81 xj550 project

This weekend I painted all of the remaining parts like forks and triple tree.

And with the long weekend coming up and having all parts ready for assembly by then, I have a question:
How do you guys put the engine back into the frame? Is there an easy way to do it? It's quite heavy and having a new paint job does not leave much room for errors. And I may not have an extra pair of hands to help lifting.
I have seen things like having the engine on its side and just slide in the frame from atop.
Or just slide the engine back in from the side, masking off the frame to save the paint job? Also, wheels on or off?

 

Put the engine on its side on some towels to prevent scratching. Then you can easily maneuver the bare frame into place and tilt it back upright. Also makes it easier to leave the oil filter off until it's in the frame.

 

Oil Filter HAS to stay off til its in the frame. It won't fit, otherwise. I put the engine up on a stool/block/stand/etc..... so it's the same height as the frame and carefully inch it in.

There was a thread a couple years ago by a fellow who made a cradle that bolts to the manifold boot bolt holes. He can swing the engine right in without even touching the frame with that.

Good luck finding that forum.....maybe someone else remembers it and dredge it up.

Your carbs are almost done!

Dave Fox

 

Thanks. Just need to set myself a reminder now to put the air box in before the engine. Weird design. I am sure I will totally forget about it though and kick myself the rest of the day.

Great news Dave, thanks.

 

.... And you can join the rest if us who have pulled an engine back out just to put the airbox in first

 

yay, frame is back.

 

right on dude... I'm rebuilding my 81 550 right meow too.. question for ya.. did you completely reasemble the engine to paint it? I'm looking to go flat black with a few brown parts. I've been researching this morning on different ways to go about it, but this looks like it would be much easier. It will be a week or two until I am ready, right now, i have a split case on my workbench, taking measurements and ordering new parts. How did you go about this? and did you use high temp auto paint? do tell, i'd much appreciate.. can't wait to see it when it's done!

 

I did not disassemble the engine. i just masked everything off after i cleaned it for half a day and spray painted it. first primer followed by a few coats of gloss black.
i used high temp paint (and primer)
in case i keep the bike after i am done, i will rebuild the engine in winter.
if i ever get there (still have the bike that is), i would probably look into having it ceramic powder coated. i once had that done to an exhaust system. looked nice and held up well.

 

Tank also came back. Needs a little bit of bondo now, there are two small dings in there.
Still deciding whether to paint myself or have it done. Considering the money I already put into it, a few hundred of bucks won't make a difference now, and I will get a nicer product. I still need to close the cutout (neck) on top, but most likely will ask a professional to weld it. I could do fiber glass at best but it is not a clean solution and I am not sure how that would go when the bike sits in the sun with metal expanding (I assume that's what it does)

 

Grrr, ran into an issue installing the tapered steering bearings (posted in the tech section) and have to get myself a replacement set now. No work on bike this long weekend I guess unless bike shops in my area have them. Let's just hope I get the air filter for my MV today so I can put at least one bike back together and go riding.

 

Tank and headlight bucket were dropped off for paint job today. Back end of June.

 

So i decided to start assembly and begin in the back. Lots of polishing nuts etc, slow process. But before i stopped, I decided to throw the rear wheel on real quick. And I liked what I saw even in crap lighting.


Got a question about the top rear shock mount: do people cut them short? The shock sits perfectly but that thingie that is sticking out is too long and the head nut (or whatever it is called) does not go in all the way. Pic below of what I mean...
Sorry about the dark pic.

 

Please don't suggest that you are going to coat an air cooled engine with an insulator.

As for the shock, don't cut the bolt. Instead make a spacer if the eyelet of your new shock is narrower in width than the original. Measure the old, measure the new, and cut a spacer to make up the difference. You may need two spacers to get the shock eye centered above the lower shock mount. You don't want it cockeyed top to bottom or it will tend to bind and wear out the eyelets.

 

Excellent point. Thanks for clarifying and for catching that it sounded like a suggestion.
Me looking into something means i am doing research and I most likely would have come across that fact and given up that idea.

 

Nice project, here! Love it so far.

 

Thanks Moe. the shocks have the same dimensions as the old ones. But with a bike that old, they were probably replaced at some point.
With the nut completely on, I still have a gap of about 8mm. I'll put a spacer on for now but will address it again later I think.

 

The shocks in the first picture you posted are the factory original shocks. Are you using the factory spacer that is in this photo?



That spacer is used when the grabrail or luggage rack is not installed.

 

Ah, i see. Good to know about the grab rail, that totally explains it. Thanks.
There were no spacers. Only two washers bouncing around losely. The shocks I have now are same width etc.
I think I still have some spacers from my Honda phantom and her luggage rails. I should be able to use them. If not, I will measure and buy.
Just finished for tonight, bike is now a rolling frame, pics tomorrow in daylight.

 

Missing steering bearings and my forks are messed up. Order for both in place. For the rear shock spacer I just used a bolt, looks and works well.
Here some pics, looking nice so far..





Realized I forgot to take center stand for powder coating but a good cleanup should do the trick.

 

Next weekend, the engine will go back in I hope. Need to measure shim gaps today and order. Didn't have small enough feeler increments but first check with .10 revealed that all are super tight.