This is no crap! Gotta read this!

[pcmcse1]

Hello all XS1100 lovers!

It's been a long haul from the old bike that was abandoned in that ole barn for 14 yrs.

The project, not finished yet is progressing slowly as I have too my irons in the fire...and I have a 99 Roadie to ride....and gotta love those big cruisers.

Now for the crap.

I recently purchased a used head from a guy (mikescp on eBay) in Oregon. He listed the head as came off a running bike with 13xxx miles on it, at $250. I emailed him and informed him that I have three heads and have been taken on two others and wanted to make sure this was as described.

He said the head was good and he had checked it for cracks. I got the head less the cams and cam mounts. I installed new valve seals and put the head back together. I installed the cams and set the shims out of the bike. I then removed the cams and re-installed the head, put the cams back in the bike, aligned the cams marks with the arrows on the cam caps and torqued them along with the head. I adjusted the the cam tensioner and got all prepped to check compression.

Ya you guessed it, another bad head shipped my way. No compression. I immediately pull the head back off and sure enough there were six bent valves. Two exhaust and 4 intake. To say the least I was so torqued I wanted to drive to Oregon.

I had enough extra valves to replace the two exhaust and two of the intake. As for the other two, I meticulousness straightened them with an anvil and ball peen hammer. I was careful not to damage the complete top of the stem, only the edges and then ground the slight mushroom off with my bench grinder. It took me about ten attempts to get the valves to a point where I could see a clean cut of the lapping compound on both seat and valve. I pulled over my spotlight magnification bench light and made sure the valve spun evenly around the seat and there was not slop or drag within the valve guide.

I checked, checked and double checked the valves and then re-assembled the thing, installed the tank, connected fuel lines, and installed my new MS 36 MM Mikuni Racing Carbs, and yes, it fired the first time.

It seems to run rich and will only run with the darn choke closed and when I open it up a bit, it wants to cough when I throttle it.

I'm thinking the fuel mixture screws are open too much and too rich.

Anyone have these carbs and have them tuned?

[GLoweVA]

Wow, Sounds like fun. (NOT!) I hate ordering off Ebay too, but sometimes you can get a good deal. (I got a Raptor 660 ACCT for 1.99 + 6.00S&H)

Is your bike a 78/79 or an 80/81?

I'm looking for an exhaust valve for an 80/81.
I picked up my SG and came to the realization that #3 exhuast wasn't quite straight renough to seat all the way. Way low compression was my first indication, then when I pulled the head off, I saw a crecent moon shaft of light in through the exhaust port.
I tried bending it with the hammer thing and eventually ground off a few mils off the valve and got it fully seated, but I'd feel better with a straight true valve in there instead.
I've only had the bike running a few times. (Carb issues right now)

I got my project bike last fall and it still sits in the carport patiently waiting for my TLC. (and my money)

[crazy steve]

Don't be too quick to blame the seller...

...I installed the cams and set the shims out of the bike...

That's a recipe for disaster. Several guys here have done just what you did and ended up with bent valves. If the valves come in contact with the bench surface, bent valves. If both cams are installed, rotating just one cam will cause intake/exhaust valves to touch, bent valves. If you use this method, installing one cam at a time is the only safe way to do this, and you still have to be extremely careful not to let the valves hit anything; these bend easily....

Once a valve has been bent, it should be replaced. 'Straightening' a bent valve will weaken it, and risking dropping a valve into the cyclinder isn't something I'd do.

He did screw you in one way; you should have gotten the cam caps with the head. Mixing these between heads can be done, but isn't a good idea. I'd personally start over with another head... not what you want to hear, but much safer....

[Danny Crawdad]

Believe it or not, I've bought a few things from mikescp for my XS before. Did you contact the seller?

[James England]

I installed the cams and set the shims out of the bike.

I don't see how you could do this without bending the valves?

[fredintoon]

I don't see how you could do this without bending the valves?

Hi James,
no problem.
Set the valve clearances by installing just one camshaft at a time.

[pcmcse1]

valve adjustment

You are correct. I performed the adjustment on one cam at a time and then removed the cam before adjusting the other one.

This was the forth head I had gotten and just may be the last old used Yamaha head I buy. I'm thinking about saying the heck with it and buying a performance head and all new guts. I'm tired of spending my hard earned cash on a piece of crap some else has already screwed up and pawns it off.

Anyone have a good complete head to fit this 81H series XS1100? Or does anyone have any good 80-81 intake valves that would care to part with?

[pcmcse1]

bent valves

I adjusted one cam at a time and removed it prior to setting the other one. As for the valves being delicate, yes I'm all to well acquainted with that too. The original head was bad with bent valves, the second head I received had the valves worn so badly I couldn't set valve clearance due to badly worn seats....or they were beat into the aluminum head. The third head was bare as I wanted to look at the seat and see if the valves I had would work and of course did not, and as I mentioned in my recent thread, the forth head with bent valves.

As for road ready, no. I just wanted to hear this run and it runs darn good with two straightened valves in it. I am looking for two good intake valves for the 80-81 models, the large valves.

Thanks for all input.

Don't be too quick to blame the seller...



That's a recipe for disaster. Several guys here have done just what you did and ended up with bent valves. If the valves come in contact with the bench surface, bent valves. If both cams are installed, rotating just one cam will cause intake/exhaust valves to touch, bent valves. If you use this method, installing one cam at a time is the only safe way to do this, and you still have to be extremely careful not to let the valves hit anything; these bend easily....

Once a valve has been bent, it should be replaced. 'Straightening' a bent valve will weaken it, and risking dropping a valve into the cyclinder isn't something I'd do.

He did screw you in one way; you should have gotten the cam caps with the head. Mixing these between heads can be done, but isn't a good idea. I'd personally start over with another head... not what you want to hear, but much safer....

[James England]

Hi James,
no problem.
Set the valve clearances by installing just one camshaft at a time.

Oops... for some reason, I imagined both camshafts in the head at the same time.... hence my question. Duh, never thought of one camshaft at a time......

[BA80]

You should have posted up in the parts wanted section on here pc, or even contacted andreas. I myself have 4 late engines on the floor of my garage and I know for certain 2 of the heads are good. I would need to check the other 2.

There are ways of taking care of getting mechandise that isn't as it is presented on ebay. Contacting the seller and trying to work it out is always the first step. I buy and sell there all the time and I don't have any real problems.

[pcmcse1]

good 1100 heads

I would rather have an 80 or 81 model with the larger intake valves if you have one.

Thanks in advance

You should have posted up in the parts wanted section on here pc, or even contacted andreas. I myself have 4 late engines on the floor of my garage and I know for certain 2 of the heads are good. I would need to check the other 2.

There are ways of taking care of getting mechandise that isn't as it is presented on ebay. Contacting the seller and trying to work it out is always the first step. I buy and sell there all the time and I don't have any real problems.

[BA80]

What are you putting it on?