Just bought my first Bike!

I made another attempt at extracting the shims, but just got more oil splattered in my face. I tried putting a coat hanger on the other side of it but the shim just isn't coming out. The hanger bends. I will try to find some better pliers, or hemostats tomorrow, but not sure why this is that difficult.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong.. here are a couple pics. One of them shows where part of the case metal is getting bent back from the screwdriver prying up the shim =/

 

First of all it doesnt look like your cam is point ing the right direction. cam should be pointing directly away from the shim at a 90° angle

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like that. on the shims that are near the end of the head casting you can push them inward toward the other lobe a little and then up and out.

as for my coat hanger tool its just a little L shapped bend to push the shim around and up and out from behind, nothing fancy.

I would bet you either arent keeping the valve open enough or your bucket is popping up. You should be able to push it down when you pry up the shim.

 

So the cam should be in the same position as when you measure the valve clearance?

The bucket isn't popping up, its flush when i have the shim pried up. I will try a bigger wire and give it another shot at the different angle. Thanks!

 

I tried again, but couldn't find a bigger wire. The shim is just not budging, it has no play besides being able to pry it up with the screwdriver.

When I pry the shim up, the bucket goes down without me pushing on it, if that means anything.

 

First off, make sure the cam lobe is pointing straight up away from the surface of the shim, not just straight up.

Once the shim has popped loose like in your upper pic, you should be able to grasp the edge and gently extract it by pulling it directly toward you.

NO WAY should you be exerting enough force on anything to be chewing up metal. EVER.

 

Its got to be that you are not keeping your valve open enough. do you have any Romex around? A piece of solid core should do it.

 

The shim in the top pic appears to be popped up enough to be gripped and removed. Not sure why you can't pull them out, unless as suggested above, the valve isn't open far enough.

(Another argument for using the tool.)

 

I have the same bike, and the tool works great. It's only like $12.00....
As for the DMV safety inspection stickers... we use them here in Virginia and they are a bear to get back off, virtually impossible to pick them off by hand. If you are going by Harbour Freight pick yourself up a heat gun for 10 bucks (looks sort of like a blow dryer). Your can use the heat gun to get the decal heated up (but not melted) and then it will release and will peel with some effort. It is the only thing I know that works without damaging the fork tube finish.

 

Did you get your shims out? There's not much room between the cam and the shim, but you should be able to push it around after its popped up (it should slide around the area like its totally loose). If you can't do that then your bucket is still applying pressure from below and needs to be held down farther. Once you get it loose clean whatever your using to grab the shim with to make sure it can bite, then just grab it and pull towards the ceiling at about a 45degree angle away from the bucket. Extra prying up won't help because your just pushing the shim into the cam-once it's out like your first picture you should be able to twist it up and out.

 

Well I had to put this project on the back burner. I just passed the MSF course and will have my license whenever I get my completion card (I heard 2 weeks). I also saved up a few hundred to throw at parts to get this thing running again.

I'm right where I left off, trying to get the shims out. I'm just going to go ahead and order that tool!

I didn't realize how fun riding a motorcycle was! The MSF course was the first time I have ever ridden, can't wait to get out on the road!

 

Beautiful 550 it looks like mine

 

Got my tool (thanks Chacal!) and was able to pull and check the valve shims. Looks like I'll be able to reuse all of them except 3.

Updated Valve Clearances:
I: 1=.063, 2=.038, 3=.063, 4= .038
E: 1=.102, 2=.152, 3=.127, 4=.152

Current shims:
I: 1=270, 2=270, 3=265, 4=255
E: 1=260, 2=260, 3=250, 4=250

Replace with:
I: 1= 265, 2=260, 3=260, 4=245
E: 1=250, 2=255, 3=245, 4=245

The tool worked like a charm but it was still a little bit of a pain. On a few of the valve shims the tool didn't want to line up with the bolt hole correctly, and I think I stripped one of them significantly because I was impatient with it. Not sure why it wouldn't line up? Hopefully that wont come back to bite me.

I just ordered a colortune and hopefully will be starting on the carbs and ordering the replacement valve shims by this weekend.

Slowly making progress and hopefully will have it running in the next few weeks.

 

Starting switching out the shims and noticed that I somehow switched the Intake/Exhaust shims around. Doh! I do feel like I'm a shim master now though, that tool is definitely key.

Just have to order one more shim and I'll be set. Next onto the carbs, and I'm a little nervous without a step by step with pictures. I have a lot of reading to do the next couple days.

I'm hoping to have the carbs done by the end of next weekend. I have a serious itch to be on the road right now.

 

obviously you got them out, but if you still want some hemostats, look in the fishing section of walmart. bingo

 

Finally got all the shims in, one is still slightly out of spec (about .02 too big), should I get a new shim or is this ok?

