First bike. 79 xs1100 special

[vedgar]

My heart dies a little more each time I hear Cafe Project .

[Keith805]

Yeah well that's not going down anymore Vedgar... Well guys I've pulled the fuel tank and carbs and i had a bike once upon a time many years ago and i forgot how much time this is going to take Haha! AHHH ****! ill add some pics tomorrow and show you what's going on. so far i know i need to get the rust out of the tank and ive got the supplies for all that then i will seal it. OK so i need info on doing work on the following.

brake caliper rebuild fronts AND rears

master cylinder front AND rears

and just where to get cheap parts.. Is eBay the Goto or what?

[Keith805]

Plan is I'm going to get it running and hopefully going the meetup in NC and have you guys let me know what's up. Id like to check out your guys rides when i go out and see what you have done to the bikes you have there..

[bikerphil]

Brakecrafters is a good vendor for rebuilding parts, not the cheapest but decent quality. Might be able to find some things cheaper on eBay but quality may suffer.

[Radioguylogs]

For the calipers and master cylinders, many of us buy parts from:

https://georgefixs.com/

K&L and Brakecrafters are trusted brands for these types of parts.

[LAB3]

https://georgefixs.com/

Georgefix has a good reputation for selling quality parts.

[cajun31]

Yeah well that's not going down anymore Vedgar... Well guys I've pulled the fuel tank and carbs and i had a bike once upon a time many years ago and i forgot how much time this is going to take Haha! AHHH ****! ill add some pics tomorrow and show you what's going on. so far i know i need to get the rust out of the tank and ive got the supplies for all that then i will seal it. OK so i need info on doing work on the following.

brake caliper rebuild fronts AND rears

master cylinder front AND rears

and just where to get cheap parts.. Is eBay the Goto or what?

OK... you mentioned getting the rust out of the tank and sealing it. How do you clean the tank? My suggestion would be to remove the petcocks and devise a part to seal the hole with the original bolts. Then fill the tank up with apple cider vinegar and let it sit for at least a week. Then pour it out, capturing it while filtering it with a strainer. Inspect the tank with a strong light and repeat process if it is not as clean as you want it. You might even want to throw an old chain or some nuts and bolts in it to slosh around the tank while full of vinegar to knock the rust off. I have used this procedure on my last two restorations and you will be amazed at how well it works. The nice thing about the vinegar is that it is acidic enough to get the job done while not being overly aggressive to cause damage. I always take a water hose and really flush the tank when finished and then i take my heat gun on low and dry the inside of the tank out followed by some marvel mystery oil to coat the inside to prevent flash rust from forming. Unless the tank has pin holes in it, do not seal it. I only seal a tank to repair pin holes. When you fill the tank with gas, preferably the non ethanol brand if available to you the tank will no longer rust. When you store the bike for longer periods of time top the tank off with non ethanol gas and you are good. By the way from your pictures you posted that is a very nice bike and it looks to have the original carbs. Someone asked about the grab bar. Check the for sale section and you will find that Greg or BA80 had one for sale and a very good price. They are basically unobtainable so if you want one you might want to grab it. Good luck with your "restoration". I too am glad you decided against the cafe route. That bike is in too nice of a condition not to restore. The price you paid was good and left plenty of room for improvement.

Gregs post for the seat and grab bar. 79 seat & bar - XS11.club Forums

[Keith805]

