SHOP MANUAL

292 cc. ENGINE

KT-150 SERIES

KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP.

ENGINE DIVISION

PRINTED JANUARY 1, 1970

KT- 150 S ERIES SHOP MANUAL

SPEC! FICATIONS

Section 1 - LUBRICATION .. . . .. . ... . .. . ..... ... page 5

Section 2 - COMPLETE ENGINE DISASSEMBLY . . . pag e 6

Section 3 - CRANKSHAFT REPAIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 8

Section 4 - TOP END REPAIR . . . . .. . . .. . .. .. ... page 10

Section 5 - IGNITION TIMING .... . . . . . .... . .... page 13

Section 6 - RECOIL START ER REPAIR ..... . .... . page 15

Section 7 - ISOMETRIC INFORMATION .. ... . . . . page 18

3
 s E I 10 s
Kawasaki KT150-292

Typt! Single cvlinut•J·, l\\o-<:yclc , piston valve

Burt' x Stroke 2 .92 inches x 2. G8 inchel' (?-! mm x 68 mm)

Displacement 17 .~ cu. in . (292 cc)

Compression Ratio 7.4:1

Veight 4b.5 lbs . without carburetor or muffle1

C. 1inder Aluminum Allo\ wilh cast iron slcc\'e
J .ubrication Oi I rr ixed with ga!'lolinc, 2U lu 1 t·atio

Spt.rk Plug XGK AG or Ai or cqui\'alent

Starting S:- stem Recoil \\ith emergcnc\ rope pull!~}

Ignition System Fl) wheel magneto

Ignition Timing 10° BTDC for slat•lin~ :Httomatlcally advancmg to
25• BTDC during upel'ation

Cylinder Head Bolts l 6 ft. lbs.

Crankcase Bolls 13 ft. lb~.

Fl~·whecl Kuts fi6 ft. Jbs.

RN•oil Startc r Mounting Bolt» 1 :i ft. lbs .

 section 1

L B I

The en~in e is lu bricated by mixing oil with the fue l in a ratio of 20 parts fuel to 1 part oil (20 to 1).
Mix the fuel and the oil thoroughl.v in a separate conhtiner before pouring the mhi:ure into the
fuel tank.

To insure proper blending in cold wenther, premix the oil with a. small quantity of gasoline and
s hake thoroughly until the mixture is wc:>ll IJlended, then acid the eemainder o f gasoline . Use a
5 -gallon c:onW.int:r for convenience. One quart of oil in 5 gallons of gas provides the proper 20 to 1
mixing ratio. Do not use Kel'osene: or fuel oil for premixing.

E ll
Use any good quality 2- cycle oil that is labeled
for use in air-c.:ooled engines or use the brand
recomme nded by the vehic le manufacturer.

i\ void using racing oils in unmodified engines .

Racing oils are specifically formulated for
high RPM, high heat conditions and may pro-
duce excessive carbon or gum deposits when
used in an unmodified engine at normal op-
erating tempe ratures.

5
 section 2
COMPLETE
ENGINE DISASSEMBL V

l. Remove the engine fr0m the vehicle chassis.

2. Remove carl>uretor , muffler, recoil starter assembly, and dri vt- pulley. (St•t• Photo A)

3. Remove spiral case and cylinder head cover .

P HOTO A PHOTO B

4. Remove magneto assembly (use the flywheel) . .:\lark the position of the magneto base before removing
so it can l>e reinstalled in the same position. This will maintain the timing adjustment. (See Photo B)

5 . Remove the automatic timing advance mechanism.

6. He move cylinder head and slide cylinder up-

ward off the piston. The piston maybe removed
at this time (see Section -t)fsee Photo C).

