Was fun while she lasted ....

[ClarkGriswald]

But the ole engine is dying. Started running poorly today again like it wants to be resync'd once again.. went back home and just did a comp test.. she's goin south.

125 - 105 - 108 - 145

#1 is still trying but 2 and 3 are giving up.

Its starting to sound and feel like a twin. Just a funky twin that 1 and 4 hits hahah.. Ill probably play around with it a few more days here before the weather breaks and it turns into winter, Time to clean out the shed I guess and get it in there so I can keep working on it.

This is only the beginning but I was hoping I would get a little more riding out of it this fall, oh well mabye if Im lucky I'll snap it right out and get a few test runs in yet.

[bikerphil]

105 108

Why the low compression on 2+3? Head gasket?

[ClarkGriswald]

1, 2 and 3 have been low all along since Ive been working with this bike. They came up and have now gone the other way. Initial testing showed increases when I put oil in the cyls too so I was hoping for reseating to bring it back to life but its been over 500 miles and its starting to deteriorate.

Got a Cyl jug and pistons/rings from Andreas sitting here in my living room so just need gaskets and probably a new cam chain and its go time.. the weather is about to shift to cold so its time for wood cutting (scavenging more like it) and I'll tear the top end down and swap out the new/old jug and pistons and see if the head needs help.

[trbig]

When's the last time you checked your valve clearances? Too close on those and you will get lower compression readings.


Tod

[ClarkGriswald]

Just did em, ordered some new shims from cyclerecycle and they are all within spec. I gained a little comp when I did that.. about 6 psi across the board.


At the best point I was at

120 - 121 - 116 - 146

So number one continued getting a bit better but 2 and 3 are going fast.

[trbig]

After you finally swap motors.. save up a bit and buy a big bore Wiseco kit for the extra top end you'll have. Then every month or two get something else done... Head and valves done... cylinders bored.. I did it in steps like this and it didn't hurt near as bad. If SWMBO saw me writing a check for a thousand dollars for parts for this thousand dollar bike... wouldn't have gone well. A couple hundred here.. a couple there. Biggest bite was the pistons.

Tod

[ClarkGriswald]

Swmbo? hahahhahah I obey no-one. As far as little bit at time goes, thats the only way I will ever be able to accomplish anything. Thats why I have a free bike that was basically pulled off the scrap steel pile. They say necessity is the mother of invention. Well in my world, Poverty is the mother of learning to do things for yourself or have nothing. Ultimately I could not "keep up with the jones's" with my jeeps. Way too much money plus I cant afford to keep gas in those things anymore. I dont have a garage or shop so everything I work on is basically standing outside, or in my living room if it can make it thru the front door.

So that leads us back to the XS, Hopefully if the head/valves arent toast I can just swap out the jug/pistons and a C chain. Been concentrating on this bike for a while now, but its time to pay bills and back property tax's, so time to slow down anyway. Not to mention need firewood and my woods is pretty much picked clean so kinda hanging out in the wind there too.. I got a feeling that the last two hell winters are going to pale in comparison to this upcoming winters suffering.

Good thing is at least I had some fun with her and actually went and took the stupid driving test, therefore for the first time ever Im actually liscenced to ride haha..(not just the temp permit every year haha)> So I made some progress. 36 mpg would be ok, its better than my car but not with 3 cyl's down. So thats the story, I hate to tear it down again cause thats probably it for riding this year, but it sure was better than nothing.

Ill try pouring solvent into all 8 valves from the top like it says in the manual and see if they leak. If I gotta do the head too (should anyway) that will grind it right to a halt.

I dont know why I would ever want to go to this weekends Oktoberfest but It would be kinda funny to roll in there with my old beater and pull up next to all the antique cars/tractors and stick a piece of cardboard in the forks and write 79 XS1100 on it with a sharpie and then have a real nice parking spot hahahha. Take that trailer queens hahaha. (trailer queen, mabye yall know about this but thats what jeep people call jeeps with a lot of chrome and no mud on them hahah).

Im not done just a little bummed out, but perseverance is my middle name so I'll keep working on it.

[ClarkGriswald]

Ready to Open her up doctor.............

Man it sucks when I was just riding a few days ago, to tear this thing down but there is no other choice.

My automatic airbox/upper cylinder oiling mechanism was working well however.

Heck I even removed the bars so I dont do my usual racking of my head into them. Good thing I filled my tank all the way for the first time the other day hahah.. oh well its lined with POR-15 it can take it. I dont think those bars will ever make it back onto the bike.. I can bend either leg of them just with my arm which tells me its not the first time they have moved. Not sure if I will simply do the top end or investigate further. Up in the air for now I guess. At least I can confirm that it was rings with that amount of blowbye putting some extra oil on my K&N.




Took me a few days to get things moved around so I had some room in that little 10' x 12' shed. At least I have a roof over my head now.

[bikerphil]

engine rebuild

Clark, now the fun is just beginning for you. I like working on these bikes just as much as I like riding them. Seems like you do too.

[ClarkGriswald]

Is it frowned upon to just cut the cam chain and pull the head off with the cams still in it? hehhe.

[bikerphil]

removing head

I'm not sure, but you might run into a problem with the cam chain gears being too high to clear the frame. There isn't much clearance as it is even with the cams removed. I wouldn't cut the chain until you are ready to install the new one. The chain can be cut later and used to fish the new one thru. Are you leaving the engine in the frame or removing it to crack the cases?

[ClarkGriswald]

Oh, for now Im removing the top end while its in the frame.. I was just reading the manual and Ill just take it all apart normally no biggy. The clearance of the gears was on my mind too, only got so much room once ya get over the studs.

Cam cover is off so its ready to come apart, time to make dinner and the capt morgans is already flowing so, not sure what more will get done tonight.

[ClarkGriswald]

Hour and 20 min later got the head off, now its really time to make dinner. Huge vertical score/scratch in number ones bore, suprised it wasnt worse.. 2 and 3 have a different look at the bottom of the bore they look real loose hhehhe..

[ClarkGriswald]

Wow a visit from the past.. Remember my first post on this forum about a large chunk of metal in the engine that I thought was a piece of a ring?? hahah .


It was!. #1 cylinder, the second compression ring is missing about a quarter of itself, just the right amount for that piece I found and the little ground up bits that were in the pan. It also matches exactly with the circumference.. It happened at assembly because the piece does not show any wear like a ring would on the outside surface.. also the oil ring on that piston is smashed out of its groove and wore itself a place in the side of the piston. Theres the warning for making sure you get em all in right. Dropped a cam bearing cap nut down in there so I'll probably take the bottom pan back off and get it, mabye slosh some kerosene or something down thru there to wash away any crud that fell in there. Didnt even ruin the old base gasket.

Wow hard to believe I rode 500+ miles like that, hehe old #1 was never gonna make it back to spec for sure. Not sure what the deal is with 2 and 3 but dont much care, got another jug/pistons/rings sitting right here.

[ClarkGriswald]