Engine rebuild...

[TomRodgers]

Where at in NW indiana??? I live in LaPorte, just south of Michigan City, east of Westville 'bout a mile....

I also know where there are two complete engines......one i know runs, the other not sure about...but it looks in good shape.

[jimbyjimb]

The saga started a few years ago now...

I dug my grandpa's 1980 XS1100 out of his garage, where it had been for at least 10 years. I remembered stories my dad had told me about this fully dressed bike standing up on him with little to no effort, but this thing was far from the icon I had created in my mind. After getting the bike torn apart, I started to realize there were going to be several obstacles ahead of me if I wanted to truely restore it to its original beauty. The only one of which I was SERIOUSLY concerned about was rebuilding the engine.

You see, I've tackled MANY a project - replaced the AWD trans. in my '93 Dodge Stealth by myself, rebuilt the action in a 102 year piano a couple of years ago, replaced the DC input jacks for two laptops in the past year, replaced the DVD-ROM drive and fixed my XBOX360 several times. MY POINT, other than fluffing my own ego, is that I'm not afraid to dig into most anything. My thinking has always been, "If it's already broke... What could it hurt for me to try to fix it???"

There's something about a motor that slows my courage. I don't know if it's not knowing the overall cost of it, not knowing if I have all the necessary tools, or not knowing what to expect that could go terribly wrong (which happens at least ONCE on every project I take on).

I had to un-seize the motor when I got it - my cousin was going to "get it running" a few years before I got my shot. Dumb-dumb got 3 out of 4 plugs out, broke the fourth, then left. He didn't put the other three back in, and it sat for about four years. I got the engine case seperated, determined that the bottom end was going to need attention, got scared (see above), and stopped.

Now, I have a partially torn apart motor, a stripped frame, and piles of labeled ziploc bags full of parts. I bought a second XS ('79 special) for $300 from a local guy, rebuilt the carbs and fixed some wiring - see I can finish things - and have been riding that for two years. The time has come though, to finish Poppee's (my grandpa) bike. I am more financially stable, and I have plenty of space to do the work.

After a long introduction... FINALLY, the question(s)...

Can someone give me a an idea of what to expect, cost-wise, to rebuild an '80 XS1100 motor?

Does anyone live in NW Indiana, have engine expertise, and want to share knowledge or even trade work?

Is it crazy to think I can rebuild this engine on my own? I figured out the carbs with just the manual and a few tips/tricks from this very forum.

The bottom line is, I just want to do this right and bring my grandpa's bike back to life.

I used to work at a Dodge dealer and none of us would touch those Stealth's with a 39.5 foot pole. It's really a Mitsu. You have serious balls for going there, my friend. Nobody can appreciate that PITA until they've tried. Anywho, the main deal with any engine build is to take your time. I just finished my 20R in my beater, runs like a top! Bike engines tend to be a little more interesting though, being the tranny and engine share a case. Just remember plastigauge and pre-lube. I'm sure the factory manual and owner experience here at the site would carry you through the trials of the process, but like Fred said, take your time. If you do a good rebuild and treat that motor like a baby your XS will outlast any current runners by a long shot. Plus, rebuilding is a great time to look at any performance mods you may want/afford. And, if you have any good local machinists, they can be really helpful if they aren't the stuck-up secretive type. And machinists have great lines on local suppliers for hard to find items or fabricators that can make something to work for you if you need it. If you can tackle a Stealth you should be able to tackle a rebuild. Just the word Stealth makes me cringe and turn green.

[jimbyjimb]

Show's how much I know about bike motors... They usually have roller bearings. Duh.

[jmyers40]

Where at in NW indiana??? I live in LaPorte, just south of Michigan City, east of Westville 'bout a mile....

I also know where there are two complete engines......one i know runs, the other not sure about...but it looks in good shape.

Yeah, I'm just down in Jasper county, about 40 minutes from LaPorte. I'm still undecided about this whole rebuild idea. I wish I knew what to check to see how much work this engine will need. I need to hit the books and research.

[jmyers40]

Just the word Stealth makes me cringe and turn green.

Not the first mechanic I've heard that from...
I don't really know if I need a bike that's any faster. 110 on my XS is WAAAAAY scarier than 155 was when I had the stealth. Even factoring in that I was still young and fearless when I drove the stealth, there's not a whole lot more I could want/need out of my motorcycle.