webbrs
XS650 Enthusiast
Hello to all, its nice to be here. Thanks for having me.
A little background, I have a 1983 Low Rider I have restored that still wants to be fed another $3500,
and I'm a second time XS'r. My first XS was quite a few years back but I never forgot the model and finally was able to grab a very choice hand built 1981 XS 650 SH, hard-tailed-jockey-shift bobber. ( hate to have to say I bought it this way but I'm not this creative, wish I was). http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1769910&image=744269965&images=744269965,744269970,744269982,744269991,744270000,744270006,744270011,744270021,744270031,744270070,744270074,744270448,744270456,744270464,744270467,744270472,744270486,744270499,744270507&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0
It has not been well maintained but does start first kick and button push. She barely had any fork oil and what it did have was black black, the front caliper was freezing up and turned the rotor red hot on my rides from work ( 8 miles, scary, I kept thinking what is that smell...)
I rebuilt the forks, changed out the caliper and master cylinder, also had to shorten the chain, replaced a broken drum detent spring, replaced the pushrod bush/seal and added the one piece rod, found a cracked outer oil rotor, and a broken cush spring. Which leads me here now.
I ordered the parts form MikesXS and the oil rotor seized up (noticed during assembly, whew, I talked to them, they say they are working on getting better ones) and filed it down as was done by other members, (yikes, but it spins) and then went on to install the Cush repair kit.
The new Cush springs measured .920 when the stock ones were .873. I don't know what the stock springs measured when new, and mikes or Yama bits are the only sellers I have seen with this kit or these springs new at all for that matter. They both appear to sell the same kit. I wanted the Vesconite setup but it is no longer offered and no one seems to have used Delrin or a similar product from what I can tell here.
Problem is that the springs are too large for the cavities in the setup. I have crushed them down to around .913 in the vise and mixed the old springs with the new ones, long springs in the long cavities, old springs in the short ones. However, I cannot get the long ones to seat in to the retaining plate. I have seen some posts that members have used this kit but no one seemed to elaborate that they had this problem.
Can anyone offer some tech on how to get the plates together and how they kept the washers centered? I made sure to notice that the flat washer rests against the drive gear and the spring washer against the retaining plate but I can't find an exploded view of the clutch basket to confirm this, so can anyone confirm that the setup is correct? Lastly does anyone feel that the preload on the basket is going to be affected with the longer springs and cause problems later? I don't like using old stuff when I do repairs but there is no way I am going to get all of the longer springs seated. I can't find a NOS basket and used is used to me, as in who knows when it is going to fail, not if.
I am going to keep wrestling with it, this is the last step to getting back in the wind, but hopeful some advice can get me there easier.
Thanks again
Rick
A little background, I have a 1983 Low Rider I have restored that still wants to be fed another $3500,
and I'm a second time XS'r. My first XS was quite a few years back but I never forgot the model and finally was able to grab a very choice hand built 1981 XS 650 SH, hard-tailed-jockey-shift bobber. ( hate to have to say I bought it this way but I'm not this creative, wish I was). http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1769910&image=744269965&images=744269965,744269970,744269982,744269991,744270000,744270006,744270011,744270021,744270031,744270070,744270074,744270448,744270456,744270464,744270467,744270472,744270486,744270499,744270507&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0It has not been well maintained but does start first kick and button push. She barely had any fork oil and what it did have was black black, the front caliper was freezing up and turned the rotor red hot on my rides from work ( 8 miles, scary, I kept thinking what is that smell...)
I rebuilt the forks, changed out the caliper and master cylinder, also had to shorten the chain, replaced a broken drum detent spring, replaced the pushrod bush/seal and added the one piece rod, found a cracked outer oil rotor, and a broken cush spring. Which leads me here now.
I ordered the parts form MikesXS and the oil rotor seized up (noticed during assembly, whew, I talked to them, they say they are working on getting better ones) and filed it down as was done by other members, (yikes, but it spins) and then went on to install the Cush repair kit.
The new Cush springs measured .920 when the stock ones were .873. I don't know what the stock springs measured when new, and mikes or Yama bits are the only sellers I have seen with this kit or these springs new at all for that matter. They both appear to sell the same kit. I wanted the Vesconite setup but it is no longer offered and no one seems to have used Delrin or a similar product from what I can tell here.
Problem is that the springs are too large for the cavities in the setup. I have crushed them down to around .913 in the vise and mixed the old springs with the new ones, long springs in the long cavities, old springs in the short ones. However, I cannot get the long ones to seat in to the retaining plate. I have seen some posts that members have used this kit but no one seemed to elaborate that they had this problem.
Can anyone offer some tech on how to get the plates together and how they kept the washers centered? I made sure to notice that the flat washer rests against the drive gear and the spring washer against the retaining plate but I can't find an exploded view of the clutch basket to confirm this, so can anyone confirm that the setup is correct? Lastly does anyone feel that the preload on the basket is going to be affected with the longer springs and cause problems later? I don't like using old stuff when I do repairs but there is no way I am going to get all of the longer springs seated. I can't find a NOS basket and used is used to me, as in who knows when it is going to fail, not if.
I am going to keep wrestling with it, this is the last step to getting back in the wind, but hopeful some advice can get me there easier.
Thanks again
Rick
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