Hey all!

Drill it apply some heat to loosen the bolt and it should come out. Those are not torqued high'
If you need parts hit me up always have motor parts DADDYGCYCLES@YAHOO.COM
I have two sets of matching heads sitting here now
WELCOME to the Site!
Rich
 
Getting the drill accurate from the start is key. So easy for the drill to drift off and bugger the thread on one side. It is worth spending the time to securely clamp the cover to a pillar drill so you can get better drill allignment. Should you mess it up there are ways to salvage the job. Perhaps I am imagining it but I thought I had seen a jig thing available to keep a drill vertical/centrally alligned when doing this sort of work, or drilling for helicoil?? Would be a simple lathe project to make.
 
The easy way is to use a valve compressor and they are fairly cheap. The reason I say it is the easy way is because it keeps everything aligned on the same axis which makes life easy when you try to re-insert the collet halves. The job can be done by pushing with a piece of wood but it is very fiddly and requires another person to place the collet halves. The reason to use wood is because if you slip pushing with metal you may break something or someone. Buy the compressor or use a G-Clamp like 5twin suggests.

I bought the valve compression set that 5twins has provided a link too above. It is very good quality but there is a minor issue. The largest size it fits is 30mm whereas the XS is 32mm. You can still use the 30mm on the XS but you must be careful it does not slip off. My solution was to make a small 30 to 32mm adapter on my lathe. The adapter is essentially a washer 7mm thick and bored to 31mm one side and 33mm the other with both 2mm deep(extra 1mm diameter gives a comfortable fit):
Adapter.jpg
The 33mm side sits on the valve spring/washer and the 30mm compression adapter fits into the 31mm side of the washer. When you compress the spring it is handy to have a magnetic pickup tool to grab the two parts of the collet - also handy for getting them back in place.
 

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Cam chains are special and take quite a load. If they fail then the repair cost can be enormous. $40 sounds reasonable and similar to UK prices. I went DID and was happy with it. Is DID recommended in the US?

Next question: Do you buy an endless version or one with a link? The answer probably depends on how far you plan to strip the engine down, but even so I would go for the chain with a joining link rather than an endless.
 
where can I get a cam chain guide for a 1979 xs650sf? nobody seems to have one for this specific model. will just any year work?
 
From 74 up they are the same. Some of the earlier models were different.
The early tensioner had a toothed sprocket that ran against the cam chain. This required a different front guide, Clearance issue.
The stock cam chains if kept properly tensioned and oil kept changed it should last at least a 20-30 years.
As you found the plastic part came off the aluminum backer. This is believed to be more from age than miles. The glue they used is simply giving up.
On a new guide you might find a new one. It seems I remember someone saying Yamaha had another run made.
Leo
 
From 74 up they are the same. Some of the earlier models were different.
The early had a toothed sprocket that ran against the cam chain. This required a different front guide, Clearance issue.
The stock cam chains if kept properly tensioned and oil kept changed it should last at least a 20-30 years.
As you found the plastic part came off the aluminum backer. This is believed to be more from age than miles. The glue they used is simply giving up.
On a new guide you might find a new one. It seems I remember someone saying Yamaha had another run made.
Leo
Yeah it’s 40 years old. 22,000 miles I had a hunch that was what the sound was after reading a few of the build threads on here. Thanks for the info
 
If Yamaha made another run, it hasn't hit all the popular suppliers yet. They're all showing unavailable.
Mikes XS has repop guides that some people have used with good results. I didn't like that the holes were drilled incorrectly (although apparently it still works).
Here's a how-to I wrote to make an XS guide from an SR500 guide.
 
If Yamaha made another run, it hasn't hit all the popular suppliers yet. They're all showing unavailable.
Mikes XS has repop guides that some people have used with good results. I didn't like that the holes were drilled incorrectly (although apparently it still works).
Here's a how-to I wrote to make an XS guide from an SR500 guide.
XSLeo say any year will be the same. Is that not correct?
 
He said from 74 up. Sounds right. I'll take his word for it. Why?
 
Yup, all the same 74 up, Yamaha did a run of the guides about 3? years ago, or found some somewhere. But now they have stopped. much as quality control seems sketchy on the mikes guides, there are a lot in use and we aren't hearing about any failures...

This Yamaha 256-12231-01-00 GUIDE, STOPPER 1
Not Available, fits the following models and components:

Yamaha Motorcycle 1972 XS2 CAM SHAFT - CHAIN TENSIONER

Yamaha Motorcycle 1970 XS1 CAM SHAFT - CHAIN TENSIONER

Yamaha Motorcycle 1971 XS1B CAM SHAFT - CHAIN TENSIONER

Yamaha Motorcycle 1973 TX650 CAM SHAFT - CHAIN TENSIONER

Take these with a grain of salt the Partzilla parts fiches are not infallible.
Yamaha Motorcycle 1980 XS650G Camshaft & Chain

Yamaha Motorcycle 1983 XS650SK Camshaft & Chain

Yamaha Motorcycle 1982 XS650SJ Camshaft & Chain

Yamaha Motorcycle 1981 XS650H Camshaft & Chain

Yamaha Motorcycle 1981 XS650SH Camshaft & Chain

Yamaha Motorcycle 1977 XS650D CAMSHAFT - CHAIN TENSIONER XS650D - E - E006501- -

Yamaha Motorcycle 1974 TX650A CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSIONER TX650A - XS650B

Yamaha Motorcycle 1975 XS650B CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSIONER TX650A - XS650B

Yamaha Motorcycle 1976 XS650C CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSIONER XS650C

Yamaha Motorcycle 1977 XS650D CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSIONER XS650D E E006501- F

Yamaha Motorcycle 1979 XS650_2F CAMSHAFT-CHAIN TENSIONER

Yamaha Motorcycle 1980 XS650SG CAMSHAFT-CHAIN TENSIONER

Yamaha Motorcycle 1978 XS650SE-11 CAMSHAFT-CHAIN TENSIONER

Yamaha Motorcycle 1978 XS650SE CAMSHAFT-CHAIN TENSIONER

Yamaha Motorcycle 1979 XS650SF CAMSHAFT-CHAIN TENSIONER
 
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Mr few words...........asking members if other members answers are right.........????........

XSleo knows a lot and has been around on xs650 forums a lot longer than this one has been going.................might not get much more help from him much longer.

If your not sure about answers do some research........ here is a list of manuals that can be downloaded and you can cross reference information with answers.
https://thexscafedotcom.wordpress.com/tag/manual/
 
No worries. :) I think you just misread my first comment....
 
Do the TX 650 A-B cam tensioner guide rods go into the case at an angle? I see on Partzilla if I switch from earlier "256" assembly, I can still use the outer cap; nut and rubber O-ring. https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/y...tx650a/camshaft-chain-tensioner-tx650a-xs650b
I'm not seeing That larger outer hex cap on any available/ used '74 n up type assemblies. Partzilla have it wrong or am I trying to find a 'hen-tooth' (big outer cap fitting on a 447 assembly?? Recall I have a 447 crank, pistons and cam in my 256 case. I feel uneasy using my sproket type tensioner with 447 36 tooth cam and chain(106/219T).
 
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