OK... you mentioned getting the rust out of the tank and sealing it. How do you clean the tank? My suggestion would be to remove the petcocks and devise a part to seal the hole with the original bolts. Then fill the tank up with apple cider vinegar and let it sit for at least a week. Then pour it out, capturing it while filtering it with a strainer. Inspect the tank with a strong light and repeat process if it is not as clean as you want it. You might even want to throw an old chain or some nuts and bolts in it to slosh around the tank while full of vinegar to knock the rust off. I have used this procedure on my last two restorations and you will be amazed at how well it works. The nice thing about the vinegar is that it is acidic enough to get the job done while not being overly aggressive to cause damage. I always take a water hose and really flush the tank when finished and then i take my heat gun on low and dry the inside of the tank out followed by some marvel mystery oil to coat the inside to prevent flash rust from forming. Unless the tank has pin holes in it, do not seal it. I only seal a tank to repair pin holes. When you fill the tank with gas, preferably the non ethanol brand if available to you the tank will not longer rust. When you store the bike for longer periods of time top the tank off with non ethanol gas and you are good. By the way from your pictures you posted that is a very nice bike and it looks to have the original carbs. Someone asked about the grab bar. Check the for sale section and you will find that Greg or BA80 had one for sale and a very good price. They are basically unobtainable so if you want one you might want to grab it. Good luck with your "restoration". I too am glad you decided against the cafe route. That bike is in too nice of a condition not to restore. The price you paid was good and left plenty of room for improvement.

Gregs post for the seat and grab bar. 79 seat & bar - XS11.club Forums

Yes Cajun ive done the research and have ordered 6 gallons of apple cider vinegar online. I've taken off petcock and the tank lid. I'm going to get some good duct tape and make sure it sealed up well. As for this fuel level sensor I removed it as fell. should i but a new one or just kind of clean this with the vinegar w/ Toothbrush???

[cajun31]

Yes Cajun ive done the research and have ordered 6 gallons of apple cider vinegar online. I've taken off petcock and the tank lid. I'm going to get some good duct tape and make sure it sealed up well. As for this fuel level sensor I removed it as fell. should i but a new one or just kind of clean this with the vinegar w/ Toothbrush???

Good deal. You will be pleased with the result. as for that sensor it looks like it is in good condition. I would just hit that with some carb cleaner and a small wire brush. Should clean right up. Hopefully it is in proper working order. That black gasket on it looks a bit dried and might be brittle. You should lightly work it off to inspect. Hit is with some WD40 and get it off. It might need to be replaced. If so it can still be purchased. Here it is on Partzilla.

GASKET, SENDER UNIT 2H7-85753-00-00

Yamaha Motorcycle 1980 OEM Parts Diagram for Electrical - 2 | Partzilla.com

[LAB3]

Why apple cider vinegar and not the plain old white (clear) stuff? It's a lot cheap and easier to get in bulk

[Keith805]

Thaks Cajun for the info ill get that done. And Lab I got me 6 gallons apple cider shipped coming soon. got it for $59.17. I didn't think that was too bad... right hahaha..

[Keith805]

They did crack me for $32 shipping... damnit

[Keith805]

Good deal. You will be pleased with the result. as for that sensor it looks like it is in good condition. I would just hit that with some carb cleaner and a small wire brush. Should clean right up. Hopefully it is in proper working order. That black gasket on it looks a bit dried and might be brittle. You should lightly work it off to inspect. Hit is with some WD40 and get it off. It might need to be replaced. If so it can still be purchased. Here it is on Partzilla.

GASKET, SENDER UNIT 2H7-85753-00-00

Yamaha Motorcycle 1980 OEM Parts Diagram for Electrical - 2 | Partzilla.com

I have an ultrasonic cleaner at work that we don't use. Think I can throw it in that thing?

[cajun31]

Why apple cider vinegar and not the plain old white (clear) stuff? It's a lot cheap and easier to get in bulk

White vinegar is much more acidic vs apple cider vinegar. I always buy the apple cider from Walmart. Not too expensive. I like that apple cider because you can generally just put it in and leave it for a while. I have never tried the white vinegar so I really can't say what it does or doesn't do. Might take less time to do the job. I also have never tried putting it on a paint surface either. I do know the apple cider does no harm to paint.

[cajun31]

I have an ultrasonic cleaner at work that we don't use. Think I can throw it in that thing?

I use my ultrasonic cleaner to clean carb parts if they are not too dirty. I would be careful with that particular part. Just a light cleaning is all it takes.