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General Category => Kawasaki Owners => Topic started by: 58Evinrude on March 14, 2014, 08:41:41 PM

Title: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: 58Evinrude on March 14, 2014, 08:41:41 PM: Anybody have anything good or bad to say about these sleds? I'm looking a nice one, I'd just like to know if there is something in particular I should be looking for when I check the machine.

thanks
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: gixxer6 on March 14, 2014, 08:52:01 PM: 1 year only for that hood design. Look close at the track, if it has the metal bars, it'll need to be changed...,
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: 58Evinrude on March 14, 2014, 10:47:38 PM: Thanks, I'll check the track, but I think it's been changed.
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: 58Evinrude on March 27, 2014, 06:44:42 PM: Sorry, I've been busy and forgot to post this up. I bought the 78, it needs a lot of love. The stuff in the tank I wouldn't even call gas, it was that old. I had to add gas to it in my burn barrel to get it to burn. The floats in the carbs were seized to the rods, gas lines were rock hard, the recoil is broken, you guys know all about this stuff. The seat is mint, the windshield is good, compression is about 140 in both sides, and overall it's complete.

I've had the carbs soaking for a week, new gas line in hand, the tank is clean, and I have a rebuilt pump just in case. There may not be much snow left, but I'd like to get it out for one quick ride this year. And yes, it does have spark. I've only got one of pic, here it is. Someone must have loved it at one time, they got creative with the hood paint. :)
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: gixxer6 on March 27, 2014, 07:31:47 PM: Looks great! Nice find! Change the crank seals before you run it...It sounds like it's been awhile since it's been run, they probably need changing!
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: 58Evinrude on March 27, 2014, 07:48:00 PM: That's going to be one of my summer projects, tear the motor down and do a seal change. For now, I'd just like to hear it run :) It's going to need ski's or the originals repaired before it gets ridden.
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: jimvw57 on March 28, 2014, 02:08:17 AM: I'd go with replacing the jets in the carbs. if it has been parked that long, they are most likely clogged beyond what can be cleaned.
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: 58Evinrude on March 28, 2014, 06:31:10 AM: I just picked up a whole box of Mikuni's 26, 32, and 34's, all parts carbs, along with a good set of 34's. And with 3 Mikuni fuel pumps. I'm good to change out whatever needs doing now, somewhere in the box there has to be some jets that are close to stock!! All I originally wanted were 4 floats to replace the ones I can't get to move.. I have a feeling they will be destroyed by the time I get them out. I couldn't turn down the package offer :)
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: jimvw57 on March 28, 2014, 09:54:28 AM: Been there! some people can't resist cleaning out jets with a hunk of wire and making the holes a bit bigger. New jets are relatively cheap.
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: Interceptor398 on March 28, 2014, 10:15:42 AM: I think that year intruder is the lightest one so if you are thinking racing it's a good choice?
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: 58Evinrude on March 28, 2014, 05:09:44 PM: Nope, I like light for the trails. Not really interested in racing.
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: gixxer6 on March 28, 2014, 06:26:58 PM: Light is good for the trails too!
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: 58Evinrude on March 28, 2014, 06:29:36 PM: And today I bought a gallon of REAL carb cleaner.. those guys will be spotless when they go back on, both inside and out!!!
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: gixxer6 on March 28, 2014, 06:43:13 PM: What is "real" carb cleaner???
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: jimvw57 on March 29, 2014, 01:37:10 AM: Hard to find but the 'real stuff' is actually cresylic acid, used to be able to get it at NAPA, I think it also goes by the name Chem-Dip (Berymans product)

http://weldwarehouse.securesites.net/cgi-bin/einstein.pl?::1:WLDWH:1:084=0905
It ain't cheap but it does the job better than anything else. Make sure you remove any plastic parts before you use it.
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: thomy on March 29, 2014, 01:18:09 PM: DO NOT USE ACID DIP ON ZINC MIKUNI CARBS. After you do they corrode quickly.
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: 58Evinrude on March 29, 2014, 11:12:11 PM: Well, I hope it's not acid.. there's been carb in there for 6 hours now. It's from Napa, a Kleen Flo product, called "Carb Cleaner". Sort of a milky whitish brown colour.

While I'm waiting for the original carbs to get clean, I installed a set of 34mm Mikuni's off a Rotax 580 (I think) New lines, clean tank, new pump. Modified a Yammi recoil to fit. A couple of pumps of the primer, and it started on the first pull!!! Scared the hell out of me!!

It's running rich, but it's running, and I even took it for a quick ride. All the lights work (the dash lights are way better than my 80), I think it's going to be a fun little project. It's making a noise on the pto side, either a crank bearing is gone, or it's in the oil pump drive. I haven't checked the pump drive for oil, I was so shocked that it started.

It's running on pre-mix for now, I'll be pulling the motor this summer and going thru it. New seals, etc, and try and find the source of the noise. It wasn't there when it first started, and it's not constant, but an intermittent noise.

I'm still shocked that it started on one pull!!!
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: 58Evinrude on March 31, 2014, 07:11:16 PM: It's alive. Got the carbs rebuilt, and gave it a quick run today in the slush. It still needs work, but that's what I bought it for, a project.
Title: Re: 78 Intruder 440
Post by: kawhead on April 01, 2014, 08:04:22 AM: looks like a nice project,i have a 78 also but its a little on the ruff side.yours has the h d colling kit installed...or at least the hood vent.