rebel542
Old Timer
biggest turnbuckle i've ever seen
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My '80 xs650 engine rebuild
- Thread starter sseres
- Start date
-
- Tags
- build engine pictures restoration
sseres
XS650 Junkie
now I will take over the Tri State Area with my new Engine Hoist-inator!!!
lawrgj
XS650 Addict
now what are you going to do....
sseres
XS650 Junkie
well, like I said, I can now... you know.... hoist stuff! And the people will call me their supreme leader!!! 
lawrgj
XS650 Addict
I will totally call you supreme leader, now I winder if I can dolly my frame and engine to your place...
sseres
XS650 Junkie
you can weld, though, right? It might work a little better with a little welded piece on the inside of case to keep it on track a little better if you're bored and want to weld something.
lawrgj
XS650 Addict
I don't have a rig... that's awful.
sseres
XS650 Junkie
check this out:
and now... an empty tool bench!!
Going for engine install this weekend.
and now... an empty tool bench!!
Going for engine install this weekend.
VosaME
XS650 Addict
Wow, this is a handy little setup you have there! I have always just used an engine puller... or a second set of hands to move them
sseres
XS650 Junkie
Fellow xs650er lawrgj from up the street has continued to inspire me to get this done and was free (despite having 12 new stitches in his arm) to come over in the morning to give me some moral support. So, I decided to get the motor swap a-going!
So, I thought I'd get as much done as I could before he comes over tomorrow. Here's how she started ( in case I forgot how to get it back together):
Ok, so I've gotten off all enigine mounts EXCEPT the bottom bolt. That frikker is tighter than a... oh, fill in the blank. I can't reach the other side to hole the nut so the best i can do is get it to barely spinning. Chain actually just came off when I unbolted the front sprocket, so I hope I actually don't end up having to break it tomorrow.
So, I thought I'd get as much done as I could before he comes over tomorrow. Here's how she started ( in case I forgot how to get it back together):
Ok, so I've gotten off all enigine mounts EXCEPT the bottom bolt. That frikker is tighter than a... oh, fill in the blank. I can't reach the other side to hole the nut so the best i can do is get it to barely spinning. Chain actually just came off when I unbolted the front sprocket, so I hope I actually don't end up having to break it tomorrow.
sseres
XS650 Junkie
My new best motorcycle buddy came over this morning and we got to work.
Engine is out!:
So, 6 hours after I started taking off all the stuff, here sits the new engine in the old bike.
Pretty good look with the shiny engine and black frame. To get the engine out, I had to:
1) take off foot pegs, brake and clutch foot pedals.
2) take off the exhaust
3) get off the carbs
4) disconnect all the wires
5) chain... so I TOTALLY had a mental block on this. I didn't want to break it. I just didn't. So, I got the front sprocket bolt off and just slid the sprocket off with the chain on it. Worked in the opposite direction except that we had to release the back wheel adjusters to give it a little more wiggle to get the front sprocket back on.
6) undo my Hugh's clutch from the LHC. I had to recut the threads into the LHC I had all polished up for the new engine.
It took some fussing around figuring out what the heck it would take to get the engine to sit in the frame correctly, and I can't really tell you what finally worked, but it finally got in there!
Then with everything just loose and just the minimal number of connection:
Oh yeah!!!
Video cut off because my dumb phone's memory got full. I noticed that there was only white smoke coming out of the right exhaust pipe, but both sides fired just fine. I revved it a bunch, and let it idle about 5 minutes before shutting it off. 6 hours on the motorcycle in 1 weekend is about all the family-capital I can afford right now
I'll get the bits and bobs back on just as soon as i can so I can take this thing out for a spin!
Engine is out!:
So, 6 hours after I started taking off all the stuff, here sits the new engine in the old bike.
Pretty good look with the shiny engine and black frame. To get the engine out, I had to:
1) take off foot pegs, brake and clutch foot pedals.
2) take off the exhaust
3) get off the carbs
4) disconnect all the wires
5) chain... so I TOTALLY had a mental block on this. I didn't want to break it. I just didn't. So, I got the front sprocket bolt off and just slid the sprocket off with the chain on it. Worked in the opposite direction except that we had to release the back wheel adjusters to give it a little more wiggle to get the front sprocket back on.
6) undo my Hugh's clutch from the LHC. I had to recut the threads into the LHC I had all polished up for the new engine.
It took some fussing around figuring out what the heck it would take to get the engine to sit in the frame correctly, and I can't really tell you what finally worked, but it finally got in there!
Then with everything just loose and just the minimal number of connection:
Oh yeah!!!
Video cut off because my dumb phone's memory got full. I noticed that there was only white smoke coming out of the right exhaust pipe, but both sides fired just fine. I revved it a bunch, and let it idle about 5 minutes before shutting it off. 6 hours on the motorcycle in 1 weekend is about all the family-capital I can afford right now
I'll get the bits and bobs back on just as soon as i can so I can take this thing out for a spin!
sseres
XS650 Junkie
Couple of things before I can button her up
1) starter spring is too loose and it isn't consistently engaging like its supposed to. Unfortunately, that's a drain the oil take off rhc remove clutch basket job.
