No ride? Get an XJ1100!

[motoman]

Hi Scott! Good to see your back on two wheels again! Other than a bit of preventative maintenance, that XJ oughta' put a permament grin back on your face.........., and Columbo saddened setting back in a dark corner of man-cave.
If your planned ride to visit your Dad and attend the rally at the Iron Horse happens, and the ride takes you I-70 direction coming or going again, your more than welcome to stay at Anita and I's place.......anytime, as you know!
That XJ looks to just need just a bit of neglected care.....piece of cake for you.
Be safe my friend!........and ATGATT!.

[3Phase]

Thanks, Mike, I'll have to try some of that stuff. It's a quart bottle of concentrate so how much do you dilute it?


Brant, my plan so far is for me to jam-boogie on out of here on the 14th and head up to Colorado. I went to the dentist this morning for a root canal; two more appointments and it'll be done but this week's going to really suck.

Columbo's happy because parts are still coming in for rebuilding, they just won't be here in time to go back East and I've wanted this XJ since they showed it to me. It's slow going right now as I basically do a 35-year service/inspection and find things that might have killed me if I let the dealer do the inspection and the work

After I get it running I have to put on the fairing and the '850 drive, then hit the road.



Here's the carb' cleaning from today with the Yamalube diluted 2:1:


Dirty carburetors with fine rust in the bowls means I have to de-rust the fuel tank ASAP



Yamalube Carburetor Dip



Add water and stir



The small parts sparkle



The float bowls cleaned up nicely



Dirty carburetors on the right, clean carburetors on the left -- shiny!

[3Phase]

I forgot to mention that found the cause for #2 running lean and burning the piston clean: the octy' diaphragm has a hole in it.

It's a fairly large hole and the valve barely opens so I'm surprised it was able to pass enough fuel for me to ride it home. Another mystery solved.

[MPittma100]

I forgot to mention that found the cause for #2 running lean and burning the piston clean: the octy' diaphragm has a hole in it.

It's a fairly large hole and the valve barely opens so I'm surprised it was able to pass enough fuel for me to ride it home. Another mystery solved.

Those are some clean carburetors. Ultrasonic is the way to go to clean them.

I put the whole quart in my cleaner. Cleaner is 27L capacity. Amazon had the best price on the Branson product last time I bought it. You can put your hands in this cleaner without a problem. It is not caustic.

[3Phase]

You mix the Branson 1 quart to 7 gallons/28 quarts? That's some strong stuff, I'll definitely have to try it!


Yep, the carbs are squeaky clean and purty too! I should have done this ten years ago instead of going through all the hassle of cleaning parts by hand with hard core solvents. I've spent more on solvents and cleanup than the cost of the ultrasonic cleaner, I just hope it lasts!

For strict accuracy, I removed the slight residual film left on the parts by the Yamalube Dip by using my normal homebrew ultrasonic cleaning mix:
2 gallon of warm water
1/4 cup of TSP Substitute (sodium metasilicate)
3 tablespoons of washing soda (sodium carbonate)
A few drops of the blue Dawn dish soap

I added a little more hot water this afternoon and fired up the cleaner again.

[3Phase]

I've hit an expensive lull

While I wait for parts I need to learn how to set up and use my Garmin GPS so I don't end up trying to do it out on the road.

The front caliper seals were starting to rot. The edges crumbled, the sides pitted and they kept leaving black streaks when I tried to clean them with fresh brake fluid. It made no sense to put them back in the calipers so I'm waiting for new parts and doing some other things that need doing but I was going to put off like electrical repairs, the '850 FD, set up the fairing and see if I can get the hard or soft bags to fit the frame. It's not difficult, just time-consuming.

The master cylinders and the linked-brake proportioning valve were in great shape with no corrosion at all, just bad brake fluid. The pistons and cups look like recent OEM replacements; rubber's totally fresh and flexible and the pistons are pristine so the ultrasonic cleaner was all they needed -- thank you Lord, I really didn't want to buy new Master Cylinders or kits.

After fiddle-farting around pretending to shop for the better part of the business day, no one had the correct parts in their hands and ready to ship except Len / Chacal at xj4ever and 2-Day Express gets the parts to me ASAP. The original brake hoses are probably in the same condition as the rotted caliper seals so while I was at it I picked up a set of clear-covered braided SS brake hoses along with new hard lines and crush washers. Yeah, "Ouch." I bought one of those nifty-keen long-nose 90-degree needle nose pliers for the front master cylinder clip too.

