Katalysator Kawasaki ZR 550 Zephyr

K, should I take the katalysator off my bike, or not?>?????
Oh btw, my lower gausket is leeking, kinnda, so...i think maybe it's because of the katalysator.....btw, bike is from year 95.
-Any sugestions?????

 

Welcome Duca, you have an interesting question. I'm not familiar with the bike your working on but I'll give it a shot. Two questions come to mind.
1. Which lower gasket are you referring to? Is there a leak from the motor or the exhaust itself? A picture would be a great start.
2. Where along the system is the leak located? Toward the down pipes, the muffler...? Details to help guide us to a good corrective action are lacking.
Another point of issue is that in some designs, the back pressure created by the catalytic converter is vital to the fuel systems correct functioning. I would not be too quick to yank the cat until you have determined the leak is definitively from the cat body.
Looking forward to hearing back from you. Cheers.

 

Thx 4 the welcome lol
I talked with others riders here, in Serbia, about my problem, and they told me that i need to cut that off, because that is makeing the problem, and it's torturing my bike





Can u help a girl-rider lol

 

Ok Duca, nice bike by the way.
The area you have indicated is the location of the head gasket, where the cylinder head mates up with the piston cylinders. This location leaking would indicate the need for a new head gasket. Removal of the catalytic will not stop this leak. It is my opinion that it would not cause this leak either except unless the catalytic element inside of the exhaust housing has majorly blocked the exhaust outlet, raising cylinder temperatures and warping the head. This can happen if the exhaust system has been subject to extreme impact or water has been introduced into the combustion stream. Water will cause the catalytic material to overheat and literally melt down, causing destruction of the element.
Looking at your picture, I see a 4-into-1 exhaust system but no evidence of a catalytic. However, owing to my lack of knowledge of your particular bike, there might be one secreted just behind the collector (I doubt this however).
My suggestion to you would be to retorque the head gasket and if that does not clear up the problem, replace it. Be sure to have the true of your head checked at the same time for warp.
Your chums have a point about removing the catalytic but I will stress that the system is built with things in place to work in harmony for both the engine and the environment. If the cat is bad (verify before you hack it out, have the exhaust analyzed with a gas analyzer).
A quick peak at BikeBandit.com does not show your model as being a 95 here but a 91. The cost of the exhaust leads me to suspect there is a catalytic converter onboard ($900USD for the assembly). If the cat on your bike is bad, cut the exhaust in half just before the exhaust (at or around the welded seam) and, using a long tool of your choice, remove the catalytic element. Wear an appropriate respirator as the dust is toxic! Once this removal is achieved, prepair to rejet your carburetors, they will lean out as a result of the loss of backpressure.
I hope this provides you with some information on your machine. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. Best of luck.