Introduce myself

[Rickrod3]

Hi All:

Picked up my 79 XS1100F this weekend.
It has been sitting since 85.
It has a stuck engine.
I searched and read alot about freeing it up.
BTW. this forum has great information.
The pictures and stories are very inspiring.
Regarding my stuck engine I have been spraying PB Blaster and Gibbs penitrating oil through the spark plug holes with the bike in 3rd working the rear wheel to free it.
I was thinking of pulling the head so that I could tap the pistons with a block of wood but, I have been reading that the engine has to be rotated to get both cam sprocket bolts off. Is there an other way?
Should I just keep trying to free the engine while it is together?
I'm able to ride my 79 650 SF which will help to keep me patient.
Thanks in advance

[petejw]

Hey Rickrod,
Welcome to the forum,
congrats on your bike,
with regards to the seized engine, its probably worth while taking the head off so you can inspect the bores.
to do this with a seized engine youll have to cut the timing chain, then you can remove the cams easily.
Others will chime in soon with more advice.
Let us know how you go.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Rick,

Welcome and congrats on your find. However, 24 years sitting! Depending on which valves were open, where it was stored, will determine which cylinder has the most rust buildup. IT is usually above the pistons. If you take the valve cover off, you will see which valves are open, and you could concentrate more of your penetrating oils and such...ATF fluid, Marvel Mystery Oil, etc. in that cylinder.

Pete stated, cutting the chain will allow removal of the head without rotating the cams, and once you cut the chain, you do NOT want to turn the cams, or you can bend valves! Once the head is off, unless the rings are totally rust frozen to the cylinder walls, you should then be able to pull the jugs UP off the pistons...again, usually much less rust below due to the oil in the crankcase, but could still have some there!?

With that much rust...it would probably take more than a honing to get the clyinder walls clean! IF you haven't looked, searched, oversize pistons are not available from Yamaha, so either big bore kits 1179 or 1196cc are your choices...not cheap. Being parked since 85, hopefully it doesn't have that many miles on the engine otherwise? You might be able to get a decent set of jugs from Andreas Weiss that could be honed, then get new set of 1st OS rings to squeeze into the jugs....still a hefty $$ just for the rings!

Good Luck!

[Rickrod3]

Thanks TC. & Pete:

Will pull the covers this weekend to find the open valves.
From the spark plug hole I can see #1 intake open.
Does that mean #4 is open as well?

Think I'm going to give more time before I cut the chain. To avoid spliting the cases.
Looking ahead do you have a link to the big bore kits?
Did a few searches only found a company that I believe is from the UK.
Too bad no 650 central or Mikes XS for these bikes.
Allthough some parts look to be interchangable.

Thanks again guys

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Rick,

You don't have to split the cases to put a new chain on! The replacement chains come with peenable masterlinks....no flimsy master link clips. Just need to feed the chain around the crank, easiest to do IF the old chain pieces are left in place, then can tie new one to end of old one and pull thru! Otherwise, just pull tranny pan to gain access to bottom of engine, crank area, and some creative fishing techniques!

With #1 open, #4 might be open on exhaust, but don't know for sure, that's why suggested pulling the valve cover to be sure!

A search on HERE for big bore kit should reveal some threads with sources for them, can't remember exactly, but a company that was based in Fla moved to Tennessee or somewhere slightly northern, and their prices went much higher as well?? Wiseco is the company that makes them.

However, Dan Hodges posted about a company that makes custom pistons for similar or even cheaper prices, but don't know if they provide the wristpins, as well as the pin keepers? You'll also need to source the rings, again was recently posted in a recent thread about a place that provides generic rings. Then you also need the oversized bore head gasket, Cometic provides those for Wiseco...graphite.

And yes, many of the parts for the 650's are interchangeable with the 11, just need to ask/search here before ordering, don't ask MikesXS, due to their liability, they can NOT inform you of fitment for any other machine that 650's!

T.C.

[Trainzz]

Hi there

Welcome to ch11.

PICTURES!!!! WE LOVES PICTURES!!!

[Rickrod3]

I'll post some before pictures soon. I will take them this weekend.



Rick