Kawi2strokes.com Forum

I'm working on a early 69 H1 and it has the low ignition cover. Did it take a different dist. cap and rotor? I know the plug wires are different but anything else?
I may just change to the later cover to make it easier and safer. The rotor cap and wires I have are from the later replacement cover and not sure if the will work.

Check the service bulletins.

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Answers are here: http://kawatriple.com/

The only reason the cover was changed was that if the carb(s) over flowed, and put fuel down into the oil pump/distributor cavity, fumes/fuel liquid could literally explode the cover and cap right off the side of the engine. If you look at the high covers, they have a considerably larger rubber insert drip vent on the bottom of the cover for liquid/vapor fuels to pass out of the distributor cavity.

The factory changed the cover design right at engine number 8801 and later.

First design rotors were retained on the shafts with a screw to hold them in place on the shaft. the change over went form them, at E# 8801, to a "QD 28mm rotor", QD, Quick Detach, that literally pushed onto the shaft, not set screw. If memory serves, these rotors were red. The last series was done sometime in the 1970 run, and the shaft was changed to hold a 31mm QD Green color rotor.

The first to second series rotor change was a FDM (Factory Directed Modification), as outlined on mraxl's pages. ALL shafts interchange, all fit the same covers/bearings/gears.

The factory service manual way to remove the first series rotor, was to remove the clutch cover,and remove the gear from the shaft, then the shaft from the cover, screw, rotor. PITA. We just whacked them with a hammer, breaking the old rotor, removing the screw from the shaft, without removing the clutch cover, and pushing the 28mm QD rotor onto the first series shafts, saved about a half hour of insanity on not having to pull the clutch cover.

You have the early shaft, hence the applicable rotor is the less expensive -003 version.

The insulator dish behind the rotor will likely have a smaller id hole than the later H1/H1A.

All distributor caps are compatible.

BTW, When fitting the cap be sure to install BOTH proper gaskets. Not doing so can result in the rotor damaging the terminals in the cap during operation.
J

Looney, How can you tell early or late distributor shaft by looking? I have to buy a rotor for the used shaft you see in the pic, which I installed in my project H1.

Thanks,
Rich 1970 H1

The shaft you have is an early one. The rotor part number will end with -003. The good thing is these are usually a good price vs the -002 used with the later shaft.

The later shaft is easily identified as it has a large shoulder with a circlip mounted on it. As such the mating rotor has a circlip groove within its bore.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/120966496995?nav=SEARCH

J

Thank you sir, very much appreciated. Ill make sure to set the 2 gaskets and the insulator too.
Rich

The low covers use a different rubber grommet for the spark plug wires. You need that to fit the wires correctly to the cover you have. Also, now is a good time to replace all 4 plug wires with new. Replace the set screws in the cap if they are wasted. Use solid core copper wire and caps with no resistor. Have fun!