Yam_Tech314's official build thread

[jetmechmarty]

Good points guys. I'll stay away from all the excess labor and just have fun putting it back together the way it came. As far as cleaning methods go though... What are your thoughts on brass brushes on mating surfaces? Also, steel brushes on find, and combustion chamber? What material is the combustion chamber? Looks like steel?

Brass is fairly soft, but be very careful on aluminum. Steel on aluminum will tear it up and also set up galvanic corrosion with any residue left behind. I prefer stuff like Scotch-Brite. Aluminum wool is completely safe on aluminum. Brass is harder than aluminum, so you can do damage with it.

 

[5twins]

I wouldn't get too aggressive when cleaning the gasket surfaces, there's really no need to. Just use paint stripper on them. That will soften any stuck-on gaskets so they can be easily and gently scraped off. You can also use it to clean the carbon off the combustion chambers and out of the ports (exhaust port mostly). It will melt most of the carbon away and soften the rest so it comes off pretty easy. In both cases, it may take a couple applications to get it all off. The combustion chamber being steel, you can then use a pick or scraper to get any last stubborn bits off. The little wire wheels in a Dremel work well too. My final step is using some chrome cleaner on the surfaces. That can remove any final little bits and most of the discoloration. You can use it on the gasket surfaces as well. Here's some pics. This is what you usually start out with, carbon all over the combustion chambers and gasket remnants stuck to the head .....

..... and here's a combustion chamber after a couple paint stripper applications .....

..... and finally, after using chrome cleaner on it .....

 

[G_YamTech_314]

Well I went out and bought the brush kit, and within twenty minutes broke three brushes, and saw almost no difference. Dad called and told me he found a cheap blaster guy so away I went. I'll get my motor parts back Monday. Lol

 

[G_YamTech_314]

A bit of before and after fun on the cylinder head! And it took zero elbow grease... I'm $75 poorer, but it was well worth it. Going to try and fine tune the finish somehow, but boy it's clean...

 

[Raymond]

Clean is all you need. Now get on and rebuild the bike ready for 2021.

 

[G_YamTech_314]

I fear I'll be unable to reply from here on out. I did the unforgivable and will need to beg and plead for forgiveness. The deed is done. I cannot change the past, but the future, although unclear, is whatever I make it. Many here will relate to the sin I committed. Some will applaud, others will stay silent. I have no regrets... R.I.P clean air smell...

I removed the sleeves from my jug today so that I can pressure wash the whole thing. It's a good thing I did, because I found a good bit of glass bead residue on the underside of the sleeves collar. I labeled them right and left because I believe that matters... (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

Now that it's removed, I kinda realized I can do whatever I want with the "size" of the motor...

I took a look at the CruzinImage website and discovered a 706cc top end kit.

Is it worth it? Would I need to change carbs? I know that it's all in what I personally want... But honestly I'd like to get as much power out of it as possible without going to extremes.

A regular piston kit is $80 but the 706 kit is $120... If it's a noticable power difference I think the $40 could be worth it.

 

[jetmechmarty]

A regular piston kit is $80 but the 706 kit is $120... If it's a noticable power difference I think the $40 could be worth it.

Like an old friend on mine said, "Speed = horsepower. Horsepower = $$$. How fast do you want to go?"

The bigger cylinder won't buy you much. It's part of the package you assemble. Reach out to @grizld1 and @Jack. They can give it to you straight.

 

[G_YamTech_314]

Like an old friend on mine said, "Speed = horsepower. Horsepower = $$$. How fast do you want to go?"

The bigger cylinder won't buy you much. It's part of the package you assemble. Reach out to @grizld1 and @Jack. They can give it to you straight.

Thanks for the advice! I'm sure tagging them to this alerts them to the question? (I'm hoping) if it won't buy me much by itself, what else could I possibly do to the motor to add the power? If we are talking better plugs, better carb parts, then bring it on! But if we are talking cam changes, crank changes, long rod conversions, I don't see that happening.

I do plan on running the 1/4 mile with the build once broken in, but that's mostly out of curiosity. (Hopefully it doesn't become an obsession)

I guess what I'm trying to say is: I wanna get the most bang for my buck, and maybe learn a thing or two about upgrading worthwhile components of a bike while it's all apart.

Been getting the itch for "faster" since I've had the rebel 300. Hoping the XS blows it out of the water, despite it's age.

