1. Hello Guest. You have limited privileges and you can't "SEARCH" the forums. Please "Log In" or "Sign Up" for additional functionality. Click HERE to proceed.

First start up after several years

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by beeker73, Aug 23, 2007.

  1. beeker73

    beeker73 New Member

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Calgary, AB, CAN
    Hi All,

    My bike has been sitting for about 3 years. I plan on doing all the right things to it in a couple of weeks (clean tank and petcock, clean and bench sync carbs, replace fuse block, check air filter, oil and filter change, add an inline fuel filter).
    Before I can properly sync the carbs on the bike, I need to start it. :roll:

    Should I do anything, other than the above, before I start it up? I don't want it to seize up due to a lack of oil on all the internals, or something worse.

    Thanks.
     
  2. ToddMackenzie

    ToddMackenzie Member

    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    6
    After sitting for a few years, the cylinder walls will be bone dry. I believe there is special oils you can squirt into the spark plug holes to get those piston rings wet before you turn it over. You can also bench synch the carbs before starting the bike to get it approximately what you want.
     
  3. Altus

    Altus Active Member

    Messages:
    1,489
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    London, Ontario
    Yup - fog the cylinders to make sure everything's lubricated - good idea.
    You also might want to change the rear drive gear oil, and check the head, swingarm, and wheel bearings for greasing.
     
  4. beeker73

    beeker73 New Member

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Calgary, AB, CAN
    Thanks for the hot tips.

    Rear drive gear oil. That is the hard to access plug located near where the centre stand is mounted?
     
  5. olinrj

    olinrj Member

    Messages:
    56
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    6
    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Nope. It is at the rear axle. there is a vent on top, leave it alone! (don't ask) and a bolt about mid height on the housing. drain and refill per the manual.
     
  6. beeker73

    beeker73 New Member

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Calgary, AB, CAN
    Thanks, I was thinking of the middle gear drain plug that I read about in another thread.
     
  7. Con1

    Con1 New Member

    Messages:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Lethbridge, Ab
    my son has a Susuki Katana - on that BB site - there was a very very cool thread link on how to park & unpark the bike. I will post the link below. I cut & Pasted this one into my harddrive as it is about ready for any bike I believe

    http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/motorcy ... orage.html
     
  8. beeker73

    beeker73 New Member

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Calgary, AB, CAN
    Will just any automotive grease work, or is there something specific I should use? Will I find the answer in my Haynes manual or on the CD?


    Anyone else want to give their two cents on what to do before a first start up? It's almost time. Maybe this weekend! :mrgreen:
     
  9. rhys

    rhys Member

    Messages:
    419
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Columbia, MO
    Have you given the electrical system a good check, particularly the fuses and the regulator?

    It would suck to get it running, then have things start to burn up due to a bad regulator. (I lost a battery and two headlight bulbs to a bad regulator.)

    I have an XJ750J sitting in my garage right now that I don't think has run in seven or eight years. Picked it up cheap over the summer. Once the XJ650 (which runs) is in better shape, I'm going to come back to this thread as part of tearing into the 750. I've never SEEN tires in this bad a shape! I think the PO dropped it on the right side (front right blinker crushed), got scared, and just garaged it forever. We'll see if it ever runs again.

    If not, I'll have cheap parts for you all! :)
     
  10. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    13,843
    Likes Received:
    65
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Location:
    Massachusetts, Billerica
    Change the Oil.
    Pull the Plugs and put a Tablespoon of Marvel Mystery Oil in the Spark Plug Holes.
    Leave the Plugs out.
    Pull the Ignition Cover (Crank Cover; left side) and Manually jack-over the Engine 12 complete revolutions to spread the Oil on the Cylinder Walls.

    New Battery -- Fresh Oil --
    Spark Plugs Out
    Turn the Engine over on the Starter -- 6 Times for 8~10 Seconds to circulate the fresh oil through the entire plant.

