No ride? Get an XJ1100!

[3Phase]

Well, that's three out of three now so maybe it is an XJ thing. Hey, it's my first running XJ, what the heck do I know? I've been slowly turning my '80G into an XJ (and E, F, SF, SG, LG, H, SH, LH) but it's not the same thing at all, really.

How the heck is Tod anyhow? He learned the hard way on his XJs but now he's got more XJ-ism in his little finger than I'll ever hope to have!

[XJOK2PLAY]

Congrats, Scott!
Sorry I'm late to the party...
But I've been riding today.
Went from Tulsa to Broken Bow with a couple of friends.
In a motel now, ready to sack out for the night.

Cody showed me the trick to pulling and replacing the carbs on an XJ w/ the stock airbox. Not too hard if you know how it's done.
I removed and installed mine so many times it got to be no big deal.

Those air filters are getting almost unobtanium now. Good luck finding a good one. Pods may be the cheaper way to go...

I'm sure you know the deal w/ the battery warning light, right?
Factory battery had an extra wire that hooked up and went to the pilot box to tell the rider if the water level was getting low. I forget the value, but a resistor added in that wire defeats it.

The oil light is a low level warning light, not oil pressure.
The kickstand warning light is kinda handy.

You'll probably despise that stock seat. Tod always said Yamaha forged it in the lowest levels of hell... a sheer torture device. Fortunately, Miles had already redone the one on mine before I bought it from him. It was sweet!

Does it still have the Octy? As long as your float valves seal good, you can toss that mess... if they're not, you have to remember to always shut off both petcocks when you park it. Mine leaked, and there were a few times I forgot!!

Good luck fixing the wiring. Hope that goes well for ya.

I still miss mine, too. Like those XJ's.

[Bigfoot]

Yeah, I had an XJ for my first real bike and its the one bike I have regretted selling. This one I will never part with. After XSSE I will start getting it road worthy again then work on the cosmetics.

[3Phase]

Congratulations on a safe ride, Bob! Hmm, Broken Bow is where the first episode of that lousy Star Trek:Enterprise series was set so watch out for crashed Klingons aka out of work and unemployable type-cast actors!

I didn't have to much trouble pulling the carbs, that wasn't too much more difficult than an XS with an enrichener cable but getting the air box out of the frame afterward without cracking it or busting off that little drain fitting (I did not say nipple!) was like undoing one of those demented puzzle rings.

[madmax-im]

Congrats, Scott!
Sorry I'm late to the party...
But I've been riding today.
Went from Tulsa to Broken Bow with a couple of friends.
In a motel now, ready to sack out for the night.

Cody showed me the trick to pulling and replacing the carbs on an XJ w/ the stock airbox. Not too hard if you know how it's done.
I removed and installed mine so many times it got to be no big deal.

Those air filters are getting almost unobtanium now. Good luck finding a good one. Pods may be the cheaper way to go...

I'm sure you know the deal w/ the battery warning light, right?
Factory battery had an extra wire that hooked up and went to the pilot box to tell the rider if the water level was getting low. I forget the value, but a resistor added in that wire defeats it.

The oil light is a low level warning light, not oil pressure.
The kickstand warning light is kinda handy.

You'll probably despise that stock seat. Tod always said Yamaha forged it in the lowest levels of hell... a sheer torture device. Fortunately, Miles had already redone the one on mine before I bought it from him. It was sweet!

Does it still have the Octy? As long as your float valves seal good, you can toss that mess... if they're not, you have to remember to always shut off both petcocks when you park it. Mine leaked, and there were a few times I forgot!!

Good luck fixing the wiring. Hope that goes well for ya.

I still miss mine, too. Like those XJ's.

I had my XJ 30 yrs and i never once shut off the petcocks and it never leaked...YMMV

[tcoop]

Congratulations Scott on getting an XJ1100! It's a great bike. (I have tree of them) Once you work out the little issues you will be good to go...be careful you will have that bike stripped down to the frame and doing a complete rebuild and still wont have anything to ride.

[3Phase]

I'll have to see about the seat; haven't ridden it anywhere yet but it's not getting stripped to the frame! Not! No! Well, alright, not yet anyway....

I had to put rubber caps on all four of the fuel tap outlets because they leaked in the Off position when I pulled the tank to check the valves. It wasn't just the fuel still in the valve, they kept going after I took it outside so it got capped. I have to find a gas can so I can clean the taps without spilling fule everywhere or end up running down the driveway with a burning tank.

Now it's time to fire up my new Harbor Freight bore scope to see if it'll work and what the cylinders look like without taking off the head!

