1981 650H "Restoration"

Just a rambling post -- and lots of eye candy -- to share my fun (and appreciation for the knowledge on this site) with a mild restoration of a 1981 650H -- has 11k miles before tear down… Some of this stuff is finished, some in-process -- I'll share images as I start to reassemble the bike... Here's what's going on

Stop
New SS front line; New MC; Caliper rebuild and new pads
New front disc rotor
New shoes rear

Go
Pre-tear-down compression - 140 135 135 141
Heads/jugs pulled - Bores and pistons checked - measured (story here -- need to watch your interests) head straightness checked
All new rings and all New valve seals
Lapped valves
Upgrade to Megacycle cams -- part number: 256-00 specs are (I) .354" 254° 108° (E) .354" 254° 108° (stock pistons and springs; mid-range boost; some top-end; best in stock motor - per their site)

Bounce
- Front forks rebuild - progressive springs and all new seals/oil
- Rear - progressive 430 black/chrome... 12.5" shocks as specified and those are 430s but they are not the HDs they are the 4007s (430-4007B) with 70-120lb (the HD's are a heavier spring -- they are 90-130lb)... They are a great feel but how to "lower" I dunno... BTW, if you look around you can find great deals on these
- New Seat

Left-Right:
New Head Bearing (taper bearing set)
New grips -- chrome trimmed

Input:
Carb rebuild: all thoroughly cleaned - 4 new main emulsion jets - all new o-rings and new jets (114 main 42 pilot) --- scratch -- had to move up to 116 Mains -- was still too lean -- removed needle shims
and New Diaphrams from JBM Industries
new emulsion tubes - pistons polished
All new lines; In line fuel filter added
Had a few issues with the carbs:
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=34945.html
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=35068.html
Petcock rebuild
K&N air and oil filter

Output:
Not sure about exhaust changes -- its all in good condition -- I'll probably just polish and put back on....

Spark
Dynacoils and red-wires -- scratch yellow wires

Lighting/Elec:
Lipo battery
LED tail and brake; LED instrument; LED license
New aftermarket turn signals

Cosmetic
Paint tank and Paint side covers (all Corvette yellow) (thanks to the talents of an XJer here)
Badges -- silver leaf to change lettering to chrome (from gold)
Black Paint head/jugs - file fins/polish fin-ends - clear coat (the filing and polishing was harder than I expected)
New seat
Strip all aluminium and polish it - i.e. forks, engine covers, under-seat; pegs, etc. (jeez this is tedious hard work by the way)

Here is a before and I'll post pictures as I progress, the only one to show now is the engine repaint-fin work…

Thanks

Before manslaughter:

This is the bike "Before" - one of the last rides (breakfast stop) late fall this year before tear down -- My friend was (rightly so) showing off his Harley for me...


---
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Tear down heads -- on what part of the stroke did I mistakenly start journal/sprocket/cam removal?
---

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Without Mother Jugs there'll be no Speed
---

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Prep for Forks rebuild and installing new head bearing -- and bye-bye MC

The most difficult part of the jugs/head (JH) was the process to "square off" the fins --- here is what I went through:
I started by chem stripping the JH multiple times with pressure wash between each strip ... I probably stripped/pressure washed them 3 times -- the OEM aluminum paint is REAL tough -- I finally used 3M parts cleaner (spray cans) to ensure it was totally degreased (with paper towel and screw driver to work in all crevases and to get any left over stripper out)...
Next, painted JH black with VHT High-Temp from cans... Let well dry! Then - My first try at squaring off the fins -- didn't go well -- I was too timid with the file and I chipped the paint at the "square" edges I was trying to achieve -- and it was taking Forever to get the fins filed -- I decided to not be so timid and "go after" the fins with a pretty rough rasp/file (to remove enough material to get a decent square edge) which of course chipped the new paint in several spots -- I decided to deal with that later -- I went from a rasp, to a mild file to 100 grit to 220 grit to 600 grit to 1500 grit... At this point I had the polish I wanted on the ends of the well-squared off fins... but how to deal with the chips?
Well, I repainted the JH by completing a "light-spray-over" pointing the can down at, and then "up" at the fin-edges (not straight on) to recover the chips I introduced... Let it Dry well (several days) -- Then I hit the fin ends again with 1500 polishing carefully (the spray-over coat comes right off, but any chips are covered over).... Polish as best as possible -- Then 2 coats of VHT clear and I baked it in a kitchen oven per VHT instructions at 200degrees for one hour.



Rebuilt "After" shot of right fork - springs in all sealed up!

After shot -- all reassembled, new jets, o-rings, etc., before putting the bowls back on

 

Can't wait to see this one finished

 

Looks very nice. I've got some TLC in-process on my XJ650G. Will be ready for spring!

 

Just out of curiousity; if the motor only had 11K on it and was making those kind of compression numbers pre-teardown, why the heck did you mess with it? As in rings, etc. it appears to have been in great shape to begin with, mechanically.

And if you're going through all of this, are you going to split the cases and "pre-emptively" replace the primary chain guide?

 

Hey Fitz, thanks for the reply...

