Getting another 550 i have some questions

I got an amzing deal on a 550 going to pick it up next weekend. My question is it has been sitting 4-5 years with the plugs out and the carbs off its been inside a garage but there is a thick layer of dust covering the bike. The cars are good but what should i do about the plugs? they just sat open there for 4-5 years. Should i rip it down? just pour some oil in there and let it soak in then try starting it? I wanted to check to see if it would turn over in hopes that its not locked up.

any other Ideas please let me know thanks!

 

Shoot some "fogging oil" or Kroil in there and let it sit for a day or two.

Then try turning the motor over by hand (use the rear wheel, bike in 2nd gear on stand.)

If it turns over by hand, put a fully charged battery in it and do a compression test.

Then we'll go from there.

Some more specifics on the bike would help greatly, like what it is and what year, how many miles do we think are on it, etc.

 

Oh ya my bad its the same as my other one its a 82' 550 i think it had around 10k miles.
Thanks for the ideas where do you get the kroil stuff? ive heard aboutit multiple times on these forums but ive never seen it in stores.

 

KROIL: 2 cans, $12, delivered. Mine came in 3 days to Michigan.

http://www.kanolabs.com/google/

Seca or Maxim?

 

maxim and the body is in really good condition im thinkin about just restoring this one and chopping my other. I really hope it runs I wish it was next weekend already so i could try it out lol.
Thanks

 

If you get it running don't just start bombing around on it until you check the back brake shoes for delamination.

Wouldn't want to ruin the perfect bodywork.

 

ya i didnt even think about the rear brake till i was reading about it on here so i'll have to do it on both of my bikes when i get some free time sucks when my dads shop is 45 minutes away.. o well
This website is awesome! It has everything. Since i found it i have spend way too many hours on here lol thanks for all the info!

 

K so got the bike sunday didnt have time to do anything on it this weekend but tryed starting it last night. I don't have a compression checker ill have to pick one up. But it did turn over.
The carbs are terrible I need to get a few carb kits all the gaskets are dried and crumbled when i touched them. and 1/8 of rust sitting in the bowl of each carb.
While I was dissasembling the carb. The pins that hold the floats also accumulated rust over the years I got 2 of them out but the other 2 are almost impossible to pull out. Is there any methods or tricks i should try to get those pins pulled out?
I'll be going back friday and hopefully have most of the parts by then.
Should I just try takeing the carbs off my other 550 maxim and slapping those on there? that should work i think is there any thing wrong with doing that?

 

bump

 

I have swapped the carbs on my xj750's several times that should not hurt anything. On my son's nighthawk the float pins were stuck like yours, I spraied them with carb cleaner then with PBBlast then I still needed to a small drill bit (smaller than the pin and it was broken) to tap the pin out.

 

If they are really messed up you might just want to consider buying a new rack of carbs on the bay. I have seen cleaned and synced carbs in the $200 range. Pretty close to what you might spend getting yours right.

Just my 2 cents

Rob

 

Hope they don't cost me too much i know it will be near $100 for carb kits and pins.
My other set of carbs only cost me 2 cans of carb cleaner and a case of beer for a friend that had synching tools and she purrs.

Back to the bike thats got bad carbs I tryed last night putting my good carbs on it to see if i could get it to run. But i'm pretty sure the plugs are old. thats my first guess anyways it would fire off of starter fluid but when I tryed it with gasoline from the carbs it would not turn over but the plugs would be wet.

Hopefully i'll be able to get pics up this week or next got both bikes.

 

Ordered some parts from chacal yesterday. probably won't make it here before the weekend but he replied almost instantly and was very helpful.
Going to do carb and brake work this weekend hope i can get some pics uploaded to you guys.

 

I'll repeat a RickCo suggestion- -
cut the float pin with a cut-off wafer to make it less stressful on the little "towers". Save the towers at all cost.
The wire from a pop rivet is your new pin.

 

I got some new pins on the way from chacal. cut off wafer? can i just grind it off? i dont have a dremel tool if thats what you mean. I should defiantely invest in 1.
Thanks

 

Grinding it off is what he's suggesting. But you need a really precise grinder; definitely time to invest in a Dremel.

Dremel buying tip: Avoid "big box" retailers, like Home Depot. They get "special" models marketed exclusively through them, and selection suffers as a result. Look up the Dremel website, figure out which "real" model is for you, and shop for it online. Attachments as well can be had for HALF of what you'd pay in a store if ordered online.

 

Well got it running off my other carbs from "the trooper". Runs really good still have a lot of maintenance. I still have a while till I can take it out though. still got 2 foot of snow. Hopefully I will get some pics up later today.
Thanks I'll have to get a dremel ordered.

 

K Good news!!! got the bike running and the pins out I got a draw out for the rear end on the trooper.


Hopefully start cutting it out later this week.

 

O and my other maxim in great shape but needs a good cleaning.


I also have the Side covers for it! just not on in the pic.
Thanks for the help guys!