No ride? Get an XJ1100!

[3Phase]

Mike, Chuck: Thanks!

HalfCentury, yeah, the interlocks have to go. I'll keep the parts and stash them in the shed or subvert them to my will and add some thing that needs multiple switches and a complicated relay.


The initial PMCS has revealed a few things.

I couldn't go for my evening ride because the front brakes are tighter than Ebeneezer's bank book. I was able to slowly pry the calipers apart enough to free the front wheel and put the bike in the garage. The brakes felt solid because they are solid! Hopefully it's just the spooge holes but I may have to put in full kits. I do not play any reindeer games at all with my brakes so I'll have to see what they look like after I get them apart and cleaned.


There was an unidentified push-button switch in the plastic ignition switch cover. Now that it's dark outside I discovered that it's a headlight switch hack. The headlight relay and the High/Low beam switch have been bypassed with a three-way switch: Off/Low/High Off/Low/High (repeat). The hack and the switch will have to be removed and the original wiring repaired or replaced. Not a problem.




The engine was popping on decel' and it looks like #2 is lean. I have a pristine set of XJ11 carbs I can swap in if it's necessary.

#1 header has almost no color except a very slight hint of gold
#2 is very blue
#3 and #4 are light gold


I'm pulling the valve cover tomorrow morning when the engine is overnight-cold to check the clearances and timing. I so do not want to chase my own tail trying to tune around tight valves or crummy camshaft timing.

This should be fun but I may need another 2404.

[Prisoner6]

... This should be fun but I may need another 2404.

Well,

When it come to this project, all I can say is ...

Here's hoping the "Rounds Fired" box remains empty!

Nice score, Scott!

[HalfCentury]

I drove my XJ1100 off and on until the front brakes seized. Both front calipers were seized. It required a grease gun to free the pistons from the calipers.

I completely stripped all three calipers and rebuilt all three calipers. The soft parts are not expensive.

I re-used the dust seal(s). It is a royal pain re-mounting the dust seal held in place by the spring/clip thingy.

My cleaning process involves boiling the caliper in a pan using full strength lemon juice. Walmart generic brand lemon juice in a plastic bottle. I purchased three bottles. All of the metal parts get this treatment. This removes all gunk and rust. The smell created while boiling is rather horrible. All steel pieces are renewed to new looking condition including the dust seal spring/clip thingy.


Then a Dremel with a wire brush to remove all the pitting from the caliper channel where the rubber seal resides.

Replacing the piston for re-assembly was a challenge until I discovered a socket wrench extension chucked into a drill press. I pressed the piston into the caliper with gentle pressure on the drill press handle. Works great.

I purchased all SS brake lines. The front right brake line is easy to install. That alone makes a huge difference. I rebuilt the front master cylinder while doing all three calipers.

[Bigfoot]

I never had that much trouble getting the piston back in. Lube the seal up with a little brake fluid and it should slide in without too much fuss. Unless you didn't get all the crud out from behind the seal.

[DiverRay]

I never had that much trouble getting the piston back in. Lube the seal up with a little brake fluid and it should slide in without too much fuss. Unless you didn't get all the crud out from behind the seal.

+1 IF they don't go in by hand, or just a BIG push with a hammer handle, you may need to clean a little more.

[BA80]

Properly cleaned calipers the pistons will slide in easy by hand with a little brake fluid for lube.

[HalfCentury]

Properly cleaned calipers the pistons will slide in easy by hand with a little brake fluid for lube.

Yes without the seal in place. With the new seal in place, it is a major effort to get the piston to slide into its resting place. This is with a generous amount of new brake fluid slathered inside the caliper and around the piston and on the new seal. Just my experience with the three XJ 1100 calipers that I rebuilt.

[BA80]

Yes without the seal in place. With the new seal in place, it is a major effort to get the piston to slide into its resting place. This is with a generous amount of new brake fluid slathered inside the caliper and around the piston and on the new seal. Just my experience with the three XJ 1100 calipers that I rebuilt.

NOT!

I've been rebuilding all kinds of calipers for nearly 40 years and if they are right the piston will slide right in.

