What did you do to your Yamaha today?

Tested the above 650 seca work - all fine - the headlight worked, probably first time in 10 years, solenoid clicked, turned the engine over. Looking for a seca headlight in the uk, if anyone has one. Also looking for an original seat strap and chrome bits - might need to import those from the States - eek.
The whole lot will come out of the frame once I'm happy, but I have to take if for a spin first.

 

it is my understanding all the 650s in uk are of the seca type with the 8 inch head light. except the maxims

 

You're correct. The maxim was only ever an import from the US, or, like mine, from Japan. The seca I have was a UK bike - no headlight relay, no side stand switch, just a neutral/clutch in relay.
Plans for the seca are to get it running and riding, then a strip down to weld and paint the frame, rebuild with everything original.

 

Someone who lives nearby had a 750 caliper on there's 550 and had messed up the Allen head bolt. So I swapped him a 550 caliper for the 750 caliper. Then I tried to remove the bolt . The caliper had been painted with silver paint ugly. So I removed the paint around the bolt in the other rim that sticks out of the caliper. Cleaned all the paint off treated it with some Kroil for a couple of days. Still no luck did the freeze spray on the bolt make sure it was free, shrink it down a little bit to break it loose more kroil. First I tried driving the Allen socket in a little deeper it just made the whole thing worse. My next step was to take a torx star socket number 45 drive it into the Allen bolt put the breaker bar on and after little grunting and groaning it finally broke free. This is a suggestion I have heard to do several times from k moe and it works very well. So thank you for the tip. I now have an extra 750 caliber. caliber I like that caliper. Got to like this talk to speech stuff.
I also got a 550 petcock out of the trade next is to rebuild that. It looks like somebody tried to seal it with glue around the edges WTF

 

Spent the last two days rebuilding carbs. Only got two done so far. Got the complete kit from Len of Course and it was worth it so far because what a mess. One has a float pillar broken and JB Welded together, the other had a mangled drain screw that actually broke my extractor. All of the floats were set to around 13mm instead of 17+/- The main plunger needles are marked Y-262 no idea where those even came from unless that is normal but aren't they supposed to be Y-10 or some such? Taking my time trying to be sure its all correct, but geez. Super looking forward to the other two.....

 

Started to disassemble the SecaRat.
Wow.. never had to cut so many tiewraps

 

Yesterday, reassembled the cleaned and rebuilt brake calipers, remounted and added the new brake lines. Maybe later today I'll start on the master cylinder.

 

Replaced the main O-ring on the spin-on oil filter conversion kit I got from Len several years back, after it started leaking. Of course Len had the O-ring.
Finished setting float/fuel levels after last year's carb rebuild. I thought I had them close, but they weren't.
Balanced the carbs with the Carbtune and the YICS tool, and adjusted mixture with the Colortune plug. Bought most of that years ago from Len, and haven't regretted it.
Now they're spot-on, and the bike starts instantly at the push of the button.
The only remaining issue I'm having is it wants to idle high when hot. I know that's typically an intake leak somewhere (intake boots, vacuum caps, throttle shaft seals, etc.) but I've exorcised all those demons in recent years.
Oddly, when I filled up with fresh gas yesterday -- and it was a 20-degree warmer day than the day before -- the idle didn't remain as high on my drive home.

 

check your clamps.
when hot set idle see if the issue goes away.

cold air is denser . more o2 content and expands more when burned

 

Found a NOS air filter for my 85 xj700n been looking for about two years didnt want to pay 60 to 100 buck for one . So waited check ebay ever few day and a few other sites. Listing ebay 36.00 or make offer offered 30.00 20 mins late offer accepted bought right there .Been cleaning the old one date on it 6/22/ 1991. so 20 year old filter. Didnt want to go to K&N filter or pods and have to maybe change jets.

 

Yeah, I'm with you... the problem is the idle screw is already backed out all the way, to the point that the throttle cable cam isn't even touching it.

 

sounds like the throttle cable is not adjusted properly maybe needs lube and check the routing of the cable

 

This—

 

Snowing in the morning… Mowing in the afternoon

Got to love Central New York weather!!!

 

Brrr, we had almost 90 here yesterday...strange for this time of yr.

 

ya ya ya my weather was like daves without the snow

 

Wrestled a new rear tire on. Tomorrow will get it balanced.

 

Checked my break lines, 1985 oops... Ordered a master cylinder rebuild kit and the copper washers. Found the stainless steel brake lines of my previous X so next week I can change the lines.

 

Shoei Seca got his cylinders filled with acetone/atf to see if the motor comes loose. It moves just a little, not locked solid. Fairing is off for evaluation. Carbs are off for a trip to church. The last registration sticker is from 1989.

 

Don’t muscle too much.....a stuck-open valve could give you trouble too

 

Got the rear wheel with new tire back on the bike. When I removed the old tire from the rim I noticed the rotation arrow was pointing the wrong way. Nice job to whoever mounted the old tire!

 

Finally got the carbs back on the bike and proceeded to run out a tank and a half of fuel. Cylinder #4 still doesn’t fire until warm it seems. Some vibrations at speed. Feels like holding a palm sander. Other than that it got a bit of a clean up and some needed miles.

 

The head is off, valves are visually "okay" for now, all closed with the cams out. Stuck problem is piston #3 must have had the exhaust valve open all those years of sitting and acquired enough moisture to rust stuck. Now sitting with Evap O Rust on it and will proceed to PB Blaster or Kroil if not more successful. Many moving parts are now 1 piece, brake bits for instance.