 

[jetmechmarty]

But if we are talking cam changes, crank changes, long rod conversions, I don't see that happening.

I do plan on running the 1/4 mile with the build once broken in, but that's mostly out of curiosity. (Hopefully it doesn't become an obsession)

I guess what I'm trying to say is: I wanna get the most bang for my buck, and maybe learn a thing or two about upgrading worthwhile components of a bike while it's all apart.

Been getting the itch for "faster" since I've had the rebel 300. Hoping the XS blows it out of the water, despite it's age.

Think cam & cylinder heads.
At the end to the day, I have a 41 year old XS1100 that will likely still blow your doors off, no matter what you do. I say, build it to be reliable.

 

[5twins]

I wondered what kind of blasting you had done. If glass beads then you need to block off all openings and not blast any internal surfaces. The glass beads can and do embed themselves into the soft alloy and washing doesn't remove them. What does is engine heat once you're running the thing. If you had internal surfaces blasted then the problems start, lol. The glass beads get released inside your motor and that can do all sorts of nasty things (ruin bearings, score cylinders).

I glass bead my topend parts but I block all the holes and cover the gasket surfaces .....

My HF blasting cabinet and the bag of glass beads probably set me back twice what you paid someone to do yours, but I've done so many parts in it, it's paid for itself probably 10 times over .....

 

[G_YamTech_314]

So if I were to put the engine pieces under a good bit of heat, and blast them clean with hot water, would that still not be enough to get the beads out?

If this is a mistake I've made in my rebuild process, how do I correct it?

 

[Jim]

So if I were to put the engine pieces under a good bit of heat, and blast them clean with hot water, would that still not be enough to get the beads out?

If this is a mistake I've made in my rebuild process, how do I correct it?

Lycoming recommends against bead blasting with the note (wink wink nod nod) "media blasted parts should be thoroughly flushed with boiling water."
I've bead blasted internals before... and no, not as a normal practice. The best way to rinse is with a steam/pressure washer. If that's not possible put 'em in the sink and pour boiling water on 'em 'till your arms ache. As 5T said above, when the engine heats up is when the aluminum releases the media residue. Boiling water does the same before the engine gets to.

 

[G_YamTech_314]

Sounds like a good plan. I have a tub I use to fill with pots of boiling water. I'll fill that thing, and tie a strap to the parts and submerge them for as long as possible. Then when it's done I'll do it again...

 

[Rasputin]

From the Tech section....

View attachment 170307

Heel and toe gear lever.

 

[Jim]

Heel and toe gear lever.

Funny... never even noticed.

 

[G_YamTech_314]

Spent some time with the tape and knife. Let my imagination run free, and mocked up a custom seat pan prototype.

This still needs a good bit of tune up, but I want to try my hand at sheet metal fabrication. We have tig welders at work, and if I'm lucky, they'll let me use some thin 6061 aluminum sheeting to fab this thing up right.

 

[G_YamTech_314]

Doing some media removal with my dad today. Came across this gunk in the threads of the exhaust ports. Is it supposed to be there as some kind of seal? Or is this gunk build up over time? And if so, how do I remove it? Do I need to worry about it?

Gonna be getting a lot done to this over the winter. Hopefully I'll have a running rider for spring.

 

[Jim]

Is it supposed to be there as some kind of seal? Or is this gunk build up over time? And if so, how do I remove it? Do I need to worry about it?

It's a crush gasket. Use a "hook" tool to pull it out.

 

[G_YamTech_314]

It's a crush gasket. Use a "hook" tool to pull it out.

So, the whole threaded parts come out as well? Good to know... Didn't think it would still be in there but I guess ignorance breeds incompletion. Thanks for the info. Even though it made me feel a little stupid!! Lol

 

[G_YamTech_314]

I forgot a small detail, but it's worth mentioning.

I've been trying to spend more bike-related time with my father lately. I take after him in many ways. I used to literally walk through the woods in his footsteps. he was a pretty heavy alcoholic growing up, and he had his moments that really made us butt heads but he's 9 months sober, and loving life. He still has his struggles (of which I never hear about,but who wouldn't) and I'm super proud to call him my father.

I'm happy he's alive, and if he hadn't quit when he did, he likely wouldn't be. Today was a wonderful day spent breaking in my dad's new pressure washer, and I cherish every little ounce of effort he puts into getting this bike on the road with me.

Just a picture of him pretending to be spiderman, because it's the only "good picture" I have of him lol