Resurrecting the 750!

I think you're right. Upon further inspection, I feel that hitch when the wrench is at about 1:00 and at about 6:00 on every rotation. It's still smooth; I just feel resistance that could very well be the cams opening valves.

Didn't do anything to it today, but took lots of pictures. Will upload them somewhere and post about them later.

 

Got a replacement lid for the air box. Now I need to pull the carbs and clean them. Also need to clean out the air box, change the oil and plugs, and she'll be ready for an engine test fire.

Brakes, tires, guages, mirrors, and some other odds and ends to follow if the engine fires.

Pictures I Mentioned

 

you mean the engine in my maxim is actually Steven Seagal?

 

No. Steven Seagal bought an XJ and has been trying to live up to it ever since.

 

I like your adjustable handlebars, very trick

 

Being a computer guy mysef I would love to see some pics of the project at hand. I am learning as well and have my 82 750 Maxim as my project. I plan on getting some pics up soon so people can see the results of my slow paced modifications and restore.

It definately sounds like you have your work cut out for you, good luck.

 

Link to 750 Pictures

The 650 is starting to come back together as well. I'm trying to get to where I have *fewer* garage projects, which is directly opposed to taking good care of machines, so I guess I'm just doomed.

The 750 project is mainly stalled waiting on a replacement computer for the guage cluster. I don't feel like rewiring all that junk to bypass it, but without it, just about nothing works. Once that's resolved, though, I can put the instruments back on, hook up a battery, and it's ready for an ignition test!

 

FINALLY got to spend some time (and money) on this bad boy again. Funny how a single part can suddenly make things start to come together.

I located a gauge cluster on Drum Hill Cycles for the low, low price of $280. Having had so much great luck with other sources, I went for it.

Gauge cluster came and looked to be in good shape, so I hooked it up (not mounted, just connected), stole the fuse block from the 650 with a 30A main fuse stuck in it, and jumpered the battery from the 650 to the battery leads to the 750...

...and turned the key.

Got lights on the dash! Naturally, the warning cluster is all a mess, but all of the indicators work, all of the blinkers, lights, switches, etc. work, neutral sensor works, starter works!

This is the encouragement I was looking for. I disconnected the jumper cables and put the fuse block back in the 650 (yes, with the 20A fuse), and then got to work on putting the 750 back together. Regulator/rectifier and TCI remounted, plug coils remounted, tank mounted, head lights mounted (mostly).

Left to do soon: Need to replace spark plugs, oil, and oil filter. Need to GET an air filter. Need to put some Seafoam and gasoline in the tank (and test the fuel level sensor). Need to run a compression test on the cylinders. Need a fuse block of its own.

And then we're ready for a test fire! Yay!

Even if the engine runs - which I doubt it will, since I haven't opened up the carbs yet - it'll still be a while before she's street ready. Need new mirrors, rework of both sets of brakes, tires, etc. But if I can get the engine running, this bike is headed for some serious win. I picked up this sucker for $325. If I can make it work for less than $1000, I'll have paid what the thing is really worth.

 

Got oil, oil filter, air filter, spark plugs, and fuse block. Got a new headlight shell on its way (since the old one is cracked).

Going to change the oil and run the compression test today. A true test fire will have to wait until tomorrow, most likely, since there's no fuel in the tank. MAYBE get that done today, children permitting.

 

!$#^*!&*~#$*&!

Well, pulled the drain plug and some fairly clean-looking oil came out. That's good news after sitting for so long. Cleaned some grit off of the plug, which is possibly why it leaked. No seal.

Then I entered the Sixth Ring of Hell: The filter bolt. That sucker is not coming off. I've tried drilling it out, but it really, REALLY doesn't want to budge. Most of the bolt head is missing, and the way this stupid bolt is made, the giant flange gives me tons of mechanical DISadvantage over the thing (that is, if it had a head, which it doesn't).

