"Smurfette" - Slow build and Q&A thread

[CoconutPete]

Well ... I did it. I bought another one. The bug has bit me I guess. I just love these things.

As many of you have seen I have a 1979 Special which I have enjoyed building thanks to the help of many members here. That bike is right where I want it style-wise, so really the only thing left is tear it down to the frame for pain etc, but what fun would that be? What would i ride this summer?

I found this on Craigslist a few months ago. Ended up texting back and forth with the guy for several weeks, finally going up there, and then finally yesterday this happened.

It's a 1978 standard. It's a wreck as you can see, but that's where the fun starts!

I'm calling her "Smurfette" - you'll see why when I put my spare tank on for mockup purposes.

 

[CoconutPete]

The crate you can kind of see over on the right side came with it. Head pipes are in there, the left side engine cover, motor mounts, foot pegs, a bunch of acorn nuts for shocks, pegs etc. Oh, and the title! That's what made it all worth it.

I happen to have a tank and 2 mufflers, headlight and shocks sitting on the shelves.

Needs to be wired from scratch. Maybe a DaddyG custom harness? What I really want to do is yank off one of those wheels and see what kind of ideas I get...

Has low compression on one side. Not sure how log, time will tell.

 

[CoconutPete]

This is why I named her Smurfette.

 

[CoconutPete]

Appears to have had an external oil cooler attached. The taps on the oil filter cover should be easy to get rid of but I’m all ears on the other one.

 

[Mailman]

Maybe use the plumbing hook ups and hang another cooler on it?

 

[CoconutPete]

I wasn't really planning on running another cooler. I wonder if I could just replace the oil filter cap with an un-modified one and put some sort of cap on the lower brass fitting.

 

[CoconutPete]

Today I received the replacement rear hoop (Thanks mattylmbr).

Rather than make/buy a slug I'd rather just use a short length of tube. Does anyone know the "official" inside diameter of the tube in the tail sections? The pipe is flattened toward the back where it bends and it makes it tricky to get an accurate measurement.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Appears to have had an external oil cooler attached. The taps on the oil filter cover should be easy to get rid of but I’m all ears on the other one.

Someone may want that, work a trade...

 

[fredintoon]

Hi Pete,
can't resist a bargain, eh?
Those wheels are the prettiest ever put on an XS650, all I'd do is re-lace them in stainless if the spokes won't clean up nice.
I'd look at replacing that elbowed oil strainer cover with one of the finned cover that takes a Honda paper oil filter.
Dunno if those things work better than stock but they do look good.
Welding oval tube I'd use a thick-walled tube insert that's OD was the same as the tube's largest bore measurement and
grind it oval so it'd be a light tap-in fit.

 

[CoconutPete]

Yep. Those wheels were really what triggered the "ah what the hell" switch".
I decided to put the stock gauges and tracker handlebars back on my Special and maintain more of a "tracker" look for that bike.

Smurfette will get zero drag bars, tiny aftermarket gauges and a lower suspension.

Random question of the day. The camshaft lever (as i just learned it's called) for the rear drum brake. Does anyone know the size of the bolt that snugs that thing onto the drum? Is it a standard size bolt?

 

[fredintoon]

Yep. Those wheels were really what triggered the "ah what the hell" switch".
I decided to put the stock gauges and tracker handlebars back on my Special and maintain more of a "tracker" look for that bike.
Smurfette will get zero drag bars, tiny aftermarket gauges and a lower suspension.
Random question of the day. The camshaft lever (as i just learned it's called) for the rear drum brake. Does anyone know the size of the bolt that snugs that thing onto the drum? Is it a standard size bolt?

Hi Pete,
the fastener is called a "pinch-bolt" because that's what it does.
It should be an M6 x 25mm long hex head bolt that threads into the M6 tapped hole in the camshaft lever to tighten it onto the brake camshaft splines.
What yours IS, after the dreaded POs have been at it, is another matter.

 

[CoconutPete]

Thanks Fred. The current size of the bolt is "MIA" along with some other rear brake stuff, which is why I was just hitting gggGary up for parts again....

 

[CoconutPete]

Well, I finally had a chance to pull the drain covers and oil filter out today. Nothing "dubious" in the drain, but I still have to pull the sump...

I did find one thing that confuses me though. The 2 taps into the oil filter cover show on the other side. This makes sense to me. One for flow, one for temp.

The one in the right side engine cover though... the part on the inside

 

[CoconutPete]

Thought of one more. Do I need carbs to do a compression test?

 

[gggGary]

no

 

[CoconutPete]

Thanks Gary. Compression test and pulling the sump off will determine future course of action in the next short while.

 

[CoconutPete]

Nothing dubious in the sump.

Left cylinder: Around 100PSI
Right cylinder: Around 65PSI

Looks like the top end is coming off.

need to build a parts list for a top end job. Based on what I can find:

Head gasket
Bottom gasket (different name?)
Cam chain
Cam chain guide
(depending on what I find) piston rings

 

[CoconutPete]

OK, so it appears that while you could buy the Cam chain guide / stoppers from boats.net for a while, that time has now come and gone.......
That leaves 2 question marks on the parts list. Any ideas?

Copper washers to replace the rubber covered ones on cylinder head (Mikes)
Sealing Washer Kit - Bottom End (Mikes) (why is it called bottom end if it's for the oil delivery tube etc.?)
Spark Plugs (wherever)
Gasket kit (Mikes or eBay)
Front cam chain guide (?)
Rear cam chain guide (?)
Cam chain (mikes or eBay)
Cam chain master link (mikes or eBay)
Possibly Piston rings (Partzilla, formerly boat.net?)

 

[Jim]

Copper washers to replace the rubber covered ones on cylinder head (Mikes)

I found 'em at my local hardware store for like 99 cents each

Possibly Piston rings (Partzilla, formerly boat.net?)

Cruisinimage (sp.) on ebay has the best deal on rings.

Front cam chain guide (?)

Read this....

Rear cam chain guide (?)

The one from Mikes appears ok....

Cam chain (mikes or eBay)
Cam chain master link (mikes or eBay)

Boats.
Not sure your experience level on engines. Here's a howto on top ends.

 

[CoconutPete]

Thanks Jim!
My tools/skills aren't quite on par with what it appears is needed create that custom front cam chain guide. Good to know that the rear one from Mikes seems OK though.