New project. restore 82xj650. Need advice where to start.

Hi all,
I have an 82 maxim 650 that I love and is finally running good again.
Yesterday I picked up another Needed a new project.
This one may present more of a challenge.
I paid 500 for it so I figured if I can't make it work I have a lot of spare parts.(plus it came with a the yics tool!! The guy said when he bought it 5years ago it was running but needed carb and brake work. No problem. I've done both of those.
But I'm thinking 5 years of sitting may have caused a lot more problems. He had drained the gas and the oil before letting it sit. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it a bad idea to leave a motor sitting without oil for 5 years? I put some oil in it and tried jumping it just to see what I was dealing with and it wouldn't even try to turn. Not at all.
So I started with the things I'm familiar with. Pulled the throttle and clutch cables and oiled them up and pulled the carbs. They arent filthy or obviously gummed up, but they were seized up like I've never seen. the bar that the choke is supposed to turn won't move at all. 3 of the 4 piston things inside were completely seized and the butterflies all stuck open. Those problems I can deal with, but I'm thinking if the carb was stuck like that there's probably going to be more issues in the motor than I know how deal with.
So I'm looking for advice. What should I do to get this bike up and going? I'm thinking adding oil may not be enough to free things up and I'm worried about damaging things if I just try to start it up.
Here's what I plan to do:

Clean the carbs, cables, fix the brakes, and clean and oil everything I can get to.

Please tell me what else I should do and check. In as much detail as possible please. I have the service manual for this bike and learn as I go. I just want to make sure I don't skip something critical and cause more damage.

This site is such an amazing resource! Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
Sarah

 

check the valve clearances first
then do a compression check if you are able too
that way you know if the motor is viable to continue
rebuild or replace the brakes.. ie cable
and front master cylinder.. I replaced it was 3 dollars more
check the rear drum brakes for delamination
next move to carbs.. and so on
also check the tire dates.. as most likely you will have to replace them
this site has all the info you need
also buy a repair manual
have fun

 

Take the left side cover off the engine and turn that timing disk with a wrench to verify the engine is not seized.

 

If the engine turns over freely with the wrench, short across the terminals on the solenoid with a good battery installed (or jumper cables on, in a pinch) to make sure the starter turns the engine over. If the starter turns over the motor, then I would do a compression test. If the numbers on the compression test look good, then I'd say the bike is worthy of money and hours being thrown into it... Just regular maintence stuff after that... Although it seems weird to me that the carbs are seized up; is there a lot of rust on the bike? What's the climate like where it was stored? Do you know if it was stored outdoors?

 

I don't know for sure where the bike lived most of its life. The carb being completely seized up is baffeling. Not really much rust to speak of. The screws are rusty but the frame and tank and seat don't look like it sat outside. Maybe it was at the coast for a while? I live in Oregon in the U.S.

I got the carbs mostly cleaned up and put back together today. No major buildup or anything.
I pulled the plugs and poured a tablespoon of oil down the in each and hooked up the jump box to see if it would turn at all. So far no, but I haven't ruled out any reasons for it yet(bad starter or wiring, kickstand safety stop thing, etc) When I get power and push start the oil light comes on while you hold the button, kind of like it would if you were trying to start with the kickstand down(even though its on the center stand now.)
I'm really hesitant to open up the motor. No experience with that. If I take the side cover off and try to turn the timing disk, will I mess up the timing? Will there be any gaskets I'll have to replace?
I've read how to check valve clearances but I've never needed to before. Guess it's a good time to learn.

 

Putting oil in the cylinders was a good idea. Taking the left side forward cover off wont hurt anything it'd a dry cover. Use the nut not the torx bolt to try to rotate the motor it is a 19mm nut use an open end wrench and keep it flat on the nut to gently rotate the crankshaft

Edit: if it rotates freely you most likely have electrical issues to deal with. Id start by chclecking your starting and disabling circuits. It could just be a dirty starter switch or kill switch contact also. Make sure you are in neutral tho I see that's covered

 

Well... poop. It doesn't turn freely. I can turn a little bit the wrong way, which I'm not supposed to do right? WHat happens?
Anyways, I'm not sure what to do now. How hard shouldld i try turning it counter clockwise? Should i grease something? Get a bigger hammer? Is it something i can break loose with more pressure or will that cause more damage? Is bike a lost cause? ?

 

Well... poop. It doesn't turn freely. I can turn a little bit the wrong way, which I'm not supposed to do right? WHat happens?
Anyways, I'm not sure what to do now. How hard shouldld i try turning it counter clockwise? Should i grease something? Get a bigger hammer? Is it something i can break loose with more pressure or will that cause more damage? Is bike a lost cause? ?

 

Put a little pressure on it.....the motor may be a little seize sitting so long......just be careful your wrench does not slip and damage the pickup coils.....the pickup coils after those black plastic pieces with the metal contact embedded in them ...180 degrees opposite each other....

 

Ive freed stuck engines before by filling the cylinders with marvel mystery oil and let them soak then try to turn them over with a bit of force you may need to keep adding ammo as you soak

 

Re: New project. restore 82xj650. Need advice where to star

Marvel mystery oil? What's that?

 

Re: New project. restore 82xj650. Need advice where to star

Marvel mystery oil? What's that?

 

"Top End Lube" from the old days. Either the Greatest Thing since canned beer or snake oil, depending on who you ask.

Effectiveness=questionable. The good news is it won't hurt anything. I'd use motor oil, like you've done.

Did you put OIL in the motor yet? If not, put 2 1/2 quarts of 10W30 motorcycle oil in it, and let it sit for a couple of days before trying to turn it over even by hand. Once you are ready to turn it over, "prime" the motor by adding about a cup or a cup and a half of oil to the oil filter housing first. Then see if you can turn it over by hand.

I would NOT spin it with the starter until you can turn it over by hand.

 

mmo is a very light oil with solvents in it. it will clean better than regular oil. in this case just use it for a soak. Its also good for freeing stuck rings if they aren't too bad off. I did this to my bike before I first started it after having set outside for who knows how long

 

Re: New project. restore 82xj650. Need advice where to star

The motor turns now. I let it soak with the oil in the plug holes. Still couldnt turn it by hand. Then I hooked up a good battery and used a screwdriver accross the starter solenoid. It cranked! and shot the oil six feet out of the first plug hole . Wanting to be sure I got it all out, and also just excited that it was cranking, I did it a few more times.
Next step, I put in new plugs. and cranked some more. Then checked them and not one is sparking. Leaving the plugs in a used a fresh plug in each wire with it resting on the engine to see if there was any spark and there wasn't. So my next guess was coils. I have a meter and a manual but was having trouble figuring out which wires to test.
So I went back to reading on this site and found something about cranking without the plugs in could damage the coils? Is that true? I may have misunderstood the post. Could I have damaged the tci? Trying to understand how this all works. If anybody can help or direct me to some how to links with pics or videos on electrical testing I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks!!

 

Pull the seat off check the fuses and then clean the clips the fuses snap into. Also if your battery is a tad weak (under 12 vollts) you'll have no spark but it will turn over on the starter. Charge it to 13 volts and check again. Make sure its in neutral