PHOTO C

6
7. Remove the six crankcase l>olts and separate the cases. Hold one-half of the case while tapping the end
of the crankshaft with a plastic hammer. ~ever use a steel hammer on the crankshaft. (See Photo D-E)

PHOTO D PHOTO E
ENGINE REASSEMBLY
The engine can be reassembled by reversmg the above procedure. Note the follow-
ing items:

1. Pack the oil seal lips with bearing grease before reassembly.

2. Check the end play in the crankshaft and use shims to establish proper
clearance. Refer to Section 3 of this manual (crankshaft repair).

3. Check the ignition timing and readjust if necessary.

4. Two of the crankcase bolts are 9 mm longer than the other four. Be sure
the two are in their proper locations before tightening. Torque all 6 bolts to
13 ft. lbs. using a criss-cross tightening pattern. (Sec Photo F)

PHOTO F

7
 section 3

CRANKSHAFT REPAIR
:.\lain bearings may be r emoved and replaced but care should be taken so that the crankshaft is not mis-
a ligned during this procedure . Remove the crankshaft bearings with the special Kawasaki bearing replace-
ment tool. When reinstalling new bearings, support the crankshaft between the flyweights to prevent
accidental misalignment while the bearing is being pressed on .

BIG END CONNECTING ROD BEARING

The crankshaft should be replaced if the shake in the connecting rod (radial play) exceeds 0 .0009 in .
(0.023 mm).

CRANKSHAFT MISALIGNMENT
Check the runout of the crankshaft by mounting it between lathe centers. Use a dial indicator and measure
runout in the middle of the bearing mounting surface. Runout should not exceed 0 .0012 in. (0 .03 mm).
(See Photo G)

PHOTOG

NOTE: The crankshaft, crank pin, connecting rod, and large end bearing are a factory assembled unit and
disassembly is not recommended . No warranty will be allowed for any component on an engine
when the crankshaft has been disassembled. If a crankshaft fails during the warranty period,
replace it with a new factory supplied assembly.

8
 END PLAY

The proper crankshaft end play can be established by following these steps:

1. Ins tall the output end of the crankshaft into the output side of the crankcase. See figure 1.

2. Measure distance B (the distance from the crankcase gasket surface with the gasket removed to the
inside bearing mounting surface of the crankshaft flyweight).

3. :'>'Ieasure distance A (the distance from the inside mounting surface of the bearing to the crankcase
gasket surface, gasket removed) .

4. Subtract distance B from A and refer to the chart for the proper s him .

SHIM CHART
Difference B Subtracted from A Shim No. Shim No. Parts No.

-0 .0070- -0 . 0009 inch (-0. 2 - -0.01 mm) None 1 318401- 3231- 00

0 - 0 . 0038 ( 0 - 0 . 09 ) 4 2 318401-3232-00
0.0039- 0 . 0078 ( 0. 10- 0.19 ) 1 3 318401-3233-00
0.0079- 0 . 0118 ( 0. 20 - 0 . 29 ) 1+4 4 318401- 3234- 00
0. 0119- 0. 0158 ( 0.30- 0 . 39) ) 2
0. 0159- 0. 0198 ( 0 . 40 - 0.49 ) 2+4
0. 0199 - 0. 0238 ( 0 . 50- 0. 59 ) 3
0 .0239- 0. 0278 ( 0.60 - 0 . 69 ) 3+4
0 . 027!) - 0 . 0318 ( 0. 70- 0 . 79 ) 1+ 3

Fig. 1

CRANKSHAFT

MAGNET SIDE

9
 section 4

TOP END REPAIR

The cylinder and piston can normally be serviced without removing the engine from the vehicle chassis .

