Advice for Pulling Heads on an 82 XJ 650?

Well, now that I broke off 7 of 8 intake manifold bolts trying to get them out, it looks like the consensus is that I should take it to a machine shop to get them out.

Anyone have any advice or cheat sheet on pulling the head? I've got a manual, but you know how that goes sometimes....

Thanks, Bill R. 8O

 

Not much to it, but you will have to use a chain breaker (or what ever that tool is called) to pop a link out of the timing chain. I'd say tie a string to each end of it so it doesn't end up in the bottom end.

Maybe you should look into just taking the whole motor out, or talk to the guy at the machine shop before you do anything.

 

I'll respectfully disagree with you on popping a timing chain link Turkey. It is unnecessary. When you remove the cam gears from the cams and slide the cams out, be sure to capture the cam chain with something (I use a hanger or safety wire) so you can fish it back through the cam gallery after you re-install the head.

 

I'm going to just pull the whole engine and try to leave the head intact. need the engine out anyway to clean and detail. Hoping that the machine shop can get the bolts out. Machine shop says the exhaust bolts can/are a problem too, and I have to remove them to get the engine out....yikes. I'm applying penetrating oil for a few days before I try to break them loose. And will use heat. I'd of done things differently on the intake manifold removal if I knew what I knew now....

 

Yep this is the easy way to do it. When I bought my bike the head was off and this is how it came the chain was wired up so it didnt fall into the motor. When your taking stuff apart and putting it back together just make sure you dont drop anything into the motor, I almost lost a bolt down there. The haynes manual has a really good step by step for putting the head on the motor. Just do those steps in reverse.

 

Buy or borrow a Workshop Manual.
Follow the Manual Step by Step.

There is no need to separate the Timing Chain. The two Cams are removed and you just tie a wire or a piece of strong nylon line to the Chain to be able to let the Chain drop through the middle of the Head.

If you place the Engine at the Timing Mark before disassembly; you'll have little to do when it comes time to reinstall the Cams and Chain Sprockets.
(If you Zip-tie the Sprockets to the Chain as you loosen them to remove the Cams ... Timing will not be lost and you'll Save Time doing the Button Up.

 

Do your self a huge favour---invest $ 10.00 and buy the XJ CD!
It will be 10 bucks well spent.

 

Robert, at least a few if not most of these bolts seem to break when an attempt is made to remve them. Could the heads of the bolts be ground off with a die grinder, the intake manifolds removed and then the heat and wax method used to extract the bolts? It would seem that the time it would take to grind the heads off the bolts would be FAR LESS than the time and expense to have a machine shop remove a broken bolt from the head. Would never sieze last long enough to be effective at the next removal?

 

Some of the bolts are broken off flush with the head... What's the heat and wax method?

 

Seamaster, check out the details that Boomerkc outlines on the second page of this thread http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... rt=15.html .
Wamaxim, I would agree completely. The extra effort made now would be piece of mind later. I also endorse the use of anti-seize on the fasteners. The steel/aluminum bond is just asking for corrosion to weld it all together.
I'll also encourage you to purchase the XJCD, lots of good info and manuals in there!