oil level mystery & screwless brakes

[Elevener]

You have to push the pad up for the screw to line up.

[Crazcnuk]

I don't know my 80G doesn't have the screws. The 78E does.

Ok, the shim might go on the other pad, but I thought they usually went piston side?

There is an anti-squeal 'grease' you can buy at auto stores, it goes on any of the slide areas and on the backs of the pads. i've never tried it.

For what it's worth my 80G brakes squeak now too. They didn't used to. I'm on the 3rd set of pads since I got it.

[petejw]

the 'shim' can go on either pad, but are usually
fitted to both pads, you can cut up a soft drink can
and make your own.

If the pads are glazed causing the squeal you can rough them up, i usually
rub them in a figure 8 on some flat concrete, then you'll
need to bed them in again.

[jamak]

oil level mystery and screwless brakes

A couple of shims should line the pads up. Pushing them up didn't work.
Blasting them with brakeclean works temporarily.
Here's something new.
I'm gonna swap out the tires, and checking out the rear for removal, I noticed the rear caliper looks cocked on it's mount!
From the rear, you can see a spot on the caliper where paint is rubbed off, and it looks like that's where the caliper should be sitting. hard to explain without getting a closer look. I've gotta pull the bag from that side.
The brake works fine. Stops well, no noise. I flipped when I saw how it looked.
Was I looking at yet another XS anamoly?

[petejw]

Hi Jamak,
i think i misunderstood what u were using the shims for,
you can push the piston in far enough that the pad wont
touch the piston, but when you put it back together and
pump the lever out the piston will meet the pad.
Dont shim it to fill this gap, but you can put an anti squeal
plate behind the pad.

[yozzie]

Now the level is down again, after another 500 miles. WTF? I've combed this bke for leaks, it blows no smoke, doesn't smell like it burns oil.

Hi Jamak, so you are saying after 500 miles your oil level goes from the full line to the low line or is not in the window at all? That's a lot of oil to disappear in that amount of mileage. I just put new rings in my '78 after it was using oil like that. Couldn't really smell it while driving or see it in the mirrors. I had to get on an open stretch of road and get on the throttle, then physically turn my head back and yeah, there was a trail of smoke. Try that or get somebody to drive behind you and crank on the throttle and let off when the bike is at running temp.
Also, are you checking the oil on the center stand on the same piece of ground every time? A hardly noticeable slope of the ground away from the oil view window will make a large difference in the amount of oil showing in the window.
Also, with 20-50 I've noticed that when adding oil, it takes a bit to settle out of the window especially when cold out because in the oil pan there is a tin separator between the window and the rest of the pan. Takes a bit of patience for it to reach equilibrium.
Just my two cents, good luck!

[XJOK2PLAY]

Jamak,
About the oil mystery....

Here's my experience, and some things I've learned from buddies who have owned these 11's far longer than I have...

One thing that seems to make most (not all,) 11's use oil, even if they are in top shape, is highway speeds above 75mph, rpm's above 5000... which is what everybody runs most of the time... especially if you ride a lot of highway or a turnpike like me...

The 11 engine is a great one... but a lot of guys, (myself included,) notice using about a quart every 600-800 miles when they ride at those speeds.

My XJ has always done that... and we replaced all the valve seals when I first bought it, too. Guys that ride w/ me say they never see it smoke... and I kept on 'til I got every oil leak stopped. But it still uses about that much...IF I run that fast.

But, if I keep it below 65 mph... don't accelerate hard... not only does it do much better on oil consumption, but the fuel mileage gets better, too!

Out of all the guys I know that ride an 11, there's only one who's bike will go 3000 miles between oil changes and never uses any... Bohn Frazer's.
His has a BigBore kit... recent valve work, it's in top shape, and he rides VERY conservatively... all the time.

I have also noticed that only filling it halway between the marks seems to allow oil to disappear faster than filling to the full mark... (probably the same percentage-wise... just seems to use more if I don't fill all the way up!)

From what I'm told, the 11 engine just seems to burn some oil when ran above 5000 rpm. I know mine does. I've also been told, even Bob Jones had commented on this at one time.
I also run 20-50w.
I just learned to keep a closer eye on the level, add when needed... and keep in the back of my mind the old girl IS 28 years old!
Next weekend I'm doing the 850 FD swap. Hopefully that will lower my highway rpm's, and reduce the oil usage as well. Supposed to reduce rpm's about 800.
YMMV... and I may be all wrong about yours... but this was the case on mine.
HTH's ya figure it out.
Bob

[silverarrow1970]

Ive had the same oil level situation on mine as well, and I have noticed that the amount of oil used is in relation to the type of riding I do. Around town I don't see the level drop much, but when I get on the road and travel it is quite noticeable.
This fits in with Bobs reasoning that the harder you push the bike the more oil you use. On the hiway I accelerate quickly, run higher rpms, romp on the gas when I pass....not that I need to but OMG is that a rush , and do alot of engine braking. I tore the engine down this past winter in search of the oil gremlin, but after putting it all back together I'm still adding oil. So, now I just keep a quart of oil as standard equipment on my bike.

I also had to fix my exhaust this winter because of rusting, so I welded a piece of pipe onto the front end of the muffler and cut it to fit over the pipes. But I did'nt weld it to the pipes so that I could pull them apart easily. I had been noticing a ticking noise in the engine and just chalked it up to low oil. But yesterday I changed oil and afterwards still heard the ticking, and after searching with my stethoscope, found that where I slid the muffler onto the pipes it was leaking and making a popping sound that is very similar to engine ticking!!! Just like Petejw mentioned .

JM2CW