"
 
Been a while since I've seen it described but as a remember you don't really get the sputtering when it happens. I think it's because unlike when going on reserve you don't get the little extra flow of fuel as the moves.
 
OK guys, I'm at my wits' end here. The petcock rebuild kit came in yesterday. That all went well, I got the bike together and the leakage was no more! Not wanting to risk another walk home like the last time I'd thought everything was alright, I took her out for a ride through the neighborhood to see if I could recreate the issue. Everything seemed alright, the cooling system did its job and I didn't have to walk home. Today I put all the fairings and whatnot back on and prepared to take her out on the road for a real ride. I pressed the starter button and "Vr-rr-CLANG" I'm sure I don't have to explain to anyone what that means. Why the f*ck does this have to happen to me? After all my hard work, AFTER I fix the leaky petcock? Before anyone tells me to take it to a shop, well, I will. At least, once I find someone who won't take advantage of the fact that this is going to cost a ridiculous amount of money already. Any help in that area would be greatly appreciated, as I am super broke. Perhaps 'Poseidon' is a more appropriate name than 'Nausicaa' EDIT: Maybe not as bad as I thought. I'd done a fair bit of research of hydrolock and heard of it happening without enough torque to bend a rod, so I decided I'd try starting her up again (What's the worst that could happen, eh?) and she started right up! Of course, this time I was careful to nudge the starter over a couple times before going for it - I've heard that more than a few have made a habit of that, it sounds like a wise choice from now on. So, perhaps I dodged a bullet here? Everything sounded fine while idling, but I'm not going to assume so on just what I hear. What do you guys think?
 
Hello again; If your a COG member take a look in the latest issue of the Concourier It has a full writeup on Hydro-locks by yours truly It also talks about the issues with the float valves, and how its a good idea to replace them at a certain age. If you not a member, you can drop me an email and I'll see about sending you a copy of the article I wrote. Cheers Colin
 
Oh, haha, how did I forget? I read your article a couple days ago, it was very informative and well-written. The ZX10B/ZRX11 combo upgrade sounds like something I'll have a lot of fun with in the distant future (once I've leveled up a few more times) In the meantime, checking the piston heights should be my next step. Quick question, though - where is the timing rotor and do I access this? The kaw manual is confusing on this subject, and I have yet to take a crack at the engine so I sort of exploring uncharted territory and would prefer to avoid any dragons or wolves. I may have taken that metaphor a little too far. Anyway, thanks again!
 
IF the petcock was repaired successfully and IF it was not left on prim then hydrolock could not occur. Sorry to say this but you will need to revisit that also. Sorry for your troubles. Photos[/url]
 
where is the timing rotor and do I access this?
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Left hand side end of crank shaft. Cover is held on by 6 or 7 cross head screws There is a small inspection hole with a plug in it that you can also open with a large flag blade screwdriver or a coin held in grips. DONT try tuning the engine with the big nut unless you take all the plugs out else you will bend the key-pin
 
Guys. I haven't seen anyone mention the ignitor or timing pickups. I know from past experience with autos that these symptoms can be caused when some component in the ignition system overheats. Once it cools off, the engine will restart. Just a thought. Eddie COG Marketing Asst. Sanford, FL 2005 Concours 1969 Triumph Bonneville AMA# 686667 COG# 7073 CDA# 0136 http://picasaweb.google.com/Eddie753
 
Well, I'm back. It feels great to have internet access again! I took her out for a ride a week or so ago - perhaps foolish after even a minor hydrolock, but I felt it was worth the risk - and made it up to my friend's place (~20 miles away) with no trouble at all. Departing later that night, the engine died again while waiting at a stoplight. Got her to run after 15 minutes, decided not to attempt the entire ride home. I tried again a couple times later in the week, and had the same problem (at the same light - perhaps it is cursed?) both times. Eventually I got my friend with a truck (everyone needs a friend-with-a-truck; conversely, if you own a truck, you'll never be short on friends :p) to help get her home. So here's what I'm looking at: Bob: You're right, a leaky petcock is key to hydrolock, and mine definitely has a leak. Not as bad as before I rebuilt it; in fact, it seems to leak only intermittently, but I definitely need to take another look at it. Is it possible for the spring behind the diaphragm to be pressing too weakly, perhaps if it is too short? I used the one that came with the rebuild kit, and I stretched it some when I put it in, but maybe not enough? Since then I've also pulled the petcock from the tank and noticed some warping at the base of the screen. I can't afford a complete new petcock, could this be sealed with epoxy or RTV at least temporarily? Eddie: The way you described it, the ignitor or timing pickups could very well be the culprit. I'll make sure to check those out as well. As it stands I know that the rust in my gas tank is at the very least to blame for the petcock leaking, and if that hydrolock was a true hydrolock, a sticky needle valve as well, not to mention that crud I find every time I drain my float bowls. Based on that and everyone's advice, my next steps are: - Clean and seal the fuel tank - Install an inline fuel filter - Clean/rebuild all four carbs for good measure - Inspect ignitor/timing pickups - Check piston clearance I have secured the necessary supplies for the first three, along with (finally!) a Clymer manual. I've got a good feeling about this, at the very least it'll be that many more repairs that I won't be paying someone else $60/hour to do. However, carburetors are still a new thing for me; anyone got any advice/dos and don'ts that I won't find in Colin's article or the Clymer book? Thanks again, and wish me luck. Oh, also, how do I get a copy of this extra-useful Chalkdust book I've seen referenced around here? I could be mistaken, but I thought it was included in the membership; I've received my card and the member handbook, but that has yet to show up.
 