[Bigfoot]

I was also referring to the new seal in place. It should not be that tight. If it is, something is wrong.

[3Phase]

I was also referring to the new seal in place. It should not be that tight. If it is, something is wrong.

I love this place. I have a new ultrasonic cleaner that's going to get aluminum-safe solution and some brake calipers and a couple of master cylinders to play with.


It was a bad day today but it started off alright. I took off the windshield and started with the headlight and electrical system. The battery was at 60% when I put it on the charger. It spent all day on the charger at 2A and took a full charge.




Alright, that’s enough! There’s some mild chimpage on the headlight circuit where the fuse clip is stuffed with aluminum foil to make contact in the hacked fuse terminal. Fortunately I know someone with a pristine XJ1100 wiring harness, I’ll have to give him a call.





Don’t try to sit on one of those Harbor Freight moving platforms. It’s going back on Tuesday but that’s buh-buh-buh-bogus.




I used a good battery for a compression test, not the half-dead one it came with. The compression numbers are good except for #4. I’ll use a bore scope to take some pictures in it later and see if it’s carbon or what.




The spark plugs don’t look too bad. They don’t look good but they could be worse.




The camshaft timing dots line up and the cam chain is tight, no adjustment or replacement is necessary. Yay!




The exhaust valve clearances are good but all of the intakes except #2 are too tight and will need new shims. Bummer. I’ll change the #4 exhaust shim too while the valve cover is off but that’s still only 4 shims -- not bad!




I pulled the carburetors and #2 has been getting most of the blow-by. I don’t believe I like the XJ1100 air box.




I don’t think the air filter is supposed to do that….




And now the Pièce De Résistance. I tried to put the bike up on the center stand for the first time so I could adjust the cam chain tensioner but it didn’t want to come up on the stand. It also tried to fall away from me to the off-side so I stopped doing that and checked under the bike.




Ay’yep, the center stand bracket is broken.




I put everything away and cleaned up the tools. I’ll have a talk with the dealership on Tuesday. It’ll get fixed, it’s not too difficult to weld it back up but I’m hoping they’ll help make it right.

[BA80]

I've got one of those Harbor Freight moving dolly's too Didn't break all the way but close. Gonna screw down some 3/4" plywood on the top of it.

Oil the cylinders and recheck the compression.

I knew you'd hate that airbox. http://yamahazone.biz/airfilters.html

Tods Center stand is busted just like that one is. Must be an XJ thing.

[3Phase]

It's brand new! I took the labels off, sat down on it to use it as a roller seat and it went kerblooey! I bought two of them so it's going back and I'll try the plywood trick on the new new one. I'd just cleared the floor to work on the bike and put my rebuilt Toyota Tercel 1500cc long block on its twin brother and rolled it into the shed without a peep or a pop. It's still there clappy as a ham ... strike that, reverse it (RIP Gene Wilder!) Happy as a clam!

The XJs aren't the only ones that crack; maybe the only ones that crack and are still rideable. I had to get my '80G welded too but it ripped big ol' holes in both lower frame rails and twisted the center stand when it went cattywumpus.


I'll recheck the compression after I change the shims. I'm too lazy to open the manual so I gleeped Chacals XJForever numbers. The engine's good as it sits, should be even better with the valves set right.

1100 engines:
Minimum: 128 psi
Standard: 142 psi
Maximum: 156 psi
Max. variance between lowest and highest: 14 psi


No, Sir, I do not like that XJ air box, not one little bit! Thanks for the link, those gravel strainers will work just fine!

[Bigfoot]

Same thing happened about a month ago on my XJ first time I tried to put it on the centerstand, went clear over on its side on the garage floor

Still need to weld it back on. Yeah, must be an XJ thing. Never had a problem with any of the XS's

[BA80]

No, Sir, I do not like that XJ air box, not one little bit! Thanks for the link, those gravel strainers will work just fine!

The XJ1100 isn't listed in the fitment but the 005-121 is the one you want. Those are what I'm running on my XS.

Tod has those on his XJ also.

[Bigfoot]

I need some of those as well, Vince had put cheap pods on but they are partially obstructing the air jets I am sure.