Project progress..

[Crazcnuk]

Ok, since this has become a full-blown project, I have a zillion threads going here, peeps are probably wondering why...

Bought an XS1100 last fall for $500. Rough cosmetically, but started and idled fine.

About 1 mile form purchase, it started to blow blue like a tire fire. 2 more miles and it drowned itself out in oil (I assume). Loaded it in a truck and got it the rest of the way home.

While checking out the engine, soaking the rings, checking compression, etc. I had the key on, and the cam chain tensioner loose while I was adjusting it. accidently bumped the starter button, bent a bunch of valves.

Sent the head out to be re-done back in December, by a friend of mine who does head work. He broke his cutter guide while machining and hasn't been able to get a new one, so far. He even tried to make one.

So far, I've picked up a 4 into 2 S&S exhaust, 1200cc overbore kit (RC Eng), HD clutch (Andreas), new case guards (all the chrome stuff was in bad shape, rusty) Progressive rear shock springs, new cam chain, carb rebuild kits.

While the engine was apart, found out 3 of the rod bearings were shot. 2 were galling, one had spun. Ken Talbot provided a set of rods with bearings. Crank looks ok, still have to get it out of the case to check it.

In the meantime, I have ordered all new wheel bearings and seals, disc brake pads, K&N air filter element and rear turn signals. Also found a full tour pack (fairing w/lowers, bags, trunk, carrier, Cyclesound) in Winnepeg, and Fredinstoon has arranged to save me a bunch of travel to go get them.

I've got one of Topcat's fuse blocks coming, and may get his SOFA later.

Andreas is shipping me another complete engine, (found someone to drop it off on the way from B.C. to Alberta) so I can get it on the road while I am rebuilding the orignal engine, along with a new drive shaft boot, and mirrors.

Last night I drilled the brake rotors using the templates out of the mods section, now I just need to get them turned, for the new pads.

All in all I should have all the pieces here by late August, and may have it running in two weeks. (fingers crossed)

I plan to use the replacement motor while I do a complete rebuild on the orignal one. I have most of what I need for that one already, but this way I won't be rushed.

Without the assistance, and advice from this forum, I likely wouldn't have bothered to fix the old girl. But everyone here has been very patient, and helpful. So here's hoping another 80 G will be soon 'in the wind' where she bleongs.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Keith,

I'm concerned about this statement:

Last night I drilled the brake rotors using the templates out of the mods section, now I just need to get them turned, for the new pads.

Did you check to see IF the rotors were true or warped BEFORE you drilled them?

These rotors are a tougher grade of steel and can't be "TURNED" by a standard brake shop lathe. Folks have commented about possibly putting them on some kind of special large flat surface grinder. IF they just have small grooves, then the new pads will just wear to match them. But if they have really deep gouges, then you might have been better off getting some NOS ones, or MikesXS ones!?

Someone posted about seeing a person on Ebay promoting a rotor turning service, but these rotors are already very thin, and you can't remove much at all before they run below minimum recommended thickness!
T.C.

[Crazcnuk]

Heh, no, because it doesn't matter.

These were just practice. If they work, they work. If not I have to replace them anyway.

Not sure why everyone thinks these are harder than car rotors. And even if they were, so what? A lathe will cut anything, as long as you know what speed to run it and what cutters to use.

I had my Virago rotor turned at the local Canadian Tire.

[Hammerhead1st]

What a coincidence...

I once had a Canadian Tire turned at a local lathe shop...

[planedick]

Grinding rotors

I have had good results using a toolpost grinder in a lathe for taking some of the rough stuff off of rotors. The '79 had bad rear rotor and I had to take about .007" from each side to make it useable. Not so much to make it too thin, but enough to keep from wearing out pads so quick. Turning is not easy because of the large diameter of the disc makes chatter a real problem when turnig with carbide tooling. I even tried ceramic tooling with no luck. Grinding is the only way to get the finish required.

[Crazcnuk]

So where do you normally getyour rotors turned? I don't imagine lots of bike shops have the lathe.

I've turned them myself, on the old AAMCO brake lathes, but they were adjustable in rotation speed, feed speed, etc.

The last one I had done, I had done at Canadian Tire on an ordinary brake lathe, and it did chatter a small amount, but not enough to bother the final finish.

The key is the final pass, it has to be done a lot slower than the first few.

[Crazcnuk]

So I assume no one actually GETS thier rotors machined!

There is a guy on Ebay that will do it for like $55 a rotor, I thnk thats a bit steep, considering you have to ship the rotors to him and back.

[Crazcnuk]

Picked up the tour pack from Fred's place last Sunday, Thanks to Fred and his friend Fred, I didn't have to run all the way to Winnepeg!

