1982 XJ550 Maxim rebuild

when bike is running the main fuse is what feeds the battery when charging. the bike runs off of the charging system

 

Have you been out riding? I get improving things etc. but now that you’ve gotten through a tough long build where you almost threw in the towel a few times, go enjoy the reward.

 

The bike title was never transferred and it changes hands 3 times before I got it. I have a long paperwork road ahead and a license test to pass still. No rush to get it on the road, it is a side project.

 

Interesting with the title issues, been there done that. I hope your DMV will work with you and is not a pain the butt like Wisconsin is. If I did that, it would have to be a bonded title on the spot. No title skipping allowed. I hope you have better luck.

 

It's no big deal, I just have to pay for an indemnity bond with my insurance carrier and then get the DMV theft/casualty inspect it and write a report. Once I get that I can get a safety inspection and pay taxes on it. $$$ I also learned that you can register online with Vermont and then do a state transfer to avoid the bond. It will end up costing more but it's faster.

 

All that said, I still take it down the street and around the neighborhood. All private roads (at least for now).

 

I'd be nervous doing all that work before I had it titled! Good luck to ya on that part.

 

I already discussed everything with DMV and ran a VIN check. The title was last dated 2012 and I have the registration card, so it was already registered with NC DMV, which helps.

 

Looking at the wiring diagram I think the best place to attach the additional regulator is inline on the brown wire from the oe rectifier. I will rewire this weekend and see how it works out.

 

did you try putting a capacitor across the headlight, that might be all you need

 

Attempting to put the converter here would seem to work but a couple of issues:

One, you need to be sure where it is inserted that the brown wire that goes to the regulator is on the input side of the converter so the OE regulator is sensing true battery voltage and adjusting the AC Generator field coil to maintain the proper battery charge.

Two, the regulator is only rated for 10 amps ( if you chose the one you linked) and the brown wire is a feed to the total output of the electrical system. The brake, tail, horns, headlight, TCI, etc. will easily exceed the rated output maximum for the converter stated as 10 amps. Converting the brake / tail to LED would reduce the power considerably, but even the remaining items the rated output of the converter would still be marginal.

Did you ever link the LED headlight you bought? I was just curious if it spec'd a tolerance on the voltage range.

 

It would be inline on the brown wire circuit at the fuse bundle so it would affect the field coil since it would have a steady voltage. I will probably just move it to the headlight circuit.

The brake bulbs are LED as well now. Much better.

The LED maximum rated 12V power is 45W on high beam so it's really efficient for the lumen output. The input range is 9-12V.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078SM5FSN/

 

This looks interesting as well. 2 for the price of one, just not sure on quality. I like the DRL ring though.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WN25XK9/

 

there's been a few threads about LED headlights on here and i don't recall anyone having flicker problems, or they didn't say anything about it.
can you measure the AC ripple at the headlight

 

I'll have to look for the missing scope probes and charge the scope up.

 

Well, based on the oil color after a few very short test rides I would have to say the plates are shot and burning the oil. New ones been soaking for a couple of days. Gonna have to wait a lil longer since I can't find the spare case gasket.

 

Well so much for clutch reassembly tonight. I should have looked at these earlier. New set on the way and I repainted the cover.

 

do you run light so you have high or low on (as yamaha does)
or low on and high on when high beam switch is on? this mode may cause flicker 75 watts

i see it can be run both ways
spec of lights
Power : high beam 45W/4000 LM(Hi); low beam 30W/2800LM(Lo)

 

The headlight appears to have both on for high but it doesn't matter which way the flicker happens regardless. I have some 1F caps I'm going to test as soon as the engine is back running.

 

Finally got around to cleaning out the shop. Still have a messy bench to clean up but this is where the XJ will live. The Saab 9000 is coming into the garage soon. Looks like I'll be buy some more tools soon so I won't have to keep running between the house and shop.

 

Clutch plates are in. Will be putting the clutch back together tonight and possibly set up for a retune. New video on the shop space. Hopefully the lighting will be better.

 

dont forget to soak the parts in oil

 

the friction plates have been soaking for a couple weeks at this point

 

Unfortunately the KS clutch pack has no larger ID plate for the boss spring so it's not going together tonight. This is really getting frustrating.

