Overhaul Questions

[prometheus578]

...but kept sending to me by accident.

It was no accident.

As for posting links:
Well see... here's where you're wrong about me.

The concept of the forum is to get good ideas out to the general membership.
You think that I post links to old threads because I'm lazy and don't want to do the typing.
While this may be generally true, had it ever occurred to you that sometimes I rehash old threads because of some nugget of wisdom posted in it by another member?

Other members do have good ideas, too.
Sure, it doesn't happen often...
...but when it does, sometimes it's just easier for me to just post the whole thread... than it is for me to steal their ideas, rewrite them and pass them off as my own.

[XSPastor]

sometimes it's just easier for me to just post the whole thread... than it is for me to steal their ideas, rewrite them and pass them off as my own.

As long as that's hanging in the air, and with the danger of sticking my nose in something that's none of my business...

I try to pass on what I've learned and do my best to credit the source. I'd hope that's what all folks do but I'm not that naive. I have passed on info I've learned here without crediting the exact source because I found the same to be true and so because of that "personal" knowlege I felt comfortable passing it on without credit. I will mention that I heard it here on the list. I have no need to gain "credit for any of the help I give. I get a kick out of guys who brag about their post count. Who cares? It certainly is an accomplishment that I respect, though. That high post count means you've probably helped an awful lot of souls. I know most of us are here because we love these bikes and we love to ride. What's anything without someone to share it with? I have truly enjoyed getting to know all of you by reading your posts. You make me smile and brighten my journey. I just hope I can do the same for you from time to time, my two-wheeled brothers and sisters! End of sermon...

[fredintoon]

The rope trick

Hi Sam,
try this:- pack the cylinder bores with old rags or rope and put the head back on without the gasket or the cams and leave the nuts perhaps 4 turns loose. Put the transmission in high gear and turn the rear wheel to crank the engine over. If the wheel won't turn by hand have some friends push it along as you sit on the bike and drop the clutch. The pistons will force the rags/rope/whatever against the inside of the heads and hopefully that will bust the gasket loose.
The rope trick also works to stop an engine turning if you need to undo (say) a stubborn crankshaft nut. Rather than removing the head, feed the rope in through a sparkplug hole. Pick a cylinder that's coming up on compression so the valves are shut and you can't bend them. Leave enough rope sticking out to pull on to remove it later.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Fred,

Maybe I'm dense, but aside from the 2 nuts in the center of the head near the cam chain tunnel that do have studs that secure the head to the jugs in those 2 places, the rest of the head nuts secure the head to the the crankcase bolts/studs which run all the way thru the jugs into the engine cases. SO....doing the rag technique seems to me would put way too much stress on those 2 securing points at the cam chain tunnel, and not anywhere else in trying to loosen the jugs!?

Sam, using a very thin putty knife to tap/wedge into the space between the jugs/case can help to tear the gasket apart, which is what you're trying to do in this case. Also, sometimes there's a lot of corrosion around the threaded sections of the case studs where they pass thru the jugs and can also cause a restriction in getting the jugs loose and OFF the studs!?
Good Luck!
T.C.

[bikerphil]

Bustin' her loose...

I've tapped a small flathead screwdriver, with the tip thickness 'bout the same as the base gasket, in between the jugs and the case. That'll usually start to break them loose, then work your way around. Also that PB blaster or brake fluid down the studs, let it soak for a while, that helps.

[digitalsam]

Roar!

Half a can of Wd40, a bruised thumbs later, the cylinder assembly is off!

I used an eight inch long bolt with a very wide head to attach to the underside of the assembly beside the cam chain, instead of the contraption that Planedick created. (I didn't have the thick gauge metal or the tools to bend it. see http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...ht=base+gasket )

I used a few screwdrivers to slowly and very carefully pry the assembly open enough to spray WD40 on the gasket.

As I was working I noticed quite a few bends in the engine where this had apparently been done before.

I am forming a mob to storm Yamaha's engineering department and beat the guy who came up with the tiny little reinforcement points. Anyone want to join me?

[trbig]

I am forming a mob to storm Yamaha's engineering department

Most of the guys that did this on this bike would probably be in their 60's and 70's. You might be able to do it yourself! lol


Glad you got them off. NOW... getting them back ON can be worse than getting them off. What I found that worked well for me was to get four large hose clamps (Poor people have poor ways..) that fit around the pistons. I tighten them snugly over all three rings on the piston.. then back the clamp screw off by @ a 1/4 to 1/2 turn to loosen them slightly. You can do two at a time, or all four. If you do four at a time, you have to make sure you only push straight down with the cylinders. Rocking them back and forth pushes the clamp down and exposes the rings.. when you rock it back, the ring pops out of the cylinder and you have to start all over.


Tod

[digitalsam]

Back on is harder? Shoot

Now I am really not looking forward to replacing the Assembly. Oh well, it is a learning experience.

The next step in the manual involves the Valve Spring Compressor. I don't have those. Does anyone have a good source for the special tools needed to overhaul, or can you rent them from Autozone or Checker auto parts store?

I probably wont be doing this for a living, so I don't want to spend a fortune on the tools, if at all possible.

[bikerphil]

valve spring compressor

I just make one out of 1" PVC pipe about 2" long. Just cut away the "X", to provide an access to the keepers. Compress with a 6" C-clamp.

[fredintoon]

Maybe I'm dense, but aside from the 2 nuts in the center of the head near the cam chain tunnel that do have studs that secure the head to the jugs in those 2 places, the rest of the head nuts secure the head to the the crankcase bolts/studs which run all the way thru the jugs into the engine cases. SO....doing the rag technique seems to me would put way too much stress on those 2 securing points at the cam chain tunnel, and not anywhere else in trying to loosen the jugs!?

Hi TC,
it's not that you're dense, it's that my tiny mind was in Britbike mode.
Sam, don't do that, it won't work on your bike and you may break something.
The rope trick only works to lift the barrels off of the crankcase on engines that DON'T have studs that go all the way from the head to the crankcase. OTOH it will work on such an engine to stop it from turning over.

[digitalsam]

[QUOTE=bikerphil;186387]I just make one out of 1" PVC pipe about 2" long. Just cut away the "X", to provide an access to the keepers. Compress with a 6" C-clamp.

Worked like a charm. Thanks BikerPhil.

Next it's on to the Pistons and blasting the tank and frame.