I've made a little bit of progress, I'm street legal now and insured so all the paperwork is done. My next goal is to get the replacement turn signals on. Is there an easy way to do this? It looks like you have to take the bike apart to get to them? (I need to replace the stems).

 

In spec is in spec; out of spec is out of spec. Put it in spec.

For the turn signals, take a look in the fiche. The amount of disassembly required isn't all that great. http://www.yamahapartshouse.net/pages/O ... ibrand=YAM

 

Doh, I figured that would be the answer. Guess I'll need to place another order.

I looked at the flasher diagram but still can't really tell what I need to do. I'll have to dig into it when I get home in about an hour

 

PM me with your email address and I'll send you related info from the factory book.

 

Sent you a PM but not sure if it went through, it looks like it's in the outbox instead of the sentbox?

I finally figured it out, so got all 4 flashers replaced and wired up. Wasn't as bad as I thought, just kept running into problems.

Next thing on my list is to get the new brake lever put on.. seems like I'm missing parts for it though. The bolt doesn't go all the way through to hold it in. Hmm..

The clutch seems kind of stiff, is there anything I can do about this?

 

Check routing, lubricate or replace.

 

The clutch has a screw that lets you adjust 'default' tension on it. Screwing it in loosens the clutch, screwing it out tightens it. There's a lock nut to hold it in place.

And obviously I have no claim to know better than fitz on anything, but a number of good mechanics have told me that if a shim is a little loose, leave it alone. (One was a bike mechanic for decades, and said that's what he did with his own bikes.)

So YMMV, but it's up to you. Spec is spec, as fitz says.

 

I got your PM, email on the way.

As adrian1 said, you may need to replace the clutch cable.

Lube and adjust first though. Do you have a service manual yet?

 

Got it, thanks! I will try to lube the cable first.

I do have a service manual in pdf format that I can reference, but I have no experience with bikes. Thanks for your help!

 

Tried to install a new brake lever tonight but I must not have the correct hardware. Also, it does not seem to be working at all if I push it in manually. Does the bike need power for the front brake to work? Anything else I should check on it?

I also took a peek under the air filter cover and there was nothing there! Should I go OEM or K&N?

 

I haven't made it through this whole thread yet, so you may have an answer...Yes, that's our inspection sticker. They are made such that if you try to peel one off and put it on something else, it delaminates and shows VOID like that.

 

Soak the sticker with WD-40 or starting fluid, then scrape using a Popsicle stick or similar wood edge. They make plastic razor blades now that are handy for these kinda things too.

 

Thanks for the tips!

Well, I think I found out why the front brake isn't working...



Where do I go from here?

I also checked the date on the "big" brake cable, and it's from 1981, I guess I need a new one?

Should I need to replace the chain? I'm paranoid from reading some of the stories on here, and don't want to just throw money at the bike if I don't need to.

 

Do you guys think I should replace that reservoir, or can I just clean it?

 

I would rip out the old lines. Get some suction or high pressure with a hose or something and clean out the reservoir. Scrub it with hot water and soap. Let it dry. While you're waiting for that, buy some new S.S. lines from Chacal and maybe new banjo bolts while you're at it.

 

Thanks I will try cleaning it. I'm definitely replacing those lines. Is there a way to check the function of the master cylinder and calipers without brake fluid?

I'd like to get all the stuff I need in one order (I've already had to place 3 or 4). I underestimated this old bike, it needs more work than I thought!

 

Ha you're preaching to the choir. I bought mine a year or so ago and have not stopped fixing it, upgrading it, fixing leaks, lines, etc. Actually picking it up Friday and getting ready to tear into it to fix the P. O.'s wiring and do some slight frame mods on the back end and cut up the seat to clean it up a bit. As for testing the M. C. I'm not sure. I mean the way it looks now it might have rusted through or once passed rusty fluid, at some point, to the calipers. In which case those might need a thorough cleaning as well and careful inspection. One thing I learned to do from working on mine is identifying a problem before you put everything back together and it needs to be taken apart again or replaced. I'll be replacing lines too before I go riding once I'm done fiddling with it.

 

Good luck. Unless you are going to buy absolutely everything new, everytime you tinker on the bike, you will find something else that need replacing, or you just want to replace for giggles. Manditory stuff is rebuilt the whole brake system. Do not shortcut it, or you'll wind up doing it anyway. The bike is 30 years old after all, and even if you replaces everything with new on the bike, then you will still only have about 1/4 to 1/3 the investment of a new bike, and your bike will essentially be new when you are done. First and foremost, make it safe, then make it aesthetically pleasing...

 

I just want to get this thing on the road, I've only ridden a bike two days, the two days at the MSF course to get my license... so I've been itching to ride. I'm determined to work on the bike a little bit everyday now until that happens. Right now I'm trying to check the rear drum.

I do want to concentrate on only the mandatory stuff right now, and safety is a top priority. Do you think I need to rebuild the master cylinder and calipers?

