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**BA80** · 06-19-2012, 07:47 PM

Those cylinders and pistons don't look too bad at all. Does it spin over?

If It does you probably shouldn't have taken it apart until you checked how it ran. Now you have to buy one of those expensive head gaskets.

BTW.....do you still have the brackets and framework for the bags?

**WSL91** · 06-19-2012, 07:58 PM

My advice is to pick 1 bike and work on it. Try to shove it back together and get it running. Ride it for a while if possible and evaluate its condition. Once you have a good feel for everything then tear it apart fix it. Once you have it running and everything working then paint it. You don't want to be wrenching on a freshly painted bike. Take lots of pix as you'll be surprised when you go to assemble how many things didn't get recorded in your head. Good luck with the restoration, as tempting as it may be at this point don't tear them both down. We don't want a post from you next year selling 2 bikes in pieces

As far as de-rusting gas tanks I did a Honda tank with Kreme, followed the instructions to the letter and it was fine 3 years later when I sold it. The tractor guys are happier with Por 15 and Red Kote. Kreme can be dissolved after application with Acetone which always left me nervous. I didn't know that going in would not have bought the product.

**mikubuilder** · 06-19-2012, 08:00 PM

Hey there, and welcome...I'm no guru on those bikes by any means, but I've seen enough to say that so far, so good, on your end....If it was me, I would have tried to at least to try to get them running before stripping everything down to the frame; however, if money is no object, and you wanna have a nice project/restoration, then you will get them running regardless...there is a ton of info on everything possible on those bikes here that you will get all your questions answered, some of the guys here are original owners of those 30+ year old machines...

Some of the questions that need to be answered are: how many miles on those bikes, when was last known time when they ran, how PO'ed are they, etc.....

so fire away and ask questions, and use search in the forum for all your topics(so you don't repeat posts..), also check tech tips by Crazy Steve and TopCat

as to rust in the tank, there are many tricks, depending on severity....

**crazy steve** · 06-19-2012, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by BA80 View Post

If It does you probably shouldn't have taken it apart until you checked how it ran. Now you have to buy one of those expensive head gaskets.

+1 on that. These motors are pretty bulletproof, and that one you opened up looks good to me.

Here's what I'd do; reinstall the head, reusing the head gasket as long as it didn't tear anywhere. Run a compression test (that's always the first thing I do...) and see what kind of numbers you get. If you have any low cylinders, check the valve clearances; tight valves can reduce compression numbers a bunch. If you get decent numbers, then go ahead and replace the head gasket. By the way, it's cheaper to buy the whole gasket set...

So goes for the other motor/bike; don't tear it down until you know it needs it...

**jetmechmarty** · 06-19-2012, 09:44 PM

tank derusting

Evapo Rust or Metal Rescue is the easy method for removing the rust and doing no additional harm to the metal. Just buy a gallon and pour it in the tank. Move the tank periodically to derust the whole thing.

If you don't want to spend the $20-25 you may use acid or the electrolysis method. You should be able to find the info with a quick search here. I have done all three, and I recommend the first option.

**WMarshy** · 06-20-2012, 12:02 AM

Originally posted by copeland3300 View Post

.....
I bought the Yam service manual and the Clymer's manual; I figured between these two I could figure out anything that needed to be done. However, what they don't tell you, is how to take one that's been neglected and make it great.

My plan was to restore these to their former glory and make them my own along the way. The plan was to strip the frames, and sandblast off the paint and rust, but I think it's smarter to make sure the engine runs first…

So I decided to open up the engine once I got most of the stuff off the bike and see how the cylinders looked, and to make sure they weren't rusted into oblivion. The cams look good from what I can tell, but the tops of the pistons and the cylinder heads I think look like they need some help.

So, that's why I'm coming to you all for some advice. Do you think this engine is toast, or is this what engines are supposed to look like after years of use?
What should I look for in the other parts of the bike to see how much work this is going to take? I have a general idea, but I don't really know the details.

Any help or suggestions or comments or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Looks like you have two nice bikes to start with, why on earth you would go straight into taking them apart without hearing them run is beyond me. You even said you wanted to hear them run first but you just dove into the motor instead...

What do you expect the internals to look like on a 30+ year old bike? Judging from the overall condition of the bikes I wouldn't expect the engines to be trashed. Usually one starts with a compression test and /or a leak-down to get an idea of the health of an engine, not a visual on the cylinders...

**James England** · 06-20-2012, 03:22 AM

It was a bad move, stripping the engine before trying to start it. I'd put it back together and get it running before spending anything at all on it.

