Old Bike, Possible New Project.. New to Mechanics..

I've only found a couple of right hand controls that matched mine on eBay and they are upwards of $40+ and look to be in real rough shape.

The valve clearances were checked when my friend bought the bike around 6-7k miles and it now has 13k miles.

I love the way this bike looks, though I think I'd want to try it with the rounded tank I currently have, I'm not too fond of the look of the Seca tanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTpFSQayh6k

 

Found it! This is the way I'd like my bike to look, minus the flames.



EDIT: Just noticed it didn't have the seat on. I can't seem to find the one I found a year or so ago where it was completely finished.

 

"They should be checked about every 5k miles,"

you still need to check them.

its alot easier than you think
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1 ... ement.html

 

It's overdue. 7+5=12.

I thought you wanted to learn and make the bike reliable in the process; and now all you want to do is come up with different reasons to NOT do the VERY FIRST PROCEDURE IN THE MAINTENANCE SECTION of the shop manual: the valve clearances.

Plus, if you're serious about actually riding and using this bike, then it's something you'll need to learn because you're going to need to do it again in 5000 more miles.

Get serious or give up now.

 

Sorry. I do want to learn and do it correctly. I'm gonna buy a shim kit once I get my income tax in and go ahead and try it. Before I asked on this site, several people have told me to not bother with the checks just to get it running and see if it sounded like it needed it.. Though now that I've read the guide, I know you can't properly tune carbs without having correct valve clearances (learn something new every day). Means I need to throw whatever advice I got outside of this forum out the door and follow instructions given here. I do apologize again for sounding ignorant and non-serious about this bike.

I need to start getting a list together of what I need so I can order it from Chacal all at once (or at least as much as I need first hand).

It will probably be a couple of weeks before I can get the tools to start working on the bike and purchase the shim kits and possibly carb rebuild kits (another thing I was told to not worry about and just run cleaner through them). Gonna read some more tutorials on the site here and learn while I'm waiting on my Haynes Manual.

 

So, perfect timing for this post===

If you wonder why it's important to check valves, even with low miles--

I am in the middle of re-assembling the project 650 that was brought in last week. Long story short, the guy tore it all apart because 'it had no compression.....well it was low'.

Now new piston rings, valve stem seals, gaskets, etc.... I put the valves back in the head, just finished so am in to take a break and check xjBikes.

The 3 and 4 INTAKE valves had at least a half millimeter of carbon on them. Maybe even more.....there's so much carbon that the 2 angles on the valves didn't go like this:

_/

The were more like:

/
|

Now they're all cleaned off, and back in the head. Time to install the cams. Then I'll do a shim check before putting everything back on the bike.

Dave Fox

 

You'd be wise to acquire a Genuine Yamaha Workshop Manual specific to your Bike.
The Factory Book has BOTH the Workshop Sections and Owners Manual.

Everything's covered.
Illustrated.
Sections on Troubleshooting and Testing.

Leave it on top of the toilet tank cover and read it while you are answering natures call.
Sooner or later you'll be one of the forum members answering questions and giving advice because you'll really know your S$#@!

 

What I did ( and am still doing) to save the cost of buying a $160 set of shims, I checked my clearances, double checked my clearances, recorded each results, then slowly removed, recorded and re-installed each shim to do my calculations.

once I was done I figured out which ones I needed to order and which ones I could just switch from the bucket it was in to the one it needed to be.

All 8 were tight, but I only had to order 5 shims. which cost $8. they will be in on Tuesday.

 

That sounds like a huge PITA and difficult. Guess mine isn't as much of a 'basket case' as I thought.

 

I looked for a while for a Factory Service Manual and all I find is one for the XJ650G (Seca?) and the supplementary manual and owner's manual. I intend on getting a Factory Service Manual also. I have time at work to read on some nights, once I get the Haynes Manual in I will be reading it instead of my current novel.

 

That would probably be more wise for me to do buy a kit. I didn't realize they would be that expensive.

 

also whats the point of buying shims you don't need, and you wont know what you need until you do your checks. that's if you even need any.

check first, order shims after.

 

According to the parts cross-reference application I finally was able to run on my wife's computer, the right hand controls of the XS1100s years 1979 and 1980, of the Viragos 750 1982 and 1983, also XS400 1980 to 1982 and other XJ550 and XJ650 models bigfitz talked about are supposed to fit on your bike.

 

DON'T go buying any sort of 'shim kit'.

The procedure is simple overall:

measure current clearance
pull the current shim and record the number
do the math to find needed shim
get the needed shim and install it

repeat for each valve.