 

I can't seem to push the wheel forward to take it off, am I supposed to take anything else off on this side? I followed the service manual but maybe I missed something?



Side note: there are old wasp nests in most of the small holes I find on the bike

 

slide the axle out? or is that not true with the chain driven xj's?

 

It looks like you have already loosened the chain adj. lock-nuts and adjuster bolts and removed the brake hardware so now remove the small bolts on top of the swingarm end plates and then pull the end stops out. If you haven't already remove the cotter pin from the castle nut securing the axle and remove it. You want the adjusters downward then you can pull out the axle and spacers. Then push forward to release the chain and remove the wheel.

Your master cylinder does look bad but it's very likely you can salvage it. Don't bother with vacuum or pressure, just remove as much of the gunk as you can by hand then use a good solvent like SeaFoam or similar and a brass wire brush (small) to gently remove the stuck on stuff. Q-tips with solvent will also get into the small spaces. You can use sandpaper to clean the top surface (after putting a cloth in the chamber to catch the debris. Replace your lines, do a caliper rebuild, and a master rebuild, and refill with new fluid. If you can get a vacuum pump you can bleed clean fluid through and it will be better than original.

Mine wasn't as dirty as yours but it was close-reminded me of burnt sugar in a tiny oven. Here's how it looked when I was done (about 45 minutes of elbow grease)



You may already know this but be careful with brake fluid, it eats paint really well.

I would also recommend you pick up another book on maintenance so you have more than one source. If you have the Offc Service Manual it was written with trained motorcycle mechanics in mind, so it often skips basic steps and information.

 

-DO NOT pull out the axle yet.

-Loosen the axle nut, and pull the wheel slightly rearward.

-Swing the "chain pullers" (the adjusters) DOWN, out of the way. (This is the step you missed.)

-Push the wheel FORWARD, and run the chain off the sprocket.

-Remove the cotter pin, nut and washer that hold the torque arm to the brake backing plate.

-Disconnect the brake actuating rod from the little lever.

-Remove the small nut and bolt that hold the end caps into the ends of the swingarm. Remove the end cap/blocks from the ends of the swingarm.

-Now you can slide the whole wheel/axle/brake assembly rearward out of the end of the swingarm in one piece, and finagle it free of the chain.

MUCH easier than if you pull the axle out first.

 

Mercury man has it spot on with your brakes, do it once, do it right and I swear you will probably never need to touch them again even if you keep the bike for a decade,follow the service schedule and thats it.
Be careful if you use the wire brush,mine was in a similiar state and I got by with rag and Qtips,metho and elbow grease.

 

I haven't had a chance to mess with the back wheel again but I did clean the MC reservoir tonight and here are the results. Is this acceptable?

 

Sure. Now remove the plunger, replace the seals and ensure the bore is smooth and clean. Be sure to slather everything with fresh clean brake fluid before reassembly.

 

I have the "chain side" chain puller down but I can't budge the drum side one, it's too tight on there. Do I have to remove this cap(in picture below)? I got it to move but felt like I wasn't making progress on it and didn't want to break anything.

 

The service manual I have is for a Seca, maybe it's different for the Maxim?

- bike is on center stand
- tension bar and brake rod have been removed from the brake shoe plate
- axle nut cotter pin is off and axle nut is loose
- adjusting bolt loosened on both sides
- pinch bolt and chain puller attachment removed from both sides
- chain puller is down on the chain side

*chain puller WILL NOT move on the brake shoe side, this side is tight and will not move at all

What am I missing here? Please see pic in last post

 

You have the right book, they're the same.

The axle is stuck and has it trapped.

Your arrow is pointing to the "head" of the axle (think of it as a giant bolt, since it is.)

Loosen the axle nut some more, and take a phillips screwdriver or something similar, jam it in that hole in the tip of the axle, and rotate the axle around a bit to break it loose.

 

Thanks, it took awhile but finally got it loose. Here is a pic of my brake shoes, I'm not sure how to judge them. Should I replace anyway?



I think I might need to replace the front rotor but I'm not sure. I'd like to save it if possible. Can I still use this, or can I get it machined? (based on the crappy pic below, I have nothing to measure it with)

 

Decided to just go ahead and replace the brake shoes and springs. Also cleaned and lubed chain, rebuilt master cylinder and sight glass.

I'm having a hard time getting the rear axle nut back on. I had an allen wrench in the hole on the opposite end to hold the axle still, and it bent. Anyone have any tips for this?

 

Hmmm, make absolutely sure you have all your spacers in place and in sequence, if you missed any you could be running the nut down to the shoulder of the axle and squeezing the swingarm together.
Is the wheel spinning free as you tighten the nut up?
Just a thought.

 

I think I have everything correct but I will double check when I get home, thanks!

The wheel is spinning freely. The nut started to go on easy at first but then started to get really difficult before making contact with anything. Hopefully the threads aren't screwed up?