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'83 Xj550 Seca Restoration Project

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by geg81, Jun 11, 2017.

  1. a100man

    a100man Well-Known Member

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    Congrats I make that 7lb 4 oz ! You now have approx 6-12 months before things start to get tricky - use your time wisely ;-)
     
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  2. geg81

    geg81 New Member

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    After a couple of weeks of adapting to the new parental status (looking after someone who fiercely PRETENDS to be fed every 2-3 hours isn't easy for total noobs like me and my wife), I found the time (thanks to someone else who kindly sacrificed for the cause) to get some work done with the bike.
    Yesterday I removed the crash bar and attempted to remove the seized JIS screw with the chisel. After one hour of wrestling and countless TAP TAP TING TAP TIIING, the screw is still there, more scarred than before, but still there. So at the moment that @!#?@! screw is still winning the game and I invested a small amount of money to get an impact driver and a screw extractor set.

    Meanwhile I decided to move my attention to the tank. The cap is still stuck and a colleague of mine suggested to turn it upside down hoping the gas still inside will somehow release the mechanism. I don't believe it will but I thought trying won't hurt.
    After turning the tank upside down I noticed that the fuel petcock and the gas level sensor are two separate assemblies and, like many other parts, the screws are rusted and they won't come out easily without a proper JIS screwdriver and the adequate amount of torque. So I poured the ATF mixture on them and put the tank away to let the oil soak.
    Can I use an impact driver on those screws or will I damage the tank?
     
  3. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    you may dent the tank with a impact driver when you strike it with a hammer.
     
  4. dkavanagh

    dkavanagh Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    I found a set of vice grips works well on some of those stripped out JIS screws. The heads seem chunky enough to grab onto. Another option, grind a slot for a straight blade screwdriver. Careful about sparks, obviously!
     
  5. geg81

    geg81 New Member

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    Hello everyone. Good news and not so good news.
    The impact driver with #3 PH bit unlocked the seized JIS screw and I was able to remove the ignition cover. Much to my surprise the inside looked like new. The crankshaft turned CCW with almost no effort spitting the oil/acetone mixture everywhere through the plug holes (and everywhere means on me too). So this is good news I think.
    The fuel petcock screws were almost as seized as the ignition cover ones, so instead of wrestling with screwdrivers I decided to use my new set of screw extractors and my cordless drill. WHAM, those rusted screws were out in no time. This is good news I think.
    Petcock out, I drained all the gas inside the tank. Meanwhile I decided to use a little brute force on the fuel cap and finally the key turned clockwise. The cap was out. Still good news.
    Now the not so good news.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    The tank is full of gunk, rust and rust scales. A friend of mine suggested to clean the tank first with water, nuts and bolts. Then rinse with alcohol and then use ortho-phosphoric acid to remove the rust. My idea was to first clean the tank then seal with epoxy to be 100% sure from a structural point of view. Do you think the petcock and the cap can be saved?
     
  6. Bigshankhank

    Bigshankhank Active Member

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    I think Hogfiddles did an excellent write up on what needs to be done to properly rebuild the factory petcock. It is similar to taking your carbs to the Church of Clean. However it is easy to replace the petcock, they are relatively cheap. Be sure to either replace with NOS Yamaha or get one with a vacuum port. There are threads on changing to a non-vacuum operated petcock but why mess with what works?
    Tanks are not replaceable, save it at all cost! Look into the electrolysis method of rust removal if you want something to talk about when people ask you about the bike later on. It is relatively simple but a little time consuming. The cap could probably be saved.
     
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  7. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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  8. XJOE550

    XJOE550 Active Member

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    IMHO I would try to avoid using a tank liner like epoxy unless absolutely necessary (Only if you have a small leak). They can fail if not properly applied (tank cleaned properly). In which case, the are a pain to remove. Which cleaning method you choose depends on the cost and if you are trying to save the paint. I would tend to use one which does the least harm to the metal since XJ tanks seem a bit thin compared to others I have restored. Last XJ tank I did with vinegar and it leaked at the bottom seems. But that could have been like that to begin with. A product like Evapo-Rust works very well and protects the surface thereafter. Like BigShankHank mentioned, these XJ550 SECA tanks are very hard to source. So you will want to salvage this one at all costs.
     
