New to it all, Looking for as much Info as possible

Hey, i just got my first bike 82 maxim xj550 thats not running, the PO said it last ran a yr ago. im looking for as much info as possible, things i should do,check or look out for. i already cleaned carbs and went through the front brakes still need to get to the back brakes sparks and the gas tank. oil and air filters are in the mail. any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

ADJUST YOUR VALVE CLEARANCES. Next. http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14827.html

Or you'll never get the carbs sync'ed. Not only that, at 15K you're right on the edge of a burnt valve if they were overlooked.

Then do a compression test.

Do you want the "full list?"

 

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14244.html (some light reading, your solution may be here!)

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14827.html complete Valve adjustment guide (needs to be done if you havent already and again every 5k miles.)

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=15874.html <==== (SAFETY ALERT! PLEASE READ THIS) You MUST at least check the condition of the rear brake shoes and drum BEFORE you ride again. This is why.
hope this helps. dont be scared to ask for help, there are lots and lots of friendly knowledgeable people on this site that are very willing to help

 

Hey Fitz, he probably doesn't want it, but give it to him anyway as he NEEDS the whole list. ;-)

There really should be a sticky for New Owner to Do List as it is a very frequent question. Truly a FAQ.

"Congratulations on your new purchase. You have chosen and incredibly fun bike. It is, however 30+ years old and will need some attention: [Insert List] ..."

 

Hey Jake, just out of curiosity.......is the bike older than you?

 

Thanks for the replies they were big help,I'm very interested in the "full list". The carbs were clean and in good shape so i hope the valves are 2,and yes bikes 9 years older then me

 

mines six years older than me. all is possible if youre patient and you listen to the wizards. a few parts here and there and some elbow grease and next thing you know. youre in xj heaven!

 

OK, you asked for it:

- check tires, condition, and date codes. Replace if worn or over 6 years old (or age indeterminable.)

- inspect wheel rims for damage or excessive runout.

- check front brake pads, they'll probably need to be replaced especially if original, regardless of wear.

- inspect disc brake rotors for damage, wear (thickness), or excessive warpage/runout.

- VISUALLY check rear brake shoes for wear/delamination; adjust rear brake pedal linkage. This is very important. Delamination is common, the only way to detect it is to SEE it. http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=15874.html

- inspect/lube/adjust/replace final drive chain and sprockets. Keep an eye on the chain. If it "bleeds red" when being lubed and won't hold adjustment, it's rusted internally and will need to be replaced. Always replace both sprockets with a chain.

- check and adjust if needed operation of front and rear brake light switches.

- replace rubber brake hoses (check the mfg date stamped in them).

- plan on rebuilding the brake master cylinder and caliper(s) and SOON.

- check and clean/replace the air filter element.

- change all fluids: fork oil, engine oil, and brake fluid.

- check and repair any engine or drivetrain/suspension fluid leaks.

- replace tach drive oil seals.

- replace front fork seals and dust seals.

NOTE: almost any original oil seal or engine case gasket will need to be replaced when its cover is removed for the first time.

- check and adjust/lubricate/replace steering head bearings.

- check and adjust/lubricate/control cables and speedometer and tachometer (if applicable) drive cables..

- replace rear shock absorbers. They were all done at 6K anyway.

- electrical system inspection, replace or rebuild fusebox, and most probably replace alternator brushes.

- check battery condition; replenish fluid (distilled water only!).

- clean the battery terminals.

- check all lights for proper operation and brightness (headlight, tail/brake light, turn signals, dash illumination).

- check horns for proper operation and loudness.

- check stator resistance.

- check rotor resistance.

- check coil primary, secondary, plug caps resistance.

- check and adjust camchain tensioner.

- check and adjust valve clearances; record your findings.

- check engine cylinder compression; record your findings.

- drain carbs, check for foreign matter in bowls, install in-line fuel filter.

- clean carbs, "wet-set" float levels and bench sync.

- check function/operation of fuel petcock; correct any leaks and/or rebuild the petcock if indicated.

After all that (and having corrected anything that needed attention along the way,)

-Install a new set of properly gapped NGK D8EA spark plugs, and with a fully charged battery, clean air filter, fresh gas and a little luck it might fire up.

- Then you do a running vacuum sync with YICS blocked.