To assuage my feelings after an otherwise aggravating day: after almost a decade of intermittent attempts to register at the xjbikes.com web site it finally worked and I was able to log on and post to the New Members section.

[HalfCentury]

I bought exactly the same brake lines from Len. They are in process of being fitted to the bike. Hot weather keeps me out of my garage this summer in NC.

I feel your pain concerning the cost of the brake lines. The good news is that this will probably be the last time buying new brake lines for the XJ1100. SS lines should last 20 years in good condition.

The wrenching space around the rear master cylinder is pretty much non-existent. Have you found a way to gain better access for installing the new lines at the portioning valve?

[3Phase]

I bought exactly the same brake lines from Len. They are in process of being fitted to the bike. Hot weather keeps me out of my garage this summer in NC.

I feel your pain concerning the cost of the brake lines. The good news is that this will probably be the last time buying new brake lines for the XJ1100. SS lines should last 20 years in good condition.

The wrenching space around the rear master cylinder is pretty much non-existent. Have you found a way to gain better access for installing the new lines at the portioning valve?

I put the full kit from Len on my '80G back in 2013:-
XJ4Ever Stainless Steel Brakes and Bearing Rebuild
Unfortunately I closed my Flickr Pro account when they violated their own TOS, then wanted to argue about it with their paying customers so the pictures are all missing. I'll have to update the thread and re-post a few salient pictures.


Removing the rear master cylinder is not a simple job but it's not really difficult either, just more annoying than anything else. I don't anticipate doing it again any time in the next thirty-five years so it's not a big deal, it just looks more complicated when you write down the highlights than it really is when you actually do it:

Put the bike on the center stand. If you don't have one or it's broken then suck it up and drive on.
Remove the seat and side covers.
Remove the fuel tank and put it somewhere away from the work area.
Pull out the battery.
Unfasten and then flip the fuse panel mounting plate up and over the frame rail.
Remove the battery box.
Remove the OEM security (LOL!) chain and its box.
Unfasten the black plastic inner fender liner and move it toward the rear of the bike.

Now you have room to work. You won't get brake fluid all over yourself or the paint and you'll be able to put a wrench on and undo the flare nuts without growing tentacles or boogering them up.

You should probably use this opportunity to clean the dreck out of the normally inaccessible area beneath the battery box and hidden by the inner liner. Yech.

[HalfCentury]

Battery box. That is the step I have been missing. Thanks. For some reason, I thought it was welded in place. Time to remove the battery and see what that is all about. The fuel tank has been off for a while to get the valve cover, carbs, brake lines and intake boots off.

[3Phase]

There are two bolts on the tray holding it to a couple of rubber isolation mounts on the frame.

Remove the fuse panel, then remove the two bolts on the bottom of the battery box that hold it to the rubber isolation mounts and it'll come out the left-hand side.

[Bonz]

I am a bit late to the party, however nice bike Scott!

Make sure you get that rear brake arm popped in that bushing now, you hear?

So you're heading through Colorado going back east for the rally and to see some parentage? Or something close to that?

I'm super busy with my new job teaching however if you are coming through the front range I can come up and meet you if it's on a weekend, if only to check out the bike for a minute and wish you well on your travels!

[3Phase]

Yessir! I will make 100% sure that brake arm's seated! It not like I have ever missed the mark and totally annihilated that stupid bushing before, no way, not me!

The little petty things and shipping times are starting to add up. I may have to push back the day I leave and skip Colorado on the trip East but I can catch it on the trip back home. If I do that I'll have avoid riding the '70 again and come up from the South, the wind while I was crossing Kansas was no fun and it just doesn't stop.

[BA80]

the wind while I was crossing Kansas was no fun and it just doesn't stop.

+1 on that. It can get crazy. 50mph cross winds, torrential rain and lightening striking all around you.

All you can do is push through and hope to survive. Ain't nothin' there but lonely jackrabbits.

[XJOK2PLAY]

+1 on that. It can get crazy. 50mph cross winds, torrential rain and lightening striking all around you.

All you can do is push through and hope to survive. Ain't nothin' there but lonely jackrabbits.

True! And no overpasses to get under during storms, either! 😱
Totally exposed if you get caught in one.

[BA80]

OH! Were you there too Bob................