New member gonna pick up my XS1100 today

[mharrington]

Here is a pic

[mharrington]

Another

[mharrington]

Im taking it in to a locally owned cycle repair shop tuesday. I want them to diagnose the tranny knocking. I pretty sure its the tranny and not the middle drive but the guys at Performance Motorsports are knowledgable and treated me good in the past. I am planning on looking for a replacement engine. Anyone reading this have a good used engine for sale? Oh and thanks for showing me how to post images!!!!!!!!!

[trbig]

Tranny knocking?? Describe that a bit better.


Tod

[CatatonicBug]

As long as the engine spins around, there is no need for a replacement. Stick with the one you've got. The tranny may need some work (2nd gear fix), but that's not an engine problem. If you want to spend money on a shop mechanic, go right ahead, but you may find that the pros are not very experienced with these older bikes. You may end up wasting your money. If you take your time and ask lots of questions, you can do just about everything that could ever be done to these bikes right at home, with basic tools. You'll feel a lot better about it when you're all done and you can stand back and say, "look what I did!"

You've got a nice lookin' ride there!

[Bigfoot]

I agree. You said you had good compression on all 4. The tranny fix is not that hard. I have done it quite a few times with the bike on the centerstand. There a detailed instructions on here and many people to ask questions to if you get stuck. I really doubt that any big shop is going to want to take on a project like that. If they do, they are going to want to pull the motor and split the cases. They will want to replace the gears as well. Not that any of that is a bad thing, unless you don't happen to have a pile of money laying around.

[trbig]

As long as the engine spins around, there is no need for a replacement.

I've had two motors that have been ruined from crank/bearing related problems that were still spinning around. One got so bad that it spun the bearing, ruining the entire block along with the crank. Both motors had good compression. These knocking noises come from the bottom of the engine and may appear to be coming from the transmission. Until we know more, I'd hate to tell someone to run their motor with a knock when it could lead to crank and engine destruction.... but that's just me.


Tod

[Bigfoot]

Sorry, I was assuming it was a tranny problem. I thought he said that the knocking didn't start until he tried to engage 1st gear. If it was a bottom end problem, wouldn't he hear it all the time?

[trbig]

The first one I had go bad wouldn't knock until you put it in gear and put the engine under some type of load. Putting it in gear, even though the clutches are spinning, does put a little load on the engine. If the bike was in neutral, you could rev it a bit and never hear it. 2nd one, you couldn't hear the knock until going down the road above 2500 rpm or so.

Tod

[DGXSER]

I have noticed a couple time lately that when I pull up to stop somewhere I have heard a knocking if you will in my tranny. I have so far diagnosed it as my clutch not quite adjusted correctly and the "knocking" is the gears hitting when the friction Juuuust overcomes the forces.

Thats my therory anyway. I adjusted my clutch and it went away. Onyl heard it twice in miles and miles of riding.

In my opinon, depending on what is wrong in the tranny, it may be cheaper, easier, and simpler to get a parts bike (for you Tod), or an engine than to tear one down to the point of repairing the tranny.

[trbig]

In my opinon, depending on what is wrong in the tranny, it may be cheaper, easier, and simpler to get a parts bike (for you Tod), or an engine than to tear one down to the point of repairing the tranny.

Just my opinion here.. .but since these bikes are so notorious for the gear problems, I would fix them on any motor I had... especially not knowing the history of the motor I bought. If the previous owner swore it had no problems, that doesn't mean the gear problem couldn't manifest itself in the first hundred miles you had it.

So... for me personally, to get another motor just to keep from doing the transmission fix, would be pointless since I would be doing it to that motor also. Others are free to have a different opinion of that reasoning though.

Tod


P.S. I would like to add.. that if you can find another spare motor or parts bike and can afford it, along with having room to keep it, I would get it. It's not like you can go out and buy a new one if something happens to the one you have.

[Bigfoot]

Lets see,

The tranny fix takes around 3-4 hours and costs 3.5 quarts of oil and maybe some gaskets. I use a little ulta-black rtv.

Motor / parts bike prices vary. It would probably take about the same amount of time to swap a motor, maybe less if you are really good.

