1981 650H "Restoration"

Awesome build Coach! This is one of the best threads I've read in a while and your end results are amazing. Let me make a guess here though... Your a steelers fan?

 

[quote=".... Let me make a guess here though... Your a Steelers fan?[/quote]

It's not easy (right now) but:

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Coach, don't sweat the idea of shimming your needles. The Euro-spec bikes had DIFFERENT needles; some even had adjustable needles (which eliminates the need for a shim washer.) The needles in the Amals that came on my Norton are adjustable, it used to be common.

-but-

Yamaha was living in dread fear of the EPA here in the early '80s; not so in Europe. Euro spec bikes had "fatter" pilots, adjustable needles, all sorts of things that would help make them run better...

but possibly emit more unburned hydrocarbons. 8O

 

I thought about the rims as well, but really I think if you did anything more it might be too much. The yellow details you have pull the rest of the bike into the color scheme without being too distracting. I feel it is a clean look as is, but that's me I suppose

 

I created a small guage set to monitor (as I ride) vacuum (real time so to speak)... Obviously I ran vacuum hose from the guage set under the tank and to the ports (to a Tee on #3) on the intake manifolds... I calibrated all four guages first -- this pic was taken as I was mounting the fourth...

Took the bike out for maybe 50 miles with these mounted and the results surprised me (no surprises at Idle, consistent vacuum across all four just like you'd see in your garage when synching) --

(I dunno maybe someone has done this already, and to you all this is a no-brainer, but for me, for other than "garage idleing and revving" I was not sure what vacuum I'd see during regular and extreme riding conditions -- and wanted to advance my understanding of carbs and air-flow and conditions)

So, in monitoring the vacuum on the intake throat (just past the butterfly, of course) "real time" under normal operating conditions --

1. What do you think I see under cruise conditions?
2. What do they read under heavy-load and WOT conditions?
3. What did I see when under heavy "engine-braking" (i.e. down-shift and let the engine slow the bike)?
4. What do they read at normal idle?

Which of the four produces the greatest vacuum readings?

Now, I don't know what is happenning on the "other side" of the butterfly, and I may find a way to test that too --- And I haven't read the thread started by Rick for "Pod Fixing Mod" recently, but the results of what I learned may (or possibly may not)have implications for that hypothetical fix

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My Grandma used to have a '50 Ford, with manifold-vacuum operated windshield wipers.

I learned at a very early age that the way manifold vacuum behaves under various combinations of load and throttle is counter-intuitive at best.

The more important question would be: how balanced are they under the various conditions? Do they all rise and fall pretty much together?

 

Fitz, is of course on the right track -- counterintuitive:

To my surprise, there is NO vacuum occurring at WOT for as long as I stay on WOT… the moment I unwind, and the motor acts as a brake, the vacuum jumps.

1. The vacuum is greatest when the motor is braking
2. The vacuum is next greatest when Idling
3. The vacuum is low, very low to 0 when cruising (vacuum likely is only occurring during those seconds that the motor is not "pulling" but is slightly "pushed")
4. The vacuum is zero at WOT and under high loads, even at very high speeds at WOT

I adjusted the flow meter to allow the vacuum needles to "bounce" significantly thinking that WOT had to have some vacuum and that I might see the needles "bouncing" off zero -- but, no, again, under heavy load and WOT there appears to be an insignificant vacuum --

IOW - NEAR ATMOSPHERIC pressure under load.

I must admit, I do not understand how there is NOT a vacuum present in the intake throat (i.e. down-stream from the venturi and butterfly) at WOT and therefore during very high air-velocity situations?

Explained here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifold_vacuum

But then this set up of mine must present very little restriction at the air box... I still would have expected "some" vacuum in the intake at WOT.... so probably the guages are not sensitive enough -- ther must be "some" level of vacuum

Thanks

p.s. Yes, Fitz, I am perfectly synched, in fact it is fun to watch them dance in unison and try to understand what is happening under different load-no-load scenarios
p.s.s, I am going to find a way to monitor vacuum inside the boots before the carb-throat venture…

 

WOW, this is impressive!

