82 Seca...amateur rebuild...brat, cafe, bob?

Hey everybody, Ive read a grip load of all these threads and have a deep respect for what goes on here. Let me disclaim myself and say that im a total noob, not a mechanic, and not really that skilled of a rider. So, I picked up this 82 650 seca a while back, to remedy all that.

500$ it wasnt running.

new battery,
new starter,
replaced sight glass in mc.
bled front brake lines.

I learned to ride a bit, took it 75 mph around curves, etc.

My buddy said it needed a valve job. So I got the book. I replaced the shims to spec, but failed to "lap the valves." I didnt know such a thing existed.

I discoverd the carb boots were leaking, so i tried the wintergreen trick, then tried some rtv, even tried 5200. still leaked. also noticed an oil leak, from the head gasket. im pretty sure it was the head gasket.

i got some new motivation
bought new carb boots.
gasket kit.

replaced the head gasket. but not the block gasket. also failed to look at rings, lap the valves, recheck the shims.

ran it again, but it didnt really sound better, and found it wasnt engaging in the gears. the spring is out on the clutch cable, but im thinking goes a little deeper.

laughing yet?
im learning.

so i was going to part it out or sell it, but instead i got drunk and coked out and tore it down and chopped it up.

my new plan is to have minimized, chopped up little brat. i intend to:

rebuild carbs
replace block gasket
replace rings,
lap valves,
check clearances,
fab battery housing
air pods


when i take the head off this second time, am i going to be able to re use the new gasket that i replaced earlier, or is it gna be all fd up?

im also planning on minimizing the electrical. (no lights, no blinkers, lawless) keeping only the key ignition, ic ignitor, coils, starter, starter circuit cutoff relay, kill switch...question is, what has to run through the diode block? studying diagram now.

laugh all u want. im having a blast.

 

Why laugh
you are having fun and learning
sounds like a labor of love
looks good
trial and error

I am doing the same
but not quite bobbing it
just getting everything fixed
putting on a new rear fender
a solo seat
and new paint and bars

but safety and sound running condition is what is
important

 

so can i pull the head and still keep that gasket functional?

 

Did you buy new "donut" screw gaskets for the valve cover? That's what usually leaks before/after a new valve cover gaskets is installed.

 

I'm not laughing either, I'm all excited for you. go balls deep.

I'm in the middle of my new battery box, I'm making i wide so I can hide some extra parts in there, using the little mount for the rear brake switch to hold one end of the box, and allthread rod (all the way though the box) to a tab that I've welded on the inside of the frame.
I'll put up a pic when I'm done.

re: gasket, maybe, if you didn't use any gasket glue, maybe, seeing as its so brand new..

yeh do it. if it does leak, you know exactly what to do to fix it

I was really struggling with the circuit diagram so I redrew it.


I removed the cancelling unit and I have a slightly different signal/hi beam setup, the alternates are found on the same tumblr post.

also, read up on these forums about pods. Highly contentious issue with the xj bikes.

 

re: battery box.
Mock it up first in cardboard and really really think it out.
Mine has been painful:
http://exjayarrjey.tumblr.com/post/7771 ... ngly-solid

 

i managed to damage the head of the pilot jet in my attempt to unscrew it with a poorly sized screwdriver. is it critical that its replaced cause now its gona spray all funny cause i tweaked it a bit? ill break out the torch tomorrow, order replacements and finish with the carb cleaning. hopefully not damaging any more soft brass.

yea, i took a look at the re jetting posts. seems like a cold can of worms. might leave original exhaust, but definetly not having that gdm airbox. maybe ill stack the pods with the original carb to airbox boots(though that still calls for a rejet). idk yet.

cool battery box.

ive been hacking up the wiring harness to get it down to the bare bones. ive still got a few things going through the diode, and as of now still have the starter shut off relay included...can i cut that out? is it necessary? how bout that diode? critical?

when i did the valve cover earlier, those donuts werent anywhere in sight. i figured they were on the xj and not the seca. i remembered seeing them in the book but not on the bike.

 

The '82 Seca 650 was a pre-YICS motor bike, no valve cover donuts.

Sinc you've already "broken the rack" pull the carbs down all the way (remove butterflies and throttle shafts) and replace the throttle shaft seals. From the looks of those carbs they're going to need it.

The diodes in the diode block belong to various circuits on the bike. They're just all "conveniently located" in the same plug-in module. Get ahold of a circuit diagram as well as a wiring diagram for your bike so you can see what they belong to and what they do.

 

whats up jedi masters...

been going over some electrical rewiring fun here, based loosly on some pictures here and the diagram from the book. ive got it down the the bare minimum and want to take it a step further.

so im thinking of bypassing the "engine stop" and "start" switch and running those straight to the "main switch" or key. Anyone here done this?

What Ive done so far was based off a diagram posted here. The diagram doesnt include the diode block. My understanding is that its a kinda like a one-way valve for current. Im a little concerned about the "rectifier regulator" -am i going to fry it if the white wire doesnt go through it? its the same white wire that connects with the ac gen. guess ill find out soon enough.

waiting on a couple pilot jets, and carb gaskets.

 

The diode block contains diodes that belong to a number of different circuits on the bike. Eliminating one from a circuit that still needs it will indeed cause issues.