kobra's 1985 RZ350NC2 basket case restoration

[kobra]

More progress.

Fortunately the bike came with two clusters. One had been crashed in and is pretty beat up. The other had some rusty screws and a broken reset knob. Both were super dirty! So I took the best parts from both and made one good one. Spent my time polishing the clear covers using Meguiar's plastic cleaner.

I love how simple these gauges are. Totally mechanical.




ALSO, I am about to buy all the engine gaskets and whatnot. Here's my list so far:
Power valve o-rings and end seals
Crank seals
Shift shaft seal
Countershaft seal
Clutch shaft seal
Clutch shaft bearing
Water pump seal
Base Gaskets
Head gasket
Coolant pipe o-ring
Clutch cover gasket
Reed valve gaskets

Is there anything I am missing^?

Also, I found two rubber rings in the clutch stackup. One furthest inward and one furthest outward. Are those needed? The clutch kit I am looking at does not include them.

[Hooligan]

Clutch rings are not required.

There are gasket kits out there which will include most of what you need.

[kobra]

Clutch rings are not required.

There are gasket kits out there which will include most of what you need.

The kits are often aftermarket (Athena?). I am wary of using anything other than OEM just so I don't have any issues. It also looks like I can build a OEM kit for about the same price as a pre-built aftermarket kit. The catch? I can't find a list of what's included in these aftermarket kits, just a photo.

[Hooligan]

Other than crank seals and head gasket, I wouldn't worry about aftermarket for the rest.

[silverstrom]

Genuine Yamaha is always best. Even if you pay more you'll know that what you get will fit properly and it will last. The only time I say aftermarket is ok to use is when OEM no longer exists and there is no other option. As a last resort aftermarket will have to do. If OEM is available use it.

If you can't afford OEM gaskets and seals you shouldn't be building a bike. Going cheap will get you cheap.

Nice job on the clocks. They look great

[kobra]

Genuine Yamaha is always best. Even if you pay more you'll know that what you get will fit properly and it will last. The only time I say aftermarket is ok to use is when OEM no longer exists and there is no other option. As a last resort aftermarket will have to do. If OEM is available use it.

If you can't afford OEM gaskets and seals you shouldn't be building a bike. Going cheap will get you cheap.

Nice job on the clocks. They look great

Exactly, definitely agree. Anyone have input on identifying the following so I know what to order? Thank you.



1. Engine/reed gasket
2. Reed/spigot gasket
3. Head gasket
4. ?
5. ?
6. ?
7. Base gasket
8. ?
9. ?
10. Waterpump gasket
11. ?
12. ?
13. Crankcase cover gasket
14. Transmission drain plug washer?

[two-stroke-brit]

11 is the head to down spout gasket
12 is the oil pump gasket

[silverstrom]

4 and 5 are airbox gaskets. 6 is powervalve seals. 8 and 9 are likely the dipstick o-ring and the metal water pipe o-ring.

I'll never understand why anyone would use those kit o-rings on powervalves. That is one place you don't want to be using cheap o-rings. Spend the money and use the proper Yamaha o-rings that will take the heat and abuse they will definitely get. If you do use the kit o-rings and they do fail, the few dollars saved won't seem like much of a bargain when you're pulling the top end.

[kobra]

Sweet!
Surprisingly, the powervalve seals on my cylinders were still really tight, round, springy. I expected them to be rock hard. I wonder if they had been replaced at some point late in its life.

Since I can't find a kit with only the non-important gaskets I am just going to buy all OEM.

Also, any reason I can't use yamabond or comparable sealant on some of these? Modern bikes use almost exclusively sealant since the advent of CNC sealant appliers at the factory - cheaper and more reliable. Back then, assembly was quicker with a paper gasket.

[kobra]

Does anyone know what #13 is for? Mine was half broken up, falling off, soaked in oil. It appears to possibly be a protective pad, to protect against something?

[silverstrom]

I believe #13 is just a damper and mostly useless. I wouldn't worry about it.

For best results with the paper type gaskets use Yamabond on both sides. I brush on a very thin layer. Reed gaskets, base gaskets, clutch cover. The paper gaskets may work well on their own, but reed and base gaskets are often the source of air leaks when pressure testing. Use Yamabond on them and solve the problem before it starts.

You must use the proper sealant. Yamabond is one option. All I have ever used is MotoSeal. Same properties and designed to seal case halves. https://www.permatex.com/products/uncat ... aker-grey/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[kobra]

I believe #13 is just a damper and mostly useless. I wouldn't worry about it.

For best results with the paper type gaskets use Yamabond on both sides. I brush on a very thin layer. Reed gaskets, base gaskets, clutch cover. The paper gaskets may work well on their own, but reed and base gaskets are often the source of air leaks when pressure testing. Use Yamabond on them and solve the problem before it starts.

You must use the proper sealant. Yamabond is one option. All I have ever used is MotoSeal. Same properties and designed to seal case halves. https://www.permatex.com/products/uncat ... aker-grey/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Perfect, I already have a tube. I was planning to use Motoseal for anything exposed to gas (case halves, intake seals), and the Ultra Black for the crankcase cover because it's submerged in oil. Never had it leak before and is a lot easier to work with because it's thicker and stays put.

[MK]

#13 is a damping pad to reduce noise emissions from the gearbox.
Earlier models didn't have one, so there's no danger in leaving it out.

[kobra]

Good to know.
Similar to the dynamat on the inside of the stator cover. Both were soaked in oil and scraped off with ease.

[kobra]

These DG pipes aren't bad, in fact they're Damn Good for the price. Yeah the welds aren't absolutely perfect and they aren't flashy, but the silencers look great and they look decent overall.

They weigh 5 pounds each whereas the stock pipes weigh 13 pounds each! So that's 16 pounds saved total.




Next I sandblasted the top case half and need to figure out what to do with this. I will hopefully get some help and use the tools at my disposal to create a fix.