My '83 List of problems and questions

Hello everyone, I am new here. Hopefully you're all as helpful as the cabriolet forums 8)

I have searched several different threads, but have a difficult time finding the solutions to my various problems so here goes nothin.
Refer to the below post if you would like some more info.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.p ... -high-idle

I got the bike from my brother for real cheap. He bought it as a 79 maxim 750, or so we thought. I have come to learn that the frame is a '80, and the engine is an eighty three (after wasting 45 bucks on a paper valve cover gasket for an '80).

Things i've done:

New spark plugs
New valve cover gasket
Oil and filter change
Drum brake tune up
Pod filters, re jetted the carbs 2 sizes up.
Crazy PCV set up because i am cheap


Things to accomplish

Rebuild front caliper (bike sat in the grass over the winter in IA)
Sync the carbs, including bench sync.
Set/ correct ignition timing
Replace drive axle boot (PO simply cut one down the middle and we didn't notice)
New handlebar. sorry im not a cruiser type, though its still fun.
Replace ignition wiring



My questions...

This is my first yamaha, but my previous ride was a '80 suzuki gs1000 and i felt like i'd wrenched on every bolt on that bike. They are very similar. i really like the yamaha and i may even consider staying with the company in further years.

Question 1:
The engine has a very distinct ugly vibration at 4800-5000 rpm. It runs beautifully otherwise, aside from the issues ill address below.
Could this be caused by the centrifugual timing advance mechanism? Or rather because my ignition wiring is shot? You can see in this picture, number 2 cylinder wiring just ends its connected to the spark plug by a mere 3 or 4 copper wires inside the sheath.


If you read my vwvortex thread, youll notice it was on account of the bike idling at 3k. I have since accomplished the task of lowering the idle by the adjuster screws on the carbs.

Question 2:
Cylinder 3 is the carb that all others are adjusted to, correct? Could i make a 4 bottle set up to sync my carbs? (if you dont know what im talking about google 4 dollar carb sync). Im about to cave and buy the carbtune pro

Question 3:
Why dont my carbs have vent tubes like i had on the gs1000? as you can see in the pictures, my carbs have quite the fuel leak. Not a bother right now

Question 4: Whats involved with timing the engine? Im awaiting my new haynes manual for the xj.
From what ive gathered, you expose the timing advance mechanism and use a timing gun. I have never used one though. Am i correct in that you simply connect it to a spark plug wire and set the flash speed to catch the flywheel at its precise time? Thus showing you its 6 degrees BTDC (or w/e the spec is)

Concern:
Here you see my makeshift positive crankcase ventilation setup. The filter didn't want to fit directly onto the CC so i used the old tube and some coffee filters 8) There was smoke rolling off my engine again today (whats new), though i decided it wasn't my gas leak, but rather the air filter directly below the seat, it was smoking quite a bit. Are the crankcase gases white? i thought i was burning oil somewhere as it also coated me in its odor.


Concern 2:
I noticed the engine doesn't have an auto adjusting timing chain. Whats involved with tensioning the chain? Maybe the haynes will help me out on that one.


Thank you all again for the help. I really appreciate it.

 

You're a ways from worrying about Fine Tuning.

Move "Wiring" to the top of your To-do list.
Get rid of the Fuse Panel. Solder in a New Fuse Panel.

Get a Shop Manual covering your specific Bike.
You can buy one, ... or let your fingers do the surfing for easily obtained Manuals for sale or downloading supplied by criminals.
But, ... Job One: Manual.

The Carbs are Constant Velocity "CV".
Extremely difficult to Fine Tune when Pods are substituted for the Stock Intake.

 

EDIT: I have a butane soldering iron on order (hopefully). I would like to solder and heat shrink every connection on this bike to keep from dealing with my gs1000's (suddenly dead) issues.

I was hesitant to go for the pod filters.

I wish i had a picture of the air filter my brother bought it with. The most HAIR COVERED ugly looking air filter i've ever seen. Like it was OEM off a 30 year old bike. The thing bairly ran and the PO compensated for it with petty throttle adjustments and such. The boots that ran from the carbs to the air box were from a hardware store and had no sealing mechanism. They were free to leak vacuum as they wanted.

I'm not a "ricer" kind of guy, as you can see. I just want the bike to run and do it properly for years and years to come. Not interested in anything further.

I have a haynes manual on the way. But like my gs1000, i feel it will be more than lacking on things im really needy for.

Ive been enjoying the conversation on here about a yics tool. That to me is a very interesting topic and ill surely be purchasing one of these tools.

What do people mean by backing the throttle all the way out to sync the carbs?? does that mean turning the air/fuel adjustment screws out as far as possible?untill the engine dies of starvation?

 

Rick is right; you need a manual.

