cylinder block removal?

[drgaz]

My XS1100E as done many miles and I am thinking about removing the the cylinder block as the motor is burning a drop of oil now. What I need to know is will the cylinder block lift off the the studs and clear the crank case with ease or is it likely to be seized to the block and a sod to remove,as I have noticed that the front studs can be seen though the cooling fins there for open to the eliments and rusting ? or should I just keep topping the oil up after every 100 or so miles ?no massive clouds of blue smoke yet except under hard exceleration. Thanks Gaz

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Drgaz,

Yes, the head can be a bit difficult to remove if there has been a fair amount of corrosion built up around the stud holes. I wouldn't go so far as to describe it as seized, but just quite snug, requiring a good rubber mallet and such. Secondly, if it's only burning a little, and your compression levels are still good, and you're still getting good mileage and performance, then you might want to hold off for a while yet. Go with a slightly thicker oil, like 20-50 if your running a thinner one like 10-40, and like you said, check the oil level every tankful!!

You can't get standard sized OEM oversized pistons/rings anymore from Yamaha, and if you've got enough miles on it, a honing probably wouldn't be enough, and so you'd be looking at a rebore, and the only game in town is to go with a big bore kit, a modest to considerable expense depending on your wrenching abilities.
HTH. T.C.

[drgaz]

Thanks I was just wondering if any one here had done the job with out any problems ,may be I should leave it aloan untill its a real problem. Are there no other pistons that we can match up from some thing else other than the standerd yam ones? from may be another bike or car ?

[TopCatGr58]

Well, I'm no mechanical engineer, but I don't know if there is any real standardization in designs among the jap bikes. Aside from the basic bore size, you've got the piston crown shape... allowance for valves, and then the location and size of the wristpins, the total height and skirt patterns of the pistons, etc.! Not sure if anybody has tried to cross breed them with any other make/model?? The big bore kits from Wiseco are still available, and thats what folks do when theirs are ready for a rebuild!! I had to do mine, but it was from neglect and rust!!!

T.C.