1. Remove the exhaust pipe.

2. Remove the cylinder head and cylinder. Stuff a shop

cloth into the crankcase opening around the connect-
ing rod· to prevent foreign objects from falling in the
crankcase . (Sec Photo H)

PHOTO H

3. Remove the pis ton pin c irclip and use the Kawasaki
Universal Pis ton Pin Puller to remove the pis ton pin.
Remove the piston and small end needle bearing.
(See Photo I)

PHOTO I

4. T he tension in the rings is high but they can easily be

r emoved with a light cord as illustrated or with a
ri ng re moving tool. (See Photo J)

PHOTO J

10
Once the cylinder head, cylinder and piston have been removed, the cylinder head and the top of the
piston should be completely decarbonized. In addition to top of the piston, it is necessary to make cer-
tain that the ring grooves are absolutely clean. Before replacing the upper end components, you should
eheck the condition of the piston, the rings, and the upper end needle bearing and piston pin. The piston
rings are the items most likely to wear, therefore, they should be checked very carefully. Worn rings
can usually be detected by an increase in end gap or by discoloration of the piston skirt caused by bow-
by, or they can be checked before disassembly by the use of a cylinder compression gauge. The piston
ring end gap should be 0.006 to 0.014 inch (0.15 to 0.35 mm). It can be checked by placing the ring in
the lower portion of the cylinder and measuring with a thickness gauge. (Sec Photo K)

If it is found that the cylinder walls have been damaged,

it will probably be necessary to replace the cylinder.
However, in case there are only small amounts of alum-
inum stuck to the cylinder bore but no grooves, it is
possible to salvage the barrel by a very light honing.

PHOTO K

PISTON CLEARANCE
The standard piston to cylinder clearance at the piston
skirt is 0.0035 inch but should not exceed 0.005 inch.

NOTE: The Kawasaki piston is made of special alloy

with an anti-friction surface material. Always
use genuine Kawasaki pistons for replacement
in standard engines . The piston clearance should
be increased on engines that are used for racing
or if special pistons are installed.

11
 REASSEMBLING THE TOP END

Reassemble the top end by r eversing the disassembly procedure . Observe the following notes when
reassembling. :\lake sure the gasket surfaces are clean and lubricate all parts with 2-cycle oil as they
are asse mbled to protect them when the engine is first started .

Re ins tall the r ings with the self- lubricating ring on top (green tinted) and with the notch in the end of the
ring toward the top of the piston . :\lake certain this notch is aligned with the pin in the piston before
attempting to install the cylinder . (Sec Photo L)

PHOTO L

Do no t r eplace the small e nd bearing or the piston pin only. They are supplied as matched pairs from
the facto ry and must be r eplaced as a set.

Reinstall the piston with the arrow pointing toward the output side of the crankshaft (towards the drive
pulley). Tap the piston pin in place and make certain to install a new circlip . If the piston pin is too
tight to be tapped in place , hea t the piston first in boiling water to cause it to expanci . (See Photo :\I)

P HOTO l\1 PHOTON

Reinstall the cylinder carefully to prevent ring breakage, install a new head gasket and replace the
head. Torque the head bolt to 16 ft. lbs. (See Photo N)

12
 section 5

IGNITION AND ELECTRICAL

IGNITION TIMING ADJUSTMENT
To check or adjust the ignition timing, r emove the recoil starter assembly and connect a timing buzzer
or continuity tester to the black wire coming out of the engine. If the black wire is connected to the
ignition switch, turn the switch to the OJ.\ position. Connect the other test lead to any grounded me tal
part of the engine . (See Photo 0)

PHOTO 0

The timing should be set so that the breaker points separate when inspection hole "F" lines up with the
timing mark on the c rankcase . T he timing buzzer will change tone when the points separate. It may be
necessary to illuminate the timing mark on the crankcase by shining a flash light on it from carburetor
side of the engine , directing the light towards the back side of the cooling fan . Inspection hole "F" is
the stationary timing mark (100 BTDC) and hole "T" indicates top dead center. The timing is auto-
matically advanced to 250 BTDC at about 1800 RP.:\1. (See Photo P)

PHOTO P

13
 The igni tion timi ng can usually be adjusted by a slight c hange in
the point gap which can be adjusted by removing the recoil
starter pulley a nd the inspection cove r . (See Photo Q)

The breaker point gap should be between 0.012 and 0.016 inch
(0 .3 and 0.4 mm). If the timing adjustment cannot be made
within these point adjustment limits , it will be necessary to
remove the flywhee l and either replace the breaker point assem-
bly or c hange the position of the magneto base by loosening
screws G and H. (See Photo R)

PHOTO Q

Inspect the breaker points for corros ion or pitting and replace
the points if necessary. Re place the condenser if pitting is
e vident. Aerosol s pray breaker point c leaner is very effective
to re move grease and dust particles from the breaker points.
Don't overuse the s pray howeve r , because it can remove the
lubricant from the contact breake r cam .

