New '81 XJ550 owner and am in need of assistance

I am a first time bike owner. I got a sweet deal on this '81 XJ550 from my neighbor this past July. They were the second owners and did all the maintenance themselves. It has 18,835 miles on it. The down side is that it has sat for about three years with no use and about an 1/8 of a tank. I think it looks to be in great condition for being a '81. It fired right up when we pulled it out of the garage. Down side was after running for a min. it was leaking fuel from the connecting pipes between the carbs. I identified some parts that needed replaced right away and ordered them, carb boots/holders, oil, oil filter, chain, fuel tank cleaner/sealer and battery (reminder, I am learning this as I go.) I replaced those items and it fired right up once again no leaks. But I have to keep the choke on full for it to run. The rpm's fluctuate from high to low then eventually (within a 2-3 min) it will die out. I believe from flooding. I tried a couple of quick remedies but no change. I unfortunately had to prep the bike for shipping. I am in the AF and have been station in England. So the bike and I are here and I want to have it ready for riding in the near future.

I know that the carbs need rebuilt at a minimum. I want to do the work myself, I am not keen on the idea of paying someone to do what could be a half ass job. I could do that for free. I read chacal's list for carb rebuild parts but that goes beyond my skill level and budget. The info was awesome don't get me wrong. I plan to buy 4 carb rebuild kit, but does anyone have any other advice on how to go about making this bike street worthy with out taking out a second mortgage? I have also heard about a XJ cd repair manual. Does anyone have any info about this?

I would appreciate any help. There is a lot of knowledge in this forum from what I have already read.

Thanks, Chuck

 

Hey Chuck.....rebuilding the carbs with your labor isn't very expensive....the parts will only run you about $125-200 or so. The TOOLS you'll need are going to be the bigger nut to crack, since they are a 1-time investment.

The carbs look intimidating when they're all assembled and put together as a 4-pack in their rack, but once you start working on ONE carb at a time, they're really pretty simple little creatures. It's the painstaking attention to details and thoroughness that separates the men from the boys in the carb rebuilding biz. Either you are anally-retentive THOROUGH or you're not; and if you're not, well, expect to do it all over again 2 or 3 times until you are. The internal passages are tiny on these carbs, and unless they are absolutely, zestfully clean, clear, and free of residue then you'll have continuing problems. Also make sure that you check and adjust the valve clearances (if necessary). And for repair work other than the carv rebuild (since the factory and aftermarket manuals are absolutely horrible on this subject), you really do need to get a factory Yamaha service manual or the aftermarket Clymer workshop manual..........it will quickly pay for itself.

If you haven't read these two articles, they may be of help to you in your decision making and planning:

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14751.html

and

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14692.html

 

Chuck post your location and maybe someone is close enough to give you a hand. As Chacal said the carbs are not hard if you can turn a wrench. Just take your time.

 

& don't forget this

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=148.html

 

I replaced almost ZERO parts when cleaning my carbs.

Ccleaned all passages and nooks and crannies.
Boiled the carb bowls and hats in a crock pot full of lemon juice.
All of the screws and rails were also boiled in lemon juice. The steel parts come out looking like new.

I did have to replace one bowl drain screw.

Before you lay out hundreds of bucks give a good cleaning a try.

If you need to replace something, buy it from chacal.

My bike used to be difficult to start. Now it starts in sub-freezing weather.

For the FIRST time on Friday I used full choke to start it when the temp was 15 deg F with 2 deg F wind chill. With full choke it started in about 10-15 seconds. When the weather is above freezing it starts on the first revolution, thats just momentary push of the starter button.

 

Thanks for the info. I think I will start with a standard rebuild kit and give it one hell of a cleaning. Does boiling the parts in lemon juice realy work that good? I will have to give it a try. I will keep you'all posted. Thanks again.

Chuck

 

from one Airman to another, greetings!

pm me with a mailing address and ill send you my copy of the 550 XJ CD...

ive moved on to a 750 and a 900 (that ive not even dug into since buying in august)...

i never made it out of the states but had some buddies who flew to moldy-hole (mildenhall) on a regular basis (supporting the SR-71 program)...

david

Strategic Air Command
85-93