Author Topic: #7 joins the fleet (Read 26030 times)

The Prophet of Doom · « **on:** March 27, 2019, 01:13:16 AM »

Just bought this one sight unseen over the interweb.
Unsurprising it's an Australasian version XZ550R 16R.

I wonder what wifey will say when she gets home?

Walt_M. · « **Reply #1 on:** March 28, 2019, 08:09:11 AM »

Details? Year, mileage?

fret not · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2019, 02:14:57 AM »

Hope she likes red.

The Prophet of Doom · « **Reply #3 on:** March 31, 2019, 02:03:10 AM »

So Iain and I picked up the bike yesterday. Well that's what you get when you buy a bike sight unseen. The only good thing about it is that is has live registration (title), and it rolls.
78,000 km and I think every one of them must have been in the rain. There's rust everywhere.

It's a lot worse than it looks in the pictures. The engine has been swapped out for a XZ400 engine. as has some of the switch gear. Tank is in a bad way, and overpainted with what looks like red fence paint and a ton of bog. Every bit of rubber has turned to dust. Stator is shot, starter is shot, battery is dead, doesn't fire

There's nothing for it, I'll have to do a full ground up restoration. That's OK, ever since Bobby "Re-vision" Crabb suggested a full museum quality re-build I've been thinking I'd like to be involved. I just didn't think it would be me doing it.

So yeah, anyone willing to donate some new parts or factory quality re-furbished items just send me a message.

Walt_M. · « **Reply #4 on:** March 31, 2019, 08:44:03 AM »

That is going to be some project. Are you going to keep the 400 engine or go back to 550?

The Prophet of Doom · « **Reply #5 on:** April 07, 2019, 04:22:54 PM »

I happen to have a couple of partially dismantled 550 engines in the garage. I will try and fuse these together to build one.

The Prophet of Doom · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2019, 06:23:13 AM »

First order of business on this bike is to sort out the keys. The ignition tumbler had been replaced at some point so didn't match the petrol cap or the seat lock. It was also gummed up with years of crap.

Equipment needed:
10mm socket to remove lock
1 medium JIS Screwdriver
1-2 spare locks (for wafers) and ball-bearings/springs that get lost on the floor
Cleaning solvent
DriGlide Spay
CRC contact Cleaner (for the electric parts)

Access the lock by removing the upper triple tree, and open the headlight to disconnect the wiring.
I pulled the ignition lock and a couple of screws and I had it apart. Once all the obvious bits have been pulled out, the tumbler comes out by pushing a brass spring-loaded tab in towards the centre, then the lock out towards the rider. The lock is a wafer type - it uses sliding wafers rather than pins so it's a lot simpler to re-key (and to pick). Take care though else you will have springs and wafers everywhere. The brass tab is on the same side as the wafers so keep it pointing upwards. A finger on the top as you remove the tumbler stops the wafers in place. There are you tube videos on wafer locks, but none I found with the brass tab. Hondas use circlips instead.

With the key inserted, all the wafers have to align to the body in order to turn. Pulling apart some spare ignition units I found wafers of the right size and swapped them in. Cleaned and sprayed the insides liberally with Dry Glide (Doesn't attract dirt like oil does), and job done.

The only tricky thing in re-assembly was the spring/ball bearing from a small catch. Fitting is not immediately obvious. The way to fit this is to insert the small metal piece without the spring or ball, Align the indent from the hole in the casing, then insert these both from the outside, Spring first. It's locked in place once the metal piece is pushed into position.

All together and looks and operates like new, but with the correct key. The back plastic part was hard and brittle and I broke 2 spares trying to disassemble. I ended giving up on the thought of a thorough clean - instead I flushed quantities of CRC Contact cleaner through the holes to clean up the electrics. Gave the connectors a clean and polish.

Finally, I made a replacement label for the back with the new key number.

Loverly

Walt_M. · « **Reply #7 on:** April 13, 2019, 07:45:03 AM »

I have done that. As you know, it is very tedious. Step 1 is, sweep the floor! Good job.

The Prophet of Doom · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2019, 10:18:00 PM »

Mostly I've been removing parts one at a time, and either replacing or refinishing them as I go
Now it's time to rip into the engine(s) - I'm trying to build a single 550 engine from my spares as the bike came with a 400cc installed :-(

This was my "best" spare engine. Low km and working well when removed from the bike - or so I was told.

Walt_M. · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2019, 08:13:01 AM »

I have always appreciated a truthful seller. Bet that was running really sweet.

fret not · « **Reply #10 on:** June 23, 2019, 04:18:49 PM »

Dang, I bet that was noisy.

