That copper base gasket is much better looking than the old green one. 
looking good Bob!
looking good Bob!
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Mailmans XS2 , the rebuild.......again
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
That copper base gasket is much better looking than the old green one.
looking good Bob!
Thanks buddy!
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Oil cooler mod?
Ha! You made me go look to see if something fell out! No it’s just the way it photographed, there’s some sort of epoxy plugs in there. 
Great timing Bob. Been thinking about the easiest way to pull my motor ("easiest" being a relative term) if I want to do a BBK swap, and have been meaning to dig through the forums to see if I could find some pics of someone doing it on a standing bike.
That being said - I don't have a hoist where my bike is stored currently so it may still be a lay-down for me. Might have to play that one by ear.
That being said - I don't have a hoist where my bike is stored currently so it may still be a lay-down for me. Might have to play that one by ear.
Holy guacamole. Geezz, I logged on to see what I could find on stock ft. fork spring length and had not see this tank problem... boy, my heart goes out for you Mailman !! Someone rushed some aspect of that job..
Bob, you need to put all this stuff together in a book and market it as a "How to" for the Yamaha 650. Give it a catchy title like, "The XS and Me" (Tarmey) or "Stranger in a Strange Garage" (Heinlein) or maybe, "The Man with the Golden XS" (Fleming), "2021 - A Motorcycle Odyssey" (Clarke), "Silence of the Cams"(Tally) or even "For Whom the Bike Rolls" (Hemingway).
Couple of girls in next to nothing on the cover with your bike and you'll have an illustrated best seller. I can just see your photo on the back cover - sort of an Arizona Clive Cussler. Remember who gave you the idea!
Couple of girls in next to nothing on the cover with your bike and you'll have an illustrated best seller. I can just see your photo on the back cover - sort of an Arizona Clive Cussler. Remember who gave you the idea!
The first time I pulled it, I had a friend just help me wrestle it out of the frame and lift it up on the bench. There are lots of variations on how to do it. @5twins had a pretty clever way of doing it with a home made invention. So did @GLJ .
I tried to find a post by Pamcopete I once read, where he talks about how he pulls motors by himself, I can’t find it , but if I recall correctly, he uses two long 2x4’s , one in front and one behind the motor, extended through the frame.
On one side of the bike he rested them on an office chair that rolls, he attached them to the motor somehow, and picked up the other ends of the 2x4’s like the handles of a wheel borrow, and lifted the engine up as he walked forward, the chair rolling forward at the same time. Once the motor was clear of the frame he simply sat it down.
I detailed how I hung my chain lift here,
Post #1572
http://www.xs650.com/threads/mailman’s-xs2-a-full-on-restoration.51520/page-79#post-574616
Haha! You’re too funny David!
How about “How to save money by buying an old motorcycle.” I’ve even got my cover photo!
Not quite what I had in mind!
He's scaring me now. Reminds me of a movie seen where where some BIKERS go into a bar, someone locks the ft. door and says:
But, in reality, without seeing what Mailman has accomplished, persevered through, I would not have embarked into this place. Glad I did...now, I'm going to have at least 2 beers.
But, in reality, without seeing what Mailman has accomplished, persevered through, I would not have embarked into this place. Glad I did...now, I'm going to have at least 2 beers.
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FWIW, inspired by Mailman, I bought a similar 1 Ton block & chain. The hook is a sliding fit over an old Z1 fork stanchion which happened to be in the garage and which is long enough to place over two adjacent rafters. So the whole caboodle is easily placed wherever required in the garage and has been used to do XS engine lifts in and out a few times. Last time, I had the bike on the side-stand which made it easy to swing the engine under the frame top tube.
Cheap and easy.
Cheap and easy.
This last time, I muscled the engine out, and I plan to muscle it back in. I'll let y'all know how that goes. Thank you CrossFit!
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Wasn't going to say anything yesterday,however,I got mine out by myself...on the side stand. Lost those pics. I used an engine lift and adjustable balance bar, chains, hooks, two hands and both feet n legs (for the other tow missing hands). Very awkward body contortions. Very precise slipping the bottom out over bottom tube to get a bolt in, then releasing tension slipping the top of engine out while protecting the bottom frame tube. Shazam. Woke up next morning stuck in a human ? position. Not going back in that way.
Although I did build myself a rather nifty one man engine removal/install cart from an old shopping cart .....
..... I usually just grab a helper and fall back on my original lift handles, seen above being used as handle extensions on the cart. These allow 2 people to lift the motor like a stretcher and wiggle it in and out .....
..... I usually just grab a helper and fall back on my original lift handles, seen above being used as handle extensions on the cart. These allow 2 people to lift the motor like a stretcher and wiggle it in and out .....
Sparkyduc
XS650 Addict
I made a set of those lift handles 5twins and they were awesome. 2 of us put the motor in place while a third person stabbed the lower motor bolt. Could not have been any easier!
Looking great, Bob!
I can't help myself...
The Three Bike Problem (Cixin)
Ancillary Yamaha (Leckie)
20,000 Leagues From the Gas Station (Verne)
I can't help myself...
The Forever Build (Haldeman)
The Three Bike Problem (Cixin)
Ancillary Yamaha (Leckie)
20,000 Leagues From the Gas Station (Verne)
The Three Bike Problem - initial position, velocity and subsequent motion, complicated by falling off - insoluble. I think I'll wait for the movie! Not bad Rhy.
