Clutch issue

[Thee_oddball]

Hi guys this is my first post here i found my way here via xjbikes.com (nice site), i bought a 1982 xj1100 about 2 weeks ago it had been sitting all winter , got it started drove a short distance home and parked it, next day big puddle of gas, put on center stand and leak stopped coming out of the petcock vac nipple,...to make along story short i cleaned the carbs put them back on any wanted to go for a drive....nope..clutch wil;l not move...and when i say frozen i mean FROZEN!, so now i am draining the oil to take the side cover off when i am hit with about 60oz of gas and oil so now i am assuming that the plates are rusted from sitting in a gas oil mix , so i threw some new 20/50 for bikes in there let her run for 2 mins and i am hoping the clutch will let go , i know about the 3 steel balls but i wonder how they could have moved on there own, i have a XJ manual with the exploded view off the clutch is there any advice you could share with me once i remove the cover?

thnx

S!

[trbig]

When you parked the bike on the center stand, that leaking carb drained the gas into youre oil instead of backwards out the carb, On the center stand, it raised the back end of the bike up to where the gravity took the leaking gas forward through the carbs instead of backwards out the intake of them where it had been going.

With that gas mix, it diluted the oil to where it wasn't slippery, so the clutches wouldn't slip. The bad part is that it wasn't slippery for ANY of the internal parts, so I'm hoping you didn't damage the bearings while it ran like that.

If you fixed the leaking float valve, and filled with oil, the lubricating values of the oil should make your clutches work like they are supposed to. Just for future reference though, if you place the bike on the sidestand, you can take the clutch cover off without draining the oil... but in this case it was a good thing you did. I hope it didn't hurt things in there too bad.


Tod

[Thee_oddball]

thanx trbig, I hope i didnt either...the only noise i heard afterwards was i could hear the rockers tapping away on the top end, but i did only put 2 quarts in and they probably need adjusting aswell, as for the clutch it is the same (only been an hour) hopefully it will be better in the morning when i pull the clutch in it feelsa like im hitting a brick wall a 1/4 of the way in .

thnx again

[Bigfoot]

Would 2 quarts be enough to even get oil on the clutch? I believe they take around 3.5 quarts.

[Thee_oddball]

Would 2 quarts be enough to even get oil on the clutch? I believe they take around 3.5 quarts.

according to my maunal it is 3.1 without filter and 3.7 with filter change, i will be flush that stuff tomorow and getting a new filter, provided that does not turn inot a nightmare as i have read ...lol of course it is the same with the virago of the time period...screwball desigh

S!

[CatatonicBug]

so i threw some new 20/50 for bikes in there

If it helps your wallet at all, general concensus is that you DO NOT need "motorcycle" oil. Regular 20W50 is probably the most commonly used variant, though there are lots of people who have their own preferences.

Welcome to the site, and I hope your issue doesn't turn out as bad as it seems. Put it on the side stand, take the side cover off the case, and pull the clutch basket out. Make sure they are all separate and that they move as they should. Check the clutch springs while you're in there, and be careful when re-assembling, that you don't break the pressure plates.

[Thee_oddball]

thnx catatonic, another guy suggested rotella 15/40 which im going to try, would you happen to know what cause one of your exhaust pipes (right close to the head) to sound like it has marbles in it? i am thinking #2 cyl has a leaky exhaust valve..

thnx again

[petejw]

You could have a loose exhaust nut/s or leaking exhaust
gasket.
Others on here have also used Rotella with good results.

[trbig]

Rotella has recently changed their mix so there's less stuff in it our bikes like.. (Was it zinc?)

As for the exhaust, the stock headers on these bikes are double walled, and I have heard of the weld coming loose at the top by the motor and having that inside pipe rattle against the outer one. But a loose exhaust nut, or an exhaust gasket that is junk could let the pipe rattle against the head.


Tod