The Tour set looks really good, a very dark blue color.

The temp engine showed up, thanks Andreas, on Saturday, while I was at a wedding.

I've been doing all the checks, ie; valves clearances etc, before I put it in the frame. All my parts have shown up now, except for the tires.

Ordered a set of D404 Dunlops.

Just stuck now for an oil filter and a battery. Local store shows both in stock, but can't find them. I had both, but lent them to Derwat for his XS special. He has to buy a new battery and give mine back, and owes me an oil filter.

It's getting close, now, I can feel it.

[fredintoon]

How much you wanna spend?

Crazcnuk sez:-
"Not sure why everyone thinks these are harder than car rotors. And even if they were, so what? A lathe will cut anything, as long as you know what speed to run it and what cutters to use."
Hi Crazcnuk,
car brake rotors are made from cast iron and can be resurfaced on the specialized brake lathes you see in brake & muffler shops. Yamaha brake rotors are made from a very tough grade of magnetic stainless steel that is a total swine to turn a good surface on because the material wants to tear and make moire patterns. Yes you can drill holes in it easily enough but turning it to get a good braking surface will cost you serious money and long wait times in a specialist machine shop. OK, Blanchard grinding will work on them but the good news is that once the hole pattern is drilled the disk surface actually improves in use.
BTW, listers may be interested to know that a full fairing with windshield, lowers, hard sidebags & top bag, their chrome hardware, a luggage rack, a chrome tail light bar, and a sissybar & KingQueenHiback seat will all fit in Crazcnuk's tiny little 4-door car.

[vanhump]

Having spent 40 plus years as a machinist Working in shops from the giant Newport News Shpyard to my own little bity garage i have to agree with Crazcanuck. Feed, speed and tooling grade being right you can cut and get a good finish on amy metal. Magnetic staiinless is no problem with the right grade cutter and speed and coolant. biggest thing with any stailnless is to keep the pressure on the tool and keep it cutting. Once it slips and not cutting you have a work hardened spot that is hard to get started again.

[planedick]

Now equipped

I'm now equipped to do rotors. My process is the rotors are indicated in lathe and toolpost grinding. It gives a fine finish and eliminates hard spots and chatter associated with cutting. Much better than trying to turn them with carbide or even ceramic tooling. The problem is that most rotors are beyond repair when owners decide to do them because of the minute amounts of material I can remove before the rotor is unuseable or out of spec.

[Hammerhead1st]

Send ya mine this winter, Man...

[Crazcnuk]

All rotors have a minimum serviceable thickness. What you have to do is look at the rotor and take a few passes off both sides, to get the bulk of the crap off, then if one side or the other is worse, take some of the bad side, until both sides are smooth, or you are at the minimum thickness.

You may not be able to get all of the old surface, but anything is better than nothing.

For car rotors what your actually doing is taking the service hardened surface layer off, so that the new pads will seat better, flatter, and as a result, last longer. For motorcycles I always assuemed it was the same process.

I've lapped rotors, on a lapping machine, but it takes days to makes much headway. I've also turned motorcycle rotors on a brake lathe, and while there was some chatter marking, they still seem to work better than slapping new pads on a rough, hardened rotor surface.

The question now is how do the drill holes in the rotor affect the process?

Many modern motorcycle rotors are at thier minimum thickness, brand new. They are not designed to be reused. Your supposed to just buy new ones.

[Crazcnuk]

Got the engine in today, using the carbs off the 80 engine. She fires right up, w/o choke, and idles between 900 - 1100rpm.

I don't have the exhaust on yet. When I put the exhaust port gaskets, that came in my gasket set, the studs are too short to get a nut on?? Is there another style of exhaust gasket other than the 1/8" thick ones?

I also noticed I don't have the 'Octopus' on this bike. Both sides have a vacuum line and a fuel line. That's it. The left petcock vacuum line is hooked to #2 carb boot, and the right side goes to #3 boot. It seems to work, so far. Is this a normal mod?

There is also a small vacuum line that comes out of the crankcase, near the crankcase ventilation port. I am not sure where it goes.

[Ken Talbot]

Originally posted by Crazcnuk
I also noticed I don't have the 'Octopus' on this bike. Both sides have a vacuum line and a fuel line. That's it. The left petcock vacuum line is hooked to #2 carb boot, and the right side goes to #3 boot. It seems to work, so far. Is this a normal mod?

That's not a mod, that is the stock configuration for a Standard. Standards have vacuum-actuated petcocks.

The other 'vacuum' line you're seeing sounds like the middle drive vent hose.