What did you do to your Yamaha today?

No it's easy once you get started a big job is just a lot of small jobs one after the other.

 

Well doing the deed this evening started disassembly. Got clutch off , left side cover down to pulling alternator rotor , took a break for dinner . Well the original engine is very clean inside so I hope I won't find anything besides the starter clutch , will see

 

I'm going to try to leave head in place . The engine has been sitting in the corner of my work bench . Already started tearing down .wish me luck.

 

Post a few photographs if you can. All the best.

 

I had to remove the head and cylinders due to the starter/alternator chain. It was quite bad and needed replaced. Once all the bolts were out of the cases they separated easily.

 

Nice improvement. Someday I have to replace mine, which are likewise held together with electrical tape in the rear stems. Front still original and ok.

 

Went for a ride out for a hour or so and thought why not change the rear gear oil, since it’s recommended to be done after a long run. Don’t think it has ever been done before. The magnet on the drain bolt had lots of fine gunk and the oil itself was not pretty. Plan to check it again after a few rides to be sure it doesn’t look like that again too quick.

My starter clutch also sounds like a box of rocks only when hot. The people I ride with always look at me like, oh no is it gonna start, so I’m dreading that replacement.

 

Starter clutch is not so bad to do just time consuming and the cost of parts. Plenty of help here.

 

I’ve been following the previous posts with interest and it doesn’t look too bad, but will be the most in-depth repair I’ve done. Project for the off season….

 

You might be able to repair your starter clutch with the top end of the engine in situe. That is better as the only reason for total engine strip down is if the starter/alternator chain is worn. Even the cam chain can be renewed if required with a joining link. That's how is was done in the factory during engine assembly.

 

That looks a lot like the rear gear oil and magnetic bolt the first time I dropped the oil out of the rear gear on my XJ650J. I put added an ounce or two of SeaFoam and ran it for 100 miles, then changed it again to try to get all the goo out of there.

Now a rear gear oil change is just on my annual list of maintenance items. Kind of like cable lube. Does it absolutely need it? Probably not, but it couldn't hurt and these machines aren't getting any younger.

Also, it makes me feel a lot better when I drain the oil and it isn't just goo with a bunch of goo on the magnetic plug.

 

Also, a "therapeutic solvent cleanse" is one possible way to resolve the starter clutch issue:
http://xj4ever.com/catalog/d-7-starting.html

 

XJ650J hit 30,000 miles today

 

spent 8 hours between yesterday and today disassembling a 750 maxim caliper.
I had traded a 550 caliper to someone for the 750 caliper that was on his bike because he had stripped out the allen head.
I now have this bike and was going to rebuild the 550 caliper but it is missing the spring plate from under the pads, it was there when I traded it to him.
I did the allen bolt the day I traded the calipers,
so the caliper had been spray painted with aluminium paint while it was all assembled the seals were mush. I popped out the piston and oddly the single seal in it wa s in good shape second seal missing.
so I put it in the bucket to soak after 20 minutes I took it out cleand some paint off and had to clean paint from every surface as it was gluing the 2 parts together.
back into the bucket for another hour, I did a set of wheel bearings while waiting.
so now the fu starts, the mounting bracket pins are frozen into the caliper body. I used a oak shin i made to drive it between the parts nothing moved . soaked it down with penetrating oil at pims and pin threads, returning hourly to add more........ so todat I was able to start to get the pin to start to free up the pin with the hex head came oose and I was able to start backing it out. back to the wedges drove them in again pin started tomove .... six sets of wedges I had the mount high enough to remove 1 pin.
coo I thought I was going to be able to pivot the mount but it just osened at the pin where it was screwed in.
more wedges more movement finally got the pin out

its in good shape just all gunked up . tomorrow I will start the final clean and inspection to see if it is still viable to rebuild.
did a lot of multitasking waiting for penetrating oil . cl eaned an ignition switch, repaired and cleaned a left control repaced a few bullet connectors I got a kit and crimper tool off of amazon that has the correct size bulets for yamahal, both the large and small diameter ones male and female with boots

 

Yep, the XJ650 Turbo / XJ750 Maxim (and others) calipers are the hardest calipers to service, the pins get seized (both air-locked and corrosion) and the pad pin requires a gorzillion-foot-long breaker bar to break loose...

