[billyboyxoxox]

I'm fairly new here and just learned how to post! Right in front of my eyes as usual. I was given this wonderful old bike last fall and only had to break the engine free and clean it up some and it started like magic. Now it's got a new battery and all the electrical problems (from the horrible looking fairing and sissy bar with skull whose eyes lit red when brakes were applied) worked out and I'm running it every day. It seems to have gotten better the more I run it although I know this can only go so far. It was well cared for before it was let to sit. It has decent rubber with a Dunlop D404 in back and a Kenda Challenger on the front. I know nothing about Kendas but understand the Dunlops to have a good reputation. It has a Kerker 4 into 1 header that sounds and looks pretty good. The bike had just under 21,000 miles on it when it came to me and just did turn over that mark. I hope to put many more trouble free miles on it. My question now is about a vacuum vent on carb no.2 that is open. I found this when spraying carb cleaner and it revved so I eventually found it to be sucking air here. There is another vent port on carb no.2 and also one on carb no.4 but there is no apparent vacuum on either of these. There are no hoses to any of these. Does anyone know what the one that does suck air on carb no.2 goes to? I have some vacuum line that size and could fix it if it's a problem real quick. The bike seems to run fine anyway so I'm going ahead and using it fearlessly. I'll try to keep my eyes open for a response and thank you in advance for your attempts to help me with my new fun toy! I really dig this bike!! It's got scat!!

 

[billyboyxoxox]

I'll learn to post pictures of my bike soon. It's very stock and the paint is far from perfect but it looks pretty okay especially since it was free. I think you'll like it and I hope to learn a lot more about it as soon as I get more used to this site. I hope to learn about other forums especially geared to KZ's too.

 

[aikirex]

One vacuum line should go to your fuel petcock, any other vacuum lines should be for your emmisions(if they are still there.) The others should be carb vents, they will not have vacuum on them and you do not want to plug those.

Michael

 

[billyboyxoxox]

There is no place on my petcock for a vacuum line so it has to be something else. To the best of my knowledge there were never any emission control devices on this bike. I was sort of aware of the other two open tubes being bowl vents but shouldn't they have a line on them going up or someplace? Maybe my petcock has been changed from stock? It looks "stockish" so I don't know. Maybe I should go to Kawasaki and just get a new one because this one is tempermental and hard to operate anyway. Thanks for any help you can give. This bikes got scat!!

 

[OKC_Kent]

The #2 carb vacuum port did have a hose to the petcock, way back when. Now you can cap it off with a 7/32" rubber cap. It sounds like your petcock was replaced with a "manual" type .

The other ports on carb #2 and #4 are vents, (not emission vents) and you should put hose on them and run them up under the seat, near the airbox. Emission junk wasn't on the '78 bikes.

 

[aikirex]

The #2 carb vacuum port did have a hose to the petcock, way back when. Now you can cap it off with a 7/32" rubber cap. It sounds like your petcock was replaced with a "manual" type .

The other ports on carb #2 and #4 are vents, (not emission vents) and you should put hose on them and run them up under the seat, near the airbox. Emission junk wasn't on the '78 bikes.

Thanks for the correction about the emissions. Looked at the fiche after I posted.

Michael

 

[Nate]

Plug off the vacuum port on the #2 carb (the one closest to the engine). As Kent said, the other port (which has a port in the same position on #4 carb) is to keep the fuel in the bowls at atmospheric pressure. If those vents are plugged off then there will be none to little fuel pushed up into the venturi on the cylinder's intake stroke. Typically, a line is run up and behind the side covers for the vents. And, yes, your petcock could have been changed out for an earlier non-vacuum model.

For reference, the vacuum lines for the air valve on '79 and later models connect to the carb holders ports where the synchronizer is connected.

BTW, welcome aboard.

 

[billyboyxoxox]

Thank you all so much! I notice that when I simply plug the vacuum port on carb no.2 the engine revs and idles fast so I might ask Kawasaki to order me the proper petcock and see how that does. The closer to stock the better on this one. It's never been hacked on as far as I can see and it's got scat!! Thanks again!

 

[Nate]

Plug off that port and ride! The vacuum petcocks do develop their own set of problems over time. I've converted mine to aftermarket manual style and have that port plugged on both of my 650s.