New guy! Hello!.. I need advise 82 XJ1100 fix or junk it....

Hello everyone! I found this site about 7 months ago. I found it when I bought my current Maxim 1100. It was sitting in a garage and had been there since 1988. It was left with 3/4 of a tank of gas and had been all pimped out. The really big issues for me are the gas tank is really rusty inside and no good on clean ones on EBay. Only 1 place around here does the"renu" on tanks and truth be told, two different people who are friends of mine, have not had luck in getting their tank done and not had another failure with no warranty to get it done again. The next issue is the carbs. I read on here they are a BS34 and to get parts from Mikes xs? The calipers will need to be rebuilt and tires too.

I guess my questions are, is this really worth it? The bike has 5175 original miles on it. It does have a factory fairing and aftermarket trunk bag sissy bar and the small old plastic saddle bags. It looks like it could be a really rider, I am just wondering if I should just sell it before I get another project. I did half clean the carbs and hooked a battery to it and it did start and run.

What should I ask price wise for this--a ballpark number-- or do I just order the parts it needs and figure out a tank later??

 

Welcome, personally I'd keep it & get it on the road. Entirely up to you though as to how much you want it, from what you say it could make a properly tidy bike with a little recommisioning.

I don't know how much of what you need is carried by XJ4Ever, but you could at least have a word with Len "Chacal" on here and see what he reckons.

On the tank, it depends how rusty it is (is it leaking?) but you may be able to clean the rust out & just use it, there's many & varied ways to do this

Any chance of taking some pics of the beastie so we can see how it looks after 25 years hibernation?
Again welcome & best of luck whichever way you go with it

 

My tank was rusty enough that I ended up with pin holes. I ran the bike for about a year after I cleaned it out when out of the blue I am getting pissed on with gas. Sanded the tank real good at pinholes, put some sealant on it (cant remember name, But when I do I E-Mail it to ya) lightly sanded & covered with a little black paint & no more leaks. It has been the better part of three years since it leaked. So all is not lost.

 

You'd be able to find a XJ1100 Fuel Tank in the Motorcycle Salvage Business.

They have a NETWORK that you can use to your advantage finding the part.

They'll "High-ball you" ...
Negotiate!!!

http://www.motosalvagenet.com/

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. I appreciate it! I will try to get some pics tonight after work. It does look rough because I removed all of the custom owner installed accessories. Bike looked like it was living the 70's while in the late 80's, just short of a shag covered seat!

 

Rusty tanks can usually be taken care of with a warm acetic acid (distilled white vinegar) or muratic acid soak. Just be sure to neutralize the acid and oil the tank or you'll be sanding it clean for a long time. Pinholes can be fixed with a stick welder and a metal sanding disk... or some good tank sealer.

 

Also, if there's a lot of really loose/rough rust in the tank it can be a good idea to add a couple of handfuls of cheapo nuts bolts & washers and agitate it around like you're playing the maracas (small nuts/bolts so they don't dent the metal, and steel so you can fish the last few out with a magnet)

This way you also expose any thin areas that would initially hold until one day you get Kwiski's unfortunate petrol-piss experience, and you can seal it all up good before spending any money on nice paintwork.

 

I heard good stuff about evaporust and caswell gas tank epoxy. I was preparing to do this to my friend's GS1000 tank, but large holes uncovered made him take it back. Not sure what he's doing, but I was gonna JB-Weld the holes, then de-rust, then caswell.

I think he's trying to strip the paint, which is turning out harder than he thought. That paint is really hard. Wirewheel takes it off, but not easily.

 

I relined the tank from my 73 Suzuki GT750K with the tank epoxy kit from caswells. I had numerous holes in the tank. What I did was cover ALL the holes with duct tape then I relined the tank. That took care of the holes. Then I got a tube of spot body filler and went over the spots with the holes and sanded them down. Worked out great!

