first time build 82 j550 maxim

picked up this 82 xj maxim 550 with 10k miles for 250 bucks was not running but after a carb clean it started right up the guy even bought a new battery valued at $50 so its like i took it for an even 200
I'm new to building but not riding so bare with me here is a list i have started of things i need to do to make her road worthy before i even start the chop on the back
let me know if you can think of anything that i should add to this list i am eager to get started but plan on taking my time and learning as much as possible for future builds.

so here is the list
adjust/sync carbs
check valve clearances
adjust the clutch
oil change
replace oil filter o rings “leaking”
clean out the small rust in the tank
new inline filter
replace breaks and break lines "break pads look ok but not sure how old they are"
break fluid change
replace chain and sprocket
new tires

let me know what else you guys can think of this is just the list to get her back on the road there is quit a bit i want to change later on
here is a few of my motivational photos

 

Rebuild the master cylinder and caliper.

 

thanks k-moe added to the list

 

compression test.
you would do best by doing valve clearance and compression test first to evaluate the engine before spending money else where. I see you said it is running which is a good sign
wheel bearings need to the be checked as well as the headstock bearings.
when you replace the front sprocket also change the sprocket retainer its about 3$
you may want to just replace the rear wheel bearings while you have the rear wheel off.

 

why does that bike look familiar... should it? I love it, i can tell you that. Nice piece.

 

Not a bad looking bike. Great deal for 250 bucks! Here's a suggestion: did your brake check include the rear shoes? If not, you may wanna take a look. They are known to delaminate, with frightening results. Also, have you looked at the fuse box? The tube style fuse box can be upgraded for more reliable blade type fuse box.

 

this is the bike those were just the direction i want to take this project

 

Sorry. I thought the 3rd one was yours. At first I thought they ALL were yours. Here's my thoughts as I looked at the first picture. "Wow. He got that xj for 250$ AND he's that good lookin'? Somebody hit the jackpot in Vegas!" The actual bike you own still looks decent. How do you stack up compared to that dude in pic #1?
Thanks for not making me feel so bad about my bike or my face! lol

 

aha! i was confused too. durrrr, i DO know that bottom bike lol. thx.

 

I'm about on the same level as my bike is compared to him and his bike haha
but all jokes aside where can i get the little tool to complete the valve clearance check?
are they all universel could i pick one up at the local yamaha dealer?

 

The valve cup holding tool? Use a thick zip-ty or a length of insulated copper house wiring. Remove the spark plug from the cylinder you are working on, and fish the zip-ty/wire between the open valve and the valve seat (I use wire so I can put a short "L" bend in it, makes it easier to get the wire in the right place), then turn the engine to close the valve. That will keep the valve open far enough to be able to remove the shim.

 

no the feeler gauge to determine if the right size shim is in there

 

hit up len, he has a set el cheapo.

 

KD tools 2274. A set can be found at most NAPA locations, and probalby most other auto parts stores, as well as from Chacal if you don't have anyplace local to get them from.

 

http://m.harborfreight.com/32-piece-sae-metric-feeler-gauge-32214.html
think these will work?

 

Yes, but you will need to get used to rounding measurements to the nearest 0.01. Those are SAE gauges that have been engraved with the metric equivalent. True metric gauges are a better choice in my opinion (just because there is no need to round the measurements).

 

or dose it have to be between 0.04mm to 1 mm i might check out an oreilly auto parts on my way home

 

The set you linked has more than enough range for checking valve clearances. At the minimum you need a set that will go from 0.05 mm to 0.25 mm, but a larger range is useful for checking other clearances if you decide to get into wrenching as a hobby.

 

picked this up for 6 bucks what is the reason for the different metals

 

thats what the numbers are my clymer book says my clearance should be 0.16-0.20 mm for the exhaust valve and 0.11-0.15 mm for the intake valve

 

You can't use that set for the intakes, and can only barely use them for the exhausts (you want thinner feeler gauges so you know for sure how tight a valve is before ordering new shims).
The brass feeler gauges come into play when adjusting clearances where magnets are involved (such as reluctors).
At $6 you didn't waste your money though. Set them in a special drawer of your toolbox that you will reserve for precision measuring tools. They will be useful one day (the wires are used to measure sparkplug electrode gaps).

