The death of an xj1100 special?

so i just got my bike running and even started a thread about it

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=12153.html

so i went down to check my plugs today to find a river of oil on the side of the street next to my bike.... i dont know how/when it happened but when i parked it nothing was dripping. The is oil residue on the left side behind the engine block. I am guessing all the oil HAD to run out of it because there was literally pools of it on the street. What does this mean for me? Is it time to call it quits and post it up as a parts bike or part out?The whole time it was parked waiting for me to work on it there where no leaks, also.. when i started the bike it fired right up with no problems....

any help would be greatly appreciated :cry:

 

Could someone have knocked it over and picked it back up, unseen? I stopped too close to the edge of my driveway, my foot slid off the edge, and put my 1100 in the ditch! I lost some oil from that graceful (or should I say, disgraceful) display of skill. I hope it turns out to be that simple. Regards, Mike

 

Did you actually check the oil level? The oil may not be yours.

 

there was oil underneath the bike and a puddle in the street drainage thing. I think im going to try and drain out any remaining oil and fill it back up... i am really hoping the drain plug is just loose or something.. but that doesnt explain the oil residue on the engine

 

so nobody has any other input? not quite as much help as i was expecting, i guess that means its probably junk now....

 

Deathmetaldan,

You really haven't given us a lot to go on! The only way the amount of oil you described could drain from an upright bike is one of three ways:

Hole in the block
VERY lose drain bolt
VERY lose oil filter housing

Otherwise the oil defied the laws of gravity and flowed UP and out. I suppose a leak could have developed around the site glass but I've never heard of that before.

I'd refill the bike on a level surface then watch it to see if you can pinpoint where the leak is and fix it. If you've not ran the bike without oil this should be a 'no harm, no foul' situation.

Just my 10 cents (adjusted for inflation)

 

Also check the shift shaft seal. Mine left a big oil slick in the garage when the seal let go. Please save it , the XJ1100 is getting rare.

 

Make that 4 things!

 

Is there any gas in the tank?

If you had a catastrophic failure of the petcock/float valve then the fuel would drain through the carbs and pistons and into the crankcase, mix with the oil and eventually leak through the crankcase vent. Depends on how your cc is vented. It seems unlikely, but it's something else that you can check and at least rule out.

Does your puddle smell of fuel at all?

 

the oil did smell like gas, i had the petcocks shut off though

 

Being shut off doesn't mean a thing if the internals are toast. Pull the lines with them off and see if they leak.

 

ill go take a look at this stuff... i already have some buyers lined up but hopefully i will be able to tell them to forget it.

 

ok, i went down and pulled the plugs out, well 3 of them anyway. as for the left side: the outside plug was BLACK and i mean black black while the inside one was black with some tan on the tip. on the other side i could only get the outside plug for the time being, that plug was the same color as the inside plug on the other side.

i put fresh oil in the bike. i played with the shifter some because thats the cover that has all the oil on it. It has some in and out play (the shifter) is that normal?

I am going to go down later and check to see if i have a puddle of oil again... i really hope not

 

Play "in and out" on the shifter is not unusual. Sounds like you are running rich with #1 running REALLY rich. You may need to do a complete tune on the bike to get it right. Do a search for Carb tuning and you will get more info then Don's has pills. READ IT before you start then take your time. If you are not going to take the time to do it right, you're just wasting it.

 

How do you really know its your Oil.
Somebody might have had some oil to get rid of and decided to give you a big scare.
It happens.

Before you get all down in the dumps ... check your oil level ... top it up ...
park the bike on a big piece of cardboard or blanket the ground with some newspaper and see if it happens again.

I have serious doubts you leaked-out all that oil.
Look for signs of the bike being tampered with.
Find the point of origin.

Maybe some low-life just decorated your bike with some oil he had a need to get rid of and has a grudge against Rice.

