Exhaust sound, like many other things, is so very personal. When I bought my '81 XJ550RH Seca back in 2001 as a homely non-runner for $300, and...
The best method I've found is vapor blasting. It almost has a self-polishing effect on the aluminum, and doesn't etch the surface as much. Kind of...
I'm trying to clean out my garage of unneeded odds and ends. Some things I've bought over the years and have decided not to use, or removed when I...
If it's any consolation, I'm beginning to have a similar situation with my '81 XJ550RH Seca, with almost 51,000 miles. The low-oil light comes on...
Love the video. I work in a large machine shop, and this instantly resonated.
Yes, I have an inline fuel filter between the petcock and the carbs.
UPDATE: It turned out that the handlebar issue wasn't the entire problem with the racing idle. And it turns out that 20+ years of tinkering on...
Every one of the dozens of orders I've placed with Len over the years ALWAYS makes me question why there isn't a "Len" for every other non-XJ...
This is another reason replacing the stock airbox with pods can be problematic. There's nothing for the breather hose to plug into. (There are...
Yes; on my 1981 550 Seca, there was a shaft oil seal under that timing cover, behind the timing assembly. Should be the same for you. Replace the...
I haven't met Jake750, but he probably is a cool guy. ;) I was a little disappointed with JBM's response to my email. Since I discovered I live...
Member Jake750 bought a set recently, and talks about them in this post:...
I was just thinking I should go ahead and replace mine after all these years... I see this post about JBM Industries, and find out they're 14...
Hahaha, yes, my dream is of fuel injection, too, but I've never really been afraid of carbs. They don't usually give me too much grief that I...
I was close to pushing Scarlet over a cliff at 6:30 this morning. She's essentially a good daily driver, and frequently I ride her to work, which...
On the way to work this morning, Old Red turned 50,000 miles. It's taken 40 years of her life to get there, and 15 years of help and advice from...
Sounds good. PM me when your inbox is cleaned up a bit.
Hey, Noahsxj. I tried PMing you, but your inbox is full. I have an '81 Seca (XJ550RH) tank you might be interested in. It's usable, but does need...
Yeah, I'm with you... the problem is the idle screw is already backed out all the way, to the point that the throttle cable cam isn't even...
Replaced the main O-ring on the spin-on oil filter conversion kit I got from Len several years back, after it started leaking. Of course Len had...
I've been getting parts from Len since he started here more than 10 years ago. I'm always blown away by the level of detail he's provided in his...
XJ550H, if I remember right from my starter-rebuild post, there is really only one press-in shaft seal on the operating end of the starter. The...
Good point. I did try using a different brand gasket sealant on the old seal when I tried just re-seating it, but that obviously didn't hold....
I had to install a new transmission output shaft oil seal (ordered from Len, of course) a couple weeks ago. The old one wouldn't stay pressed in,...
Many, many posts here on the forum about sticking/leaking float valves. Typically a carb rebuild is in order, using parts from our resident guru...
I may have said it before, but I've been ordering parts from Len as far back as I've been a member of this forum (2006). My latest order met my...
Not saying you didn't do it right, but it's not unusual to have the gasket slightly askew without knowing it, because it's so easy to bump things...
I agree with the consensus to just replace them with the correct seals, if at all possible. I just rebuilt my carbs for probably the fourth time...
I'm with you, Simmy. Isn't it amazing what a little time does to the important bits? I always seem to forget, thinking that my XJ should startup...
I just recently rebuilt the caliper on my XJ550, and like yours it was a BEAR to get the piston out. It was the corrosion in the seal grooves...
Gents, again you come through in the clutch... Polock, the grease was indeed the ticket. The order of install also made somewhat of a difference....
Thanks, gents! I know I'm making it more difficult than it is. Polock, yes, I made sure the correct marked numbers were positioned in cylinder...
Sometimes I feel like such a newbie, on something that should be so simple... After 17 years of running the Seca with the 4-into-1 Kerker exhaust...
Thanks again for your help, XJ! Just to follow up after the brake line replacement: your pics helped get things routed pretty close to stock. The...
Looks like you did nice work, Bluegray, in spite of it being a "dry run." I'm glad Chacal corrected me that the emblem you need is unavailable....
Just ignore me if you're dead-set against buying new, and you have more time to restore the tiny bits than I do ... I don't know how much money...
Did you try a search of this forum? I seem to remember a write-up quite a few years back that involved gold spray paint for the inner parts and...
Perfect, thanks! Looks like I'll need to come up with a harness wire "loop hook" to bolt up to the same bolt that holds the brake union/manifold....
Can anyone with a stock '81 XJ550RH Seca please snap a couple pics of the front brake joint/manifold area under the chrome Yamaha fork emblem?...
Well, I didn't snap a picture... but I did let things settle during a few days of busyness. Strange how frustration and a little distance can...
Yes, the gap between the wheel and the fork legs is the same on each side. I didn't try reattaching the caliper yet (this Seca is single-disc...
I just got new tires put on my Seca wheels today. For the first time ever (that I remember in 18 years), when I install the front wheel without...
Ya know, it's interesting. When I first bought my Seca in 2001, it was CHEAP ($300) because it was a non-runner from a friend. Maybe that's why...
I know this is an old question, because I've been embarrassingly been absent from the site for longer than BigFitz, but any update on how he's...
I've been trolling the forum off and on the last few busy years, just keeping up on regular bike maintenance and riding. But I got the itch to...
Wow, where does the time go. Since the last few posts to me in this thread (almost 5 years ago!), I finished up the top-end rebuild, met my (now)...
I have a bad habit of emailing Len for a quote, then waiting months -- for whatever reason -- to place the order with him. In spite of that, he...
I've ordered parts from Len for years, and always have had GREAT service. On the rare occasions that I get the wrong part or the quantities are a...
Re: Frustrated - head gasket leak early after top end rebuil Rick, Not sure if I'm misunderstanding you or if you're misunderstanding me. My...
Re: Frustrated - head gasket leak early after top end rebuil Thanks guys. The end float isn't all that much (I'll be measuring actual here...
