Tacho cable

[jakeymara]

Just a quick one. Went out on the Z yesterday and the rev counter stopped working a few miles in. When I eventually stopped I noted the "cable jobber" had completely come out of its sheath and was tenuously hanging by a thread from the engine block. An easy fix to get it going again tho.

Question is, would I lose oil through the conection from the engine block and if so would it not need an oil seal or something? There doesn't seem to be anything like that...unless it fell off whilst riding.

I ask, as my ongoing oil usage saga goes on at a rate of about 0.5 litres per 100 miles of so. But the engine purrs like a kitten has superb performance, plugs are clean not oily, there is no smoke from the pipes and compression albeit at the low end is in the normal range.

If this is the source of oil loss, then it all makes sense as there is not enough evidence to suggest worn barrels and an engine out job. This has problem been doin' my head in I can tell you!

Worried I need to take a gallon of GTX to the Yorks rally on top of everything else I'll need to carry.

[RALPHARAMA]

If you're losing that amount of oil it must be going somewhere. I would suggest that if it were leaking out of the tacho drive, your engine, and probably you, would be plastered in the stuff. Assuming you don't have a puddle beneath your bike then you must be be burning it.

You need to get someone to follow you. If it smokes with a big handful of acceleration then it will be rings/re-bore time. If she is smoking on the overrun then she will need the valve guides looking at. My Old Gurl was using that sort of oil last year and I had to have a re-bore and guides. If you need a re-bore you'll find that Wisco pistons are cheaper and better than standard. It's odd though how she performed so well though, and after spending so much time and money there is no appreciable increase in power though she is a tad quieter.

[jakeymara]

Looks like I'll have to bit the bullet and get it done.

Do you know the best Z experts for a rebore and/ or valve guide work and an idea of cost?

[RALPHARAMA]

If you lived nearer to civilisation (Somerset) I would offer to help, but as you're too far away you'll have to talk nicely to other members who live in the third world

I'm sure that there will be someone in your neck of the woods in the club who'll give you a hand. You could get Wisco pistons from Steve Debben or Zed Power in the UK or take advantage of the exchange rate and get 'em from Z1Enterprises in the states. All three of these have links to their respective sites in the links bit. You'll need to find out what size your bores are at present ie if it's already had a re-bore. When you get someone to re-bore them tell teh engineer doing the work that you want them bored to the pistons not what they should be. The monkeys who bored my cylinders, before I got the bike, bored them to the theoretical size so the Old Gurl smoked like a single mum living on state benefits. The pistons were like new so I had to get another set of barrels to get them bored properly - so make the point when you take 'em in. If I were you, I'd get the valve guides done at the same time .. then you know you've covered all the bases.

I can't help you with the costs as I have been intentionally blanking from my memory what I have spent on the Old Gurl - I feel it's best not to know

[jakeymara]

vduk, thanks for the offer of help. Nice part of the world you are in. I lived in Camborne, Cornwall for a few years.

I have rebuilt the top ends of a few cars and complete rebuilds of old Brit bike engines in my time, the latter engines are dead simple. A Z engine however seems to be a little idiosyncratic, but I have no option but to go for it. I take it I can ask for advice as I progress?

I will look in the users listing to see if anyone lives close by.

Cost implications, is it best to get hypnoized to help forget? I didn't want a summer holiday anyway.

I can see me going to the Yorks rally on me Benelli.

Cheers

[Rich]

If you are losing that much oil out of the tacho you'll see it down the front of the engine.

When are you checking the oil level?
Do you have breathers, where do they go?
Any oil leaks obvious from engine - seals gone etc?

Usually the guides / seals will smoke on initial start up. Bores / rings will smoke when down shifting as you shut off then accelerate

[london calling]

S.E.P. at Kegworth J23/M1 do very good work.
TEL:01509 673295 and speak to KEN,ALI or GAV.
Gremlin Racetech sell Wiseco piston kits at very good prices.
Speak to THE GREMLIN on:01785 220899 or 07950 876368.

[jakeymara]

Rich I check the oil a few minutes after stopping and again the following day, there seems to be little change in level between these times.

