New to the Forums

Hi Folks,
Thought I'd pop on and introduce myself. Middle of last year I bought my first bike. Turns out I stumbled on a great start up bike. I figured since I just got certified to repair motorcycles I should probably own one. lol. I now have an 81 xj650 maxim and it has been a project from the start. I hauled it 600 miles, only paid 900 for it and it only has 16k on it. The guy who owned it before kept it in a garage and for the last 20 or so years hasn't been able to ride it much, (only putting about 8k on it) It wouldn't start off the bat but new plugs and a new battery got her purring pretty well.

Now I'm into the brakes and after reading a lot of other posts, I figure the MC and the caliper both need rebuilt. (discovered this when I took the bike into the driveway and it didn't like to stop on its own) As far as I can tell the piston is partially frozen (can't pop the piston out of the caliper) and the mc return is gummed up(the front wheel doesn't like to spin on its own so I think that the pads have to be catching pretty bad) I know the two sound contrary to each other but you'd have to see it to believe it. I checked to make sure there was no wheel wobble with the caliper off and the disc is true to the naked eye (haven't measured the disc yet).

After I get that cleared up, I'll tackle the back break. Hopefully, I'll be able to get it done in time for some riding this year and then I can move onto some mods to make it feel like my bike and not just A bike. I'd like to replace the turn lights with something a bit less obtrusive, front controls (because the mids are a bit ackward for me and it just doesn't feel right for my feet to be directly under me) taller bars to bring my hands closer to parallel with my shoulders, and I'm really fighting with the urge to get a different seat. I just don't know if I like the King/Queen setup. New paint is also on my list but that's probably for next year.

If I figured this post thing out right a pic of my bike in front of my other project is below.

 

its good to see that you have some ideas and are planning already... now just get out there and do it! you won't be dissappointed with an XJ... they're great.

 

Well as an update, Rebuilt the MC (looked like someone had put fruit preserves in the res. there was so much jelly). Funstuff getting that circlip out. The brake Caliper on the other hand has been a nightmare. the bleeder seems to have been chewed by something with very sharp teeth, the threads at some point were crossthreaded and the piston is siezed in the cylinder. Managed to get the mangled bleeder off and the piston has actually moved about 4mm or so. Tried to use brake pressure, no go, tried a grease gun, messy and no movement, compressed air will get it to wiggle a bit but with 150 psi the thing should have flown across the room. Even heated the caliper with a torch and then applied air. That one got me a nice burn because I was frustrated and not paying attention to my hand position.

So I'm at a loss, I can either keep soaking the thing in kerosene and trying to pop it out, or try to find a new one somewhere. Money's a little tight so I'm trying to find the cheapest solution that gets the job done right.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

I am sorry I cant offer any help with the piston problem...
But a heads up, funds permitting, the dual caliper from the seca is a nice set up.
New forks, wheel, calipers, M/C. But the outcome is quite desirable.

Might be a project for next winter, but just a "heads up"
Nice sled dog btw

 

You may have to just get another caliper instead of trying to bring that one back to life. They can be a bear when they get neglected for so long. I'd try Ebay and see if you can find one there. If it's only got 8k on it, I can't see the front brakes being wore out yet, so I would think the rotor should be good yet.

 

So I broke down and bought a new caliper off of ebay. 35 bucks. I thought that was a pretty cool deal. Started to tear it apart and the piston in that one isn't a movin' either. I'm at the point where I'm gonna buy a universal puller and combine it with the other methods I've tried. At this point I'm not worried about damaging the old one anymore so I can experiment a bit with it. Funniest thing is that when I started the project I figured that the Master Cylinder would give me more trouble than the caliper. Every vehicle seems to have it's own unique gremlin... My 98 Wrangler had a starter that literally fell apart on me a few times. I guess if I had to pick a gremlin for this bike I could do a lot worse than a caliper.

 

Alright, I finally went back to Ebay and got a third caliper. This one was pretty scruff but it was functional. I popped the piston, cleaned all the black junk out of it, inspected all surfaces and replaced the seals. Hooked her back up and what do ya know, I have breaks! That said I have two more projects I would like to do on her this spring. I would like to replace the rubber between the carbs and the head (looks like it could be a pain) and either stop the leaks in the exhaust system/ replace the exhaust. Any helpful advice from those that have trod that road before?
Thanks

 

Seeing as your going to remove the carbs to replace the boots, you may as well give the carbs a clean... have a look on the boards for Rick's how clean your carbs guide