Seca650 No spark

Both of these are for Maxims, but your forks are similar.

HOW TO: Change your fork seals

XJ650 fork seals change

 

What did you change to?

 

I found some at a motorcycle yard from another old Yamaha but not sure what kind of bike. I notice they had rubber around the edge of the mirrors.

 

Thanks! Couple of questions. I came across this video where the gentleman does the procedure without ever taking the forks off the bike. Is it possible to do the same procedure on my bike?


Secondly, I'm considering putting on a fork brace that goes right above the fender. I know it can't hurt but is this a waste of time or worth putting on? If it's worth putting on could someone direct me to a brand that fits the Seca 650? thanks again.

 

I would not reccomend changing fork seals with the forks on the bike. You can use the lower triple clamps as a vice to aid in some parts of the work, but I find that most of the job is easier with the forks removed.

The front fender has a built-in fork brace.

 

I'm getting the Mexican jumpin bean effect on my speedo. I replaced and lubed the speedo cable and it still happens. Any simple fixes before I feel I have to take apart the cluster?

 

Not too sure how far you can brake down a cluster? Looking forward to answers...

 

With that cluster you should be able to carefully dismantle it and lube the internals of the speedometer itself. Be very careful with the delicate parts inside there and use something to direct the lube to the exact spot you need it and not have it get all over other parts that it may discolor or otherwise degrade such as the gauge face, etc

 

Turns out all I had to do was put some chain lube right where the cable goes in. I actually sprayed a little carb cleaner, waited a few minutes, then put chain lube in there and it works like a charm now.

Would anybody have the torque specs for a couple things: fork clamp bolts both upper and lower, bolts holding the brake rotor, pinch bolt, damper bolt at bottom of the fork. Thanks

 

front axle pinch bolt 14.5 ft lbs brake disc and hub 14.5 ft lbs, fork clamp pinch bolt 14.5 ft lbs

 

What would you recommend if you have a flat tire but can't find the hole. I've tried to locate it on the sides and all around but there's no obvious hole that I can find. Should I start with a sealant or should I immediately take it to a pro and get it patched? I'm trying to avoid a new tire but if I have to, I have to.

 

immerse it in water and look for the bubbles.

 

did you just look ?

soapy water spray. fill tire with air look for bubbles.

could be dirty rim leak

 

So, I filled up the tire to the required 42psi so that there is pressure in there for bubbles to form. I sprayed Windex all over the tire and I couldn't find a single bubble. I then went for a ride of about 25 miles. I came back and checked the pressure: still at 42psi. Hmmmmmmmm.

 

On a different note does anybody have a way of adjusting the rear shocks without using the special tool. I'm a lighter guy, 160lbs, and right now it's on the middle setting or "C" setting and I want to experiment a little bit.

 

check valve stem
cold read and hot read are going to be different

 

Might just be a sticky schrader valve. Keep an eye on it. As XJ550H said, cold and hot will be different.

 

Adjusting the preload collar? A hardened steel rod of the correct diameter (you might find a phillips screwdriver that fits, just grind the tip off so it's square, and chamfer the cut end with a file). Stick it in the hole and turn.
OEM toolkits are usually all over Ebay for cheap.

 

I ended up using a vice grip on the rear shocks and it worked brilliantly. Onward.

Next major job is replacing the swing arm pivot bearings. I can't seem to find many tutorials or pics of the bearings, collars, seals, ect. Can anyone direct me to a starting point on how to do this job? Thanks.

 

Thanks. I was actually looking for real pics or someone actually doing the procedure with pics.

 

Haynes, Clymer and Yamaha have excellent service manuals.
It's rare for anything covered there to be written up here.

 

Which one would you recommend and can I get it online?

 

All three, but the Yamaha or the Haynes at a minimum (all three compliment each-other, and all three have errors). I think Haynes and Clymer both sell their online now, and AFIK the only way to get a new copy of the Yamaha manual is online (otherwise you'll have to look on Ebay for a used one).

 

I might have really stepped in it. I accidentally overtightened the right side pivot shaft and after loosening it back the final drive now makes a knocking sound.

I was going through the manuals and I wanted to learn a little bit about the pivot shafts. I had noticed that the torque spec for the pivot shaft on the right side was 43-52 INCH POUNDS. I had mistaken that for FOOT POUNDS and I started to tighten it accordingly. I noticed that the pivot shaft was not really getting any tighter and it kept on screwing into the hole leaving almost no threads for the lock nut. I was a little confused but I left enough threads for the lock nut to bite into and tightened it down. Later on that day I put the bike in neutral and noticed it would not move. I put it up on the center stand and put it into first gear and the wheel still did not turn. Realizing I made a mistake I loosened the pivot shaft back out to where it was originally and locked it down. Now the wheel turns when it's in first but there is now a knocking going on. What mess did I get myself into?