- ColorTune or read your plugs to make mixture adjustments off the baseline settings.

- Double check the vac sync after mixture fiddling.

And that's the BASIC list.

Nothin' to it. It doesn't include cosmetics (paint, badges, etc.) or things like refurbishing your seat, upgrading the fork springs, etc.

That comes AFTER it's running right. Can it be done? Heck yes, I've done it twice and a whole lot of our members have pulled it off more times than that.

Just takes a bit of effort and a LOT of patience (and some money.) It's worth it.

 

Fitz, thanks for all the info, this list is definitely gonna save me lots of trouble looks like I came to the right place THANK YOU.

Also does anyone know of a good site to get aftermarket tailights,blinkers from?

 

Your best source for parts for these is xj4ever.com

On the first page, at the top, XJ4Ever - Supporting Vendor

He has a catalogue of all the normal parts he carries and you can PM Chacal here for inquires on "refurbished" part availability.

For other *AFTERMARKET* products: Bikebandit.com carries a lot and is usually cheaper than ironpony.com, for both OEM and aftermarket.

 

Thanks guys, this may be a stupid question but theres a lot of talk about syncing...what is syncing?

 

You have 4 carbs, and one throttle linkage. Syncing sets the idle opening of each of the butterfly valves, so all cylinders pull the same vacuum at idle. If they aren't pulling the same vacuum, they aren't pulling the same fuel/air mix, and the cylinders that pull less are helped along by those that pull more.

You intially set the sync with the carbs on the bench (bench syncing) by adjusting the butterfly valves so they all open the same amount. You doing a running sync while running...to actually adjust for slight differences between the cylinders. PLEASE NOTE WHERE THIS FALLS ON BigFitz52's LIST! (hint...it's one of the last things you do)

The engine will best, and smoothest, when all of the cylinders pull equal vacuum. Syncing is "fine tuning" the butterfly valve opening. This is why you need to test the compression, and adjust your valves - syncing won't balance the vacuum of your cylinders if they are way off due to compression or valve issues. And changes in mixture will also affect sync, so you have to resync (running of course) when you adjust the mixture (through jet changes or pilot mixture screw).

 

Thanks for all the info. Got another question, I don't have the tool that holds the shim down when your adjusting/changing shims. Is there another way to do it? If not what's the tools name and get I get it at any parts store? I would like to get it done this weekend and hopefully have the bike started up

 

You saw this, right? http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14827.html

You need "Part Deux" which explains the use of "the tool" and alternative methods: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=29209.html

The "tool" http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0020

It's called a "Yamaha Valve Shim Tool." Doubtful you'll find it at an auto parts though.

 

See page two of Chacal's parts catalogue:

HCP247A Aftermarket valve shim BUCKET RETAINER TOOL:
$ 16.95

The zip tie/wire method looks to me like it would be next to impossible to actually do with the engine together. Remember: you can't SEE inside the cylinder on an assembled engine.

If you don't have feeler gauges, they follow immediately after the retaining tool.

 

Thanks again Fitz I just ordered the tool. Decided not go the wire way. Who am I to start messing with carbon that's 9 years older then me. Now I got to figure out the best way to clean the tank...

 

Start with a phosphoric acid flush and see if you need to do anything more drastic.

 

For surface rust, the phosphoric acid works great. It reacts with the rust and turns it into a rustproof coating. For deeper rust, you would want to use some sort of abrasive media and tumble it around in the tank to get rid of any significant rust and then use the phosphoric acid.

Personally, I coated the inside of the tank after doing so. I used the tank coating stuff from POR15.com. Worked great!

 

Thanks mike I'm gonna look into that.

 

hey guys, i finally got everything done bikes running and sounds great thanks to all the help I got here. the only remaining issues are the l.e.d. blinkers i put on. They don't flash at all and there all on when the switch is on right or left. The same problem existed with the original blinkers but the sides worked separately like there supposed too. are there supposed to be lights in the tach and odometer's? any help would be appreciated! thanks

 

I believe there are supposed to be lights in the tach and odometer. Double check your manual. Superbrightleds.com offers some great LEDs that simply plug in as replacement bulbs for those. They don't cost but a few cents more than the incandescents do so it is a great way to drop a few amps in current load.