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To Rebuild or Not to Rebuild

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by Joshua Olkowski, Aug 2, 2018.

  1. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    yes cold air is denser than hot expanded air. more o2 in the cold air plus more expansion when fired in the cylinder
     
  2. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    This will be hard to describe in words but I feel it might be related to my idling issue. When I first start the bike the engine makes a high revving sound and quickly goes away within 3 seconds. This sound is not to be confused with the engine itself revving high it's just a SOUND coming from the engine. When I'm out riding and I come to a stop it will make that same high revving sound but this time it will sustain it. If I open the throttle a little bit the sound goes down. Any thoughts on what's happening?

    I checked the air filter and that's fine. I ran some Berryman's for 30 minutes through the carbs. I've adjusted the idle knob, spark plugs look good. I'm thinking either a valve adjustment or carb clean next?
     
  3. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    Getting an intermittent screeching sound from my starter motor on my Seca 550. It first happens when I initially start the bike but quickly disappears and then comes back when I come to a stop. Sometimes it doesn't happen at all. When it does happen the bike starts struggling to stay idle. Very weird. I actually have a spare engine. Would it be worth a try to just replace the starter motor?
     
  4. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    are you sure its not the alternator
     
  5. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    I thought of that so I opened the alternator housing to check if anything was loose and rechecked the torque spec that holds the rotor in and it seemed to be fine. The sound is definitely coming from that area though and it ALWAYS happens right when I start the bike but quickly dissapears and then it comes back intermittently when I stop so, sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. Really weird. What are you thoughts?
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2019
  6. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    i was thinking something along the lines of alternator squeel. maybe check charging voltage when the squeel is happening. brushes look good?
     
  7. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    I have always had an issue with the charging voltage on this bike. After 15-20 minutes of riding the bike slowly reduces its charging output. I tried tirelessly to try and figure it out. Some people were even telling me I don't have a charging problem. So, it's really difficult to identify that as a symptom of the problem but the bike has basically been riding fine for the last year or so. And yes, brushes look fine. The only thing that happens when the screeching happens is that the bike starts to struggle to stay idle. Perhaps you can educate me about this alternator squeal. Is that the result of the alternator rubbing against something?
     
  8. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    is the brush holder new with the brushes?
    thinking battery but that is new correct?
     
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  9. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    As I recall we covered the charging voltage and determined that the battery was charging. When the battery approaches full charge the regulator drops the charging voltage so the battery isn't cooked.

    I think that the sound is the starter clutch grabbing and then releasing. That can happen when it has sludge buildup (or if the roller carrier has cracked).
    A video with good sound would help the diagnosis, particularly since there are other moving parts in that area which could produce a similar intermittant sound.
     
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  10. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    Unfortunately, the charging system was never solved and is still weak. If I ride it for a few days without putting the trickle charger on it overnight then eventually the bike won't start. So, I just got use to putting the trickle charger on it every night. The battery has NEVER been fully charged from this bike.

    As far as the sound let's say for arguments sake that there is sludge build up in the starter clutch. Are there any videos or tutorials you could point me to to remedy his situation. Even if it doesn't solve the problem it's probably a good idea to go in there and clean out all the sludge anyway. Thanks.
     
  11. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    Yes, the brushes and holders were all new as well as the battery.
     
  12. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Pull the starter off, and spray some carb cleaner forward into the starter clutch. My prefrence is to let it sit overnight with the starter off (indoors) to allow the carb cleaner to evaporate before putting the starter back on. The other way (which will clean out all of the sludge from the sump as well) is to dose the oil with Seafoam (directions on the container) and ride the bike. I like to do an oil change after 50-100 miles to get some fresh oil in.
     
  13. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    I kind of like the second way. It says to put one ounce of Seafoam per quart of oil. I'm also guessing that the second way means I wouldn't have to pull the starter off, yes?
     
  14. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Correct. The downside is that if there is sludge buildup in the roller channels it might take a bit longer to clean out that way. You should know if that's the cause within a few good rides though.
     
  15. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    I still have yet to do the Seafoam clean but meanwhile is it possible the starter is staying in the "on" position making that ridiculous whirring/screeching sound?
     
  16. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Could be. If the starter button is sticky and contacting the switch...
     
  17. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    Hmmm, is that the only way? I'm reading things about bad relays, bad solenoids, ect.
    Is the starter solenoid and starter relay the same thing? If not, could you tell me where both of them are located?
     
  18. Rooster53

    Rooster53 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    If the starter is not disengaging it will turn into a generator. This can easily be verified by placing a DMM on the output of the solenoid (the one with two large screws that connects directly to the battery). One side of the solenoid (input) that connects to the battery will always be 12V, the other side should be zero volts when the bike is running. If there is an internal mechanical issue with the starter clutch and it is not freewheeling the terminal that should be zero volts will change increasing in value as the motor is revved. This scenario does not cause an electrical issue but does place sufficient load on the engine to affect idle speed.

    The other issue can be that the solenoid is sticking closed or commanded closed by a defective starter button, in the case of a sticking solenoid the starter will keep spinning even when the key is turned off. If the starter button is at fault the starter will stop spinning when the key is turned off - you can also look for an oil light in this case as the starter button sticking should illuminate the oil light. This scenario can cause damage to the electrical system as the generated voltage from the starter is fed back into the electrical system as an unregulated voltage supply.
     
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  19. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    After removing the starter solenoid this little plug came out of nowhere. I cannot find the male. Does anybody know where this is suppose to go to? As a reminder I have a Seca XJ550
     

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  20. Joshua Olkowski

    Joshua Olkowski Member

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    Well, I have determined that the issue is not the starter motor staying engaged. I changed out the solenoid and I unhooked the starter motor while the bike was on idle and the sound was still there. I also put SeaFoam in the crankcase to clean it out a bit and then refreshed with new oil. Sound is still there. The sound, I'm afraid to say, is coming from inside the engine. The only interesting thing about this sound is that it only comes on when I stop. As soon as I apply gas the sound seems to go away but once I stop again the sound comes on. Also, the sound builds up like a siren. If you have any clue what this might be please let me know. I will try to include a video as well. Thanks.
     

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