*sigh*

I'm open to suggestions. How deep does the oil filter bolt go? About an inch in, the drill "popped" inward. A peek in the hole suggests that I've reached a port in the bolt and that there is more further in. Is this correct?

Or do I have a ruined engine? Or do I need to destroy the oil filter HOUSING to prevent damage to the engine and just replace that piece? If so, is the housing the same on the 750 Maxim as the 650 Maxim? I could steal the housing from the parts bike in my basement, if so.

Curses! And things were going so well!

 

The bolt is mostly hollow, and it's about 3 inches long. Sounds like you just got trough the cap, so no worries...
One plan of attack is to carefully drill out/grind off the bolt cap to the point where the big flat part falls off. The housing will then slip off the bolt, and then what's left can be removed with some channel locks or, in worst case, a pipe wrench.

I had to grind off the one on my 550. I removed as much as I could with a dremel and some cut-off wheels, and finished it off with a countersink bit. Alternately, once you make a hole in the bolt, you could try a large-ish easy-out bit.


(image "borrowed" from ebay)

 

I tried the easy-out bit. It gets plenty of bite, but the bolt doesn't budge.

Grinding/cutting off the head of the bolt is where I was headed, if no one had any other advice. I've already cut off most of the head, but that big pan head poses most of the problem.

I guess it's a foregone conclusion that I'll damage the oil filter housing along the way and it'll have to be replaced. The location of the housing between the exhaust headers makes it awfully difficult to get the Dremel in there at the angle I need to make effective use of the cutting wheel. I've already had to make some nicks in the cooling fins, and there's no good way to know when I'm through the bolt head. In all likelihood, if I tried to use this same filter housing, it'd leak like crazy.

Oh, well. Looks like I can still get them from BikeBand... I mean, from chacal.

 

Rhys,
Don't sell the cow just yet. You CAN salvage the filter cover unscathed provided you take your time and... pull the header pipes to get the room you need. New gaskets (provided you need them) are a whopping $1 a pop and the replacement filter bolt from Chacal is less than $15.
The key here is to just take your time. Don't get into the "I gotta have it rolling NOW" groove. If you hurry, you will pay more. Its just that simple. I'm sure if you pull those pipes, you'll be in-like-flynn. And... avoid the bolt seating surface on the filter housing to the largest extent possible. If you nick it, no worries! The sealing surface is inside the bore, not the outer flange! Best of luck bro!

 

As far as timing is concerned, my only concern is that now I have an engine with no oil in it. As long as it can sit that way for a couple of weeks while I figure this out, there's no problem. If I'm risking engine damage by having it empty, I'm going to hurry some more.

I may have already damaged the sealing surface - where that first O-ring sits on the bolt - when I drilled into the bolt. I'm not too worried about spending $10-15 on a bolt. If the covers are the same size, I may be able to steal the filter cover from my parts bike.

The catch with that is... will THAT filter bolt come out?

 

Like Stereo said "grind off the bolt cap to the point where the big flat part falls off."
At this point the whole filter cover will come off leaving the bolt sticking out.
There will be plenty there to grab onto.
You could slide a rod through it and turn.
It will come out.

 

Cool. My boss is going to loan me an angle grinder. If I don't get anywhere with the Dremel, that oughta do the trick.

Thanks for the input, all!

 

Covers are the same, as are the bolts, on all XJ550's-900's. Aftermarket replacement bolts (and bypass valve) have a much larger hex head, so you don't run into that problem again.

Of course, the best solution is to scrap the whole shebang and replace it with a spin-on can filter adapter kit!............

 

I think I'm about to get a quote for the spin-on kit (and filter).

 

I'm going to have the same problem with my 1100.

I'm going to pull the motor out and flip it on it's head anyway so that'll give me a chance to sort her out then

 

I wish I had seen this thread before you forked out almost $300 for that gauge cluster. I'm gonna be getting rid of my stock cluster soon :-/