 

i just went down to take some for sale pictures and figured out that one of my petcocks is leaking but for some reason it only leaks when the bike is moved. I think chadwick was right about the bike flooding and leaking out of the case. Unfortunately i do not have the funds to fix this anymore so it is without a doubt for sale. Thank you for all the help guys

here she is before the sale

 

When you write-up the For Sale Ad ... just say that it's Mint and needs a little "TLC"

Truck Load of Cash! : )

 

That doesn't look like an XJ1100 to me, that's an XS1100. The tank, instruments and exhaus look all wrong for an XJ and no YICS!

 

how much should i be asking for this? any ideas?

 

Judging by the work it needs, I'd start the bidding at $500 and go from there man.

 

Don't show us these photographs and expect to have somebody gush and get all giddy for that old bike.

Dented tank, ripped seat, missing side covers, sitting there over a very suspicious-looking oil stain and wearing a coat of rust and grime, stranger to soap and water; ain't exactly what you'd call a good marketing strategy for selling the bike.

It's not worth much in that condition.
Make it pretty somehow.
Some kinda way!

 

that puddle is acctually gas from a leaking petcock

 

i have been getting alot of calls and emails about this bike and it seems like people cant beleive that im selling it for such a low price.... am i getting ripped off asking so little for it?

 

$500.00 is reasonable. It would take another grand to do a decent restore, maybe more.

 

Just make sure you let them know it is NOT an XJ. It is a Yamaha XS 1100 special. The tank, seat, fenders, wheels, exhaust, etc, is not the XJ sort!. They are basically the same bike mechanically, but the XJ has a bunch of styling upgrades.

 

An XS1100 actually is a bit faster than an XJ1100.

 

A leaking petcock? That can't be fixed! Send it to my house and I will dispose of it for you. NO CHARGE!

Seriously, don't sell it, just get a petcock or a repair kit from Chacal.
Keep it, my XJ1100 is a BLAST!

If you sell it you'll regret it.
Get a tank
Make some side panels
Recover the seat

Ride the wheels off it
Don't get discouraged I brought mine back from the dead, yours runs!

 

i havent sold it... i sold other things i didnt want to sell... im not giving up on this thing because its so close. Anybody have a cheap fix for a leaking petcock?

 

Looks like the petcock is in the prime position which will constantly flow like a bad petcock.
What's the extra tail light for?

 

Just get a petcock or a repair kit from chacal and fix it right!

 

Petcock-Parts-R-Us!:


fp5) Aftermarket petcock complete STANDARD REBUILD KITS. These kits contain either the HCP110 or HCP1657 vacuum diaphram repair kit (above), plus the plastic distribution "valve", the fuel position lever o-ring, and the petcock-to-tank mounting o-ring. NOTE: petcock mounting screws, mounting screw washers, faceplate screws, and selector lever wave washer is NOT included in this kit and must be ordered separately if desired.


HCP1662 petcock standard Complete Standard Rebuild Kit. Fits all XJ1100 models. Includes 2 each of the selector lever o-ring, the petcock-to-tank mounting o-ring, and the fuel distribution valve. Also comes with the vacuum diaphram used in the external fuel distribution unit. One kit does both petcocks and the external unit. Order the HCP663 washer listed below if using this repair kit to repair a distribution unit that originally used a "d"-ring on the vacuum plunger tip.
$ 27.00



fp22) Aftermarket petcock complete DELUXE REBUILD KITS. These kits contain everything you'll need to do a complete rebuild and replacement of your factory petcock, including mounting screws and washers and a fuel filter!


