Z1-A Engine Number Problem

[gbh]

Garn,regarding your statement: "they are not "Dodgy" as one of your members suggests. Perhaps I misguided him by describing the surface as milled or stamped".
Garn, this is what you ACTUALLY said,
"the pad surface that look like it has been surface milled with a cutter that has chattered".
To that statement I responded.
I've seen more dodgy "pads" in Oz with half arsed attempts at restamping numbers or no numbers at all than I care to remember...
Garn, it was only AFTER my response that you bothered to submit a picture and AMEND your description with the words milled or stamped and dropped any reference to "chatter".
Perhaps you misguided me???
Garn, the description of a cutter that has "chattered" sounds decidedely DODGY when compared with "milled or stamped".
Good luck in your quest for information.

[Garn 1]

Summary thus far, regarding Z1A Engine Number Pads.
I'm trying to disprove my theory. Can you find me a Z1A eng number out of sequence ?

Last unit known {65 mm} un-bordered pad, 5 digits ...Z1E - 24591

First unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits (milled/ cast) ...Z1E - 27752
Last unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits (milled/ cast) ...Z1E - 27771

First unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits (plain surface) ...Z1E - 29217

First unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 6 digits (plain surface) ...Z1E - 032887.

For Ollie, please rack your brain (15 years ago - long time) Thanks for trying... Good to talk to you again.

For GBH, sorry I didn't know you had read the other forum where I initiated the query. The nomenclature of this cast surface was misleading and at the time I had not actually seen it and I relied on another source for the description. I'm still looking for a suitable descriptor.
I'll be interested if you can help in this regard. I do take it that you are convinced now!

(Edited by Garn 1 at 5:28 am on Sep. 25, 2005)


(Edited by Garn 1 at 5:35 am on Sep. 25, 2005)

[TheBogieMan]

I'll throw a spanner into the works with the description of the finish....
It is classed as "Knurled", you can only get that effect with a raised edge if the originsl casting die was knurled i.e. the negative image, there's no way you could run the tool up to the raised edges of the pad without damaging those.

[davy thomson]

Hi lad looking at your cases it looks to me as thought the marks are cast , I agree with the bogie man, i work in a machine shop ,you could not knurl it in that location.happy hunting lads.

[Sorf]

Looks as though you're making progress at last.
You should get naming rights after this effort!

[Bruce Sexton]

I think the term Dodgy (dodgy Aussie custom job)was a joke refering to my bike and name? not anything else. I could also be wrong, not the first or last time.

Bruce

[KnowItAll]

I've never seen a casting like this on any variant of Z1-900 in the 30 odd yrs I've been working on them. I'd have to see more of the crankcase set to tell if this is a genuine Z1A crankcase. I know about the raised border but the casting marks are strange as there is no way Kawasaki would have produced a single set, nor would they produce this effect and remove at a later manufacturing process.. simply not cost effective.
You've either got something rare OR???? IMHO

[Garn 1]

KnowItAll, I'm not surprised that you haven't seen the subject pad in your 30 years of working on these machines and it appears you are not alone.

As most are aware, I have posted this on many forums and I must say, although the response was good, I'm disappointed and surprised, that no one (other than Mark & Yoshi) has seen a Z1A engine number between Z1E 24591 (65mm){Mark} and Z1E-29217 (85mm){Yoshi}. That's approx 4,500 engines!

Let me briefly state what I'm trying to establish.
MAIN OBJECTIVE ~ pertaining to Z1A's

What engine number was the first of the 80 mm pads? Was it
this cast/ stamped form? (estimated approx Z1E-27500).
While we are at it! What engine number was the first with six numerical digits?.

PS. On reviewing, my last post, there is a CORRECTION.....
Bottom line, should read:
Last unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad 5 digits (plain surface).... Z1E-32887
First unit sighted (80 mm) borded pad 6 digits ...... Z1E- 033474 {Bjorn~ Sweden).




(Edited by Garn 1 at 11:34 pm on Oct. 11, 2005)

[Garn 1]

I've had a reply from Bjorn (Sweden), so the sequence, over the area of interest w.r.t. Z1A engine number pads, now reads.~
Last unit sighted {65 mm} un-bordered pad, 5 digits ... Z1E - 24591

First unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits (milled/ cast) ... Z1E - 27752
Last unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits (milled/ cast) ... Z1E - 27771

First unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits (plain surface) ... Z1E - 29217
Last unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits ... Z1E - 32887
First unit sighted {80mm} bordered pad, 6 digits ... Z1E - 033474 ~ New entry just in from Ciao(ZoG Germany) Z1E - 033419.

Trying to fill/ close the gaps! Stay with me, I'll be out of my misery soon!

RegardZ

(Edited by Garn 1 at 1:11 am on Oct. 17, 2005)

[Garn 1]

Filling the Gaps!
Just to hand, another milled/cast Z1A Engine Number Pad ....
{80mm} bordered pad, 5 digits, (milled/ cast)..... Z1E - 27744.
I am now convinced that this milled/cast pad was a product of Kawasaki and that the method was later discarded. I have still to establish how long they ran for (When they started and when they finished, I would guess that they would have started with the first of the bordered pads.
A photo is available on an e-mail... Haven't worked out how to produce it for the forum yet!
Regardz.
PS..... Note for KnowIt' Is three enough?

(Edited by Garn 1 at 8:29 pm on Oct. 21, 2005)

[Garn 1]

Here is the third sample of this type of milled/cast pad.
When did they start and when did they finish?

Regardz

[Kari]

One more!


(Edited by Kari at 10:57 am on Oct. 21, 2006)

[Garn 1]

Great stuff Kari! GOOD FIND!
I can now adjust my sequence:
Last unit sighted {65 mm} un-bordered pad, 5 digits ... Z1E - 24591
First unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits (milled/ cast) ... Z1E - 27376 (KARI)
Last unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits (milled/ cast) ... Z1E - 27771
First unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits (plain surface) ... Z1E - 29217
Last unit sighted {80 mm} bordered pad, 5 digits ... Z1E - 32887
First unit sighted {80mm} bordered pad, 6 digits ... Z1E - 033419

For those just tuned in!
the Z1A engine numbers changed durng its life:
They started following on from the Z1 with large lettering, 5 digits, (65mm)un-bordered pads, Somewhere along the way, Kawasaki, introduced a longer (80mm)bordered pad . It is postulated, that the first of theses was a 5 digit "checker-plate" finish pad. The first one known, thus far, is that of Kari's Z1E-27376.
RegardZ.

[chrisNI]

Wierd science...