Walt_M. · « **Reply #11 on:** June 27, 2019, 07:45:43 AM »

I realize shipping would be expensive but I have 2 heads, one with valves and springs installed, the other I removed the valves and springs, also shims and buckets but still have them. Have 2 pistons, standard bore and 1 complete set of rings. I could let any or all of it go for $50 US plus shipping.

The Prophet of Doom · « **Reply #12 on:** June 28, 2019, 08:40:20 PM »

Thanks Walt. I have a spare head I think will be ok plus brand new valve set and 2nd oversized pistons and rings. I should be sweet. Nothing to pay except some machining and a gasket set. I also need to decide whether to tear the bottom end down - there,s a ton of shrapnel in there.

fret not · « **Reply #13 on:** June 28, 2019, 08:52:04 PM »

I think you just answered your query about tearing it down. At least it needs to be cleaned inside, tiny bits of metal getting in the plane bearings would probably not be a good thing to happen. It is evident the motor could not run with the head destroyed like that, so unless it was happening slowly over time (not likely) the motor should have stopped when the head came apart. Just a good cleaning to get all the metal bits out may be all that is needed, but you have to split the cases to make sure it is clean. Who knows what else you might find when you get in there.

The Prophet of Doom · « **Reply #14 on:** June 29, 2019, 05:33:04 AM »

Pistons are out. Yes there's no way I'm getting away without splitting the cases. Molten metal in the gear teeth and bearings. It's quite the mess.

Who wants to sent me one of the lovely low mileage motors you have in the US. You pay the postage of course. Air freight preferred.

Walt_M. · « **Reply #15 on:** June 29, 2019, 07:42:17 AM »

Hey POD, I'll get right on that, as soon as you get me those winning Powerball numbers.

injuhneer · « **Reply #16 on:** June 30, 2019, 03:05:55 PM »

Quote from: Prophet Of Doom on June 29, 2019, 05:33:04 AM

Pistons are out. Yes there's no way I'm getting away without splitting the cases. Molten metal in the gear teeth and bearings. It's quite the mess.

Who wants to sent me one of the lovely low mileage motors you have in the US. You pay the postage of course. Air freight preferred.

Does anyone on ROV know someone in the import/export biz?

Over in the Citroen SM group we have a guy that always has containers going between continents. He allows members use the empty spaces to move stuff around. Any chance someone in the VisioNation has such a connection?

It would make getting an engine to PoD easier and cheaper albeit slower.

The Prophet of Doom · « **Reply #17 on:** July 02, 2019, 07:32:02 AM »

Good suggestion Mike, but I was joking about shipping one over.

The advice I always give to people about starter motors, carbs etc is to buy a rebuild kit rather than buy into someone else's problems. Same goes for engines i guess. I've not cracked cases before but till I started buying beat up non-running XZs i'd never done anything before except change oil.

injuhneer · « **Reply #18 on:** July 03, 2019, 10:25:16 AM »

Quote from: Prophet Of Doom on July 02, 2019, 07:32:02 AM

Good suggestion Mike, but I was joking about shipping one over.

The advice I always give to people about starter motors, carbs etc is to buy a rebuild kit rather than buy into someone else's problems. Same goes for engines i guess. I've not cracked cases before but till I started buying beat up non-running XZs i'd never done anything before except change oil.

I agree. If I buy a second hand component I do so knowing it may need work.

Of course the specifications for those kits come from somewhere. It used to be all R&D but nowadays forums like this one have changed that. I know first hand of a case where one exotic car forum has a member that is a world renown expert on the cars but he elects to lurk under an alias. Over time he has adopted the engineering changes that members/owners have made that are successful.

Ain't it somethin' how things go? LOL

The Prophet of Doom · « **Reply #19 on:** August 25, 2019, 12:36:34 AM »

Split the cases, cleaned out the shrapnel. There was half a ton of it in there from 2 melted valves and half a piston, but clearly the engine didn't run long after the failure as there's no damage to speak of. It's my first time splitting cases, and it's not nearly as difficult as I'd thought. Just followed the manual.

I don't know how many km this engine has on it, but I'm very happy with the overall condition - measured crank bearings, run-out and side clearance while I was in there and all is well within spec. I didn't remove the con-rods but there's no detectable slop. All the bearings are good, and gearbox cogs are hard to tell from new parts.

Everything assembled with a schmeer of Permatex assembly lube, cleaned all the mating surfaces with acetone and glued it back together with Yamabond4. Yamabond is increasingly hard to find these days because it causes cancer in California. Get a tube or two while you can.

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Author Topic: #7 joins the fleet (Read 26030 times)