I'd suggest that you read Rich Ritzinger's article about rebuilding carbs in CONCOURIER (available in the library). I think it's the Fall '08 edition but I could be wrong and I'm too lazy to go look it up. I also think that the CHALKDUST is available in the library.
 
Sounds like a problem I had years ago. In addition to fixing poor fuel flow, rusty tank, carbs, and coolant, I discovered a bad J-Box. In the heat of a ride, the engine quit and I safely pulled over. She would not restart for nothing, not even fluent French helped. As the bike cooled down, and the ambient air temperature dropped, the cracked soldier connections in the J-Box decided to cooperate. When I got home and re-read the Ckaulkdust, I learned about the J-Box problems. When I pried it apart, I discovered several fractured soldier connections. I have no idea why the bike just decided to die that day, but it did. To fix, I cleaned out all the old solder and reseated the relays so that the solder tabs where bent in such a way so that when I reflowed fresh solder, there was less of a chance that vibration would initiate new fractures. I'm still running with the same J-Box repair today.
 
Kellin; best of luck! If you get real stuck feel free to give me a call on the phone :) My number is in the member directory.
 
My carb article is in the Fall '06 Concourier... To be honest, you might want to read the other ones I wrote covering the coolant problems also....
 
Hi again everyone, I have updates. I think I've figured out where the problem is! After rebuilding the carbs (easier than I expected) and reinstalling them (took longer than the rebuild) I decided to check out the ignition system. Pulled the spark wires - 4, 3, and 2 looked ok, the boots had a little oil on them and had some tears or cracks, nothing serious... then I get to #1 (facepalm) It's the one on the left, caked with rust. And down the well: (double facepalm) I cracked up when I saw this. How could I have been so foolish? If I had looked at the spark plugs first - like I have with every previous engine trouble situation I've been in - I could have been back on the road months ago! Of course, everything else I've done/will do is still either necessary or extremely helpful, and I'd still have one day a week to do the work, but I certainly would have saved myself so much confusion and frustration! Anyway, I'm guessing the only way water could have gotten into the well would be through the top, but could there be another possible cause? In any case, it's obvious that I need to replace the plugs and clean out the well, but before I do that I'm taking off the engine cover. Partly because I do not want any more surprises, and partly because the previous owner apparently installed plugs with 13/16" hex on them instead of 5/8", but a 13/16" socket will not fit into the holes in the cover. The wells are wider beyond that, though - hopefully wide enough. Anyway, I know this has been more like a blog than anything, but thanks for reading and especially for all the advice, you guys have saved my ass and my sanity several times already. As always, if you know of anything I definitely should check, or do (or more importantly, definitely make sure to NOT do) at this stage, you have my exuberant gratitude. Thanks again!
 
Did you get the Kawi tool kit under the seat? There is a spark plug wrench in it that seems to be the only thing that will fit in those holes.
 
Go to your local parts house - not motorcycle shop - and buy your plugs of choice. Now take 1 of those and go to the socket section and get the skinniest deep well socket that fits the plugs. "If it hasn't killed me yet, it's runnin out of time" COG # 8062 AMA # 1084053 ROMA or Scarlet harlot acording to my wife
 
Thanks, the 18mm deep socket fits perfectly. I picked up some new plugs while I was out, but I couldn't find wires. I could probably reuse what I have, but I don't trust the #1 to keep water out, and on the whole they're somewhat deteriorated. Specifically, the well covers have some cracks; this bothers me because of the aforementioned h20 issue and especially as the wire sets I've seen (online, in stores, even murph's) don't include new well covers, and I'm not sure where to get them. Any idea where to get new ones? Dealership, of course, but I try to avoid those places if I can. Even a way to reliably repair them would be great. In the meantime, I should do something about that rust before I pull the plugs.
 
You can get the 7mm solid copper core bulk wire at NAPA, or any reasonably well stocked parts house, or buy an automotive wire set and use the wires from it. The well caps are a problem. RTV silicone might help in sealing them up. Don't seal the vents! New cap assy from Kawasaki are expensive; it might be better/cheaper to change to the Coil on Plug (stick coils) conversion sets. You still need some form of well cap, some people use the original caps, others use a fat o-ring. Lots of people have made that conversion, so a call out for a spare set of caps might yield some results.
 
Howard: Thanks for the suggestion. Nobody around here seems to carry bulk wire, so I might just suck it up and buy a cheap set to hack. :| I guess it won't cost too much more. Looks like I'll be going with the RTV for the caps for now; thanks for mentioning the vents, I wouldn't have known about them otherwise. Robert: I appreciate it, but it isn't what I need.
Use this with your original coil nuts and ferrules, and the well cover caps
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Murph's was the first place I looked, I was really let down when I read that part. Oh well, I really just need to get back into a basic working condition. Then I can save up for some stick coils... I must admit they are a wicked cool idea :8|:
 
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