 

On the way to work this morning, Old Red turned 50,000 miles. It's taken 40 years of her life to get there, and 15 years of help and advice from you fine folks on this forum -- not to mention countless orders from Chacal -- but she finally got there.
Here's to the next 50,000!

 

Quite a bit but not a lot?
Today I installed some new plugs, did an oil and filter change

Tightened up the drive chain a bit

Finally found and installed a 4th chrome diaphragm cap for my carbs(idk I really wanted all 4 to be chrome)

Zip tied some dangly wires

adjusted my idle screws(runs great with choke barely cracked open, wants to die upon throttle pull.. only when cold. Runs perfect when warm)

installed new muffler gaskets and new* sportster mufflers.

and finally finished polishing my resealed and revived junk yard 550 Seca tank and bolted it up.

This bike is Noah’s, my daughter who recently passed earlier this year. I bought it for $200 when it was just a rusty frame, engine, and wheels.

This bike and a ton of you guys on the forums have really helped me more then you’ll ever understand.

Here’s to many more changes to come!

 

This is what I bought for 200 just so you guys know I didn’t butcher an original 550 seca, it was a stripped maxim

 

Not a bad attempt - in fact far better than the usual rubbish people call "cafe racers". If I was being critical I'd say the seat neads to hide the seat rails (as well as that bracket), and it needs some side panels, preferably silver/alloy.
Just my opinion. Well done for rescuing a wreck!

 

I rode mine on the 2 lane twisty roads here

 

Took it for a ride.

 

Made the supports for the Dyna's installed in the original bracket as shown on Harald's website maxim-x.com Much better than the cable ties I use before.

 

Dismantling another engine to replace parts. Made a bench to work on this time instead of the floor.

 

my newest XJ550H did the shims check today 8 for 8 out of spec all tight with shims on hand and shims in bike corrected 6 of them .
bike also has those knockoff mainfold boots had to rtv the nipples in place for now and replace the 3 nipple caps as thee caps just spun around.
running much better .

just have to install oem blinkers up front put a headlight in the bucket and the last 2 shims.
and is going to need a new chain. i will have to buy that soon.
maybe I will keep it

 

Yesterday I got the confusing carburetors mounted back on the Turbo (after months of fussing and conferring with Hogfiddles and more fussing). Today hooked up an gravity feed fuel tank and filter, put the battery back in and fired it up naturally aspired. This is the first time I have heard it run. I let it idle, warm up and idle off choke for a few minutes. Amazingly encouraging. And ordered an electric fuel solenoid to avoid any chance of the fuel leakage Turbos seem to like to do. Now to put all the plumbing and wiring back together. Progress!

 

Rebuilding another 900 f engine, got the cases together this morning. Fit pistons and cylinders tomorrow.

 

Threads were so bad engineer drilled through so l could fit a pair of bolts to clamp the gasket at the front of the cam tunnel.

 

More work of getting the Turbo carbs and induction back installed, on and off a couple of times getting everything lined up and snug. And you naturally aspirated guys think simple carbs on and off is a pain...... I feel like a gynecologist working up under the tail end of the bike with the rear wheel off to align the Turbo plumbing with the surge tank!

 

Just finished my second starter clutch replacement on my yellow seca ( this was my spare engine) spent last two days making sure things were tight and adjusted . Spent day synching carbies with my Morgan pro tune and used my Gunson colortune. Got it running good ...so nice to have it crank over when hot and it not slip and grind.

 

Finally got to crank the bike for the first time after rebuilding the carbs. Still need to tune them. But it sounded pretty good after all the hours of cleaning and adjusting.

 

Oh joy got my yellow seca starter clutch issue fixed and my turn signals flasher quit , I had a spare flasher left worked fine right only lit up . Pulled cover and cleaned with contact cleaner no help . By chance I had a two post Wagner turn signal flasher , plugged it in and it WORKS of course the self cancelling feature does not work , but until I get another flasher it works.