 

You might have bent the swingarm enough for it to contact the u-joint.
Dissasemble and inspect.

 

One other piece of information that I left out was that I did at one point take the entire pivot shaft out of the hole. When I did this the whole unit moved about a half inch. After thinking about this is it possible that something went out of alignment?

 

Disassemble and inspect.
I'm also concerned about the integrity of the bearings and threads.

 

Do you know of any tutorials. The manuals aren't that great for this procedure.

 

All of the manuals cover removal of the swingarm more than sufficiently.
Start by removing the rear wheel, then the driveshaft, then the shocks, then the swingarm pivot pins, then the swingarm. Each of those steps is covered.

 

Perhaps, but it looks like you need some sort of special tool or pulley to take the middle drive out so that the swing arm can actually be taken off and it seems a tad complicated for a novice mechanic but I will do my best.

 

The middle drive gear is in the engine cases, and only needs to be removed when the engine is being disassembled. The final drive unbolts from the swingarm, then you pull the driveshaft out by hand. The U-joint stays in place.

 

LOL. See what I mean, I don't even know the correct terms. What's the U-joint? Oh, and why did Yamaha make the pivot shafts different on either side. One has a lock nut and the other looks like a complete bolt. Why the difference?

 

sans manual partzilla is your friend

www.partzilla.com shows exploded views and part names
https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/yamaha/motorcycle/1982/xj650rj/drive-shaft

 

The side with the locking nut sets the bearing preload (a requirement for roller bearings so they run correctly).

 

Okay, how do you set the bearing preload?

 

When you torque the pivot shaft to the correct value and then tighten the lock nut.

I don't think you would've done any damage to the swing arm by over tightening it, the bearings are pressed in until they stop on both sides and it is solid metal across from one bearing to the other side. I think the frame would have spread apart when over tightened. Not sure it would've been permanently bent but you'd have to remove the swing arm and inspect to be sure.

To add onto k-moe description, one side is fixed and the other is adjustable so you can tighten the arm to spec. Think of it like tightening a short piece of a dowel into a c-clamp, you only need to tighten it from one side until you get the desired result. Too loose and the dowel would be loose, too tight and it would get deformed. Having a c-clamp with a screw on both sides wouldn't be very useful in this application.

 

Thanks everybody. Sorry to ask such ignorant questions. I sincerely appreciate the help.

 

if you don't ask you don't learn.

 

Ooooookay. I figured it out. This bearing pre-load thing proves to be very important. I was getting a little bit of a wheel wobble because the right side pivot nut was not torqued enough in the past. So I torqued the right side pivot shaft to where I THOUGHT it should be then tightened the lock nut. Then I went to the left side and torqued that down to the required torque spec. Still wobbled. So I loosened the left side and went back to the right side, undid the lock nut and torqued the pivot shaft a little deeper and locked it down. I went back to the left side and tightened that bolt to the required spec and boom, no wobble. Also, the knocking went away so I will not worry about that anymore.

Now the bad news:

While inspecting the left side the spring that sits inside the oil seal somehow became dislodged and I had to fish it out. How important is this seal? I just went for a ride and I don't see any visible oil leaks YET. But for all I know the oil could be going into a place that's not good.

 

Thanks for your help. That's exactly what I did.

 

the spring helps keep shape of seal and locked in place.

you should plan on replacing it it keeps grease in and dirt and contaminates out

 

Is there a way to rewired the turn signal lights so that they stay on all the time. I nearly got sideswiped off the road last night and I want to increase my visibility.

 

Marker lights won't solve that problem. They don't give enough surface area to be seen as a threat by our lizard brain.
Apply retroreflective tape to your helmet.

 

I have been wearing a fluorescent green sweat shirt over my jacket this summer cars stay way back of me and approaching traffic moves off the center line. no one has cut me off this year pulling out of side streets or gas stations. so bright i thought my ignition switch was back lit for a moment.

 

Why does my right rear view mirror get buzzy and my left one doesn't? This mainly happens at speeds over 60mph and usually when I'm accelerating.

 

check to see if it is tight in the perch and that everything else is tight including bar clamp. some of the bars have a damper inside of them could be loose.
bar can be filled up with a butylene rubber caulk compound

 

Could anybody tell me why gear oil is leaking out of the shaft drive?

 

Bad seal

 

Yes looks like that needs to be taken apart, replaced or cleaned. Hate to say it but it could be lose, I would hate to see that be lose, check them bolts out for proper tightness.