intro and my latest problem

heard about this site while looking for some answers online and thought id join in. bought an 81 XJ550 Seca Labor Day weekend. got 3 good weeks out of it before it started acting up. new float needle and boots got it running good for 2 days then a thorough carb cleaning got a few more days out of it. after some throttle cable and idle screw adjustments i had it running well this past saturday. wasnt starting easy sunday and then oil spilled out from the airbox. not sure whats next. gonna drain the oil and start fresh and id say ill definitely need a new air filter. any help is appreciated. this is my first bike and im learning as i go.
thanks

 

oil in the airbox... hmmm... could be way too much oil in the crank case. How much did it have to begin with?

There is a sight glass on the right side of the engine (clutch cover), around the brake pedal. When the engine is off, oil should come up just to the top of that window.

Also: take a good whiff of the oil through the filler cap. If it smells like gas... your carbs dumped a bunch of fuel in the oil, making it overflow. In this case, you need to immediately drain the oil, from the pan and the oil filter... Look for a stuck float valve in the carbs... Check petcock, make sure fuel does not come out in the "On" position when the engine is off.

Once that's resolved, let's see if some of the fine folks on this forum can help you to get your baby up and running.

 

stereo forgot to mention: Check oil level with motorcycle on centerstand.

 

petcock should be fine. i checked that last weekend before this even happened. im leaning toward the fuel into the oil overflow. i was on the throttle pretty hard trying to start it. im gonna drain it tomorrow and put fresh oil in. i hate that oil window. i can never see a damn thing. on the center stand or shaking it around. i tried wiping it off and shining a flashlight. maybe it was too full. hopefully fresh oil and the right amount will help.
thanks for the help
i wanna get this thing back on the road before its too cold

 

Did you by chance leave the petcock on PRI?? If so then there is no need for vacuum, the fuel will just pour into your carbs. If there is a float stuck open well, then you get fuel in your combustion chamber, which will leak past the rings and settle into your oil. YOu need to change out your oil and use only ON or RES unless you are having vacuum problems. THese engines are fairly bulletproof even when you build them, Sounds like you have fuel in the oil or too much oil in there. Put the bike on the centerstand and look thru the window on the clutch cover. If you cant see a bubble there is either too much oil (windown will be really dark), or not enough oil. I think it will be the former and not the later. You have a a crankcase that is filled with a mixture of oil and gas, NOT GOOD for the crank bearings!!!!

 

Get your torch and shine it down the filler hole to check the level if your sight glass is dirty. Or a peice of wire to compare the depth of the sight glass from the top will suffice.

Also, when starting, leave the throttle alone. Opening the throttle on these bikes can make them impossible to start as too much air gets in.

Full choke and crank for 5 seconds max. Keep giving it 5 second bursts on the starter button and it should fire up easily.

My 550 is a pig when it sits for a couple of weeks. I use the above method and can hear a pop as it gets fuel to the cylinders then all of a sudden fire into life smooth as.

As tempted as you may be, DO NOT turn the throttle while starting unless you have a very rich mixture and are coming up with dripping plugs.

 

If you fill the Oil Level to the Top of the Window ... NOT seeing anything in the Window is a good thing ... UNLESS ... you are leaking-by Fuel from the Carbs due to a leaky Petcock and Old, not-too-reliable, Float Valves seeping Gas into the Engine.

Let us know your findings after you have checked-out if it's leaking gas or you flooded it by trying to get it to Start.

Which ... is a Problem!

These Bikes should START right-up if everything is Clean and the Carbs are Dialed-in nice and the Bike is Tuned-up right.

Having to work the Starter Motor for too long without having the Engine fire-up isn't good for the Starter and the Starter Clutch.

Let's get it ironed-out and find-out why you aren't Starting right up!

 

I tend to leave the oil level just a 1/4" below the top of the sight glass so when I look if it's full......OOOOPs

 

Are you sure it isnt dirty fuel?? I'm thinking your carbs are flooding.

