xj550rh engine rebuild

So I purchased a xj550rh seca yesterday and I'm about to engage in my first complete engine rebuild. any advice anyone on things to avoid and things to watch out for?

anything is appreciated. thanks

 

Buy a service manual!

 

the bike actually came with one. used it already to great effect. still trying to figure out what the knock in the engine is. through a bit of research it seems the most common cause is valve timing. bike seems like it sat in a shed for a long time and also needs a tune... any suggestions before i start tearing it apart easter monday?

 

first thing, check the valve clearances, get them in spec, then check the compression, dry, then wet, don't forget WOT, remove the air filter & pull the TCI, post results.

 

thanks for the tips. ill let anyone know how it all goes.

stupid questions but what do the acronyms WOT and TCI mean?

I've helped fix up a few bikes but this is the first one I'm doing on my own and I'm hoping I didn't bite off more than I can chew

 

WOT, wide open throttle, TCI = computer ignition, see pic'.

 

Check the Alt. brushes and contact surface. same for starter and timing. (Mine was sitting in a cornfield for years). cleaned up the alt. and it charges at 12 at idle and 14-15 when running at highway speeds now and check the valve lash.

 

what should I be looking for on the TCI wonder? I assume if it's a bit dirty i can use some 99% isoporyl alcohol to clean it as well.

When I put the new battery in (3/4 charge was as much as the shop could do before it closed for 3 days) it pulled the same charge numbers so I guess that's good. I'll keep that in mind as well for later on.

 

what I meant was disconnect the TCI while you do the comp' tests, or you can goose the coils.

 

In the process of figuring out the cylinders need to re-bored, the engine timing is off and a bunch of other sad stuff a friend of mine mentioned that someone he knows is selling his old r6 engine that runs perfectly because he crashed and broke his leg and will no longer ride.

anyone know if an r6 engine would fit an 82 xj550rh seca frame?

 

It sure will but you will have to do tremendous amount of work on the engine mounts. I did once fit in a 250cc engine in a 175 honda chassis. took me 2 days of intense welding to create 3 engine mounts with measurements. in the end the whole idea however was a complete success.

If you can source all the required engine parts from the donor bike, i.e water cooler, ecu, wiring etc then you sure can do it.

But to be honest, If i were you i'd buy the r6 and fix it up as it is and fix the XJ up as well. reboring the cylinders is not as hard nor expensive, the timing can be fixed as well provided you do not have any bent valves (even that isn't a hard fix) as for the other wrongs in the engine they sure can be pretty straight forward to fix with the help of this site, just ask what you may need help on.

 

well im taking apart the engine now and I was planning and rebuilding it from the bottom up but after some advice from other gear heads they seem to think changing the plugs, and fixing the valve clearance/timing should fix everything up.

ill try to utilize the collective knowledge from here some more as well.

everyone's been very helpful already

 

another question.

whats the best way to clean the engine block and parts without actually damaging the metal. some people have told me clr, others gasoline, but reading online i get the impression the clr will do more harm than good. i asked the guy at the bike shop and he handed me some ipone degreaser which didn't work so well. the stuff is really caked on there... anyone have some good heavy duty tips?