HCP5871 petcock deluxe Complete Rebuild Kit: contains everything you'll need to repair both original petcocks and the vacuum pod control unit: the HCP2282 deluxe diaphram repair kit (with the plastic spacer plate); two each of the selector lever o-ring, wave washer, and distribution valve; two of the petcock-to-tank o-ring, four stainless faceplate screws, four petcock-to-tank mounting screws and their sealing washers, two of the petcock drain screws and their sealing washers, two each of the vacuum diaphram pod short and long screws with lockwashers, and two of the in-tank filters! For all XJ1100 models with the original dual petcocks and separate vacuum control unit.
$ 99.00



fp6) HCP663 petcock vacuum diaphram spring SHIM WASHER. Order this washer to be able to use any of the diaphram repair kits on a petcock that originally used a "d"-shaped rubber ring on the plunger tip. This washer goes behind the plunger spring and acts as a tension shim to allow the spring to put more pressure on the replacement-style o-ringed plunger tip, and thus allowing it to seat and seal properly. The key is this: if you are using an "o-ring" vacuum diaphram repair kit (NOTE: all of the replacement vacuum diaphram repair kits are only available with an o-ring tipped seat plunger!) to replace an original "d-ringed" plunger, then you'll need to use this shim! Used on all XJ550, XJ650 except Turbo, XJ700, XJ750, XJ900, and XJ1100 petcocks (or vacuum module for 1100's).
$ 1.00



fp311) OEM fuel distribution and vacuum control VALVE ASSEMBLY,, complete unit as used on XJ1100 models only. Attaches to the C-shaped bracket that is located on top of the #1 carb hat.

HCP5375 OEM fuel distribution complete VALVE ASSEMBLY, with the small mounting bracket, for all XJ1100 models. Does NOT include the c-shaped carb hat bracket. Each:
$ 72.00



fp32) Petcock DRAIN SCREW,, panhead phillips-drive screw that allows the petcock to be drained. Fits all XJ1100 petcocks. Use 2 per petcock. The HCP5374 gasket that is used with these screws must be ordered separately below.


HCP60 OEM petcock drain SCREW, zinc-plated alloy steel, flathead phillips-drive, with a natural finish. NOTE: these screws are approx. 2mm longer than stock, but will still fit correctly. Each:
$ 1.00

HCP60SET2 OEM petcock drain SCREWS, zinc-plated alloy steel, flathead phillips-drive, with a natural finish, set of 2:
$ 1.75

HCP60SET4 OEM petcock drain SCREWS, zinc-plated alloy steel, flathead phillips-drive, with a natural finish, set of 4:
$ 3.50


HCP5887 aftermarket petcock drain SCREW, zinc-plated alloy steel, flathead phillips-drive, with a natural finish, each:
$ 1.00

HCP5887SET2 aftermarket petcock drain SCREWS, zinc-plated alloy steel, flathead phillips-drive, with a natural finish, set of 2:
$ 1.50

HCP5887SET4 aftermarket petcock drain SCREWS, zinc-plated alloy steel, flathead phillips-drive, with a natural finish, set of 4:
$ 2.75


HCP5888 aftermarket petcock drain SCREW, 18-8 stainless steel, flathead phillips-drive, with a bright finish, each:
$ 2.00

HCP5888SET2 aftermarket petcock drain SCREWS, 18-8 stainless steel, flathead phillips-drive, with a bright finish, set of 2:
$ 3.75

HCP5888SET4 aftermarket petcock drain SCREWS, 18-8 stainless steel, flathead phillips-drive, with a bright finish, set of 4:
$ 6.75



fp33) Petcock DRAIN SCREW GASKET,, translucent plastic drain screw gasket, used on all XJ1100 models. Use 2 per petcock.

HCP5374 OEM petcock drain screw GASKET, clear plastic gasket used with any of the above drain screws, each:
$ 3.00

HCP5374SET2 OEM petcock drain screw GASKETS, set of 2:
$ 5.00

HCP5374SET4 OEM petcock drain screw GASKET, set of 4:
$ 9.00

 

i feel like a real dumbass asking this, but the little lever part is supposed to point away from the fuel setting isnt it? How would i go about draining the fuel from the bowls? on my old kz there was a screw to drain them but i havent had to do that for some time so its location alludes me