 

i think this was my fault from crankin the throttle trying to start it. smells like oil mixed with gas. i always leave petcock in ON position. the oil drain plug is stuck pretty good so im letting it sit for a few minutes with some WD40 to loosen up and then i am going to drain it and put fresh oil in and a new filter. 2 of my spark plugs were a little wet and the other two were just dry and black. do i need to buy new plugs or can i clean and reuse? hope i can make some progress today.

 

If you don't mind spending the dough; it would ne nice to know what's going on with a new set of Spark Plugs.
We are going to be Reading the Plugs, anyway. Nice to have a Plug Read done on a set that was Clean and New for the test.

 

at least they arent expensive, it sucks though cause they are only about a month or two old. any tips or tricks on how to get the oil drain plug and filter cover bolt undone cause mine are stuck bad. WD40 didnt do anything. what exactly do you mean by Reading the Plugs?

 

The drain plug... Mine was stuck really bad on the 550. I used a long-ish box-end wrench, with a cheater bar... WD40 is not a very good penetrant for this purpose. You might try PB blaster... repeat application every hour or so. If you want it to come out intact, it will take some patience. Gently tapping it with a hammer (or an impact driver) might help.

The oil filter bolt is another matter. If yours is the original one, good luck getting that bad boy out without chewing it up. The PO's and all the self-proclaimed mechanics that have worked on our bikes before us apparently did not believe in proper torque specs... On top of that, the diameter of the bolt head is SMALLER than the thread diameter! (What the hell, Yamaha??!) So.... If all else fails, carefully chop the bolt head off with a dremel, remove the rest of it with channel locks, and get a new bolt... It will not have the same problem. Even better, if you can still find one, a spin-on filter adapter.. Someone on this list used to make them.. I dunno if that's still the case.

Reading the Plugs basically means looking at the color of the plug after running it for X amount of time to see if you're still rich or lean or just right. Refer to chart below:

http://dansmc.com/Spark_Plugs/Spark_Plugs_catalog.html -- obligatory plug chart linky...

 

SEARS makes a Tool that specifically for getting Bunged-up Hex Heads to turn.

I'd look into getting those tools if the Oil Filter Bolt becomes a problem. Cutting it can start a viscous circle of bad news. I'd be cutting it last.

 

i'll have to check that out. i was just informed that Sears is having a big sale as well. thanks

 

were you referring to an impact tool? i saw on Sears' website an impact tool and a metric impact socket set. the tool was a 6 pc kit for 19.99 and the socket set was from 12mm to 27mm i think for 79.99. the sockets are a little expensive but with an 81 bike im sure ill have some more stuck stuff so its probably a worthwhile investment. also have a 72 Honda CB350 to play with so im sure it would come in handy there as well. i just wanted to know what i was looking for before i went and bought anything.

 

Don't let them sell you the Standard Sizes Set.

You need the Metric Set ... Specifically; 12 & 14mm

 

I don't think he is. Rather than drill a pilot hole and tap in a bolt extractor, this is a special socket that grabs onto the outside of a rounded bolt head. Here's an example:

Lisle bolt remover

Here's another:

Sears Bolt-Out

 

Is it too rounded for a 6 sided socket? Don't even try to take one off with a 12 point socket. Mine took a little muscle and an extra length of pipe on the end of my cheater bar. Just make sure you keep it on tight. I think you can replace the bold / pipe deal that holds the filter housing on.

Good Luck!

 

You could very easily "Dress" the flats on the Bolt head to be flatten-out, again with a Dremel and a Sanding Bit or Cut-off Wheel ...

Then, fit the tightest-fitting 6-Point Socket you have (Std. or Metric) and use a Breaker Bar to apply Impact to the Bolt.

Hold the Breaker Bar and Socket firmly on the Bolt Head.
Apply a "Good Deal" of initial turning torque for pre-loading the Impact.

Strike the end of the Breaker Bar with a Hammer Handle.
Really give it quite a wallop with the Hammer Handle.

The sudden IMPACT will cause the Bolt Head to turn a bit.
Additional Impact will turn it more until Impact is not needed to withdraw it!

 

neither of them are really rounded but they will be if i keep trying to undo them. they are just really stuck. i might replace both of them but first i need to get them out.