Rookie mechanic needs some insight

Alright, I've been slowly working on my 82 XJ650 Maxim. I'm more of a Jeep TJ specialist, and now I'm using my XJ650 to get into learning the innards of motorcycles. Carbs have been rebuilt, now I'm doing valve clearances and adjustments.

So to get to my valve shims, I took out my cam shafts following this guide here

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35434

Yes I know of, and did consult bigfitz's guide for valve removal, but I don't have the tool, nor did I want to invest in one. My bike is also at about 30k, and I'd like to get everything cleaned up and the chain swapped out while it's already taken apart.

... now here's my concern.

Where do I go from here? Camshafts and sprockets are out, but I don't know exactly which way the sprockets go back in, meaning I don't know exactly the way to align the sprockets and camshafts back in properly.

Any good guides, tips, or basic information you guys can give in regards to realigning the sprokets and properly placing the camshafts back in the engine?

 

sounds like you need a manual they explain cam installation and timing pretty well.

removed links sorry rick

also if you don't want to use the tool to do shims use the zip tie/coated wire trick.
valve shim write up: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14827.html
zip tie method: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/p=250585.html

 

File Sharing Literature protected by Copyright is illegal.

Such activity is a Violation of Membership Terms of Service.

Please refrain from the practice in the Forum.

 

If you look on the camshafts on the right side of the motorcycle, where they mount to the sprokets, on one side you will see a tiny little hole that points away from the shaft, those need to line up with the little lines on the #2 intake and exhaust camshaft caps, all of which is pointed out in the service manual.

 

Thanks, I've got a copy of the service manual that I should have already referred to, didn't know if there was a color guide here already though. Thanks for the help so far!

Joiner, what about the chain itself, is it basically if it fits, it's good? I somewhat understand how to line up the sprockets now (bolt hole with notch should be at the top).

 

The bolt hole with the notch doesn't have to be at top, it just shouldnt have a bolt in it as far as I understand, the little hole you're looking for is on the camshaft, not the sprocket, as that sprocket might be 180 degrees off. The tiny little hole is on the part of the shaft that holds the sprocket. you make sure the T is lined up and then the chain should be tight on the exhaust sprocket, then you put the chain on the intake sprocket as tight as you can in relation to the exhaust sprocket with the tiny hole still pointing up.

 

I'll either post or PM a picture of what you're looking for when I get home from work.

 

So Rick,

What about the website XJ Owners who used to sell the several CD's of information on them.....there was every owner's manual, service guides, & supplements for just about every year & model for the XJ's.....& they sold it for a mere $ 10.......

Was that a violation.....because there is many owner's of that CD on this site...

 

I know.
They know.
They broke the law.
It's nothing to be proud about.

My understanding, from a recent post, is that Yamaha has contacted the parties responsible for infringing on Yamaha's Copyright, and have the matter under investigation.

I have issued the appropriate warnings in the past and will continue to do so.

When the CD Publishers provide the appropriate License Agreement or Express Permission Granted from Yamaha Motors Corp to reproduce entire volumes of Workshop Manuals; I'll discontinue issuing warnings.

Piracy of materials protected by Copyright © is a crime.
No.
It ain't OK.
Just because you have the means to circumvent the Law does not mean it's alright to do so.

 

Back to the original subject:

Removing the camshafts just to re-shim an airhead is a bit of overkill. OK, a BIG overkill.

You do realize that the valve adjustment needs to be done every 5000 miles, right? That it's not a one-time thing?

But since you've come this far: get a copy of the procedure from the FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL. If you'll PM me with your email address, I'll send you copies of those pages. I don't believe that will violate any copyrights either, since I'm not linking or openly sharing the material, or selling it.

There are a number of details to the procedure, that if not followed can result in disaster. It's VERY IMPORTANT that you have a low-range torque wrench that is accurate at 10 ~ 15 ft/lb. Failure to follow the proper sequences when tightening things up can lead to things like broken camshaft sprockets or bent valves.

 

Hey Fitz, when I asked before tearing into my valve cover the things I needed people told me I wouldn't need a torque wrench. Where is it needed exactly?

 

Cam bearing/caps, camshaft sprocket bolts, chain tensioners, etc.

The cam cap and camshaft sprocket bolt torques are critical.

There may be additional considerations in your X-motor, you definitely want a service manual for this.

 

I have the service manual. I'll have to go back through to find the torque ratings.....but I've already put it all back together once to get a second reading on my 0 clearances (still 0 clearance). I didn't wrench the hell out of them but now you have me worried, haha.

 

In the 650 book, a lot of the torque specs are called out right in the body of the procedures as well as in the torque spec charts.

The cam caps have to be tightened in a certain order, and torqued in two stages. The camshaft-to-sprocket bolt torques are especially important; we've had at least one member suffer a shattered sprocket as a result of not being diligent in this area, and that was an "airhead" motor.

Your X-motor is very similar to an '80s era F1 engine, it's not 'low tech" by any stretch. You need to be uber-careful with things like proper torque values and tightening sequences lest something lets go on you at 9K rpm.

 

See where the toothpick is? Theres the hole on the camshaft, see the line on the cam cap? Thats what you line it up with, remember, must have the T lined up to be in TDC.

 

Thanks for all the help so far, no worries on the manual I've already got my own and have gone through some of the pages on the procedure.

bigfitz, I had realized going that route was definitely overkill, but something I wanted to dive into simply because I had never done it before. I have a torque wrench, the sequence, and the values and will retorque as necessary definitely. And definitely a big thanks to Joiner for your assistance.