 

Two words.... Brake, Fluid. :wink: (works really really well, but don't use dot 5 as it's "paint safe")

 

ah, good point. I'll pass that along.

Thanks ( Cheers ).

 

The paint on tanks is pretty hard generally as it has to be gas proof, so it may need brushing on & leaving a while but it will certainly have the desired effect. 8O May be worth scratching up the topcoat a little bit first to let it "soak in" quicker

EDIT-: Oops, sorry to the O/P... guess it's not so much a hijack as you may want to try this to get your old paint stripped too?

 

Any bike is worth restoring with that many miles, no matter what the condition, no matter what the bike.

 

But not a Daelim... :lol:

 

whats wrong with em? they look alright to me, more of a honda look than anything. sooks like they still make bikes to....at least google images is showing some "newer models"

that XJ sounds good can we see some pics if you can take some?

 

Re: New guy! Hello!.. I need advise 82 XJ1100 fix or junk it

+1 on the Caswell Epoxy. Had a Seca 400 tank (rarer than rockinghorse poop... rarer still without rust!) that I had to cut out LARGE sections. I made up new ones from sheet and jb welded them in place (didn't have access to a welder). Then I did the Caswell on that AND an FJ600 tank with pinholes. Can't say enough good stuff about it. The base kit says it'll do 2 tanks, but it's actually 1 1/2 (base kit is really only good for 1 large tank). Totally worth the money. No leaks. No dissolving or flaking or anything. The stuff looks like glass, feels like steel.
BS34 Carbs are cake to work on.
Caliper rebuild kits are simple to find.
Only thing you might want to look out for is the shaft drive rubber boots. Mine are crumbling to dust. (I also have an 83 XS1100 Midnight Special).

 

Well I tried the murianic acid and it seemed to work really well. I will have to do it again, but I figured that too. I do have another question(s) has anyone tried the wd40 rust dissolver stuff?

Next one-----can I bypass the two petcock setup? I would like to get rid of the octopus looking setup if I can and T- out the feed from one petcock. Can it be done?

 

Going from 2 to 1 petcock? seems you may have a fuel delivery problem. They may have used 2 just to keep enough fuel getting to the carbs.

Eesh, if that's true, you may get like 20 mpg =).

But I bet that thing will scream!

 

Go easy with the muriatic acid. It can eat holes in your tank if left too long. Far safer doing this:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2 ... art=0.html

 

Keep the Stock Plumbing.
Feeding the 1 ~ 2 :: 3 ~ 4 Carbs at the Fuel Gallery prevent possible Fuel Starvation from occurring with only one Ppetc0ck supplying Fuel to the Carbs when you are under load.

 

Agreed, Yamaha would have needed a damn good reason to pay for 2 lots of petcocks, 2 lots of tank thread tapping & extra hose or they would have just had one from the start.

Hard to believe it would use that much juice though, maybe the tank has a higher tunnel or something so fuel gets trapped one side or the other?

 

Re: New guy! Hello!.. I need advise 82 XJ1100 fix or junk it

Adrian1- I tried the battery charger & washing soda route. It did work, but not really well.


Ok so I can't or shouldn't bypass the octopus looking fuel setup either?

 

fefd,

Where in NY are you? I'm just south of Utica.

1. don't get rid of the octopus.

2. Best thing to do with the bike is to avoid ALL the headaches and just give it to me. I"ll take all the struggles and let you enjoy the peace of mind. LOL
-------just kidding.

3. If you're relatively close by, I host a carb clinic every June. This coming one will be Central New York Carb Clinic #6.

Dave F

 

Hogfiddles, I am in Glens Falls,New York. Got a definite date on your carb clinic? I have a field trip to Boston with my son and the Hudson Valley Volunteer Firefighter convention. The Boston trip is June 7th and the convention runs is June 19 through the 23rd. I would love to come out! It's only a couple hours from me!

If this damn bike does not straighten up and fly right, you might be the owner of a Maxim 1100! LOL.....

