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BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650J Maxim Bobber

Discussion in 'XJ Modifications' started by BaldWonder, Oct 28, 2013.

  1. Orange-n-Black

    Orange-n-Black Well-Known Member

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    My local TSC has the same fender at that price. It's a regular item, came close to putting one on my bike and probably should have.
     
  2. RobbieRobot

    RobbieRobot Member

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    And here she is, 90% complete and 100% ridable!
    [​IMG][/quote]

    Hey BaldWonder, I don't know how I missed this thread up to now but I've got to say well done on a very nice job. It's all the more extraordinary considering your lack of prior experience and lack of your own facilities (garage). I'd love to see some more completed pics.
     
  3. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    I'm sure you realize by now that I hold your talents and opinions in high regard, so a compliment from you is commensurate. In other words: Wow, thanks Rob!

    Right now I'm stalled on stripping paint off the brake caliper due to various social commitments and sporadic low temperatures. My own garage, where the beast now resides, is neither heated nor insulated. I will be taking a lot of pictures once the weather is nicer and more progress is made.
     
  4. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    Figured I'd add a "what's left to do" list so you guys have a better idea of what I have in mind. The items are ordered by urgency and/or likelihood of getting done anytime soon.
    1. Get SS brake lines and level master cylinder Done
      • Rebuild/clean caliper Done
      • Strip and repaint caliper Started
    2. Replace rear brake pads Have new pads
    3. New alternator brushes
    4. Perform valve clearance check
    5. Perform compression check Have tester gauge borrowed
    6. Bar-end mirrors Done
    7. Rear fender patching
      • Repaint
      • Clear coat
    8. Saddle Boxes
      • Brackets
      • Rear turn signals
      • Lid pistons
      • Liner and compartments
      • Painting
    9. Hide wiring and electronics
    10. Battery strap/cover
    11. Chop front fender, reattach
    12. Leather cowl
    13. Get 750 tank Done
      • Strip Started
      • Pull out dents
      • Paint
      • Fuel level connection to speedo
    14. Inline fuel filter
    15. New crankcase filter?
    16. Front bumper/guard
    17. Paint engine, someday
     
  5. FtUp

    FtUp Well-Known Member

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    great list, I would suggest that you move the valve adjust in front of the compression test. you will likely get better results.

    love the progress so far.

    CN
     
  6. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    Thanks, CN. I swapped those two and added the alternator brushes that I just remembered I have sitting in the basement.
     
  7. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    Update: checked the valves clearances, and all eight are within spec. Hurray!

    I then moved on to changing the alternator brushes, and discovered that I probably don't have the right ones. I ordered them from OldBikeBarn.com. Sorry Len, this was from before I realized how easy you are to work with. Besides, the guy is from Ohio and is friends with a guy I know from high school.

    Anyway, I'll get around to working out a return or exchange with him soon enough. For now, I want to know:
    1. if I'm even looking at the right part, and
    2. do those brushes look like they need replacing?

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Fuller56

    Fuller56 Well-Known Member

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    y un-official opinion is that yes, those are the brushes and no they don't need replacing. If you look closely at the front one you will see a light groove. That is the wear indicator. When you get worn to there it is time to replace.
     
  9. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    Update: Finally got around to finishing taking the paint off the caliper. Bit of advice - when trying to decide if you want to get the tin of stripper or the spray can of stripper, get the spray can. Application is 100 times easier. Save the tin for when you have a large flat surface that you're stripping, like a table or something. Smaller objects with nooks and crannies are what the spray was made for.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Also, I got around to cleaning up the valve cover. I degreased it as much as I could and used the dishwasher to get the bulk of it after that. Honestly though, I wouldn't recommend using it again as it left a lot of the carbon buildup on it. I used acetone and carb cleaner to get the rest off.