 

I'm going to head to auto zone around the block and see if they have a set of smaller ones i need them them to be "example" 0.00 not .00 correct

 

also I'm just assuming that the intake is on the side where the carbs are attached and the exhaust side is on the font of the bike where the exhaust comes out or is it one set is on the left of the bike and one is on the right hand side

 

You want a set that measures from around 0.05 mm on the small end to at least 0.25 or thereabouts on the large end (actual sete will normaly come with feelers that increase in size up to 1.00 mm) . The extra zero before the decimal is just a way of ensuring that the person reading the feeler gauge is able to discern that the . is a decimal and not rust or some other mark or a bit of grit that has stuck to the tool.

Yes, exhaust is on the exhaust pipe side (front of the bike) and intake is on the carb side (rear of the bike).

Apologies if I did not link to the valve adjustment walkthrough before http://xjbikes.com/forums/threads/airhead-valve-adjustment-with-pics.14827/

 

thanks k moe
that helped a lot so here is the plan for next weekend
check valve clearances
check valve cover gasket hopefully its still good it was $117 at the yamaha dealer
change oil ,oil filter ,and 2 O rings due to leak

where can i get the shims for the valve clearances?

i think the person who did the oil change last put the filter cap on upside down could this be why it is leaking i attached a pic

should i follow my clymer guide as for which oil or do these older bikes need something different my guide says
40 degrees and up SAE 20W/40 SE
below 40 SAE 10W/30 SE

should i change out the spark plugs?

 

i think i read somewhere that the big fins should be on the top

 

Xj4ever has them for $109.95. This isn't great news for you, but but the 550's gasket costs the most of all the ones listed, nearly 3x as much as the 650's. The 650 is a paper gasket, so that kinda makes sense, but it is almost 2x as much as the 700's and 750's rubber gasket.
http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/xj-parts-catalog-section-e-engine.44640/
I checked the Haynes manual for 650's and 750's, and although it doesn't mention the direction for the oil filter housing, the picture shows what looks like large fins pointing up. 550 is a different bike, but I ass-u-me the filter housing would be similar.

 

Big fins go up. There is a indexing "nub" that fits into a corresponding slot on the engine case.
Yes, the 550 gaskets are costly, but it is reusable. (Matti, only the pre YICS 650 uses a paper gasket)

Chacal has new shims, or you can start a conversation with Hogfiddles, who runs a shim pool and will get you what you need on an exchange + postage basis.

Check the first link in my signature for help with choosing an oil. The viscocity you choose will depend on the temperatures in your area during your preferred riding season, and to some degree whether or not your particular engine has oil control issues (a thicker oil can reduce consumption).



New plugs never hurt, but if the ones that are in there still have the correct gap and are not fouled you can use them.

 

the previous owner said he had tuned up last year so maybe i dont need to buy new rubber for the oil filter housing only 1 way to find out and should i change the oil before checking the valves since i will be turning the motor i think all the oil has leaked out of the bike

 

On the right side of the bike, near the brake pedal, there is a sightglass. Put the bike on the center stand and look at the window to see if there is oil in the sump or not. The oil level will always appear empty when on the sidestand or when the engine is running.

DO NOT believe anything a PO tells you. Even if it's true there is no harm in going through everything and making sure that it's all been done.

The housing o-rings are pretty cheap in relation to the cost of an engine should you have a leak. If you take the old one out and let it sit it will eventually come back to it's proper round shape and be useable again (but that can take several weeks).

 

Will the ring dry out in the air, or would it be better to have it soak in some oil to keep it soft?

 

I just throw them in a box.

 

how are you guys?
so i have the valve clearance tool kmoe recommend coming in the mail along with a new oil filter
i just finished cleaning out my tank yesterday and got a new inline filter on today i put the bike back together and took it around the block and i noticed a leak i attached some pictures
still need to sync the carbs i have been looking for a carb synchronize locally but might just end up getting one online

 

Ahhh the tachometer drive oil seal and o-ring. Chacal has them in stock.
The job is done thusly http://xjbikes.com/forums/threads/tach-gear-housing-oil-seal-replacement-w-pics.19538/

Spring for a new cable while you're at it.