2) I forgot to pull the end of the hydraulic cable down before attaching lhc so the clutch won't adjust correctly. This was a hint I got from Hugh when I first installed the mod, since it's too irrestable not to pull the handle before you get the lhc attached.
Probably won't get any bike time until midweek. Dying to get finished!
1) starter spring is too loose and it isn't consistently engaging like its supposed to. Unfortunately, that's a drain the oil take off rhc remove clutch basket job.
2) I forgot to pull the end of the hydraulic cable down before attaching lhc so the clutch won't adjust correctly. This was a hint I got from Hugh when I first installed the mod, since it's too irrestable not to pull the handle before you get the lhc attached.
Probably won't get any bike time until midweek. Dying to get finished!
sseres
XS650 Junkie
Do you do anything to the odometer when replacing the engine?
lawrgj
XS650 Addict
open for discussion of course, remember I told you I was in the car business for a time, anytime anyone wanted to know what the car with 240k on the clock with a 5k engine in it was worth, it was worth a car with 240k on the clock, basically dmv titles stated mileage of vin number for registrations sake, sadly, the vin on the frame not the engine, so long and short of it is your frame is registered with a mileage unless your reg says it is undiscovered,
please someone chome in and say I am wrong I hate being the bearer of bad news and steve already thinks I am a negative nancy!
please someone chome in and say I am wrong I hate being the bearer of bad news and steve already thinks I am a negative nancy!
deadchef
xsbobblehead
nice job! gotta feel great to hear it finally start up. as for the odometer, your bike still has 'x' amount of miles regardless of how many on the motor. and really it doesn't matter unless you sell the bike. but at least you have great documentation on the work that has been done if you do sell.
congrats!
congrats!
lawrgj
XS650 Addict
WOW I have terrible video skills!
sseres
XS650 Junkie
naw... it's my tiny little iphone 5 that's too small to work as steadycam. You got the moment of glory, though. what more can I ask? can't wait to get out there again but this dammit job and dammit husband and father responsibilities. dammit!
BTW, I have no bad feelings about not resetting the odometer. It was just a question for curiosity. I have no intent of selling this one for a long while.
sseres
XS650 Junkie
rebuilt engine is in, all the bits and bobs finally tightened up. Lots of oil leaking but I noticed several things weren't tightened very well (including the spark plugs!). I've got a starter that won't engage, likely due to a less-than-springy clip spring on gear #4. Given the time I have, I don't think I'll be fixing that until my first oil change.
Anyway, I thought I'd get the clutch adjusted. I'd forgotten some of the idiosyncracies of the HHB hydraulic clutch, and ended up taking the LHC off 3 or 4 times before I got everything where it was supposed to be. I was getting ok at kickstarting, but this dang bike must weigh a zillion pounds when upright... and down she went.
Of course, my superhuman strength kicked in when I realized someone might see me standing over my bike flat on its side and I was able to right it very quickly.
Then, I burned my leg on the exhaust pipe. and now my pretty polished side covers are all covered in oil and smudges.
Then, I dumped the damn thing again! And then a third time, but at least this time it was to the left instead of to the right. Maybe I was getting tired. No, I was getting tired. I got it back up the driveway and decided to finish adjusting clutch tomorrow.
But I can't help but feeling a bit discouraged after this. I usually really enjoy working on my bike, but today just wasn't really very satisfying. I'm sitting here typing this later in the evening and I feel pretty physically beaten up. ugh. I'm sure tomorrow will be better. Really, the ONLY thing keeping me from riding is an adjusted clutch (and maybe a few top bolts needing re torqued).
Anyway, I thought I'd get the clutch adjusted. I'd forgotten some of the idiosyncracies of the HHB hydraulic clutch, and ended up taking the LHC off 3 or 4 times before I got everything where it was supposed to be. I was getting ok at kickstarting, but this dang bike must weigh a zillion pounds when upright... and down she went.
Of course, my superhuman strength kicked in when I realized someone might see me standing over my bike flat on its side and I was able to right it very quickly.
Then, I burned my leg on the exhaust pipe. and now my pretty polished side covers are all covered in oil and smudges.
Then, I dumped the damn thing again! And then a third time, but at least this time it was to the left instead of to the right. Maybe I was getting tired. No, I was getting tired. I got it back up the driveway and decided to finish adjusting clutch tomorrow.
But I can't help but feeling a bit discouraged after this. I usually really enjoy working on my bike, but today just wasn't really very satisfying. I'm sitting here typing this later in the evening and I feel pretty physically beaten up. ugh. I'm sure tomorrow will be better. Really, the ONLY thing keeping me from riding is an adjusted clutch (and maybe a few top bolts needing re torqued).
Kicking may a bit more stable if you leave it on the center stand.