 

Evap O Rust converts rust i dont think it removes it.
acetone and atf will work mix it at 50/50 and let it soak may take a few applications but it does work

 

Acetone/ATF did next to nothing after several days soak. EOR helped more this time. I think the biggest influence was PB Blaster down the stud holes surrounding cylinder 3, they were well stuck too. Anyway the jugs are off now.

 

Have a new Yamaha and installed my 650seca mirror on it

 

I know it's a cooler, but if you look at the last picture real quickly, it looks like you have a boat engine on the back of the cart.....just in case

 

Trying to drill out a intake boot bolt. Yes swapping engine and noticed the boot was really in bad shape. I need to get some good high speed drill pits. Welding a bolt to it did not work, just broke it off further in the hole. Fun and games.

 

ahhhhhhh jeez, that's the worst. Best of luck with it!!

 

Took the seca for a spin to check the speedo works - it didn't so I removed the cable from the clock and rode it 200 yds - no spinning, so I need to sort the gearbox at the wheel - it was in the box of bits, so maybe it's bogaad.
Took the 650 maxim out for a spin around the countryside, got home cold with white fingers, nice though. The maxim with flat bars is a good ride on loose surface, loads of feedback when the rear spins up. Did some practice stops, it really does pull up well with the smaller front m/cylinder and Avon tyres. I get some vibration from the brake pedal though, so it needs a look in there.

 

Lots of riding. Got right at 200 miles in on just about every type of road. Triad area of North Carolina up to The Blue Ridge Parkway access in Floyd Virginia and back. Very happy with the bike since this is the longest ride I’ve ever taken it on and just finished the carb rebuild a few weeks ago. Had one guy (green Kawasaki) turn around and come back to where we were taking a break because he saw the XJ. Was a good day. Today however I’m a bit stiff so it’s a rest day for me and the XJ. Maybe it will get a good clean up.

 

I’ve ridden interstates for an entire day to ride the Blue Ridge.
You’re so lucky to be so close. Cheers

 

Today is a rest day, this week the bike has been kicking my ass, as I've been trying to bleed the brakes on my 81 XJ750R. Also having trouble getting the airbox boots back onto the carbs but I know what I need to do...just too tired to do it today lol.

 

If you have a heat gun, ( hair drier, paint stripping gun) that will help make the boots more flexible. As far at the brakes go, start with the caliber farthest from the master. If it still feel like there is air in them. Pull the brake handle in secure it over night. That helps bleed it sometimes. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the tip Tim - I did end up having to shift the engine forward (not a huge deal) but used my heat gun to loosen up the boots a little like you said and it helped tremendously. Also set aside the vacuum bleeder I had and took a few turns doing it the old fashioned way. All done with the left side just habe to bleed the right now.

 

Rebuilt master cylinder and getting ready to mount it and hooked up electrical. Whichever Yamaha engineer thought it was a good idea to put the master cylinder BEHIND the headlight was trolling.

 

I like it!!!!

 

Welded the collector box and put the Maxim on its new for now home. Finally got a lift from Princess Auto( Canada's Horbor Freight) couldn't make one for the price. The rebuild/refresh starts.

 

Rebuild the master cylinder and bench tested today, mount ss brake lines tomorrow, fill/bleed system and go for a ride on Saturday!

 

next is to put the motor in it

 

It is doable but I don’t think my wife would like me cutting up her cart.

 

Fitted SS brake lines yesterday and after reading about this here I filled the lines from the bottom up. Had pressure after fiddling with the brake lever and tapping the brake lines after 10 minutes. Left it over the night with the brake lever zip tied to the handle bar. This morning the brakes felt great. After reading a lot of horror stories about bleeding the lines it was a piece of cake.

 

Yesterday pulled the carbs off my yellow Seca , two years since rebuild , been getting difficult to start with choke . The treatment with MEK was only partially successful, so pulled carbs and removed float bowls they were spotless, but two the fuel enrichment jets were rather plugged up could not spray carb cleaner through jet got them cleaned out . Reinstalled carbs and now starts right up . I had ordered new butterfly seals from Chacal they arrived for my spare set of carbs I had already took to church but I had tried the two number eleven O rings . Put new seals in so if I ever need them got a spare set .

 

if you can find it get some 3 in 1 oil warm it up or as hot as you can get it nice clean soda can works grate and pure in plug hole . I know a few old shade tree mechanic that used it to free up rings worth a shot .

 

Rode my yellow seca almost 100 miles ran flawlessly. Was great when I left got out on state line and wind kicked up was blowing me around so called it a day. Rode the Johnny Cash bike put almost 50 miles it. Good day of riding.

 

Well, I re-tuned the 700 last night after dark in my carport. Took ride to warm up bike, inserted YICs tool, color tuned, vacuum synced. This time I did use my homemade YICs tool to see if I could see a difference. As far as color tuning goes, I have a very wide range of adjustment with a blue flame. I observed the frequency of sparking and adjusted the mixture to a point where I had the most frequent firing with the fewest gaps. This seemed to be very close to where I start to see the yellow creeping in. Again the homemade mercury manometer worked perfectly and the sync required very little adjustment. Took a test ride and it seems to purr like a kitten, better than ever. Oil change today and I should be good to go for the Carb Clinic ride.

 

Wish we up here could travel I want to get to a carb clinic someday.....

 

We have had a cool spring, so have kept my fall/spring windscreen off longer than normal. Last weekend removed it as temperatures moved to the high 90's. With and without photos (not taken in the same season, so you will notice the handgrips and tires have been replaced, etc:

 

Nice machine cgutz.

 

That is a nice bike!!!