1981 XS1100 Midnight Special Slow restoration

[cajun31]

Love to hear when another MNS is saved.

[Medumdum]

After waiting for shims and valve cover gaskets, I got the valve shims adjusted properly on Friday, now just getting the carb fully tuned and synced. Just pulled it again because I didn’t have the floats set right, got that done so throwing it back on there today and hopefully with a bit of tuning I’ll get it running perfectly.

BTW: if any of you live near Austin TX, I’m planning on bringing the bike to Radwood on 4/27. Thanks to everyone on the forum for the help, the bike has come a long way in the 4 months I’ve had it. Oh, I did also already get all the brake calipers rebuilt, and the lines bled. The last fluid I have to swap now is the gear fluid.

[DEEBS11]

The zip tie trick works.

[LAB3]

Aldo, while I agree with most of what you said, using a screwdriver to push (and HOLD) a shim bucket down while you take out and measure a shim is perhaps the hackiest thing I have heard in a long time. Thank you. It was quite entertaining. Welcome aboard.

Yeah, I'll stick to using a zip tie!

[DEEBS11]

Forgive me for only skimming this thread and if the subject has already been discussed.

The most common problem with the XS11 ignition, that I have seen, is the braided copper wires that connect the pulser coils to the wire harness. A braided copper core and rubbery coating was used to accommodate ease of vacuum advance. The vacuum advance flexes them and they break internally. Testing with an ohm meter will not always show the problem. It is easy to check. Grab each wire and 'GENTEELLY' pull the length, each side, between the coil and the wire holder. If the wire stretches, then it is broken internally. The braided copper does not like to be soldered. The best fix is to crimp/splice with the middle part of a factory style split pin connector. Ace hardware style crimp splices will not work. Fortunately, all but the fuse connectors are now available aftermarket. Unfortunately, the original wire will, eventually break again, near the splice. One of my final projects is an 80 LG restoration with 24K miles. One of the wires is broken.

IF you are talented and understand the forces of physics, you can depress the valve shim bucket with a flat blade screwdriver and use the other hand to remove the shim with a stick magnet, once the oil suction is broken. If you do not forget to retension the cam chan, you can also loosen the cam caps. If you choose to loosen the cam caps, for goodness sake use a torque wrench when tightening! And, for all sakes, loosen them evenly. There is a guide 'ridge' that can be broken on most cams if you loosen them wrong. Regardless of how you change an above bucket shim, make sure it will rotate within the bucket after you change it. If it will spin, you can be confident that your clearance measurement is correct. check two or three times as oil under the new shim can affect the measurement.

Aldo, while I agree with most of what you said, using a screwdriver to push (and HOLD) a shim bucket down while you take out and measure a shim is perhaps the hackiest thing I have heard in a long time. Thank you. It was quite entertaining. Welcome aboard.

[Brit44_Aldo]

Forgive me for only skimming this thread and if the subject has already been discussed.

The most common problem with the XS11 ignition, that I have seen, is the braided copper wires that connect the pulser coils to the wire harness. A braided copper core and rubbery coating was used to accommodate ease of vacuum advance. The vacuum advance flexes them and they break internally. Testing with an ohm meter will not always show the problem. It is easy to check. Grab each wire and 'GENTEELLY' pull the length, each side, between the coil and the wire holder. If the wire stretches, then it is broken internally. The braided copper does not like to be soldered. The best fix is to crimp/splice with the middle part of a factory style split pin connector. Ace hardware style crimp splices will not work. Fortunately, all but the fuse connectors are now available aftermarket. Unfortunately, the original wire will, eventually break again, near the splice. One of my final projects is an 80 LG restoration with 24K miles. One of the wires is broken.

IF you are talented and understand the forces of physics, you can depress the valve shim bucket with a flat blade screwdriver and use the other hand to remove the shim with a stick magnet, once the oil suction is broken. If you do not forget to retension the cam chan, you can also loosen the cam caps. If you choose to loosen the cam caps, for goodness sake use a torque wrench when tightening! And, for all sakes, loosen them evenly. There is a guide 'ridge' that can be broken on most cams if you loosen them wrong. Regardless of how you change an above bucket shim, make sure it will rotate within the bucket after you change it. If it will spin, you can be confident that your clearance measurement is correct. check two or three times as oil under the new shim can affect the measurement.

[cajun31]

If you don't already have a manual you can download one from Ringler.us | My Bike. You really should use the table in the manual when doing the valve adjustments.

[DEEBS11]

A better quality tool.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/18199851391...Bk9SR5K6zrjKYw

[DEEBS11]

It should be mentioned that most valve adjustment tools for the XS11 come from Motion Pro. Cheap stuff. The material is not quality tool steel like it should be and the areas that I marked in red are built up for added strength which, unfortunately, renders them useless. They simply won't fit. If you search the forum you will find some people will grind the tool down so that it will fit. It is best to buy a quality tool or use the zip tie method. When it comes in, try it and see if it works.

[bikerphil]

The size of the shim should be printed on the bottom of the shim, if for some reason it isn't there, use a micrometer. Each shim size increment is .002" BTW.

[Medumdum]

Thanks, ordered the tool so now to wait for that to get here, so I can measure the shims and then order the correct size ones. At least I’m assuming that’s the best way to do it? Thankfully most of the valves are within spec, guess it’s just the intake on cylinder 1 and exhaust on cylinder 4 that need new shims.

[DEEBS11]

Intake 1980+ 0.004 - 0.006 inches.

Exhaust 0.008 - 0.010 inches.

[Medumdum]

Anybody have the clearances for this 81 XS1100LH? I just have the owners manual and I’m not seeing them in there. I looked online but couldn’t find them for this year/model specifically. I measured .009, .008, .008, .006 on the exhaust, and .003, .005, .005, .005 on the intake, in inches, going 1,2,3,4.

[Medumdum]

Ah thanks! I looked up the Yamaha part number and the official tool is $100-150, but glad there’s a cheaper version. I’ll check the clearances tomorrow morning and order the tool and a set of shims if I need em. Then I just need to get this thing inspected and deal with getting a bonded title. Last I heard they patched the Vermont loophole.

[DiverRay]

Some of the people on here have used a Zip Tie to keep the spring compressed. As I've been working on these bikes for a LOT of years, I do have the tool. I do not think it's $100, though.
First thing is pull the cam cover, make a chart of the valves, I draw a picture of 8 circles, O O O O this side 4,
this side 1, O O O O and fill in what they measure. You can then look at the book and know what you need. You may be able to swap one or two between valves as well. Try to set them at the OPEN end of the spec, if it's .020 to .030, set to .030 as they close up over time.
Mikes XS has the tool for less than $15! https://www.mikesxs.net/valve-shim-c...QaAroDEALw_wcB