[MPittma100]

Cylinders

I'll have to see about the seat; haven't ridden it anywhere yet but it's not getting stripped to the frame! Not! No! Well, alright, not yet anyway....

I had to put rubber caps on all four of the fuel tap outlets because they leaked in the Off position when I pulled the tank to check the valves. It wasn't just the fuel still in the valve, they kept going after I took it outside so it got capped. I have to find a gas can so I can clean the taps without spilling fule everywhere or end up running down the driveway with a burning tank.

Now it's time to fire up my new Harbor Freight bore scope to see if it'll work and what the cylinders look like without taking off the head!

Scott,

May I suggest running a cylinder leakage test after valve adjustment?

[3Phase]

Scott,

May I suggest running a cylinder leakage test after valve adjustment?

That's an excellent suggestion. I plan to do a leakdown test but I don't have the parts to make one and it's Labor Day so, mañana, is good enough for me.


My new bore scope is totally bitchin'. It's going to take some time to get used to it but it makes nice pictures and okay videos. The mirror attachment is so-so. It works but tiny combustion chamber kribblies fall on it as you insert it and ruin the image. I need to practice and make a shield for the mirror.


01 Intake Valve Tulip is a little blurry. Oops.



01 Intake Port



01 Piston




02 Intake Valve Face



02 Intake Port



02 Piston




03 Intake Valve Face



03 Intake Port



03 Piston




04 Intake



04 Intake Tulip Oily



04 Intake Port



04 Intake Port Fully Open and Oily



04 Piston




YouTube: 0:32 No Audio | Starter Cranking Number 04 Piston with Harbor Freight Bore Scope 60695

[MPittma100]

Bore Scope

Looks like it has been sitting for a while. May just need a trip around the states and back?

[3Phase]

Looks like it has been sitting for a while. May just need a trip around the states and back?

#2 is too lean, it's down to bare aluminum in the center of the piston and there's almost no carbon on it anywhere else.

#4, the one with the highest compression, looks like the intake valve seal needs to be replaced. There's a lot of carbon built up and it's kind of moist so that probably boosted the compression.


I'm debating changing the shims, dropping in the spare harness, carbs' and doing the brakes or just taking it back tomorrow. I can buy hacked bikes all day long without busted frames that aren't $2,500, that'd buy a sweet paint job and a rebuild.

Meh, I'll go see what shims it needs and pull the brakes.

[3Phase]

It's been a long day, it's still going and I haven't gotten to the brakes yet but it's alright.

The dealer's going to work with me to get the frame fixed so that's out of the way. I changed the valve shims and had the three I needed for the intake so I only had to buy a 295 at Yamaha for the exhaust. All of the shims are still high numbers so the head and valves are good.

I'm totally happy with the new numbers!

Exhaust clearances: 9, 10, 10, 10
Intake clearances: 5, 6, 5, 5

Compression: 147, 150, 149, 156

Except for #4 again that's almost within the error range of the system. I'm letting some gasket goo set up overnight before I put everything back and fire it up but it's looking good.


I needed a break!

[soccer4m]

Scott on a Columbo's Buddy

Congrats Scott on your XJ steed,,,,,,hope the beauty is treating you well. As you will find out the xj seat is kinda wierd, like narrow in the front and ok in the back, but you will slide forward. I got the atv seat cover by Coleman for my xj and it works wonders,,,no slipping, cushy and airy,,,,,its 17.00 total shipped free from Amazon,,,,send me you addy and I can get one to you for helping me keep my xj alive. It fits the rider part perfect, but the passenger is any, will need another one
.https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....7L._SX425_.jpg



congrats again,,,,,MIke in Sun DIego

[3Phase]

Thanks, Mike! I have one of those seat covers on Columbo but I picked it up at Wally World, not Amazon. Are they different or same-same? Anyway, PM sent.

I scored big time on the brakes on this XJ. Everything looks brand new, even the little rubber booties on the master cylinder plungers but it sat and picked up some water or something because the front brake was a little stiff but the rear linked brake system was stuck tight and almost looked like it'd been glued together. One of the front brake pads on the stuck brake looks like it glazed and cracked so that's a bummer but it's a good thing I found it now and not when I really needed brakes so I'll order some new pads in the morning. It's all done with the ultrasonic cleaning but that's a chore and a half even with a 10L/2.5Gal tank.




I got the carburetors clean enough today to go in the tank tomorrow so after I break the rack I get to try the Yamalube Carburetor Dip.

[MPittma100]

Carb Cleaning

I have had really good results with an ultrasonic cleaner. I use an aluminum cleaner mixed with the water. Cleaner is from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Tool...uminum+cleaner