    Plug Time.
    New Plugs.
    Put 'em in and fire that baby up.

    (After you Clean the Carbs and do all the other stuff you've done to get her ready to growl again!)
     
  11. dandrewk

    dandrewk Member

    Messages:
    163
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    San Rafael, CA
    While on the subject of plugs.

    Iridium plugs? Yes, no?
     
  12. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

    Messages:
    13,843
    Likes Received:
    65
    Trophy Points:
    48
    Location:
    Massachusetts, Billerica
    Unless you got money to burn and your bike is tuned-up and race-prepped and you need to impress the guys at the hamburger stand with all the goodies you loaded onto your bike and need to stroke your ego for treating your bike to unnecessary and overpriced stuff to waste your hard earned dough on ....

    Sure.

    The practical thing to do:

    Run some Champion Plugs in it for a week.
    Read the Plugs and make your Tweaks.
    Clean 'em or stick-in a new set.
    That's got you up to 8 Plugs now.
    Buy another set to have for emergencies.
    You own 12-Good Plugs ...

    And you ain't spent what it's gonna cost you for a set of designer plugs yet!

    But, like I said ... if you got the money to burn ... by all means ... burn it!
     
  13. beeker73

    beeker73 New Member

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Calgary, AB, CAN
    I haven't done anything to/for the regulator. I have given her a new fuse block. Her carbs have been cleaned (as few parts replaced) and will be eyeballed this weekend before going back into her. She'll have new oil, a new fuel filter, and a new battery this weekend as well.

    If all goes according to plan, she'll be purring like a kitten by Sunday evening.

    Thanks for the advice guys.
     
  14. beeker73

    beeker73 New Member

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Calgary, AB, CAN
    And she'll have new plugs too.

     
  15. rhys

    rhys Member

    Messages:
    419
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Columbia, MO
    Oil in cylinders:
    Is it sufficient to pull the plugs and spray fogging oil into the cylinders rather than using the marvel oil?

    Manually cranking:
    What tool to use for this? 1/2" drive breaker bar and appropriate socket? (I haven't pulled the cover yet to see what's in there.) I assume it'll require a lot of torque to manually and gently turn the engine over, though perhaps not with the plugs out, since I won't be building compression anywhere?

    Engine in neutral, of course...

    When cranking over with the starter, good time to go ahead and run a compression test on the various cylinders? Will require more cranking, of course, but the oil ought to be very well distributed after testing all four.

    --J

    "Yes, I'm very detail oriented and I plan the crap out of everything. It rarely seems to do me much good, but I can't really tell because I always do it this way."
     
  16. Robert

    Robert Active Member

    Messages:
    7,479
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    Ventura CA
    Fogging oil should work fine. Spray away. I would still use the Marvel myself.
    Manual cranking should be easy as pie with at 19mm open end wrench if the plugs are out. Nice and easy, go for it.
    I would wait on a compression test until after you have fired and run the engine a few times. Loosens up sticky rings when you use Marvel Mystery oil. You'll get a more realistic reading if you wait a bit.
    One point on turning the engine with the starter after you pull the plugs. Ground out the ignition caps/plugs, you'll mess up the TCI if you don't.
     
  17. rhys

    rhys Member

    Messages:
    419
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    Columbia, MO
    VERY good to know. Thanks for that!

    I'll see if anyone around here has some of that Marvel oil. If not, the fogging oil will be it. It was a whopping $4, so if I find the Marvel, no big loss.

    As for getting it to fire, the bike shop here recommended using the fogging oil in the carbs, rather than starter fluid. (I have both.) Good idea? Bad idea? Use neither and just let the fuel flow?
     
  18. MiCarl

    MiCarl Active Member

    Messages:
    4,373
    Likes Received:
    23
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    Livonia, MI (Metro Detroit)
    It won't fire on fogging oil.

    If you've got your carbs set up, and fuel in them (PRI on the fuel valve) it shouldn't need any starting fluid.
     

Share This Page