I just am starting out trying to learn as I go, concentrating on the safety aspects and preventative maintenance for this riding season... (long list of new parts and lots of TLC) but next winter, I think I'll begin to make my bike LOOK nicer!

This thread should provide anyone with enough inspiration to keep their XJ looking and running nice.

 

Thanks it was fun ... Hit me with any questions I will do my best

 

Xjers:

I've been reading a number of posts about the lack of "free spinning" front wheels, grabbing brakes, squeaks, etc. and I began to wonder about my own darn squeaky new brakes... Now, I installed EBC rotors and pads as a part of my rebuild and I "broke them in" per the instructions, but they were squeaky day 1, and still are since the new rotor and pads (not a squeak you could hear "on the road" but, motor off, and rock the bike, and they squeaked pretty loudly -- see the video on page 6 of this thread to hear it.)

So, this morning I bent down to inspect things and I noticed that when squeezing the hand lever, the EBC disk was moving (bending) slightly from outside to inside (in other words, the piston-side pad was rubbing and consequently pushing the rotor "in" (about 1mm) til it met the opposite pad). And my wheel, while certainly not locked, not not "free spin" very well... and squeaks.

I loosened the axle nut and noticed that when the axle nut relaxed its grip a small gap appeared between the speedo housing and the inner-fork seat, and when the axle nut is relaxed -- the EBC rotor is centered -- and it free-wheels with no sqeak and no resistance... I thought perhaps the axle and pinch bolt on the other side was misaligned so I loosened it and slid the axle part way out and loosened the caliper mounting bolt and double cheked binding carefully reassembled (pich bolt last) and still had the issue.

Now, I *have* (preliminarily) concluded (to be proved otherwise) that the EBC rotor is about 1mm different in it's "plane" than the stock rotor... (and that difference is that it seats about 1mm out farther)

So, I made a custom spacer that I placed between the speedo housing and the fork seat and reassembled all in the proper order and tightened to specs.

The Rotor now freewheels -- and on inspection when squeezing the hand lever -- the rotor is "centered" and the pads "come in equally" to squeeze the rotor (i.e. the rotor does not move "side-to-side" in its rotation plane when operating the hand lever).

This is what the solution looks like:

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XJers,

I've been enjoying this freakish warm weather and I hope you are too... Just wanted to give you a FWIW update... I've put 1,000 miles on my 650 since firing her up after rebuild, and decided to try an experiment... I have a 550 seat, and two 650 seats, so I retrofitted a 550 cover to a 650 pan.

Now, I have two seat options for riding. The 650 original, and the 550 retrofit.

I have to admit, that I like the 550 retrofit (for feel -- NOT for looks) -- The 550 retro fit places my tush lower on the frame, and I like the control better. The 650 original clearly looks better, but I sit *higher* and, frankly, I frequently recenter my butt, particularly after a good bump.

I'd say with the 650 original, I sit "on" the bike, the 550 retrofit makes me feel more like I'm "in" the bike... (Or, it could just be my fat, old "you know what" (reminds me of a joke!!))

Anyway, Just FWIW.

Thanks

--- 550 Seat ----

--- 550 Seat ----

--- 650 Seat ----

 

God this is nice ! read the entire thread !

 

awesome start to finish project outline! Thank you for this!

 

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Saturday was warm enough to wheel it out -- apply some elbow grease and put in the season's first ride -- yes, I am a fair weather rider

 

coach. that bike of yours looks fantastic can honestly say the thread from start to finish was awesome best read iv'e had in a long time. well done cruise proud man.

 

Coach.... Haven't seen your bike for awhile---Looking good!

Dave Fox

 

Hello all it's been a while -- I had to repaint this bike this winter - not due to a dump or crash - color chosen is from the Jaguar collection called a Pearl Yellow - pic of a Jag in the color chosen also seen below

Still have work to do and some touch up - can't decide on badges yet...

This Jaguar Pearl color is DEFINITELY more muted and less bright and "deeper" then the original "yellow" I chose seen in the prior rebuild posts seen above









Still have work to do and some touch up - can't decide on badges yet...

 

Bought another --- Yellow Bike --- Just what I need!