--> Low miles (check), running well (check), owner who can't just "sit on his hands" (no check) AND, at 30 years, I just needed to see what was going on inside the carbs -- and discovered issues (as documented above) -- then took caliper off and couldn't bear the line -- then discovered just how bad the MC was -- Oh, I also had a small leak at #4 front corner at case/jug seam (discovered pinched o-ring there since manufactured).

In short, it's like starting remodeling on an old house -- you just "pull on a wire in an upstairs room" and suddenly discover "foundational issues".

Moreover, oppty. w/Megacycle cams (good deal and didn't have to turn in my original cams, etc.)

Piston rings were at the outside of their gap spec. too... However, I do not plan to split the case.

At what mileage would one expect an issue?

Thanks again

p.s. It'll be stronger? (assuming I don't trash something).

 

Now stop that................you're gonna embarrass a lot of people who have been on here for a long time.

That's some real nice work you're doing there.

Can't wait to see it done.

Was wondering the same thing as Fitzy..............

Dave Fox

PS: btw, you missed the edges of all the fins inside the sparkplug well. lol

 

Argh... I am not sure I want to mess in that tight space... we'll see ---

It was NOT easy to get those results (so far).

Thanks however

 

well.........with all the work you've done, didn't want you to miss a little detail like that. LOL

You DO realize now, that if you don't do that you will forever look at those area and say "I really SHOULD have...........", right?

Dave

 

delete duplicated post

 

You are soooo right ... Ok I'm on it

 

Visually, that engine is looking really, really nice - good work.

 

OK folks, I am glad for the artistry of our friend here on the forum -- Mr. Ravenz07 - who has just sent to me pictures of the just-painted tank and covers.

Ravenz07 has not polished these, they are still drying. Also -- it's a little hard to see, but there is a metal-flek in the clear coat that tempers the yellow a bit and gives it depth in the sun light -- Nice job Ravenz07 and thank you!!

(by the way, keep in mind the badge letters will be silver to make the letters chrome instead of gold -- so the badges will have a black background with silver letters to pick up on the yellow-black-chrome theme I am trying to achieve -- further, the OEM under-tank trim piece has been ordered in blacktoo)

 

I definitely cannot wait to see these installed

 

Two bits of progress this week end -- new spark installed -- and painted and rebuilt caliper (yup, baked it in my wife's oven - do this when no one is home!!)...

I'll work on the heads next week end -- I've already lapped them but I need to install new valve seals, re-spring and insert valves and buckets, etc. -- I also need to get the last of the engine covers off (clutch, main) for polishing before I put the jugs/head back on... Then, the forks, wheel, new brake system (want to leave the front open while reinstalling jugs/head/exchust)... (wish I could send out these remaining parts to be polished -- it's darned time consuming)

YES ... I AM goint to clean that lower case!!!

 

My god is that one sexy paint job, particularly on the engine head and brake caliper! How hard was the paint work? Did you do it yourself or did you get someone else to do the work? Have you had a chance to get the engine up to operating temp yet to check paint durability?

I would also be interested in knowing what paint you went with.. my engine is in need of a fresh coat too

 

Thank you -- The most difficult part of the jugs/head (JH) was the process to "square off" the fins --- here is what I went through:

I started by chem stripping the JH multiple times with pressure wash between each strip ... I probably stripped/pressure washed them 3 times -- the OEM aluminum paint is REAL tough -- I finally used 3M parts cleaner (spray cans) to ensure it was totally degreased (with paper towel and screw driver to work in all crevases and to get any left over stripper out)...

Next, painted JH black with VHT High-Temp from cans... Let well dry! Then - My first try at squaring off the fins -- didn't go well -- I was too timid with the file and I chipped the paint at the "square" edges I was trying to achieve -- and it was taking Forever to get the fins filed -- I decided to not be so timid and "go after" the fins with a pretty rough rasp/file (to remove enough material to get a decent square edge) which of course chipped the new paint in several spots -- I decided to deal with that later -- I went from a rasp, to a mild file to 100 grit to 220 grit to 600 grit to 1500 grit... At this point I had the polish I wanted on the ends of the well-squared off fins... but how to deal with the chips?

Well, I repainted the JH by completing a "light-spray-over" pointing the can down at, and then "up" at the fin-edges (not straight on) to recover the chips I introduced... Let it Dry well (several days) -- Then I hit the fin ends again with 1500 polishing carefully (the spray-over coat comes right off, but any chips are covered over).... Polish as best as possible -- Then 2 coats of VHT clear and I baked it in a kitchen oven per VHT instructions at 200degrees for one hour.

Calipers? Same routine... Important to bake the calipers or new brake fluid will strip your hard work (having spilled any or leaked any on the painted surfaces)

Thanks

 

Oh hey John -- Just saw your location -- I have an office in Philly (not often in town however) -- let's connect on a ride in the spring?

 

Absolutely interested in some riding! It will be a fee months before I am back together and running. Thanks for posting your paint process. I want to redo the engine paint on mine (all black engine on the Midnight) but am nervous about tackling an expensive and time consuming project with little time and funding before riding season.

 

You have some tins needing paint?

 

Only a few parts remain. The fuel tank, turn signal housings, tail light housing, control levers, mirrors, caliper and all the gold accents. Trying to avoid having to repaint the engine - that will depend on how a polished and thoroughly cleaned engine looks in a freshly painted bike.