Kawasaki Ninja ZX Forum banner

PLEASE HELP!!! plugs stripped!!!

3K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  oldgreenmachine 
#1 ·
My bike is running a little rich which is no big deal, cause whenever the plugs get fouled I just take the tank, airbox, and plugs out and spray them with some carb cleaner, scrub them with a brush and put them back in. Unfortunately, when i put them back in this time I overtorqued the #2 cylinders plug!~!~!~!~!:banghead :banghead :banghead

I thought I had stipped it out but when I pulled the plug to see what had happened it came out minus the threads...:squint





I've already accepted that I'm going to have to take the head cover off but if there's anyway I can avoid taking the head off I would apperciate any tips.
Each of the gaskets is going to cost me $40 ... :angry



I'll be going to my local Kawasaki dealer to request some photocopied pages out of the Hayned manual tomorrow...

Is it worth the money to rebuild or should I part off my bike...
 
See less See more
3
#2 ·
use a easyout ....... but make sure its the square type and NOT the tapered circular type
 
#3 ·
can't use an easy out cause it will drop shavings and other sediments into the cylinder... then... when i start it up... no more motor. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to take off the head and do it from the inside... then i can use an easy out. I was hoping to find some easy solution to fix this problem without taking of the head... Does anyone know if I have to pull the engine if I take the head off. It looks like an REAL TIGHT fit...
 
#6 ·
Hey oldgreen! before you go running to the dealer, I know you can use a #3 or #4 reverse thread outty be sure to put some heat on it, the shavings won't be too much,however you can suck out all junk out of your cyliner with a shopvac or whatever. I would make a sized tube out of 3/8 gas line or something and use duct-tape to attach to the vac and run into the hole. I know it would work.
 
#5 ·
Bummer! But I wouldn't give up yet on an easyout. I'm not sure if the debris would be ferrous or not. If so, maybe a magnet on a wire would get you out of your bind.

If I were in that situation, I'd even consider rigging a small vacuum tube to fish out debris. Tough call, but maybe there's a McGyver out there that can help out.
 
#8 ·
I appreciate all the ideas, but after talking it over with a small engine mechanic who deals with such things on a daily basis, I realized I have 3 options...

1.break off the head and then use an easyout or some other solution
2.break off the head and every other part of the bike and part it out somewhere like Ebay
3.sell my bike outright with the downstairs mixup

I've accepted the fact that I'm going to have to take off the head...:squint which sucks. Now what I want to know is wether I can pull the head off without pulling out the whole mill and having it seperate from the mill.

Anyone ever pulled the head through the frame without it being out of the thing?
 
#10 ·
I've tore off all the "unnecessary" pieces and have it down to the motor and frame pretty much now. Tomorrow I'll have a friend help me put this thing on cinder blocks so i can pop off the rear wheel to loosen the chain, allowing me to drop the engine. Kinda sucks it had to go all the way, but this will give me a excuse to polish the intake and exhaust ports while I wait for the new head gasket to come in.

Oh yeah, got myself a service manual too. I went down to the local Kawasaki shop and asked if I could see their manual while I waited for mine to come in. The guy returned with a manual for the C-model 9r's (mines a b4) and had the balls to say, to my face, that the motors where identical. Does he seriously think someones gonna come in asking about torque specs and not be able to tell the difference between his motor and a newer models?!?!? That's why I hate that shop, honest to god, my bike runs on proHONDA oil because the service there is so much better. And i have a ninja for christ sakes...

:blob

Kind of like the sword in the stone, except with half a plug... and the #2 cylinder head...

 
#11 ·
sounds like you're on your way... at least you've got confidence!

Have you got the Haynes manual for this bike? I'll check mine (it covers the '97 model) - it'll say if the motor needs to be pulled or not (for the '98 it does, but as you already know this is a different animal!). I'll post torque numbers too (if you need it).

Good luck!
 
#12 ·
Thank you so much for the offer RIDELIKEATURTLE. Apperciate the offer but I actually downloaded a B model manual from a link in the 7R section.

Anyways, I did have to pull the motor and take off the head, but it's all for the better, also pulled out all the deposits left in the motor from running rich for so long. MMM!!! Nice and Clean! It's awesome! Took 4 cans of brake clean and a little carb cleaner but the top of those pistons and valve area.

Big letdown on the plug, I got ready to tackle a impossible plug, BUT it just unscrewed... easily... like butter...

THE BEFORE


THE AFTER

(notice new plugs!)
 
#16 ·
I probably would have tried some Lock-tite or JB weld on the original plug, let it set and then tried to ease it out before all of that....but

It looks as though you managed to gain in the long run... pulled it apart and cleaned out all the deposits, now you're clean and set to go.

Keep us posted on how she runs now.
 
#17 ·
To Steven Max: read the above, using a ez out runs the risk of having shavings drop into the cylinder.

I thought about using jb weld but what if I accidentally got some on the inside of the motor?! Woulda' been even more of a mess than it was. I got it figured though, will post some pics after I get done porting and polishing that head!

PORT POLISH PORT POLISH PORT POLISH!!!
 
#19 ·
To Steven Max: read the above, using a ez out runs the risk of having shavings drop into the cylinder.
That's why I didn't say easy-out. I said square-sided bolt extractor. You gently drive into the hole in what is left behind of the spark plug. That allows it to grip the plug and it comes out very easily. No shavings are created in this process. As I said, I (and many others) have done exactly this with no problems.

It's all moot since you wanted to do the headwork anyway, but the next person who has this problem shouldn't be mistakenly concerned with shavings.
 
#21 ·
Never heard of the "square type" easyout, but I'll certainly look into it if I ever have this problem again. Thanks for your guys help! Started it up yesterday and ran through a bowl of petrol! Timing's dead on! Was running strong but now it causes me some trouble again, but I'll probably sort it out in the next couple of days.

Soon I'll be racing helicopters!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top