There is absolutely no guarantee that the new motor does not already have tranny problems, or the start of them.

Why would you replace a perfectly good motor when it can be fixed so easily?

[DGXSER]

Tod and Harry,

My thought was that he has bigger issues than the standard gear repair, I was obviously not clear about that. I would certainly agree that if it is the countershaft gears and such it is easy enough and cheap enough to just fix what you got.

I saw a full tranny set of gears on evilbay yesterday that had three gears between the two shafts absolutely destroyed. In that case, with that much work, if I can get a motor for $100 and maybe need to do the countershaft gears on it, yeah, I'd go the new engine route.

[mharrington]

A little info about me: I own a 13,700 mile 1978 Yamaha XS750E and I performed the second gear fix on it even though it never did jump out of second gear. I also replaced the layshaft bolt even though it still had the bolt head intact.

I bought the XS1100 cuz naturally I want more power! Ive not ridden the 1100 because the fuel delivery problem (minor to repair in my opinion) makes it not rideable. However on the centerstand the bike runs with me working the throttle lightly. I first adjusted the clutch per my Haynes. Clutch plates may be worn. (read further why I say this)

Engine running (Not revving high but throttle lightly worked to prevent stalling) clutch pulled in when I put it into first the gear lever bounces my foot with grinding- not a nice clean "kunk" like my 750. (clutch plates?) Let the clutch lever out and thats when I hear continuous solid knocking- solid like two steel hammer heads clacking off against one another. Loudest at low engine speed. Rev up the engine in first and the noise continues. The noise is not a ticking but a "what the #@$!" is that? type noise and does not happen in neutral. I checked the bolts that connect the drive shaft to the mid drive and they are tight. I used a long screwdriver as a stethoscope and the noise SEEMED louder at the gear shift lever case area rather than the mid drive area but then again I am a hobbyist and just not experienced with serious issues.

Im not gonna have the shop open it up. Im not expecting them to fix it. Just a listen and observation. They do specialize in all forms of engine/tranny rebuilds and have done some of my friends old metric bikes but they already told me IF I have serious problems it would be better to buy a good running replacement engine than to have them rebuild mine due to the $$$$$$$$$$$.

I am reluctant to run the motor too many times in gear in fear of doing more damage. If one of you experienced members have a suggestion that you'd like me to do I am willing to do it and report back. My daughter has new camera that records sound with the video capabiltity. But with the loudness of the exhaust it may not be helpfull.

As far as a replacement engine- I was pricing individual transmission components at bikebandit.com- they still have many components available. It does not take for very many tranny parts to exceed $4-500. (the price of an engine) I am willing to put the engine on the bench and open it up but I don't know what to look for. Thanks again and let me know what you want me to do to determine root cause- remember I can only do this on the centerstand. I like it that my cyl psi readings are good- all in the high 170s even 180psi and the bike sounds good and powerfull with the choke out hittin on all four. I only paid $400 for the bike so I dont mind and actually plan to spend a chunk ($600- $1000 over the winter) to get her back to mint. Should be my last bike.

[CatatonicBug]

I have noticed a couple time lately that when I pull up to stop somewhere I have heard a knocking if you will in my tranny. I have so far diagnosed it as my clutch not quite adjusted correctly and the "knocking" is the gears hitting when the friction Juuuust overcomes the forces.

Thats my therory anyway. I adjusted my clutch and it went away. Onyl heard it twice in miles and miles of riding.

I haye that happen every time I take the tranny apart and put it back together. It takes a bit for everything to settle back into place. After a single adjustment at the clutch, the "tapping" goes away.

In my opinon, depending on what is wrong in the tranny, it may be cheaper, easier, and simpler to get a parts bike (for you Tod), or an engine than to tear one down to the point of repairing the tranny.

Swapping out an engine is NEVER going to be easier than repairing a tranny. Since you can do the tranny with it still in the bike, and you don't have to worry about all the other systems, I would always start with the tranny first, then if the problem doesn't go away, move on to something else.

Not to mention the fact that if you swap engines, some locales require that you do a bunch of paperwork to list the new engine number on your title (along WITH your fame number). That alone would be enough to make me stay away from that option as long as possible.