    I got the following picture off facebook, courtesy of my wife. Apparently she wanted everyone else to know why she was mad at me that morning! :oops:

    [​IMG]

    I've sprayed the cover with several coats of black engine enamel. I'm waiting for it to cure before I scrape/sand off the paint on the stripes and YICS lettering. Also, I sprang the 40 bucks on a new gasket from Len. I figure replacing rubber stuff once every 33 years isn't a bad idea. Should be here in a few days.
     
  10. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    I didn't take much in the way of progress photos, but I've completed repainting the valve cover, re-bunging the valve cover bolts, sealing the new gasket, bolting the cover back on to spec (7.2 ft/lbs = 86.4 inch/lbs, rounded down to 86, since my inch torque wrench only does whole inches), and performing a compression test.
    Cylinder 1 = 135psi
    Cylinder 2 = 123psi
    Cylinder 3 = 129psi
    Cylinder 4 = 140psi

    I'm attributing 2 & 3's lower readings to the fact that it's a little cramped, and I wasn't able to hand-tighten the gauge as well as the outer cylinders.

    After that, I put the tank back on, filled it up, and fired her up. She was cold, and it was her first start since November, so it took a good number of tries to get it to start. I ran it for a while, giving it throttle until she warmed up, and then she idled nice and smooth without any choke.

    I've already repainted the front caliper. Now I just need to rebuilt it, install the new lines, bleed it, and we'll be good to hit the road!
     
  11. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    Just got back from a quick ride to test out the brakes. Everything is just grand! Ohio even gave me some low 70's to ride around in. Thanks, Ohio!

    So just to keep the list up to date...

    1. Get SS brake lines and level master cylinder Done
      • Rebuild/clean caliper Done
      • Strip and repaint caliper Done
    2. Replace rear brake pads Done
    3. New alternator brushes Didn't need replacing. Cleaned rotor with pencil eraser instead.
    4. Perform valve clearance check Done, passed!
    5. Perform compression check Done, also passed!
    6. Bar-end mirrors Done
    7. Rear fender patching Holes filled with hardened epoxy. Needs to be filed down smooth next.
      • Repaint
      • Clear coat
    8. Saddle Boxes
      • Brackets
      • Rear turn signals
      • Lid pistons
      • Liner and compartments
      • Painting
    9. Hide wiring and electronics
    10. Battery strap/cover
    11. Chop front fender, reattach
    12. Leather cowl
    13. Get 750 tank Done
      • Strip Started
      • Pull out dents
      • Paint
      • Fuel level connection to speedo
    14. Inline fuel filter
    15. New crankcase filter?
    16. Front bumper/guard
    17. Paint engine, someday

    Feeling pretty good. :)
     
  12. Dullahan

    Dullahan New Member

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    Any new Final Fantasies coming out for PS4?

    What paint/coating did you end up using after you discovered the first one was not resiliant to gas and oil? I ran into the exact same thing on my tank haha...luckily I just spray bombed a stripe on it in like two seconds for no reason. But, when I want to finish it I want to know what to use!

    Your maintenance checklist is money, I may steal it :p
     
  13. Dullahan

    Dullahan New Member

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  14. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    No idea. Last new FF I played was FFXI. Never got past level 14. Though I did start FFIII on my phone recently. The revamped graphics are cool, and I never had a Nintendo as a kid, so the story is new to me. I'm currently getting over having the sea serpent kill my whole team. I hadn't saved for a while.

    I really like that color brown (Rust-oleum Metallic Flat Chestnut), so I'll be using it again. This time around I'll put a clear coat on it, but I want to keep it flat/matte, or at least semi-gloss, and finding a non-high-gloss clear that's oil resistant in a spray can is proving pretty difficult. I'm pretty much putting it off until I strip and un-dent, repaint the brown, and add the striping design to the 750 tank. I'll probably call some local paint shops and see what they say/think. Here's hoping they don't just laugh and say matte clear doesn't exist or is a bad idea. As I'm typing this though, I'm wondering if you could just sand a high-gloss clear into matte. Whatever happens, I'll definitely report back here.