PHOTO R

IGNITION TROUBLESHOOTING

If the engine fails to produce spark or if the engine misfires , check according to the following sequence:

1. Make sure the ignition switch is on and that the black wire leading from the engine is not grounded
to the frame .

2. Check with a ti ming buzzer to determine that the timing is correct and that the points are actually
making contact when c losed and are not grounded when open. Clean the breaker point surfaces or
replace the breaker points if necessary.

3. Inspect for broke n or grounded wires .

4. Replace the ignition coil a nd othe r components until the faulty component is found. Technicians
e xperienced with e lectrical test equipment may prefer electronic testing, however, due to the
s implic ity of this system, the elimination process is often most efficient.

14
 section 6

RECOIL STARTER REPAIR

This engine is equipped with a manual rewind rope

spool to be used in emergency in case of recoil
starter failure. Remove the recoil starter assem-
bly from the engine and take out the waterproof-
ing plate. (See PhotoS)

PHOTOS

DISASSEMBLY
1. Release the preload on the recoil starter
spring. This is done by positioning the rope in
the notch located in the recoil reel and rotating
the reel assembly counterclockwise. Rotate the
recoil reel a sufficient number of turns so that
slack remains in the rope when it is released.

2. Remove the center mounting nut and lift out the

internal components. Carefully observe the
location and relative position of each part,
especially the positioning of the small return CENTER
spring. (See Photo T) MOUNTING~. _ ~
Lift out the coupling reel carefully so that the
main recoil spring is not pulled out with it.
~·~I
The main spring should not be removed from
the outer coupling case unless it is necessary
to clean or replace it.

3. If the main recoil spring must be removed, lift

it out carefully so that injury does not occur
from sudden uncoiling.

PHOTO T
-!. Thoroughly wash all components and lubricate
them with petroleum jelly or lightgrease. Free
movement of the recoil mechanism depends
upon generous lubrication between the coils of
the main recoil spring.

15
 REASSEMBLY

l. With some trial and e rror experience , it is possi ble to wind the main recoil spring directly into the
outer case , howeve r, we recommend using an adjustable hose clamp adjusted to a diameter of 4-1/4
inches . The spring can be wound into the hose clamp starting with the outer coil first, pressing the
inne r coils into position one by one . The coil s pr ing can the n be transfer red to the hose clamp fro m the
outer case as illustrated . Note the winding di rection of the spring in the photographs so that it is not
accidentally installed upside down. (See Photo U) 1 2 3 4

1. 2. 3. 4.
P HOTO U

2. Slip the recoil r eel over the recoil spt'i ng so that the center hub of the recoil reel engages wi th the
center of the spring . (See Photo V)

P HOTO V

16
() PHOTO W r

3. Install the washers, engagement pawls, and springs.

Carefully position the small return spring with its
end protruding through the retainer cover. Rotate
the retainer cover one-third turn clockwise to slightly
prelo~d the return spring, insuring that the pawls do
not extend when the engine is running . (See Photo W)

4. Install the center mounting washer and nut.

5. Position the rope in the notch in the recoil reel and

rotate th.e recoil reel counterclockwise to tension the
main recoil spring. The proper tension is obtained
by rotating the recoil reel two additional turns
counterclockwise after the slack is taken out of the
rope.