 

i see a rc car on what might be a oil pan, a box of "mind blowing" somethings . what might be a broken dirt bike fender.
is that a weather station on the wall, a nice vise, a fire extinguisher, always good to have. a mc master carr box and two lonesome drips of oil.
lets get that insulation done
thanks for the tour

 

You cant see the 8' loft above. It is a packrat level 2.
The amount of car stuff, electronics, materials and tools I have squirreled away is nuts. Heh.. punny. The garage is worse.

 

ya need a nice chair or at least a five gallon bucket

 

There is a beat up old leather office chair, just out of frame. And a stool.

 

Clutch is back together. Repainted the cover as well, it was buggin me bad. I figured out why the clutch burned up. I put the stack together wrong. The boss spring was between a normal plate and a metal plate, not the larger OD plate. Noob error. It's together right now with new oil and ready for color tune and re-sync. Filter box boot on #3 was crooked and possibly leaking so that was addressed.


Gauges are mounted and I have a temp tank mounted as well for tuning. The carbs are being a pain today. Video soon once it's tuned and I take it for a ride.

 

#4 is refusing to play nice. No heat coming from it, plenty of spark and there is fuel. It runs and is sync'd but the fuel is not right. The only thing I can think of is idle circuit has dirt in it or the mix screw needs to be replaced. I am about to the point of leaving it as-is and just hoping it will clear up. I've had the carbs out twice already and the airbox boots are looking like crap now from the removal/installs. They -were- new.

 

Went to take a test ride today and now both 3 and 4 won't fire. Looks like carbs are coming back off again. I don't understand it, the wet set is good and the jets looked clean.

 

You don't have a IR temp gauge? Cheap tool to check the exhaust headers to see if the bike is running on all 4. A compression check has been done? If you have spark, fuel, air and compression you should have fire.

Cleaning those carbs the correct way is the only way to do. When I first started working on the XJ bikes, I pulled my carbs from my first project six time. Yes that thought me to bench test them before they go in the bike. This checks for leaking fuel tubes, bowls and the wet set. Put them in a vice type of device and made sure they are in the same position that they will be in the bike. Using a level helps to get them flush and plumb.

 

Believe me, I did the church clean.. 3 times now, with a level. I have video of the last wet set, sync and tune session but I've not had time to put it together. The floats still manage to randomly stick(with new quality seats and needles even). I think I may need to get a fuel filter and put it on the main line at this point. I think bits are making it from the gas tank into the carbs and stuffing the jets up after I've gotten it all set to go. I have a wide assortment of thermal measuring devices. I just use my fingertips to gauge header temp, they're dead to sensitive touch anyway from so many years of burns and getting nipped off but I can tell when the pipe is too hot or not firing at all.

 

That sounds like a good plan. Have you looked inside the tank with a good light? I can't think of one bike I have not put a filter on when I took the time to clean the carbs. I didn't want all my hard work to just be messed up by the tank rust or gum in there. Lots of good products to get rid of rust in the tank too. Get a pic of that tank for us so we can see what you have going.

 

https://www.openshot.org/

 

I own Pinnacle Studio 21 Pro, is that better?

 

i don't know about better but it's free

 

Just tried openshot. Interface is modeled after Pinnacle Studio but the preview during editing for MP4 files is not efficient enough on my gaming rig to even play back properly. Audio and video stuttering. Oh well, worth a try. Seems this project needs major help with the Windows code fork as it works with other video formats but can't handle MP4( which is the largest video standard right now! ).

 

No news. Have had no time to pull the carbs and clean them again. Wife is home from hospital so having to run the zoo. Hoping to get paint on ordee soon and shoot the covers and tank. This is what I am getting.

 

The project is up for sale for $500, local pick or arrange a shipment. PM me if interested. Carbs need to be cleaned again and it still needs paint, that's it. It has to go.

 

Well I said good bye tonight. Maybe one day I will enjoy an XJ in better shape and actually ride it.

 

Hi I’ve been reading through your posts looking for photos of the completed job BUT SO MANY POSTS! Did you finish refurbing the blue xj550?
It looked like the double of my old bike that I still pine after 30 years later. Sold it here in Scotland around 1990 when I was broke and regretted it ever since been hunting for one ever since. Would love to see a finished photo.....