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New to forums with turbo ZX12R revival project

56K views 538 replies 23 participants last post by  Zeus 
#1 ·
Picked up an 00 which was built with a turbo system, 13 over arm, lockup clutch, air sshifter etc. The hitch was the PO went ahead and shoved a 10# spring in the wastegate with a 6# tune on it and lunched the top end of the motor. Seems like a lot of guys jumped on the zx14 bandwagon so there isn't many 12r turbo setups running around anymore. Anybody that has any knowledge to share please do!
 

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#8 ·
There are a couple turbo 12 build threads in the turbo/nos section. You may want to read through them to see what pitfalls there are. After looking at your pictures it appears to me everything is there and you just have to put it back together with the newly acquired parts. Good luck.
 
#9 ·
I'll definitely be reading over those threads. The bike is going to come completely apart as the previous owners have beaten, abused and neglected this poor kawi. A lot of the wiring work was Tastefully done, but then it's blatantly obvious where the backyard mechanic got in there and started hacking things up.

Since this bike is unique I was able to track down original owner/builder. The insight into how everything is set up alone is priceless.

Going to get the motor back together with another top end and see if it sounds solid before anything else.

The bottom end felt as though the PO didn't hurt it but anything is possible.

Question for you guys..
Who sells heavy duty valve springs affordably? I don't want to go Kibblewhite just yet until i know the motor is solid

Thanks in advance
 
#11 · (Edited)
Welcome, wow big project!!! Will be awesome when you get the bad boy runnin. :thumbup:
APE, Muzzys, Carpenter Racing all sell a hi-po spring for the 12.
The APE is about 52 lbs seat pressure with no shims, depending on install height.
Carpenter 60 lbs and 65+ shimmed.
Muzzys high 50s with no shims. 65+ shimmed.

Agreed, there will be some crazy turbo cats to talk to shortly, I'm sure!

cmg
 
#13 ·
We'll need pics to figure it out, but when this was leading edge technology the belief was that you needed 2 sets to accurately map the fuel for alot of configurations. The other set is probably mounted to the airbox covers or a rail that was assembled inside the airbox. These would be driven by an aftermarket computer like a Motec or something similar. The stock ZX12R injectors wouldn't have supported alot of horsepower, but you leave them in place and piggyback a second set and you're good to go for higher power applications.
 
#17 ·
The ZX12R presence here is top notch... Glad you pointed it out.

Started tracing all the wiring to see where it all leads as the motor was out when i got it. Have to prep/fix the bodywork for paint as its been rattle canned.

Somebody left the headlight in the oven too long when they pulled the lens off to paint inside it.

I'll get some progress pics up but they will be slow to come as this is not a cheap project.

Sure do hope the bottom end and the lockup clutch are in good shape :)
 
#18 ·
A broken motor is one thing and it happens. But this poor soldier looks like it's been shoved outside and left in the weather for several months or years after the motor took a dump. Fixing the motor pretty straight forward. Fixing the unnecessary neglect caused by being treated like a red headed step child-----------------------> Mind Blowing!
 
#21 ·
so stock motor with a spacer plate to lower compression ratio? to answer the question, no. not with a sealer imo. but thats the wrong way to lower cr as it kills the effectiveness of the squish. you should fit a set of proper turbo pistons and run a normal amount of squish
 
#23 ·
for strokers, for tall deck pistons, if you milled too much off of a block to get the surface back to normal...
 
#36 ·
My point exactly! The broken motor is a piece of cake to fix. The unnecessary abuse inflicted onto the rest of the bike is where all the work and money will be spent fixing. Hate to say it but this one is mighty close to being on the side of the line that says it's not worth fixing. It will have to be a labor of love for you because it's not going to be an easy fix. I've fixed damn near that bad before with excellent results but it was a ton of work and money to make happen. If there's a bike worth all this the 12R is it. Good luck to you Sir
 
#35 ·
im going to say right around 9:1
 
#39 ·
So I'm hoping the bottom end wasn't hurt by the previous owner who smacked the piston against the valves... Without tearing into the bottom end, the rods don't feel as though there is any push/pull play up or down but they do wiggle side to side... Is this normal?
Video attached

 
#42 ·
So I'm hoping the bottom end wasn't hurt by the previous owner who smacked the piston against the valves... Without tearing into the bottom end, the rods don't feel as though there is any push/pull play up or down but they do wiggle side to side... Is this normal?
Video attached

Zx12 engine bottom end rods - YouTube
Buddy there's NO REPLACEMENT for measuring every piece. Since a human hair is approx .002" and .002" too much or too little clearance is more than enough to ruin your day eyeballing these dimensions is insane. You are also looking at the condition of the crank under those bearings as much as the bearing their self. Looking for signs of the crank being hot, looking for cracks, looking to make sure the rod isn't egg shaped on either end as detonation has a way of doing that. Do yourself a huge favor and check it all. It's the cheapest money you'll ever spend if you find but one thing that needs addressed. Turbo's have a way of exploiting the smallest thing into a nightmare.

I'm not telling you what to do at all. I'm merely suggesting the safest and best way to assure your motor live a nice long life or at least has a chance to. The worst case situation is a tossed rod and oil under your tires. People get seriously injured from things like that, and it happens even to guys that do it all perfect just not as often as it does to the ones that short cut it..
 
#41 ·
wiggle is ok. i cant see any obvious signs of discolouration, but honestly its pretty cheap insurance to inspect the bearings(if ok reuse). i would tell you to run them on the looser side of factory spec for this setup if you get into replacing
 
#44 ·
no such thing im afraid
 
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