#1: there is no centrifugal advance mechanism, all of that is handled electronically by the TCI unit. Yes, a trashed spark plug boot (these bikes use resistor caps) could cause rough running/vibration, as could out-of spec valves, out of sync carbs and a myriad of other issues.

#2: Yes, yes, and the Carbtune rocks. Or, you can build a 2-bottle manometer or a 4-bottle one, or one made out of long lengths of tubing and no bottles.

#3: dunno, probably because it was a Suzuki and this is a Yamaha but "quite a fuel leak" can lead to other problems like "quite a lot of gas in the crankcase" which you don't want. This needs to be a bother right now.

#4: Timing is fixed, and the advance curve is handled by the TCI. It's either right, or it's not working; "timing" (like with a car) isn't really a concern with an XJ. CAM timing yes, if you had the motor apart, otherwise ignition timing is not a "maintenance" item.

Re: concern one: see Rick's comments in regard to pod filters, and my answer to #3 although what you're seeing may be "normal." I don't know, all my bikes have their airboxes, and the vent normally goes there.

Re: concern two: I've posted the procedure for the "manual" camchain adjustment a few times now, a forum search should hook you up, AS WILL THE MANUAL.

However, Rick is 100% percent right on another issue: WIRING/fusebox needs to move up your list; and you need to inspect your rear brake shoes for signs of delamination. http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=15874.html It wasn't on your "done" list. DO BEFORE RIDING any more.

 

Clean and properly service the carbs, adjust the valves, reinstall the airbox and it will.

Or get ready to start "tuning for pods." Good luck with that.

And get that manual.

 

The electrical issues are big, yes. And the fuse box... Meh.

That drum brake issue no doubt is the most pressing issue to date!!!
Very scary stuff, especially in this Phoenix environment. I dont like the people driving behind me as it is. Ill pull the drum brake at my earliest convenience to see its condition.

Sorry to post because its obviously been asked before...

Where do i find a drum brake rebuild kit including springs and whatnot?

Shoes are easy enough to find.




EDIT: Only reason i went to pods was because i also needed to buy a new air box. 90 bucks vs the 50 i spent. In the end, i will probably switch back to an air box from the local (motorcycle junkyard) and a 45 dollar air filter. eeeeep

 

#3 The carbs are vented into the air box through the intake horn on the carburetor. Personally, that always seemed like a more elegant solution than having hoses hang all over the place.

 

Again with my question, why doesn't the yamaha need to ventilate excess gasoline/gas pressure? The physical application is the same. Something is needed to vent otherwise the float bowls become too full and the engine starts sucking in "fluid" gasoline resulting in hydro-lock.

EDIT: As im complaining, someone was there to solve my problems :?

The carb bowl gaskets are very worn and old, resulting in the fuel loss. I dont believe this to be a pressing issue, as its seemingly cosmetic. And very much so at that, but im more concerned about float height. Thats why im wondering how to check this.


Why make a new fuse panel?? The old one is working as it should

My suzuki in its last days liked to cut out on the interstate. THis is a very "interesting" issue as i would suddenly lose power on the interstate, or anywhere else. Due to its very fine calibration in the kill switch.

The drum brake has me worried to death right now as its my only brake and i dont knwo its last service date 8O

I dont like the thought of me locking up all of a sudden (happened several times in the past(luckily escaped)) and letting a stupidly rich trophy wife, run me over while trying to get to her next mall extravaganza.

 

Why make a new fuse panel?? The old one is working as it should

quote]
You are joking, right? The inline crimp has replaced the "Ignition" fuse and all the others are at deaths door. I know somebody who replaced a fuse with the foil from a cigarette packet - yes, the loom burnt out.

 

So there is a closed circuit running without a fuse to control surge?????? uhhhh Well i guess this is problem number 1...

Also, the bike is completely screwed up from the PO. Its an 83 into an 80. Lots of wiring has been simply removed, such as the kill switch, and the clutch (safety) switch.

What is the voltage of fuse that the ignition is run off of? why does it use a fuse? Though i know what fuses do. Please elaborate on what might happen. Ty



I just looked at it and thought everything was okay. the fuse panel was "short" on fuses but aparently not as everyone has wiring leading up to it. All i did to get the bike running was replace the "main" fuse and do the "air filter"/ spark plugs/ carb cleaning.

Again, looks like i need that manual. Its on its way guys. Dont fret.

Thank you all again. Sorry im one to pity and not look up to. But maybe i look up to all of you :wink:

 

For your parts needs, check XJ4Ever.com. Member chacal is the proprietor, and his catalog forum ("XJ4Ever-Supporting Vendor") http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewforum/f=23.html can be reached via the bright logo in the upper right of the web page.

Recent discussion on rear brakes: http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=29051.html

There is a currently very active thread, "Floats" running right now that includes a snapshot of someobody doing a proper (the "clear tube method) float level check (although the post is mostly about Mikunis.)