Sounds like a lot when you read the write-ups, but it should take you about half an hour to do the WHOLE thing. The first time will take longer, but you'll get to a point where you can: check clearance, check your chart for what's currently in the bike(you DID right it down last time and saved it right), do the math in your head, put the right shim in, and be done.

Now, where to get shims:

You can:

1. move shims around if you have the right one in another bucket, getting only the ones you DON'T have

2. order brand new from xj4Ever

3.contact me, or the few other guys who run shim pools and we do a swap. The way the shim pool works is easy too: you tell us what you need, if we have that size in, you send a deposit, we send you the shim, you do your swap, you send your old shim back, you get your deposit back. The only cost is for shipping, and if we have to go with a NOS or new aftermarket shim, there is nominal cost for those.. PM me for more details when needed.

The shim check job is NOT a hard job.

You are learning quickly-- check here for the correct things to do, do not just rely one what someone somewhere in some shop told you. Keep in mind that MANY shops now cater to NEW bikes that are diagnosed by computer. Our bikes are NOT diagnosed by computer, but rather by people that still KNOW the old bikes, these in particular.

FWIW, I used to be terrified of the idea of going into the carbs, or shims, or whatever.............each time I said, "I gotta just do it" and dove in. EVERY time it turned out to be a, "that was it!?!?!" moment.

You CAN do it.

These bikes were built by simple people using simple tools and came up with a genius formula that works very well. These bikes don't take rocket scientists to work on them. You just have to understand them (and sometimes think things through.....)and ask us.

That's what we are ALL here for, THIS is what we DO.

So, in short............DON'T go buying a 'shim kit', whatever that is anyway............do the measurements, figure out what sizes you need, then get only those. If nothing else, tell us your measurements and current shim sizes and WE'll tell you what you need to do.

We'll get you there...........we always do.

Dave F

 

Ok, for my project the was brought in last week.........

The shims have been checked so I know what I have in there now. The cams are now in, caps on. Tomorrow I hope to finish the chain tensioning, and then I'll do the clearance checking, and see what I need.

Hopefully, I'll be able to set the engine back in the bike this coming weekend.

Gig, no it's not a hassle. It's actually easier right now, since the head had been totally disassembled before it was handed to me all I had to do was put the valves and springs back in (I also put new valve stem seals in while it was open). To check the shims was easy since the buckets were bagged with each valve and labeled. All I had to do was pull the shim out and record the number. Once everything is back together, it's just like if I had done it at an earlier mileage check.......all I have to do now is the clearance measurement. Then check the chart. If I have to swap something, then I swap. Easy peasy.

Dave Fox

 

That's good to know. I'm gonna write those model numbers down and try and find one that works. I'd rather the switch that is on the one I posted and not the turn knob one that is currently on it.

BTW, where did you get a program that can cross reference parts that will fit on the bike? I'd love to get ahold of a program like that.

 

I've looked over the valve clearance check several times. The more I read, the easier it seems. The only thing that still worries me is the math. I'm sure it is quite simple, but I always find myself second-guessing my math, even on paper. I don't know why, I just never trust my own math. Heck, it will probably take me longer to do the math than the entire rest of the procedure. I'm so excited to get some tools and start working on the bike. Tearing stuff apart and putting it back together used to be a favorite past time of mine. I love taking apart computers and reassembling them, but they are far too simple and easy.

 

That's good to know. I'm gonna write those model numbers down and try and find one that works. I'd rather the switch that is on the one I posted and not the turn knob one that is currently on it.

BTW, where did you get a program that can cross reference parts that will fit on the bike? I'd love to get ahold of a program like that.[/quote]

It is on a CDROM that you could get online for a very reasonable price at xjcd.org, it is actually a 3-CDs set, with manuals and parts diagrams and tips and so on. Very impressive work from a bunch of passionate guys.

I got my set a few years ago when I owned my Maxim-X, but all XJ models are covered.

 

Don't worry about your maths, there is one chart for intake valves and one for exhaust valves, you couldn't go wrong with them. Get a manual, charts are in there.

I forgot to give you the part number for your control: 2H7-83975-01, called "switch handle 2" in the parts diagram.

 

Oh, yeah! The Chart. THE chart. THE CHART!!!!! You record your current clearance, you check your current shim size. Now, you look at the chart and see where your measurement falls and what shim is causing it. Now you read the other column and it tells you what shim you need. Easy peasy. See, you CAN do it.

Dave