There are two types of restoration... one is taking a running bike and making it great. The other is taking a non-running bike and this is a different thing entirely. On the first option, you have the reassurance of knowing the thing works and you can establish early on what sort of money is involved in putting the engine right (if needed). You may find some catastophic problem which makes it non-viable to restore because engine work can be horrifically expensive.

If I found an engine to be blowing out clouds of oil smoke, or sounding like a bag of spanners, or with a hole in a piston, or just everything wrong with it etc, I wouldn't spend any money on it at all. It isn't cost-effective or rewarding. The engines are not rare enough to warrant doing this anyway. You can buy a complete engine for 10% of what all that work would cost.

On recent restorations I've done, I always make sure the engine runs reasonably well first. Then I know it's worth spending on the cosmetics, frame powder coating, chrome etc....safe in the knowledge that the bike works. A full restoration can cost $5,000 or more depending on how far you go, so the last thing I'd want is a lovely looking bike that sounds terrible, or doesn't run etc. That's a bad point to discover that the gearbox was ruined (reason for bike being off road in the first place) or seized or whatever!

**xs11lover** · 06-20-2012, 04:28 AM

I've always wanted an 80 G. I think you should treat those parts you are pulling off with care, #1 it's really hard to find original tanks and bags ect, and if you are not going to use them yoiu could sell them, if they are not too bad......too bad is in the eye of the buyer....I don't see much wrong with those bags...I hope they are still around the shop. I haven't read all of the comments, but running the bike would be the first thing I would want to do, then make sure the trani is in good working order. If those are good the rest is pretty easy.

Remember, alot of those parts are hard to get, in good shape, don't throw anything away.

**natemoen** · 06-20-2012, 05:42 AM

Welcome! 2 nice looking bikes to start with. I agree with everyone else but thats where I will leave that.

I am a bit sad about those bags. I would have probably bought them from you cause I am desperately looking for a set!

**jetmechmarty** · 06-20-2012, 06:20 AM

Hey guys, instead of crying over spilled milk, let's help get these bikes back on the road. All is not lost. These may both turn out great!

**CaptonZap** · 06-20-2012, 07:58 AM

Originally posted by jetmechmarty View Post

Hey guys, instead of crying over spilled milk, let's help get these bikes back on the road. All is not lost. These may both turn out great!

Yeahbutt,
Down the road, some new guy may read this thread, before he tears a complete engine apart, and save him self a lot of head ache.
So I'm on it too, it was a bad move to take the head off before compression testing indicated it was necessary.

That said, the advice to put it back together and check it out is good advice.
If you don't have the tools, you shouldn't be tearing it apart, 'cause you won't have the tools to put it back together properly.
So beg, borrow, or steal a set of differential pressure gauges, or at least a compression gauge, and see what the numbers tell you.
Good luck, CZ

**fredintoon** · 06-20-2012, 08:42 AM

Originally posted by copeland3300 View Post

Hey All,
I recently bought 2 XS1100's from a guy who was trying to move. one that's been neglected and make it great.
Any help or suggestions or comments or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Hi David and welcome,
do you want an XS11 to ride or a Meccano set to play with?
Like they all said, the one you took apart, put it back together before you lose any of the parts or forget where they go.
Then see if either of them will start and run.
There's a procedure listed here someplace on how to get a neglected XS11 up and running.
Don't sweat low compression numbers until after running the bikes for a while as it takes time for parked engines to free up again.
When (or if) the bikes are running is the time to decide on what degree of restoration you want to do.

**sparks** · 06-20-2012, 09:33 AM

If the bikes havent been run for a good long while (over ayear) I would consider (on the one not yarded apart yet) pulling the plugs and squirting sone oil on top of the pistons and let it set for a while. I would also not use the starter to turn it over the first time... My experience is not with motorcycles but the thoery still holds true. It's rare for rings to adhere to cyl walls but it does happen and it could cost you a piston or two..

Lee

**crazy steve** · 06-20-2012, 09:37 AM

Before poor copeland feels totally picked on, I'll say here that I don't worry about if the bike will run before tearing into it; I may try to see if it will run, but won't loose sleep if it doesn't. I will run a compression test to check the mechanical condition of the motor to see if that part is good in any case. You can also get a feel for how the bike was used/abused by pulling the motor covers and seeing how clean/dirty it is inside. You don't mention how many miles are on either bike (not too many on the one from seeing the cylinders) because that will enter into the equation, but with reasonable care these bike will easily go 50K+ miles without suffering major wear.

Both of your bikes look pretty decent cosmetically, I would expect that to be reflected in their mechanical condition. Motor overhauls are expensive as most parts are hard to find.

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Bike Restoration Attempt - Need Some Advice

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