You need to use the search feature, and look through "FAQ Suggestions." I believe your bike has Hitachi carbs, search for Hitachi float height or somesuch. Pretty much everything you're asking about has been covered, and a lot rather recently.

 

Snowy, riding around with no front brakes??
Have you bothered to check your tire date codes??

For your frame to be an '80 - I'm guessing someone put a 750 motor into a 650 Maxim. How about posting the VIN # from the white tag and the "shorty" VIN from the engine, and we'll ID exactly what you have.
You don't have to post the last 4 digits if you want privacy.

Save $40 for now on the YICS tool and stuff the passage with oily rags.

The carbs don't "need" the overflow tubes like Hondas and Suzukis have because ours don't flood when maintained at the N'th level of perfection. :lol:

 

BEWARE of free manuals online, I downloaded two, one turned out to be in Spanish, the other was infected with a virus...

 

I saw the pic of your crank-vent. No comment, the reason that the vent was plumbed to the airbox in the firstplace was two fold, one so that unburnt (blowby) fumes could be rerouted back to the intake flow instead of wasted to the atmosphere (causing smog as a byproduct) and the other was so that only filtered air could be available to the crankcase. They were occasionally found on heavy duty and industrial engines before air polution became an issue (read late 1950's) The auto makers discovered that engines with a good pcv system lasted tens of thousands of miles longer than identical engines without pcv.
If blowby is significant enough to foulup the carbs with the stock system, the most likely suspect are the piston rings. If the engine remained unused for a significant ammount of time the rings may have lost their tension or need to be reseated. The later may correct itself after a few high rpm blasts down the road and maybe a couple hundred miles of riding, (over a weekend) but if the rings are shot, there's only one way to fix it; fix it.

 

His crankcase vent is like that because the airbox was eliminated. And exactly how much "ventage" is normal is hard to say because it usually isn't seen.

 

tHANK you fitz. I dont believe the piston rings are bad on account of it being Stupidly easy to start, even without choke. And the battery is several years old.

I again thank all of you with your continuing patience with me. Everything thats been said has been more than helpful with my exact problems. Im going to pull the rear wheel as soon as i get a dust boot and drum brake stuffs.

After reading up on the vin codes, i have discovered my frame to be a 80-81 maxim 650 and the engine to be out of a 82-83 maxim 650. We are golden. TY

 

Snapped a few more pictures. Like i said, i believe i have everything under control. Yeah im riding around without a front brake. Its odd pulling up to stop lights
Will the front brake be fixed with a simple seals rebuild? i saw them on ebay for 16 bucks. The brake pads did wear at an angle but i read on here that its normal. The front wheel was locked up so i dismembered the caliper.
Also on the to do list, FORK SEALS!!!
Does anyone know where to get a RIGHT side frame cover?? i have been to the motorcycle junkyard and also have been on ebay and They are all for the left side. Are the right sides a hot ticket to steal??

Also, part of my exhaust baffling is destroyed and rattling around
The bike is still my daily driver (eeeep) till i get my vw alternator fixed.










Dont be so mean, i like my teddy's camo

 

You do know that a butt-splice is rated to many more amps than a proper fuse right :roll: The usual problem with the fuse box is not the fuses themselves, but the ears that hold them on break, and then you're SOL on the road.

Right side panels are harder to find because they cover the battery. This results in their frequent removal and subsequent wear and tear on the mounting tabs. Couple that with Bernoulli's principle, and they end up lost on the highway.

Only way to know the condition of an engine is to compression test. Check valve clearances first. Then you can move on to other "running" issues.

If you are doing any riding on any real roads...get your front brakes fixed first. Being able to stop you bike when it doesn't run = bike sitting in garage. Being able to run your bike through all it's gears, with no brakes = casket.

 

Stopped by the motorcycle junkyard here in Phoenix. I love that place.

Ill try and wire up this new fuse panel soon. Also got me a dust boot, spark plug boot, and fuel filter. All for a mere 5 bucks 8)

You might be able to see the smoke rolling out of the pcv filter in that last pic. hard to see but surely there






Is my bike supposed to have this cross member shown here?? maybe thats the reason i have vibrations

I laughed when i saw this set-up. makes me not feel so bad about my own problems

 

Managed to get my spark plugs out to check the condition of the engine.

The plug that had the bad wiring feeding it was White indicating a lean mixture.

However, the 3 other plugs were horrific looking. They were coated in a sticky black carbon deposit.

Did my re jetting go too far? it was only 2 sizes up. Or is it a float bowl issue. Could it possibly be something to do with the air fuel mixture screws on the front of the carbs?? ive been fiddling with them a lot lately.