Really though, I would love to watch your carb clinic. I really want to get crackin' to see what I can do when parts start arriving to get it going ASAP. I have not ordered any other parts yet, Gotta get the source of my go go juice clean then see.

 

This guy has the kinda attitude that's gonna see another XJ back on the road & purring sweetly 8)

There's an old saying that I think applies perfectly to the XJ series, and that's "99% of your electrical problems are fuel related" :lol:

 

You'r not too far away, if you cut over the hills. I can be there in a couple of hours! Date is June 8, so that's too bad. However, there's nothing wrong with giving me a call and riding over during the summer, or trailering it over, too. PM me and I'll give you details.

Nice to see another 'local' xj.

Dave F

 

Ok, I am stuck again. I just went to Mikesxs.com. I am looking for carb parts. There is a link for non XS parts and when I started to look at the site, I noticed there are carb floats for an Xj1100- or Xj1100j both in 1982 years. What bike do I have? The floats are different and one says the float pin is made in Japan. The other says nothing about the float pin......going to see a guy tomorrow morning that might have a tank. I have my doubts but you never know.

Anybody on here want to coat my tank? I will pay a few bucks to have it done. I will buy the Caswell kit and ship it and the tank to whoever can do it. I have been a mechanic most of my life, and I know there are some things I cannot do. I honestly do not trust myself to be patient enough to be as thorough as it needs to be done correctly. Thanks everyone!!!

I did get the turn signals remounted,the fairing back on and just got my front master cylinder rebuild kit the mail. Ordering a rear master cylinder and caliper kit and kits for the front calipers. Tires will be last and if I can get the tank done and carb parts she is ready.

 

What is the identification number stamped on the crankcase?

 

Re: New guy! Hello!.. I need advise 82 XJ1100 fix or junk it

10M-006789(?)

 

Re: New guy! Hello!.. I need advise 82 XJ1100 fix or junk it

The XJ1100 was only made in one year, 1982. The 10M is the USA model, and the 11G is the Canadian. Both the same bike.
The floats part number is 3H51498500, and is also used on the FJ1100 and all variants of the FJ1200's, and maybe some others aswell.

http://www.cmsnl.com/yamaha-xj1100j-198 ... ml#results

 

maybe the 1100J was a JDM model? no matter anyway, you got your part numbers sorted

Sounds like good progress, and you're obviously a proper mechanic as you have the humility to recognise when you can't do something. Nothing like working on vehicles to put an ego in check lol...

That said, I think you'd serve yourself best by sealing the tank yourself since that way you know it's right. Just set aside a day to dedicate to doing the tank & the tank alone & have at it, then if you finish early & get other stuff done it's a bonus

 

Fef,

Carb Clinc is June 8.

dav eF

 

Re: New guy! Hello!.. I need advise 82 XJ1100 fix or junk it

Ok gotta vent.......This thing is about to get used like a garden tool. I took the front master cylinder off so I can at least get that rebuilt. Now I can't get the damn clip out that holds the plunger in. I broke my pliers nose off. I have had it!! I was pissed about that, so then say well I can always rinse the tank again with some sheet rock screws and shake it around to try to get some more rust out. Yup, the gas cap itself broke in half and the bottom part falls into the tank. Getting REALLY fed up with this bike. Today better go better than last night or its outta here!!

 

Re: New guy! Hello!.. I need advise 82 XJ1100 fix or junk it

Hogfiddles

The 78 'Wing you have, does that have the 3 gauges on top of the tank? My dad bought a brand new Wing in 78. It had the Arthur Fulmer Fairing and rear bags. It was black with gold pinstripe. I worked for a Honda dealer in 1990. I know my Hondas and Kawasaki's, even owned 3 Kawi's, and had no luck with any of those. My Hondas were mostly pretty reliable, but 2 of them had epic failure.