 

Spoke too soon. Cranked the bike to tune the carbs today, and the bike was idling high, and would die when I applied throttle. Thinking the fuel level is incorrect in the bowls. So I'm going to pull the carbs and check that. I am also going to recheck the jets to make sure they are clean just for a sanity check. Spark plugs are new and were barely dirty. I did notice something I'd never paid attention to before. The gas from my source tank was clear to yellow color. When I drained the fuel bowls the gas was almost orange. Does that happen when air mixes with it? Or is there something else going on?

 

The fuel we use today , if it is ethonol in it after a few days in the tank will turn orange , and sitting in carbs for a few weeks can turn to gum in jets . If the bike sits for awhile stabil added to the tank helps.

 

Good to know. I've got a place an hour away that has ethanol free. The plan will be to primarily use that gas once the bike is running like a top.

 

Really? Not here in the UK. months maybe, but a few days? No way. And to turn to gum in the bowls needs the fuel to evaporate, so unless you have a leak it should be fine for a couple of months at least.

 

Here in the corn belt We use 10 to 15% Ethonal in our fuel ...unless you pay extra and can find ethonol free fuel . Let this crap sit without stabil in it and it will gum up jets very quick , it also does wonders for rubber ...my fuel line on one of my lawn mower litterly dissolved , got replacement that said ethonol compatible...

 

E10 in the uk, soon to be E20 apparently, which I didn't think possible - they must be adding something else.
It does affect some older fuel hoses, and doesn't keep as long, but months not weeks. Maybe RH has something to do with it?

 

A good XJ Day today. I finished installing the fuel cut off solenoid, wired & plumbed and works! Attached the auxiliary fuel, the fuel over flow from the pressure regulator and fired up the Turbo. Warmed it up and got out the Colortune ( thank you @CrazyGnat!!) to see 4 perfect pretty blue sparks. On to Sync'ing the carbs. They were not as perfect as the mixture screws but pretty good. Much better now though. Tomorrow the new brake lines should arrive and shortly there after comes the test ride! Getting there.

 

Spent last three days fooling with the carbs on my yellow seca made the mistake along the way. I had my spare set of carbs on and off three times could not figure out why it would idle down and die. I had the return spring off the stop arm , it would idle okay and synch was even but ran terrible . Made the mistake I swapped three of the diaphragms with my other set of carbs. So put on orginal carbs again synch is very close ...but runs terrible...so going to swap slides back in it is only common item. And now my neutral light stays on will have to check the neutral switch wire if I can get to it.

 

Doing happy dance swapped slides back in , hooked up my Morgan synch and it is as close as I will ever get it took it out ran good . Now just have to figure out why neutral light stays on , and hook back up airbox boots.

 

Currently building the DIY carb stand from this post: https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/diy-carb-stand.24984/. Def not a $12 job anymore. But still worth it.

 

Nothing.......

It's been far too rainy, and I'm not going to suit-up for my 8 minute commute to work.
I hope that the weekend is dry enough, and cool enough, for a day of riding.

 

I've build one similar to the one your building. Worth every penny!

 

It's running good? What, without the airbox boots? Wash your mouth out young man - do you realise what you're saying?

 

All back together airbox boots hooked up runs great starts without using the choke .

 

I think you missed my point?

 

No PODS period.

 

Another good Turbo day. The brake lines arrived this morning and with some fussing are on and bled. I even managed to get my first 3 Turbo miles in! To the turn around on the end of my dead end and back a couple of times. Reassembled, tupper ware on and waiting for tomorrow for further testing. All seems well and everything works as it should.

 

right on
By mile 4 you should roll on the boost
What boost pressure are you expecting ? Do you have the Yamaha power up kit installed or a boost controller?

 

I never mentioned PODS..
But since this went down like the usual lead balloon, I will explain.
You wrote that you had carried out the usual setting up, took it for a ride and it rode as well as it could/should. Then you were going to hook up the boots to the airbox....
did I misread that?