One year ago

One year ago on this day approximately this hour I purchased my first ride 1981 xj750rh for 200 American dollar s. It didn't run or crank and the front brakes were locked up it took me and 3 others to push it onto my dad's pickup.

From there I took it to a good friend of mine garague where over 3 weeks we adjusted the carbs put in a new battery and unfroze the front brakes and bypased a few things, removed the ugly fairing, chainged all fluids and got it running it was easily one of the best days of my life.

And for my first time ever riding I rode it home over 50 miles that day with my brother and 2 good friends and the one thing I didn't ask was how to turn so every one had a good laugh at my expence, i didnt even kill it untill we left the gas station again every one laughed once again.

I rode almost 5000 miles that year only needing to replace the rear tire and I customized my exaust and had the gas tank painted and then winter arrived where I really got into modifying my ride to make it mine. I started by removing all the extra wires and bought a beat up fairing where I removed the Horn wind shield and round headlight after I got the bike running with its new wire job I pulled the motor to have it rebuilt (just got my head gasket set today). I also fitted the windshield and back rest with lugage rack which I am proud of because I had no hardware and had to make my own custom brackets.

I'm working on replacing the brake lines, rebuilding the calipers sanding the calipers to be painted and will be repainting the front fender as well and touching up the frame before the motor is finished.

 

One of these things is not like the other.... Crap

 

missing a valve guide seal?

 

More than one of those things. Looks to me like someone bead-blasted the cam bearings. That is a huge no-no.
Start looking for a replacement head.

 

I'm going to have to put my trust in the professional that is working on the bike, he rebuilds bike motors for a living for almost 30 years, and yes the seal is missing its attached to a broken valve guide lol

 

OK did some looking around and now you've got me worried about if they efed up, I know they bead blasted the outside but I don't know if they used a chemical to clean it. I'll call them tomorrow and find out if I'm getting a new head or not

 

Just becasue someone has been doing something for a long time does not mean that they (or an employee) can't make a mistake. The XJ series do not have replaceable cam bearings like many other engines do. The cam bearings are part of the head, and if the surface of the bearings were etched or blasted then they owe you a head. Your clearances will be wrong and the surface will no longer be suitable for use as a bearing.

Now don't tell the shop this, but the bearings may be salvageable. The point is that they should have been masked off so they would not be altered by the cleaning process.

Your expert also didn't remove at least one of the head bolt washers when he did the work. It's still stuck to the head.

 

Huh. I didn't even see that thanks for pointing it out, I'm starting to think one of his peons worked on it instead of him....

 

I'm going to have to have a long talk with him I think

 

How would you save the bearings, would they have to polish them and get a bigger cam? Or do they make shims for it

 

I know nothing about the cams but I like your paint job, looks really nice, what kind of paint did your use? How to save the bearings would definitely be nice to know. Just in case.

 

The paint is just plain ol automotive paint, its 3 coats gloss black with 5 layers of clearcoat and the red is PT cruzer maroon I believe with 3 layers of clearcoat, paid a guy 2 cases of beer to do it since I don't have a spray gun

 

I would use plastigauge to measure the bearing clearance, then use jewler's rouge on a sacrificial cam, or finishing paper on a wooden dowel, to polish the bearings back shiny if there is clearance to give. If there isn't any clearance to spare I'd run it as-is, knowing that cam bearing clearance checks will be an annual event until there are signs of failure.

 

It has 18000 miles on it so hopefully the head will still be in spec, im going to call the guy again tonight

 

The mileage isn't the issue. The altered bearing surface is.
They are supposed to look like this:



(aside from the surface rust on these) the bearings should be shiny and smooth.

 

I just got off the phone with my guy and he Molly coats (I think that is spelled correct) all bearing surfaces on any head job he does, so that should take care of any gap issue, he really does know what he's about so I'm going to take his word, he even guarantee me that there will be no issue ever with his work if there is he will make it right. I'll get it on paper as well

 

I don't see any evidence of any coating on the cam bearings. Moly Coat does not look like aluminum; it's a very dark grey- to black (see the piston skirt below).

 

He hasn't done it yet, they have a few more things they need to do before they Molly coat, he's got a few spots he wants to clean better and a valve guide he is going to replace before he coats anything, I just stopped by to deliver my gasket set the day they started cleaning it up

 

Ok bike motor is back and in. Carbs are bench sync. Oil full bolts tight wires fixed carbs installed after a little time cranking she fired right up! Shela is alive after 8 months just need 4 more cold hot cold runs and 1 tank of easy riding and a few more carb adj. I'll be ready to roll