Advice needed on abused 81 XJ750 Seca

Hello folks,
A friend bought an 81 XJ750 Seca with just over 27,000 kms on the clock (16,200 miles). But it sat out in Canadian winters under a tarp for years and years. She got the bike for $200 bikes and asked me to look it over to see if it's worth fixing.
I took the valve cover off to check the shims after a compression test showed low 80's to low 90's across the 4 cylinders.
The photos below show what I found when I took the valve cover off. The gasket was glued down with what looked like dried up rubber cement. Some of it was stuck to the cam caps.
The oil is mixed with what appears to be muddy water. I wonder where the hell that came from...
The oil pools in the muddy water in globs. Definitely looks like oil and water unhappily living together.
When I checked the shim gap on exhaust valve #1, I got a gap big enough to almost stick my little finger in there, probably a 1/4 to 1/2 inch gap.
Does that mean the valve has dropped or what the hell? I've never run across such a massive shim gap.
Anyway, just overall impressions and guesstimation on whether this bike should be restored.
As well: all three brake calipers are seized, one front disc warped, the brake fluid has turned into cement in the brake lines, the clutch plates are stuck together like they were welded, the starter clutch rattles like a bastard, the forks are both leaking, the rear shocks are leaking, the seat is ripped, needs battery, the gas tank is full of rust, the carbs are gummed up, rusty and dirty as hell.
Those are the major things. Well, like I said, it cost $200.
Personally, I'm thinking parts bike but hey, there must be some optimists out there!
Any and all comments appreciated.
thx,
baz
(Sorry about my lousy, out of focus photos. My cheap Sanyo digital camera sucks and so do my photo taking skills!)

 

Looks like you could go either way with this one. MAJOR rebuild or parts donor. I've never seen a bike so close on the edge of decision. How do the cylinder bores look? If they are rusty, parts bike. Why? Too many other things are wrong with this one in parts alone make this a money vacuum. Then add machining on it. It's your bike, your decision. You asked for comments, this is mine. Water in the oil? Condensation. We get it all the time here in the desert during monsoon season. Any bike, car or machine can be rebuilt or restored. It's just a matter of time and money and passion for the project.

 

a good place to start now might be to start cracking bolts loose, just loosen enough to see if they come out or break off
do all of them you can reach, if none snap you've got a fighting chance but if some snap, forget it

 

Parts bike. A lot of what you need to rebuild it is either unavailable (eBay crap-shoot) or simply not cost effective.

With CAMS that look like that the rings/bores are most likely rusted too; the cams themselves are likely ruined; you probably have at least one stuck valve (hence the huge clearance.)

About the only things reusable would be the aluminum castings; chances are the tranny is/was full of water so all non-aluminum stuff in there (like everything) will be rusted out too.

With so many halfway decent XJs around for that amount of money that DON'T have basically ruined motors, I wouldn't bother trying to fix that mill.

 

You said "SHE" bought it for $200... that could make a difference in weather to fix it or part it out... if she's a HOTTIE what's wrong with spending a few quality hours with her rebuilding a motor over a few cold ones?? if she's not-so-hot part the thing out...just my $.02 8)

 

Ditto.

Pry off anything salable and try to get the $200 back.

 

Your first mistake was to spin that motor over to check comp', before you did that, I might have said follow Polock's bolt advise & have a go, now, part it or sell it on.

 

chances are the tranny is/was full of water so all non-aluminum stuff in there (like everything) will be rusted out too.
I lol'd


I'd take the hotness of the female into consideration too... if she's hot spend 500 and buy another bike, that runs or is really close, you'll be much better off

 

Schooter, I'm impressed with your knowledge of matters
d' amour. :wink:

 

You might get lucky and find a cheap parts bike with a good engine/trans or find an engine/trans for sale for cheap. That's what I did. I found a parts bike with a great engine/trans for $30.

 

Stick a fork in it... it's done.

A bike that doesn't run is only worth the value of its parts... and making that one run well is going to cost a fortune.

 

Man, that's just sad ...

skillet

 

That looks like it could be a sweet project with the right resources. Immagine rebuilding that bike from its condition and making it shine again. It would be more satisfying than the cost. Seriously... It can be done. The cams should clean up nice and there is going to be a full motor rebuild... Ill bet the cylinders are aweful. But Id restore it. I am weird like that tho.

 

Thanks for all the good advice, folks.
I think the Nays have it.
Mostly because SHE is not hot at all and I'm married to someone who is hot, IMHO.
I opened the clutch cover and there were a few inches of muddy water in the bottom. No point even posting pictures.
I've already been the rebuilding route with my 81XJ650 Maxim and it runs like a peach. That took 2 years on and off to get it just right. So I have no overwhelming desire to go through that again.
And it's true what Fitz said, there's plenty of good XJs around that aren't money pits.
I tried removing one head bolt. Snapped right off like it was made of cardboard. The dowel running down into the engine was super rusty and corroded. Pieces of it came off in my fingers. I don't even want to look at the rest.
So I'll tell the owner to come get her heap and part it out. If she wants to sell it to me for $100, I'll take it and part it out.
thanks again for the comments, very useful.
baz

 

Those cams won't clean up; there's rust on the load-bearing surfaces. Replacement the only option.

The problem with "awful cylinders" on these bikes is in obtaining SETS OF PISTONS and rings in the basic overbore sizes. Not happening, except in really rare lucky circumstance or spending thousands to get pistons made.

If that were a small-block Chevy V8 or even a Rootes-Group 4 from the sixties, I'd say rebuild it because you CAN. You can get parts, all of them, and for cheap.

Not for XJ motors. And what can be got is usually beaucoup expensive.

Baz, I think you made the right decision. (You could probably recoup $100 from the wheels just by cleaning them up.)

 

Yeah there are deals out there. Just come and go. I got mine for $250 after talking the guy down from $550 due to cosmetic issues. Much of which I have been able to restore to it's former splendor....

Sounds like a parts bike to me too..

Rob

 

About the alunimum castings. Some fins are busted off the cyl. head, high on the left hand side. Anyway, this one's headed for the parts bin. Now to see what is actually worth parting out on it... That's project in itself!
baz

 

How much for the front footpegs shipped to 08002? Just curious. PM me?