 

I disagree, as long as you have compression I reckon having time & money invested in the brakes etc can keep you motivated when the going gets rough & you think about parting with it! And it sounds like the going got rough last night. (plus the temptation to ride when it all of a sudden runs nicely can sometimes over ride common sense & old brakes are not good news)

If the circlip is really rusted & stuck in the M.C, try loosening it by springing the ends & spinning it round with a screwdriver before getting the circlip pliers in there. As you know, the tips don't like to apply much force...

At least the cap broke now & not after you just filled the first full tank, you should be able to "fish" it out with some bent welding rod or similar.

Stick with it, it'll be all the more rewarding when you get to ride

 

Re: New guy! Hello!.. I need advise 82 XJ1100 fix or junk it

The reason I have gone onto the brakes is because it does run. I am ordering floats,pins,the rubber plugs that go into the pilot jets and bowl floats. I made sure it ran and I looked the carbs over before I went any further with it.



Still about had it with it. Thinking this is not what I want to ride after its done. It could be I really just wanna ride now and not wait on parts money ect.

 

Update, I am waiting to see if I can get a tank from a local guy who has a ton of parts used. If I can score a tank, I will push on. If not, I will part it out or sell it as a project. Sooo frustrated with this bike right now.

 

The original XJ11 carbs did not have the rubber plug in the pilot jet passage. The carbs with the plugs came on earlier XS11 models. Older XS11 carbs will work but the jetting is different. Look into the hole where the pilot jet goes, if there is a passage connecting it to the center main jet area then you need the plug and you have earlier XS11 carbs. If there is no passage then you don't need the plug, if you install it then it will not idle.

 

i know locally Till paint has a 3 stage take cleaner and sealer it its going to run you close to 100$

 

Here we only have North Country Radiator with Renu gas tank services. A bike tank loses all of its paint( not a problem for me gotta repaint it anyway). Their price is right around 150.-200. I have had 4 people who are good friends tell me they all had problems with it leaking or flaking inside and plugging the carbs and its always just out of the one year warranty. I would gladly spend 100 to have it done right.

 

I think the issue with tank sealers flaking is down to ethanol in fuel these days (seen a lot of flaked crap & drained fuel that looks like red 2t premix from tanks sealed years ago that failed in the last 24-30months and even heard of 30+ year old GRP tanks dissolving!)

There is a DIY tank sealer available here that's supposed to be 100% ethanol resistant but I can't recall the name now, but it was imported from the US so you guys must have it! I'll try look it up in my magazines...

EDIT-: can't find the imported one now but www.tankcareproducts.co.uk have an ad claiming to sell 100% ethanol proof sealer. Not sure how much shipping would cost but maybe worth shooting them an email if nobody else has a suitable sealer.... (they MUST do, you guys invented it!)

 

Re: New guy! Hello!.. I need advise 82 XJ1100 fix or junk it

Superb idea, why didn't I think of that?






Actually, I did something similar once, just to move a Range Rover with a rusted out tank wouldn't be seen on a forum recommending it as a course of action to get a bike riding though! 8O

 

No damn tank yet. Pissing me off. I could be riding but noooo gotta get a 1 year only bike with no interchange and used tanks are in worse shape than what I have for way too much money.

 

I feel your pain, my bike was one year only, JDM only & there's barely any others out there! (think they made 880).

Why not do as I think someone suggested previously & get a cheap but solid "wrong" tank, knock it about to fit so you can at least ride & tune it while you wait on a decent correct tank to turn up?

 

Here is just progress video. http://youtu.be/h9A5rPKqEUA.

 

Link doesn't seem to work...

 

.. Trying to figure the link out now..... The link below just worked for me. I don't know why the other one does not.


http://youtu.be/h9A5rPKqEUA

 

That one works, thanks. Nice bike, awesome find...

 

I was just browsing EBay. How much work is it to get a Maxim 750 tank to work? I know it's not a direct bolt on, but will it sit over the frame! Ivan fab something to hold it in place, if its just a shorter tank. I can split the fuel feed.