 

awesome i will take a look and order some new stuff my techo meter is not working i had planed on changing that and the spedo out should i do this all at the same time?

 

i just got the valve clearance tool and oil filter in the mail should i wait to change the oil after i get all of the valves in check or dose it not matter

 

Doesn't matter.

 

ok guys i was getting ready to check the valves and found a few horrific things so far the fist pic is from the right side of the bike "if your sitting on it"

and this is the left side i couldent get this cover off the screws are all jacked up how would you go about getting them off?

 

I usually use a dremel with cutting wheel and cut a groove across and use a regular flat head screwdriver. Tap the screw first.
for bigger ones, I have good experience with cutting/leaving a square and use a wrench.

 

The thing under the right side cover isn's anything to worry about. There isn't anything there but a gasket to help prevent water from getting into that ccavity, and a crank end seal. What you're seeing is the crap that got past what I assume to be a cover that didn't have a gasket on it.

As for the other side with the buggered screws: get thee to a hardware store and grab yourself a handhled impact driver. Soak the screws with KROIL or PB Blaster, let them sit for a day, and then use the impact driver with the phillips head bit the fits the best to remove the screws.

 

i got the cover off last night and this morning i checked the clearances but im having a problem removing the shims with the zip tie any suggestions?

 

Is the zip-ty thick enough? I prefer to use a lenght of insualted house wire (One leg cut from a length of Romex) becaus it is thicker, easier to bend the end of, and less likely to break. You have to get the tool between the open valve and the valve seat in order to hold the valve open.

Are you having trouble keeping the valve open or are you having trouble getting the shim to pop out of the bucket?

 

i might have to go buy some wire i stick the zip tie in there and when i turn the valves i can feel it grab the zip tie and hold it there then when i rotate it all the way and try to pull out the shim it hardly pops out at all

 

well i tried a different shim and got it to pop up but couldn't get it out are they usually a struggle to get out? i started to get frustrated so I'm calling it quits for the day and will start up again tomorrow but here are the clearances i got

I'm suppose to have my inlet between .11mm and .15mm and my exhaust between .16mm and .20mm

my exhaust is .11mm .14mm .19mm .11mm
my inlet is .15mm .12mm .11mm .6mm

my valve gauge goes from 10mm to 15mm to 20mm
so i rounded some of these based off how lose or tight it was

 

1. Get a better set of feeler gauges. Guessing simply will not do.

2. You should be using a small flat balded screwdriver to pop the shim up, and either a hemostat or a clean magnet to remove the shim. Otherwise they are difficult to remove.

3. Just to be clear, you will be removing one shim, recording the number on the back, and reinstalling the shim so you can remove and check the size of the next one.

4. If you got the shim to pop up then you are using the zip-ty correctly and don't need to go get any wire. If you really do want to use wire it must be insulated solid core wire of at least 14 gauge. Unless you have some house wiring to do you should ask if there are any remnants of a roll that you can have. Tell 'em what it's for and you might get a 8" length for free.

You have one inlet out and all of the exhausts are tight. Post up what shims are in there and we can help you figure out which ones can be swapped, and which will need to be bought.

 

i bought the feller gauge you sent a link to in a previous reply and i will try a clean magnet tomorrow and report back on what happens

 

You can stack the thinner gauges with the thicker ones to get better readings. For example, stacking 0.04 with 0.07 gives you a 0.11 feeler gauge. Stacking would only be needed to double check the valves that are on the edge of being too loose, and then only to get an idea of how much change in clearance there is between checks so you can start predicting at which checks you will likely neeed to order shims. As long as the valve measures tight then you just need to use the chart to get the valve clearance back into spec (but it is nice to know how to use feeler stacking if you ever have a bike with screw and locknut adjusters).

 

ok now i f***ed my self part of my zip tie snapped off in the cylinder any tips on getting it out i can see it in there maybe take the whole thing apart on the bright side i did get the shim out

 

Vacuum cleaner. You may want to use the crevice tool and tape a length of tubing to that so you can get a good seal. That is one of the reasons why I prefer using 14 gauge wire.

 

i was able to get one of the plastic pieces out but there is still a piece in there which i cant see stuck my shopvac to the hole but nothing
i think the exhaust shims are stuck i have tried to get 2 out with no success can i judt take this apart to get to them