new xj700 maxim owner

hi!
i resently bought an yamaha xj700(s?) maxim and thought that i would ask some tips that i should be aware of before riding the bike since its 1986 and has 61km on the clock...
i couldnt test ride it because of the winter but it started up fine (exept of old fuel couldnt get it to idle)
anyway... my questions are concerning the spares mostly...
i cant find cam chain or clutch plates from finland and was wondering that how similar are the xj650, xj700 and xj750 engines?
do they use the same clutch and is the cam chain the same length?
and how long do you expect the cam chain to last if we assume that it had its oil changed regularly?
and if you know typical faults on the bike that need inspection, let me know

 

check rear brakes for de-lamination, overhaul all brake systems
rebuild the carbs
flush the tank
install a fuel filter
replace oil and filter
check tires for age, cracks, etc...
remove the rust on the pipes

get rid of that ugly black paint on the engine

that'll give you a good starting point while it's winter

dave f

 

btw.... looks like someone put a set of Maxim-X seats on it.

dave f

 

hmm... i didnt even notice the seats.
i actually like the ugly paint on the engine : :lol:
have to try to get it running next weekend to see if its necessary to rebuild the carbs... i bet it would save me from a lot of frustration if i cleaned them tho...
what about the cam chain? do i need to worry about it with that mileage?
atleast i didnt hear any rattle from the engine when it was running

 

1. If it won't idle, it's because your carbs are plugged and you're running only off of the enriching circuit. You MUST do a THOROUGH cleaning of the carbs.

2. Cam chain - read up on 'cam chain adjustment'

3 with that kind of mileage, you MUST do a shim/valve clearance check.

You need to have the valves all back in spec for the carb syncing to be accurate after the carb cleaning.

With a bike that has been sitting, and you know it has old gas in it, and you know it has that kind of mileage on it......these are things you MUST MUST MUST MUST.........MUST...........do.

Of course, you can struggle through everything else, and then get frustrated with the bike cuz you just can't get it running right no matter what you do, and then find out later that you should have simply done the valves and the carbs...........

So now everyone sing!

"If you're happy and you know it --do the carbs
If you're happy and you know it --do the carbs
If you're happy and you know it, then your
valves will really show it
If you're happy and you know it --do the carbs."

Dave Fox

 

thanks for the reply :lol:
i think ill be pulling the engine apart while its still snowy
does anyone know that is the xj600 valve cover the same size as the 700?
i cant find a gasket for the 700 (if it needs to be replaced)

 

Click on the xj4ever logo in the top right corner of the web page. That is the link to our resident parts supplier/guru. He'll take care of you.

I don't believe that the gaskets are the same.

Dave Fox

 

Is that supposed to be 61km as written (37.9 miles), or 61,000km (37,905 miles)?

 

or 61 thousand(k) miles(m) 8O

 

I never looked at it that way, good point

 

I was just assuming 61K because of the rust on the pipes. Shoulda read more carefully !?!?

Heck, if it is only 61 kilometers on the odo, don't bother checking shims, or anything in the engine! ; )

Dave

 

its 61,000km

 

darn i have been pulling my hair off trying to find the front fork seals because the dealers dont sell them anymore.
i found 750 virago kit that has the metal slides, seal, dust seal and the locking clip... if im right, its the same front end as the maxim? (but with longer upper tubes)

 

I'm surprised that the dealers don't sell them anymore, in Finland, as here in the UK, I can still get most things, if not everything I would ever want, for the XJ, from my local dealers.

 

so 37 903.6427 miles

 

ok, nvm... none of the online suppliers had spareparts for the xj700 but closest yamaha part supplier is 1,5km away
...should ease things up a bit

 

Definitely overhaul the brakes and do the valve/carb adjustments and cleanings as previously recommended. All last riding season my bike was difficult to start due to my failure to properly clean and rebuild my carbs so I am paying for that mistake this winter by having to redo a job that I should have done right the first time.

Also, the advice on the brakes listed above is SUPERB. You absolutely want to overhaul the hydraulics.. don't just check them - replace them. Order a master cylinder rebuild kit and the caliper rebuild kit(s), and don't forget new brake lines. If you only do PART of that now, you'll be bleeding the brakes more than once, a task that is not fun the second time around.

Playing it on the safe side, just replace the brake pads all the way around. BE CAREFUL for the first 500km or so as the brakes wear in afterwards. I personally would rather spend a small amount extra up front to guarantee my safety later.

Touching back on previous comments, toss the old fuel, dump the fuel out of the carbs, drain your fuel lines and install an in-line fuel filter. I picked up one for a lawnmower from my local auto parts store. You may also want to check the petcock valve. The seals in mine were failing and I had to rebuild that too. It's not difficult - all you need is a few screwdrivers and some patience.