Looks it maybe valve guides as the bike smokes (blue coloured) a little on start up, then clears i.e. within a few seconds of so. I am going to get a mate to follow me as vduk suggested it is the only way. This should be conclusive evidence of anything seriously wrong with the engine. If it needs a rebore etc then so be it, I just want it sorting out.

I may consider leaving it 'til after the Yorks Rally Sherburn is only 80 miles away from me. I want to go on the Z and nothing else.

Breathers I have heard of this issue before, where the collector on top of the engine fills up and can even start to fill the air filter holder in extreme cases. I have checked the filter and it is dry, I have not taken the breather apart tho'.

There is evidence of slight spillage sometimes down the side of the engine casing below the oil filler cap, especially when I have filled up with oil and after a ride out. Could I be overfilling it, I fill up 3/4 of the way up the spy glass so is she just chucking it out where she can? I know not to over fill it.

[Rich]

Silly question - do you check oil level on side stand or when the bike is upright?

What oil are you using?

How many miles does it have on it?

Is it on original rings / bores?

If you have mirrors rev it to 8K, shut the throttle, use the engine braking and slow down to 2K, open the throttle, if the oil rings are suspect it will suck oil into the bores and burn with blue smoke when you open the throttle.

Check the breather systen is clear - check the pipe and casing / bolt.

[jakeymara]

Rich

I check the oil level on the centre stand and on level ground.

I now use GTX, after Pigford recommended I perform a compression test and change from the semi oil (Putoline) that I put in her when I bought her. Compression was OK. I've heard horrors such as fully synth can glaze the bores tho'.

It has just over 2,000 on new clocks, I have put over half of those on since buying the bike last year. I cannot vouch for how many done since rebuild of engine inc honing of cyliners by "Big R".

The bike seems to have had a no expense spared resto about 4 years ago by former forum member Nick Player. I have reciepts for about £4 to £5ks worth of work to her, inc modded cam chain tensioners etc. So Nick didn't seem to cut any corners. But it could all be down to Big R knowing what they were doing when honing the bores.

I never really thrash the Z. If I am in that frame of mind I take out the Tornado TRE.

Will try out what you suggested this weekend see what happens, but I am not holding my breath.

[Rich]

I use GTX as well and have no problems with it.

How many miles since engine was done, what's in the block? Std pistons? was it re-ringed

Thoughts are that it hasn't been run in well and the bores have glazed up.

Let me know what / if it smokes like.

[jakeymara]

Rich

I do not know how many miles since rebuild, but my gut feel is a few thou at the most.

I thought about; was she run it in, but it could not be that easy...surely?

I subscribe to the philosopy, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I don't want to take her apart if not necessary. My wife tuts if I even so much as open the garage door. But if it has to be Amen!

I'll thrash the tyts off her tomorrow and find out what the craic (one for the Celts among us) is.

I'll be going to the Yorks rally on her unfixed, even if she smokes like Bond's Aston in Goldfinger, which she doesn't and just take spare oil, 2 litres should do it. The thought of 30 or so Zs in Hawes just gets me goin'

N

[Rich]

If it was tootled around the the rings do not bed in but just polish the bores. Give SEP Kegworth a ring and ask them about glaze busting oil.

[jakeymara]

Rich

I'll give it a try, thanks for your input.

[jakeymara]

Rich

"Ran" (or should I say screwed the living daylights our of the bike as Miller recommend) for 300 miles on their Liquid Glaze Buster and it looks like it has at least reduced oil consumption drastically. The bike used to burn 0.5 litre per 100 miles, but I have just come back from Yorks rally, about 300 miles all told, and bike only burnt about 1/4 litre in that time. I am going to leave it at that rate of consumption, it is acceptable to me.

If any body wants to try it before taking the engine out, if you ring Millers they don't sell direct ot the public they put you onto their distributors, (Woodcote Automotive), which charged me best part of £40 for 4 litres (inc VAT and del).

But I found this web site link below who charge something like £15.9 for the same thing, was I sick when I found out or what. Not sure if it includes VAT and p&p but it is still cheaper.

http://www.bighealey.co.uk/search.php?k ... +Bust&cat=

Thanks for the tip Rich

N