Does anyone have a source for a front brake master cylinder or a rebuild kit for a '85 LTD? I've tried one from Eb.. but the reservoir is too small and sits at too much of an angle to work properly. Maybe a master cylinder from another model?

 

Buy the parts from Kawasaki. Unless the master cylinder is corroded inside the bore, you should be able to do the job. link to Partzilla You may pay a bit more, but it is probably worth it. But check your master cylinder bore first to see if it is clean and smooth inside.

If you can't rebuild it this ebay part should do the job, click here and don't be confused by their main photo, the one is a mirror image of the other so it looks like a hydraulic clutch master cylinder, it's not. Shouldn't even be there. The brake setups were the same for almost all 700 and above LTDs, double disc so the calipers were pretty much the same and the same size master cylinder was used on all of them. I've done enough messing around with brakes, plus I was selling bikes back in the 80s, so I do have some knowledge on the topic.

 

The parts are no longer available from Kawasaki or the other parts suppliers (Partzilla,etc.). The link you posted is for a master cylinder that I already purchased and it does not work. The master cylinder is mounted on an angle because of the high handlebars and the fluid doesn't cover the inlet hole in the reservoir on the unit I purchased from Ebay. Still looking for a solution.

 

If you are willing to pay, do a remote reservoir unit. The good ones from Brembo will run you around $300 or so, some cheap Chinese ones will be under $50, the lever can be mounted at whatever angle as long as the reservoir is higher and level, which would be no problem. As for the Kaw parts, seems the piston assembly was used in the following bikes: If a new one can't be had, seems a good used master cylinder could be to swap out the parts. I googled BRAKE PISTON 43020-1079 and found that piston is definitely available. Of course it does require the bore in the master cylinder to be good.

I did the master cylinder for a 1982 Honda MB5 getting the parts, instead of a whole unit. I also did a Honda master cylinder from my 83 Wing that only operated one caliper in the linked brake setup to work with the 500 Interceptor caliper I mounted on my SR500. Worked great, which I expected, master cylinder to control a single caliper not mattering the source of the parts. That also just made me think of another possible fix. You could go with the master cylinder from a Honda Shadow or Magna that has the dual disc. They had an angled master cylinder to fit the high bars.

I hope this helps. I like the idea of keeping older bikes going. Part of the reason I started doing cam chain tensioners years ago, to keep bikes like yours going. I like stuff like this.

Here was the list of bikes using the same piston setup as the 1985 KZ. I would like to know how things work out with this. This Kawasaki 43020-1079 BRAKE PISTON fits the following models and components:

Aftermarket Parts Brake Master Cylinder

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1985 GPz 750 - ZX750-A3 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1985 GPz 750 Turbo - ZX750-E2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1984 LTD Shaft - ZN1100-B1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1985 LTD Shaft - ZN1100-B2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1985 LTD - VN700-A1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1985 Voyager - ZN1300-A3 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1986 Voyager - ZN1300-A4 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1984 GPz - ZX550-A1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 Voyager - ZN1300-A1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 GPz - ZX1100-A1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1982 Spectre - KZ750-N1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1988 Vulcan 750 - VN750-A4 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1986 Vulcan 750 - VN750-A2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1984 KZ700-A1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1985 GPz - ZX550-A2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 Eddie Lawson Replica - KZ1000-R2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 GPz 750 - ZX750-A1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 LTD Shaft - KZ1100-L1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1987 Vulcan 750 - VN750-A3 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 Spectre - KZ750-N2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1982 GPz - KZ550-H1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 KZ750-L3 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 GPz - KZ550-H2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1982 Spectre - KZ1100-D1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1984 GPz - ZX1100-A2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 LTD Shaft - KZ750-F1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1982 GPz - KZ750-R1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1982 Eddie Lawson Replica - KZ1000-R1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1989 Vulcan 750 - VN750-A5 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1984 LTD Shaft - ZN700-A1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1984 Voyager - ZN1300-A2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1985 LTD Shaft - ZN700-A2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 Spectre - KZ1100-D2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1984 GPz 750 Turbo - ZX750-E1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1984 GPz 750 - ZX750-A2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1986 GPz - ZX550-A3 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1983 KZ1000-J3 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER (KZ1000-J3) (CANAD

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1982 KZ1000-J2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER (KZ1000-J3) (CANAD

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1981 KZ1000-J1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER (KZ1000-J3) (CANAD

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1982 GPz - KZ1100-B2 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER (KZ1100-B2)

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1981 GPz - KZ1100-B1 FRONT MASTER CYLINDER (KZ1100-B2)

Kawasaki Motorcycle 1990 Vulcan 750 - VN750-A6 Front Master Cylinder(VN750-A6)