Just bought my first XJ. Need help

Hello from Sweden.

Yesterday I bought a 1982 Xj550 4V8 1982. Today I started working on getting it up and running. It's been used as decoration in a boat shop for the last 3 years but it has been run 2x a year just to keep it from bogging down completely.

It runs great, starts easy and shifts like a dream.

Now to my problems. I want to service it, but I cant seem to find any service manual for it anywhere on the Internet. I can only find manuals for the US models but non for the European ones? Is that right or are my searching skills severely lacking?

The most pressing matter for me right now is how much oil it takes? I'm guessing around 2,5l? But guessing is dangerous and some loon has managed to paint the sightglass on the side of the engine silver so thats of no help...

Next is my front forks. They seem to have a air nipple on the top off them. I'm guessing that it's for adjusting preload or damping? Does anybody know what the pressure range are for those?

Final question; Wheels, are there any other models that fit this bike? I'm planning a scrambler build on this one but I can't seem to find any knobblies with the right size?

Best regards
Chris

 

your bike would be a US model Seca 550 except you have dual disc front brakes a linkage shifter, and oil cooler. possibly on off switch for head light.
you have the swirl wheels too.

near oil filler cap is oil quanity.
check oil on centerstand . there is a sight glass on side of clutch cover fill between the lines on glass . you can go above the lines but Always want an air bubble in the glass.

total oil. 2900cc 3.1 us quarts

oil change with filter 2500cc 2.6 us quarts

oil change 2200cc 2.3 us quarts

you would have to drain oil on a slope to get total oil out but that is not needed.

also with oil cooler you may have more oil needed.

when oil is between lines on sight glass add small amounts of oil untill full

you could use a US Seca 550 manual for most of your needs but if you do have on off switch for headlights that would not be on US wiring diagrams

 

Thanks! Is it the Clymer i should use? What kind of oil do you recommend? 20w-50 or 10w-40?

 

For most bikes, I find Haynes to be better than Clymer. I don't have a 550, though.

 

oil is based on the temps that you ride in.
as long as it is Jaso MA/MA2 rated for motorcycle wet clutch your good
this is manfactures spec

 

So if I understand it correctly as I'm going to use it over 15°c I should use 20w-40?

 

10w 40 is common nd waht I use on all my bikes.. This stuff in fact..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5L-Semi-...cle-Oil-4-Stroke-JASO-MA2-10W-40/111602285839

There's another Swede on here too joined us recently..

 

Thank you! Great, I already have a 20l bottle of 10w-40 q8 sbk racing that I use for my other bikes! No need to run to the shops then!

Does anyone have any input on my other questions? I think that I have figured out that I need nitrogen gas in the forks. Could that be the case?

We swedes come in drowes

 

Your bike looks good...consider keeping it as is ,there are fewer left around that have not been hacked up.

 

It looks good in pictures! But up close it's a bit of a mess. All the tabs for fixing the back end is bent as crazy. The seat base is crackt and broken on multiple places. Side covers are broken and very haphazardly glassfibererd together.

I guess it's harder to find the right parts than building something fun!

 

German ebay can be a good source for parts. But 'shh, don't tell everyone' ;-)

 

tried buying stuff from german ebay they cancelled the sales on me. wanted a 900 tank even said it would ship world wide then the seller cancelled the sale.
happened a few times

 

Good tip! I already have stuff coming from Germany . As Sweden and Germany are so close geographically and Germany is sooooo much cheaper I almost buy more there than in Sweden.

That's a bummer!