  9. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    in his part of the world that is the only style xj550 issued no maxims a replacement tank may not be that hard to find.
     
  10. geg81

    geg81 New Member

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    at the low price of 550€ for a new (old stock) one I will salvage mine at all costs.
     
  11. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    i was thinking used tank NOS parts are quite expensive here to0
     
  12. geg81

    geg81 New Member

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    No used tanks atm, the XJ is not a very common bike here. Guzzi, Ducati and Honda CB's parts are easier to find. Even the NOS tank I found (like most of other available used parts) is located in Germany. By the way I want to save money for the 4 in 2 exhaust collector. Eaten away... Pulverized I would say. I thought it would be stainless steel...

    To restore the seized plug thread (cylinder #3) I was thinking of buying a 12mm back-tap (eg. NAPA TOOLS 3689). This way I could get the straight directly from the lower part of the thread and most of the swarf would get taken out by the tap itself. Has anyone ever used one of these taps?
     
  13. Stumplifter

    Stumplifter Well-Known Member

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    Never used one of those; sounds like a keen idea.
    Would be concerned if it is possible to cut the threads too deep if you aren't careful...
    Curious to hear if anyone has used one.
     
  14. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    I think they are called thread chasers here used to reform threads
     
  15. geg81

    geg81 New Member

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    just got one by BGS on Amazon, as far as I understand you can't overstretch the tap by turning the rear nut. It's like on/off by pulling/pushing the internal shaft, then you lock/unlock the tool with the nut. Anyway I'm going to check the diameter with a caliper before any attempt at reforming the thread.
     
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  16. e13design

    e13design Member

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    As someone who decided to kream coat his tank after finding a small bit of rust from the PO. Don't... Acid etching or electrolysis is the best route. The epoxy coating goes bad after about 8 years of having gas constantly on it.
    The project I am dreading is removing all of that nonsense after spending a lot of time repainting the tank.
    I happen to have a spare 4-2 manifold for an 83 xj 550 seca, it may fit yours. PM me when you have a chance.
     
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  17. a100man

    a100man Well-Known Member

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    Your friend is a wise man (lady?). I used steel wood screws as I perceived their sharp ends would do a better job at scraping the crevices. I would save the alcohol until the end i.e. water/detergent/screws-water rinse-phosphoric-water rinse-alcohol (water absorber)- hair dryer-
    cup of diesel swilled around to protect.. If you find leaks after the phosphoric then a liner or lead solder repair may be needed..
     
  18. XJOE550

    XJOE550 Active Member

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    Here is a couple of videos of what I had to deal with. I haven't finished it. Project is on hold right now. Once I finish the tank and the video series for it (have to sliver solder part of the seam), I shall post it in the how-to-video section. This method is good for saving the paint. In my case, saving the paint was not practical. Therefore, the third video shows the start of the paint stripping process.



     
  19. geg81

    geg81 New Member

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    I have disassembled and cleaned the fuel petcock and this are the results

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Now the phosphoric acid has cleaned and stripped the aluminium leaving an oxide layer which can be brushed away and then painted black (on the outside). There is some corrosion here and there and a hole in the main body. The hole could be TIG welded. Do you think the parts can be salvaged with a rebuild kit? Btw I have found compatible on/off petcocks on the bay starting at 14.95€ and some OEM parts like this one
    http://www.ebay.it/itm/Yamaha-Virag...156467?hash=item1a30a34673:g:AtYAAOSw9GhYf3Q8
     
  20. dkavanagh

    dkavanagh Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    waitaminute. What hole concerns you?

    I think I found it:
    Screen Shot 2017-07-28 at 6.43.23 AM.jpg
     
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