    Steal away! Be sure to hit "quote" so you can see how the BB code is done. Took a long time to figure out what this forum prefers. It seems to differ from every other BB code standard out there.

    Indeed it does, until you tighten the hose clamp down so hard that it bites straight through the collar of the filter like I did! Sorry to mislead, but that list item is more of a "decide if it's bothering you enough to get another one." ;) Thanks for the input and the link for a new one, though.

    Originally I had it connected to the post coming out of the crankcase. Now I've got the old breather tube attached with the filter sitting on the end of it with gravity and friction holding it in place. It looks like a snorkel for a Land Rover.
     
  15. mirco

    mirco Member

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    Nice job Bald Wonder! Tastefully done!
     
  16. thejewishguy

    thejewishguy Member

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    Baldwonder,

    Im having a bit of a time securing the rear fender to the frame...
    Can you tell me if you welded the TSC fender to the frame or did you bolt it?
    If it was welded, where did you weld?

    I want to secure it enough so i can put a small cushion to ride my wife on occasion...

    I cut an L angle of raw metal and attached to the fender to meet up against the lateral beam right below the seat .. You can see it in this pic
    The angle is in another pic but you can get an idea as to what i want to do

    [​IMG]
     
  17. thejewishguy

    thejewishguy Member

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    Its ok... I figured it out

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I had to secure here also because mine is an XJ700 and its different than your XJ650

    [​IMG]

    It looks like quite a bit of clearance but its suspended on the center stand and once i put it on the road and sat on it it was nice... Just wonder how it will be when my tiny wife sits on the cushion

    [​IMG]
     
  18. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    I really hope your wife weighs less than 50 lbs! It looks like you secured the fender on well enough, but there doesn't look to be any support further down. You need some major strength added in there, like the steel tubing on the rest of the frame. Otherwise, you hit one good bump and she'll be smoking your tires.
     
  19. thejewishguy

    thejewishguy Member

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    I thought about that but wasnt sure where to put the rest of the stiffeners
    the tc bros fender is quite strong but i may just bend some pipe to match the curvature of the fender and weld it to the rest of the frame or i would have to go with strut bars but that would mean i wouldnt have any cushion and it would defeat the purpose of having shocks then... ... i might just tell my wife that i wont be able to ride her on the bike.. maybe when i get a Harley after i sell this bike...

    The other option was to mate the fender to the swingarm via strut bars from the lower end of the shocks but then it would be free flowing to the swingarm and that could then cause some rubbing issues.. or i would have to go back to the standard stock eye to eye 13.75" shocks
     
  20. BaldWonder

    BaldWonder Innocent Bystander

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    Re: BaldWonder's 1982 XJ650 Maxim J - Bobber/Chop

    I see your other posts on your thread now, and I think the added pipe idea is your best bet at keeping the wife as a passenger. You might be best off taking the fender off again, welding the pipe onto the frame directly. I'd suggest not just doing a butt-weld, but have thinner pipe bridging the gap inside the frame tube and the new back-end tube.

    Kinda like this... =-=

    That way the strength isn't dependent on the quality of the weld alone. No offense to your welding abilities, but I think I read from you that you're a beginner there. I've done a lot of small-scale metalsmithing, but I'm still pretty new to full-on welding and wouldn't trust my own abilities just yet.

    This guy did something similar for a cafe build on his XS (very closely related to our XJs). Something like that hidden under your fender would be much more secure.

    Also, to actually answer your original question: I welded my fender on at first. Then weeks later I lifted the rear end by the fender as I tried to put the swing-arm in place, and in the process I tore the welds with my bare hands. Then I cried, cause I'd already had the powder coat put on and most of the bike reassembled. Then I stopped crying, cause that fixes nothing, and drilled holes through the frame and fender. Then I bolted it into place and sprayed some black paint in the cracks to prevent rust.
     

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