Parts,parts,parts

[Lonerider62]

I've finally got the bike totally torn apart. Carbs cleaned and lined up and ready for rebuild kits to get here,cams sitting waiting for new shims to come, and new gear lube in the middle and rear. A new cam chain is also on the way from Z1 although I found out a company called Panther Chains http://www.pantherchains.com/store/store.html will start handling them. I contacted them after Bike Bandit and Old Bike Barn were both out. One thing that really surprised me was the amount of fine metal that had stuck to the magnets in the drainplugs for the Mid an final gear housings. I've seen a lot of engines with some powder on those magnets but on both of mine there had to have been at least 1/4 inch of stuff. Makes me wonder if the 56,000 mile bike has ever had the lube in those places checked. Is this normal for one of these bikes with 56,000 miles? The cam chain tensioner was extended all the way so I figured it was time for a new one. It does seem like they are getting hard to find. I searched for almost a half day before I fund one in stock. My hope is that by the first week of December I'll have most of my parts and be able to start getting it back together. I do have to say that thanks to everyone who has put information on this site I've been able to do everything without the manual (which is paid for but still not here). It does help that I've worked on Jap in-line fours in the past but nevertheless, the information here has been invaluable. THANKS A TON.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Lone,

A fair number of folks would get these machines NEW, and not do the required maintenance for the middle/final drives vs. the main engine oil/filter, and so there's a strong possibility that the PO didn't check/change the middle/final drives, and so a considerable amount of shavings could be found on the drain plug magnets.

If you're very concerned about this, you could put in some lighter oil or even some MMO(Marvel Mystery Oil) to just spin/rotate the parts on the centerstand, no real load, just to swish the cleansing MMO around, and then drain, then fill with fresh proper weight hypoid oil, and if you're really paranoid, swish the drives around again for a while, and then drain that oil, and then refill with the final amount and you should feel good about having gotten most of the particles out of the drives.

BTW, find Catatonic Bug's profile, he has links to manuals you can DOWNLOAD for free!!!!

T.C.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

+1 on what TC says about PO's not checking / changing the oil in these It was good you had the magnet to hold the shavings in place. If you dont have exsevive play or clanking, I would just refill with new lube and move on. From what I know (and that is not that much) these are bullit proff as long ther is lube on the gears

[fredintoon]

- - - One thing that really surprised me was the amount of fine metal that had stuck to the magnets in the drainplugs for the Mid an final gear housings. I've seen a lot of engines with some powder on those magnets but on both of mine there had to have been at least 1/4 inch of stuff. Makes me wonder if the 56,000 mile bike has ever had the lube in those places checked. Is this normal for one of these bikes with 56,000 miles? - - -

Hi Lone,
the only bike I ever bought new was a 1984 XS650. At the first oil change the oil screen had a spoonful of aluminum swarf in it and the magnetic drain plugs looked like steel shaving brushes. I thought I'd gotten a total lemon but the next oil change showed far fewer debris and the 3rd & subsequent ones showed hardly any.
So if your bike's POs only checked the mid and final drive oil levels and never drained and changed the oil you are seeing the original break-in debris still safely stuck to the magnets.

[Lonerider62]

Thanks Guys, I didn't see any actual shavings, just a bunch of graphite looking stuff. I think you are right about the PO's not even thinking about changing the mid and rear gear sections. Of course, on te rear drive cars of the past, how many owners checked the "pumpkin" for the state of it's lube? Not too many years ago I bought a 1950 Massey-Harris row-crop tractor and when I went to drain the gear box for new gear oil, it actually came out more like thick mud. When I put regular clean lube in it, it made so much noise I thought the guy I bought it from left the old stuff in it on purpose to keep it quiet.

[jwhughes3]

Cam tensioner

Lone,

A new cam tensioner will still be almost all the way adjusted out ...you need to check the chain for stretch although replacing with a new automatic tensioner from a Vision is a good idea (and the plungers are a little longer)

John

[cywelchjr]

Lone,

A new cam tensioner will still be almost all the way adjusted out ...you need to check the chain for stretch although replacing with a new automatic tensioner from a Vision is a good idea (and the plungers are a little longer)

John

I think he was talking about a new cam chain, not tensioner. At least that's what I got from the original post, that he was replacing the cam chain because the adjuster was almost all the way out.