Finally, purchase the Yamaha Factory Service manual. Find it on eBay for less than your Yamaha dealer will be able to find.

Finally, ask questions and enjoy!

 

The best parts source you could ever find for the XJ is right here. XJ4Ever, the logo at the upper right corner of every page.

 

i was hoping not to do the brake lines as they worked ok on my 87 intruder too... the aftermarket lines are unbelievably expensive in finland (maybe ordering them from germany to save up a bit...)
i spent whole yesterday afternoon researching on the yics and i still cant believe a +100c fuel line cant handle the heat... and if it could, shouldnt it be easiest just to coat an 10mm fuel line in vaseline and drive that through the yics... should be tight enough fit. (dont know if vaseline could do any damage if it got to the valves?)

 

does anyone know the froat bowl screw size in metric?
4x10 and 4x12mm? im going to replace them with hex screws because im having nightmares just thinking of removing 20yo philips screws :?

 

YooHooo....contact Len Chacal at xj4ever in the upper right corner of the page. He'll have what you need.

Dave

 

If you're worried about blocking the YICS with a home-made tool, an oil-soaked rag twisted into a "rope" and pulled through the passage with a stiff wire hook will work just fine. Kind of a "disposable YICS tool."

Vaseline wouldn't stand a chance at those temps; I'm not sure what it would do other than rapidly disappear.

 

i found silicone tube from the local shops and will be making my own ultimate yics blocker
does it need any lubricant or do ppl use it dry?
i was wodering that when ill be cleaning the whole fuel system that whats your suggestion, should i leave it dry or buy new fuel, some fuel stabilizer and fill it?
the bike will be sitting in the cold for 3 months so...

 

Hi! Nice bike man.

I think you should look in the tank. If there is rust it would be good to empty and clean the inside of the tank with the citric acid. After that it is same fill just before driving.

Katoppas muuten private messaget [some Finnish English mess] :lol:

 

Hi,

for XJ parts in Europe, try www.louis.de

You'll have to cross-ref most parts, but that's fairly easy if you have an XJ-CD....

 

found a great site to use for cross referencing parts
http://www.ronayers.com
just select part and the site automaticly shows other bikes that use the same parts... like, the vstar 650 uses the same rear brake pads as xj700 etc
for those that dont have the xj cd yet?

 

i disassembled the carburetors yesterday and found it weird that all of the float bowl filters were full of rust but the tank was flawless on the inside... or atleast the part was what i could see from the fuel filler cap hole.
the tank could have been changed at some point...
previous owner had cleaned/changed the main and idle jets since they had screw driver marks on them.
i guess the next step is to empty the gas tank and check the pet cock for rust.
next im looking for the butterfly valve seals but are those hard to find?

 

found out something interesting today about the hitachi butterfly valve seals.
suzuki uses the same seals in their carbs, even on 1999 gsx-r750 throttle bodies
Suzuki Part No. 13651-51010

 

i ordered the suzuki seals today and will let you know when/if i get them 8)

 

i got the new seals from suzuki today.
i would say these are exact the same seals as on hitachi carbs....
they arent as tight on the throttle shaft as the old seals but they are tight on the trottle body... (old seal has shrunk over the years?)
dunno if the pic says anything but uploaded it anyway...
thats the old worn seal on the left and suzuki on the right

 

What you see in the filler port is only a small portion of the tank. The rust will occur down along the seams where you can't see it. Remove the petcock & sensor and run a good flush through checking the rinse closely for rust particles. Otherwise your carb rebuild will be for nothing.

 

i was working on the bike this weekend and didnt like what i saw under the cam cover.
one of the cam lobes had chipped a 2-3mm chip off it...
does anyone have any opinion when the engine dies completely? my quess is that it will do 5000-10000km before it eats a divet on the shim...
and does anyone know if 650, 700 and the 750 air uses the same cams?
edit
forgot to mention also that i synced the carbs without the yics tool and i didnt get any vacuum on the 3rd cylinder. first i synced 1-2 and then 4th with 1 & 2 and it seemed to run smooth.
could this be because of yics? i didnt have time to really get into it so i dont really know...
only when i blipped the throttle did the sync meter move on 3rd cylinder

 

sold my maxim last week.
previous owner didnt take good enough care of it and i got fed up with finding new faults every week.
it was a sad day but atleast im still riding a yamaha, its a tdm 850 3vd

 

Best thing you could have done for the bike. You should never buy an old bike if the work is to much for you. Don't blame the PO it was an old bike that needed work. Work YOU weren't prepared to commit to and you need to be committed to fixing these bikes.