6. Pull on the rope to check the operation of the assem-

bl y, especi ally that the pawls extend and retract
properly. (See Photo X)

PHOTO X

End Piece

Pressure
Recoil Spring
Ree l
Recoi l
Spring
Re coil
Case

17
 sect ion 7

I.S.O. METRIC INFORMATION

INFORMATION ON STANDARD HARDWARE ITEMS

K.A WASAKI has accepted the ISO (International Standardization Organization) RECOMM END:\ TIONS on
screw threads of bolts and nuts. Pay special attention when replacing threaded nuts, bolts and screws
since some ISO pllrts llre not intPr~hangPllble with old-type threaded parts you may have in stock.

Standard nuts, bolts, screws and washers are called Standard Hardware Items. Standard Hardware Items
are interchangeable on all models of Kawasaki engines . Parts numbers of Standard Hardware Items are
descriptive of the item.

Size

IA
__
110 G 0856

~T
_ Indicates ISO Threads

L - - - - - - - - - - - - Diameter and Length

( 8 x 56 mm Bolt ) ISO )

L-------------- Type of Material or Surface Treatment

. _ _ - - - - - - - - - - - Hardware Identification Code

EXA:IIPI rs
310B 0800A 8 mm Nut ISO
171H 0820 8 x 20 mm Stud
410B 1000 10 mm Washer
211B 0616 6 x 16 mm Screw

18
 HARDWARE ITEM IDENTIFICATION CODE

1111 o:>tand:l!'d pitch !Jolt

ti:J Fine pitch small head bolt

11-± F ine pitd1 bnlt

170 Stancl:ll'll pitch stud (Fvr steel and stee l t· a~ting)

171 Standard pitch stud (Fut· cast irun and L'U)JJH'l' allu1)

1 7'.!. Standard pitch sturl (For light alloy)

17:3 Fine pitch stud (For steel and steel casting)

17.+ E'ine pitch simi (Fot cast iron and coppe r alloy)

175 Fine pitch -;tud (F111' light alloy)

210 Standal'd pitt'l1 flat head '3<' re\1

211 Standard pitch round head screw

212 Standanl pitch countersunk flat head screw - Straigh t Sl o t

213 Standard pitch C\Juntenal!1k I'OLmd ht.!ad screw - Stt·aight Sl ot

220 Standard pitch pan head sc-rew

'.!.21 Stanrl;.ll'd pitch cman tcrsunk flat. head screw - Cross Slot

222 Standard pitch cuunt<>rsunk round head sc1·ew -Cross '3lot

310 Standard pitch nut - Countersink One Side

:lll Standard pikh nut - Countersink Both Sides

:112 Standard pitch thin nut

~ll3 Fine pitch 11Ltl - Countersink One Si de

:31·-1 Fine pitch nul -Countersink Doth Sides

315 Fine pil<.:h thin nllt

II 0 Standard \\:lsher

Ill Large outside diameter washct·

lliO Sbndard spring \\ashel'

l(il Large outside diameter, thicl< spring- washe•

THREAD PITCHES
JJTh l ENSIONS GIVEN I N 1\ITLLTl\IE TERS

Bolt Diamete r 03 04 05 06 OR 10 1~ 1-+ 111 ll:l 20

Standard 0.5 0. 7 0. 8 1.0 1. 25 1.5 1. 75 2. 0 ~. 0 ']

- . ;J
r..
2 . :i

F ine 1.0 1. 2:) l . 25 l. S I.5 l . .J 1. 5

19
 METRIC EQUIVALENTS

One inch is approximatcl) ~qual to '?5 mm, ::!:1 . 4 mm tu be mn1·c exact .

One millimeter is approximately equa l to O. tHU inch . 0 . 0:3fl4 inch t.o be more exact.

T o Change:

Inches to millimeters (111111), mu ltiply inches b~ :?5 . L

l\Iillimeters to inches, multipl) millimct\.;r::; b_y u. u:w.1.

20
Kawasaki Motors Corp . 5100 EDINA INDUSTRIAL BLVD. MINNfAPOLIS MINNESOTA 5.5 4 35

LITHO IN U .S A