Issues after sitting for a bit

just a single learch is the result of it getting shifted into gear and power being distributed.
obviously if I was in front of the bike I would know where to send you to fix it, but Im not. I have only a vague description of the issues and my own mental picture, but I believe its in your safty systems (electrical) based on what you have told me. It's ultimately your machine and you do what you feel is the best route.

not 100% sure about the seca 550, but the maxim has a 4 wire safty relay, and it can be unplugged to eliminate these safety circuits temporarly. it has a 12v power, and a ground wire for relay operation, and 2 other connections, the signal in, and the signal out. unplugging it just mutes the system useless. the relays get hot, and 40+ yrs of hot and cold does a number on them. when a relay quits working, it either stays in a not connected state, or a connected state. if your is bad and stuck in the connected state its killing the tci ground when neutral switch position is switched on.

 

Put about 2 oz of seafoam in your motor oil this will clean out the gunk that's in the motor oil and if your clutch is a stuck together because of the gunky oil it may also clean them off I use seafoam once a year just before my last oil change

 

What manual do you need?

 

he needs the XJ550) Seca...year was never mentioned...

 

It was the factory service manual for the XJ 900f. I found it in one of your threads.

 

clutch's have stainless steel plates to seperate the ones with the clutch material speciffically for this reason, there unlikely to ever really seize. only way they would ever seize, is if it was ran low on oil allowing the steel to get extremly hot (excess of 350 degrees). this would allow the clutch material to just slip off and desinigrate, allowing all plates to fuse together.

if that happened, it would be very obvious the last time it was parked. seafoam will slightly clean the gunk, but as the temp rises to operating temp, the seafoam will have likely evaporated the most important part of its chemical makeup. leaving only the petrolium base which is just another lubricator and not a detergent cleaner.

it will be most effective if you put it in and start it up for about 1 to 3 minutes(just enough to cycle it in top end), then shut if off. let it sit for an hour or so, then start it again getting to operating temp, then shut it off and drain when hot.

good call tho @XJ550H on the seafoam. But I have seen verry few bike engines in need of a degunking...

put your bike in 2nd gear and see if you can push start it and hop on and shift...

 

Okay so update - found the starter cutoff relay. I disconnected it, tho after doing so it wouldn't crank in any gear. However, I jumpered the red/white to red/white wires and voila - it cranks! It cranks in gear too great. However, it still dies when downshifting and it won't start in 1st or 2nd. Is it cranking but not sparking perhaps?

In 1st gear, when I sit on the bike, pull in the clutch, and roll it will move but feels like lots of resistance. Tightening the cable didn't seem to change anything. The oil was drained and changed like a month ago, so it's new.

 

stater cutoff relay is not the same as sidestand safety relay.
once you bypassed the starter cutoff relay you disabled the clutch saftey switch and neutral switch function.

so to clear up something
when you shift into gear the bike lurchases forward and stalls with clutch pulled in?

at this point I do think it is a clutch issue not electrical or fuel related

 

Yes, that's correct.

 

if it was mechanical, and impeding the rotation it would have broke something, or hear a noise inside by now...

 

Thanks for all the knowledge and help so far. I'd be happy to take some video or pictures if it would help you guys diagnose what's going on. I am thinking at this point the clutch cover has to come off to get a look at the basket and plates.

 

I've finally gotten around to removing the clutch pack and taking a look (the clutch cover was actually a bit of a headache to get off). All the plates were pretty nicely stuck together - will probably just get new friction plates to remove that variable. Also, is this piece supposed to be wavy?

 

bump to see if I can get confirmation on whether or not the clutch boss spring is supposed to be wavy or flat

 

I think wavy is correct as that is how it gets the "spring" action. Have you looked up it on line for a replacement and wee what the replacement looks like? Partzilla or others.

 

Coming back around to this, I rebuilt the clutch, cleaned up the pads and plates, new gasket, new fluid. Used this thread. Starts right up, but exactly the same issue. It just seems always partially engaged no matter what I do. In neutral, the wheel very slightly spins, though I can stop it with my foot. Shifting to first or second always kills the motor. In first with the clutch pulled, I can roll the bike around but it's hard.

Weirdly, the cable adjustment doesn't seem to make much difference. Pretty stumped, as I've had bikes that would get the clutch stuck, but I could rev them up and shift and it would always come unstuck. This one, not so much.

I'll post a video this weekend.

Could this indicate some other transmission problem?

 

when your bike is on center stand the rear wheel will spin in neutral it is a normal thing.

it could be your sidestand safety switch is acting up and shutting down bike

 

I'm not the first owner of this, and the previous owner did mess around with jumpering the switches. The starter will turn over when it's in first, however who knows if it is sparking. Was thinking of testing one of the plug caps to see if it's sparking while it turns over in first.

 

Is that the starter turning over in gear when the clutch switch is pulled in AND the side stand is up?

Removing the side stand relay (ignition cutoff) is the easiest action for troubleshooting the safety circuit - or at the TCI follow the B/W wire and disconnect the bullet connector

https://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/the-ultimate-relay-switch-sensor-and-diodes-guide.27543/

"XJ550 models:

Flasher: on a tabbed bracket at the rear of the ignition coils rear mounting bracket.
Flasher canceller: behind ignition coils.
Starter motor solenoid/relay: behind the right side cover, behind the access panel, below the regulator.
Starter/Ignition cut-off relay (no color): front of coil rear mounting bracket.
Sidestand (kickstand) relay (blue): left side, behind rear frame cross tube.
Headlight relay (yellow): behind ignition coils, behind flasher canceller.
Diode block: inside the headlight housing.
Neutral switch: located inside the engine shifter case side cover."

 

So here's what I'm working with:

The start circuit cutoff relay (I believe that's the one under the tank) was disconnected and jumpered (i think it was red/white to red/white jumpered). I plugged it back in.

The sidestand relay looks like it's missing entirely. Got an empty connector there.

I replaced the clutch safety switch because I thought it might be the issue. No luck.

It sounds like in order to remove all of the safety cutoffs from the equation, I should unplug that bullet connector to the TCI. Where exactly is that located?

 

I think you are referring to the 2nd picture you posted, and that appears to be the headlight relay connector. The yellow tape indicates headlight and the wire colors match the headlight relay - perhaps the sidestand relay is still installed

The sidestand relay connector should be R/W, L/Y, B, and B/W, and if not removed would have blue tape marking the harness as well as a blue dot on the relay

I don't own a 550 so I can't give you a picture or exact location but the B/W wire should be easy to find starting at the TCI and simply following it back to the bullet connector