1100 Virago

I told myself I would never work on another Virago 750 or smaller. Just the way the starter system works with those bikes and the last of power.

So good old market place gets me again. Less than an hr drive and she is at home on the trailer. More to come.
wKFqSgva by Tim Brown, on Flickr

 

@Timbox, well I hope it was at least cheap....not just inexpensive, but CHEAP!

 

Yes it was in my budget and my budget is cheap. Came with a title as well as the Corbin seat. All lights and switches work as they should. Engine does turn over but the starter gears need to be looked at and I am sure dremel work is needed. From all the yrs of slamming the face of that gear into the flywheel, they tend to lose their shape and not longer positive lock into the flywheel. Tires are old, but are in shape and have good tread on them.

Get to have fun with the carbs today. I am sure they are nasty, more pics to come. Tank will get started in vinegar today.

 

As I dig into this bike, I remember why I don't do Virago's. Tank of and stating to soak. Tank seems to have no holes in it for now, could change. Secondary tank has fuel left in it, that is all drained out and B12 chemtool soaking in the the AUX tank. Hope that is not too bad and can be taken care of with just some fuel aditives and a good filter.

Them carbs. If you have not removed these carbs before, take your time. Watch some vids and have really good fitting wrenches when it comes to the 10mm bolts that hold the carbs to the heads. It took me a bit to remember how to do them, then it started to click. The 10mm were already in bad shape from the PO or someone trying to clean them. Had to pound a 3/8 wrench onto the stripped porting and they came lose.

DixJcFd0 by Tim Brown, on Flickr
DLh1SbJe by Tim Brown, on Flickr
Just look how now and clean these bowls and jets are. Should take only a sec to clean them, lol. I have never had a bowl with that much junk in the bowl. This is a fuel pump bike, I am guess this is why.
8tjwDq8t by Tim Brown, on Flickr
AUIWv4lJ by Tim Brown, on Flickr
On a lunch break with some of the parts soaking. The float jets have the rubber parts that should turn off the fuel, have to order new ones. Besides that, I should be able to clean and save all other parts and jets.

 

Pats came in the mail today. I have the carbs in the house waiting for the vapor return mod I did to dry. The PO had removed the system and left the passage open to the world. I am wondering how well the bike ran that way, or if it started at all.

I removed the vinegar and power rincsd the tank for a while. Rinsed it until no more flakes of rust came out. I now have it sitting with EvapoRust to cure the rest of the rust in there. Temps will be down to frost in my area tonight, only in the 50s the next few days. I might have to bring the tank in the house to.
_HADQED2 by Tim Brown, on Flickr
xaeMCSgk by Tim Brown, on Flickr

 

Carbs are in and the bike is trying to start. Checked the valves before I put the carbs back on. Hmmmm, would could it be? Good spark, got fuel, oh ya that third thing compression. That is what what is needed to make a bike run. 152 on the front cylinder and about 5 on the back. Those rings are frozen to the piston. Here are a few pics using my bore scope of the rear cylinder. The walls look good and so does the piston besides all the carbon buildup.
https://flic.kr/p/2sGQdrn
48_yzhHQ by Tim Brown, on Flickr
Have the 50/50 sitting in there now, keep checking to make sure it is just not running through. Drained the oil and left the plug out just in case it was running right by. The second fill already has the liquid sitting on top of the piston. Used a small clear tube to measure what was on top of piston. I will give it a good day, rotate motor and then check again.

No wonder the poor old thing just would fire up and then die each time, only one cylinder even trying to work.

 

Leak down test has shown that it is not the piston rings, it is the exhaust valve. Have been hitting the edge of the valve with some B12 chem too, rotating it into the seat, then taking tapping the valve from the valve adjustment hole with a hammer with a few taps. I think if this works I can credit a video I saw someone knocking a build up of carbon off a valve seat. If not, looks like I will have to pull the engine. What fun that will be.

 

Ordered a head gasket today, thought I had better do that to motivate me to pull the engine. Rear exhaust valve needs help. Hopping it is just bad carbon and needs to be re-seated. Front head has 152 psi, not going to touch that. Tried hard today to drag that rear cylinder back to live. Got the bike running and when the rear cylinder got to temp, looked like I was fogging my house. All the 50/50 that I am sure got pushed into the exhaust started to burn off. Engine did run okay but was still just pulling that rear cylinder along for the ride. Tried some carbon busting spay in the carb and nothing really made it better. Have to dive into it.

 

Got the engine pulled. I think I will take a break for the rest of the day. Read up on how to pull the rear head. Might even get a cold one and watch some of the games today.
iNYhYsgj by Tim Brown, on Flickr

I do like that there is no under frame to deal with on these bikes. You do have to worry about the CV joint and the rear exhaust flange being in the correct place once you start the install process.

 

The exhaust valve is a little bent. No damage at all to the piston, rest of the head looks good. From my reading on line, seems the rear cylinder gets a lot of carbon build up. Lots of the XV1100's out there with exhaust valves that get bent. I used the intake valve to check the valve guide and that seems good, no binding as they are both 8mm shafts. Getting a after market one from the local shop or going with ebay to get an OEM.

Got all the carbon off the intake valve as well. This is the intake, I didn't take a pic of the exhaust, should have but I was on a roll.
VcUwDSM8 by Tim Brown, on Flickr

 

@Timbox, so is the exhaust valve bending due to the heating of, poorer cooling, of the rear cylinder or the carbon build up do you think? It appears to be an easy (easy-ish) fix considering the other possibilities.
I used to have a Honda VTR 250 and easiest way to adjust its tiny 8 valves was to drop the engine out of the frame. Getting to those tiny valves with the engine in was extremely difficult. Those bikes have the same stressed member construction as your Virago.

 

Just guessing, I think the carbon build up over time restricted the movement of the valve and the condition of the valve just got worse. I am a little confused how dirty the intake valve was as pictured above.

Again, not an expert on valves and why they fail. In my case, I know there was no contact or collision issues with the piston. Been reading on different forums and FB pages that carbon build up can cause the valve to not move to a seated position over time. There is no way the PO could have been riding it very long after this happened, as the front cylinder would have been the only working one. There would be no joy or power enough to run the bike down the road on just the one lung.

I could have bent it when I first started the bike. I got it running, between the normal carb fuel and a little bump now and then from starting fluid. From all the chems and oil I had in the rear cylinder, she smoked bad. Once it warmed up, I cranked the idle up a bit and the front cylinder was keeping the bike just running. During this process I cold have bent the valve? The exhaust valve had lots of carbon on it, I don't think that would have happened just from me starting it. This had to be a longer process than just me starting it up.