Please help me! im dumb

 

I could be all of the above. The easiest way to overall determine the health of the engine is a compression test. Make sure the valves are in spec, then test away. Then you can move on to fiddlin'. Many people on this forum will be happy to help you out, but it'll be a lot less frustrating if you are methodical about it.

Aftermarket exhaust typically don't have cross-over tubes, mine don't. I'm running +4 on my mains and +1 on my pilots, with a stock airbox (I think it's a little rich, but it seems to be going good).

Looks like you've got a good parts source there. No matter how good it's running, please don't drive anymore until BOTH sides of the brakes are sorted out.

 

Brakes are ordered. Ill have them in asap. I wont be driving any more till i figure the fuel mixture out. Uhh oh yeah, and the brakes too. :wink:

That is not a cross over tube but rather a steel dowel that gaps the 2 engine mounts. Where as mine just have a short bolt in them. I was wondering how secure it really was, then i saw that one today. Just wondering.

Ty again for the response. Futurama is awesome

 

[quote="snowyroads]That is not a cross over tube but rather a steel dowel that gaps the 2 engine mounts. Where as mine just have a short bolt in them. I was wondering how secure it really was, then i saw that one today. Just wondering.[/quote]

My bad...saw you were talking about the exhaust with the pic. Rear or front engine mounts?

 

Here you see my set up. These are the front engine mounts. I bought and installed the crash bars from that junkyard and the engine i got them off didn't have that long cross member. But it was slightly different than my own. A quick trip to ace solved everything.




Couple more questions after today, the fuse panel i bought. The fuses all run to a common bus and there were several wires hooked to that bus.

If i were to re wire my fuse panel up, do i simply ground out half of all my wires? then run the other side through tthe fuses?? Could anyone tell me the voltage rating on the 4 fuse panel fuses? especially the ignition wiring??

I really want a 4into 1 exhaust, are there any other models of bike that i could find one from? other than the 650 seca? i saw some nice gsxr pipes today that i could only dream of fabricating to my bike.

Anyone find a good slave cylinder for a hydro clutch set up yet? ive seen posts but nothing conclusive

 

The voltage is 12V. The main fuse has a 20A rating, and the others are 10A. Use a multimeter to determine which wires go to which fuse, label them, and hook them in place of the current fusebox. You don't want to ground a wire that was once running to a fuse.

Be careful with removing the exhaust. The bolts that attach the headers to the engine are notorious for breaking off.

A new clutch cable will be very effective, and a much easier than a hydraulic clutch. Even some new bikes don't have a hydraulic clutch.

 

Sorry i dont mean to confuse, my wording is just poor. I meant that this fuse panel had all common connectors going to the same singular screw. I believe that this fuse panel will work to my liking. I thank you for the reply though.


What i really need help with is why are 3 plugs rich running while one is lean?
Is a carb sync the cure-all here? Could my yics ports be so fouled that number 2 cylinder is being starved of fuel?

 

A sync won't help with that. Get some muffin tins for all the spare parts, a couple cans of carb cleaner, some gasket material (it looks like you'll need it), and a free afternoon.

Clean the carbs. Get all the passages clean using whatever you have to. Don't lose parts. Put it back together. Set all Idle Mixture Screws to 3 turns from a gentle bottoming out. Replace those old spark plugs (BP7ES). Cut out new float bowl gaskets for yourself.

Take off the valve cover and find your valve clearances. Make sure you are in spec. If you are not get it in spec. I can't remember off the top of my head what the specs should be, but someone will soon on this forum and you can find it on another forum for sure.

Check out this thread for some more things to do and some warnings about "fiddling" with things rather than being methodical.

 

Did you get a spark plug boot of the correct RESISTANCE ?? 5K Ohm ?

Chacal (XJ4ever) sells a really nice, new fuse box for $6.00
There may be some kind of electrical issues with combining all the "hots" together, such as, the bike will be fully energised with the key in the "park-lock-light" position.

It's often said that checking valve clearance and doing a compression check are the first steps in getting your bike running right.

 

You NEED front brakes amigo, fix them STRAIGHT AWAY! Do not ride the bike otherwise (this warning is because we want you to stay alive).
I'll back Rick and Fitz up, good advise. Did you get your alternator issues ironed out on the VW? I just rebuilt two for a 16V GTI Jetta for a fellow so if you have questions, PM me.
You need to do a compression check to make sure your rings are sound on those three oily soaked plugs.
The ignition issues coupled with the carbs is going to give you wonky insulation coloration. I'd baseline the engine before I worried heavily about it. Otherwise, take your time, invest a little now and you will have a sound bike that you will see many years of service out of.

 

you can try that fuse panel but it might not work. the common ground style didnt work for me. bike went nutz would run without any fuses ignored the ignition switch lights stayed on etc. i ended up getting 4 inline fuses and worked great