Replacing cam chain Tensioner gasket XS650B

[xjwmx]

Yes, one at a time, if you have a leak, and maybe it'll fix it. Nothing to lose anyway. Unless it starts leaking even worse Something I noticed is when you torque the nuts up to say 30 ft lbs to try and fix a leak, part of that is the bolt twisting. Release the torque slowly and you can watch the nut turn backwards a few degrees. It does it worse with anti-sleaze than with oil. Due to difference in friction maybe.

 

[Orion61]

Perfect!
I don't know if I have a carbon leak but the cyl fins seem a tiny bit dirtier than the head fins. but I cant see any leaks now. I thought it was a tiny bit of oil burned on the fins.. I will be retorquing the head bolts cold, one at a time up to 25 lbs then up to 30.
I had a very slight oil leak on one side,
It would be just enough to roll a few drops of hot oil on my boot after about 3/4 of an hour. Funny thing is it is not leaking at all now??
It could have been dripping from the can adjuster plate and was just so clear I didn't notice it?
Thanks.. But I am really happy compaired to about 2 1/2 weeks ago when it hadn't run for 13 years!

 

[Michaelo]

Uh, you did it right but wrote it wrong, Mick--the outside studs go through oil bearing passages and take sealing washers, the inner studs take plain steel washers . Copper is a much better choice than brass.

Gidday grizld1, you are correct on both counts, my apologies, when I pulled mine down it had the sealing washers on the inside, hence the incorrect information passed on, I agree too about using copper, but when the full gasket kit was supplied it only came with brass (I could have possibly ordered it with brass washers).....good pick up from you, I went and looked at the parts manual, drawings,and saw you're correct.
Love learning from the more experienced, I'll certainly remember that now... thanks and thumbs up from me


Mick

 

[Orion61]

Let me yell it out for all that have helped, Thanks to all of you!
I got her back on the road again today!
I haven't done the RE-Torque yet because the desire to get some FROSTY Wind in my face, surpassed the common sense to finish up. WOW is all I can say!! The first ride in close to 14 years on her made me remember why I love the XS650 so much.
I highly doubt I would have gotten "Thumper" up and running without all my new friends help, My Brothers you ROCK.... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for taking all the time on these posts of mine, from Wiring diagrams, to Macro close-up photos of the carb circuits, and tiny jets/holes/Pilots etc..etc. My Wife asked me today, "Why do you have that great BIG smile on your face every single time you touch this thing"?
She said "You have a new Bike that is bigger, smoother, better looking, just what is it about this dusty tarnished old thing"?
I told her it is just the "FEELING" I get when I am around her, No electronic ignition,
no fuel injection, no shaft drive or water cooling, it has a Manual kick start in case of a battery issue. Plus it is made with superb craftsmanship and quality. It is just another example of superb execution, while others were bashing the bike and US for riding them, we kept them and loved them.
and another survivor is laying a track of rubber about 3 molecules thick on the pavement every time the tires make a revolution!

 

[xjwmx]

Um, er, back to Earth, I wanted to say the hissing you heard probably wasn't a gasket leak. More likely coming past a valve or the rings. Not a biggie. Check your compression sometime.

 

[Orion61]

SORRY for the excitement, but I really love the bike and was honestly afraid I wouldn't ever be able to ride her again because of my knee.
I listened for that hiss and it was just normal setting it up, then passing on the compression stroke. I was kick starting it and have to be very careful. I have had a knee replacement and a total of 7 surgeries including a revision a Quadriceps repair, then to top that off I got a massive Staff infection in it and had to have it taken out again while they tried to get the infection under control (8 months)! It ended up through my whole body and damn near killed me. Things like stamina, tiredness and a few other weird things are a permanent thing I live with. Needless to say I have to be careful, The bike has great compression and I have to admit, is rather painful to kick it over. The electric start works but it just has never liked to start cold very well with the electric start, while 2 kicks it is usually running. But setting it up I went past a couple times and the compression releasing while slowly turning it over is what I heard. It is harder to start now than it was before the carb clean so I may need the R bowl, that port at the bottom just doesn't want to open.

 

[xjwmx]

^LOL. Whatever. Love ya, man. Take care.

 

[5twins]

I'm pretty sure I told you earlier, that choke jet in the right bowl makes no difference. It doesn't get used at all. It could be totally plugged and it wouldn't matter. You only have a choke on your left carb so the choke jet in the left float bowl is the only one that needs to be clear and clean.

Make sure your timing and points are set as accurately as possible. That will help ease starting. The last points model I worked on had basically quit running. Sometimes it would start, most times not, and if it did start, it would only run for a few seconds then die. I tracked the problem down to worn out points. The strap steel "spring" that snaps them closed had gotten weak. They weren't closing back up tight enough after opening to make good contact. That meant the coil would not re-charge for the next spark so there was no next spark. No spark means no start or it dies if it had been running.

I installed new points, set them and the timing perfectly, and the bike started right up 1st kick. But it was even better than that. It started part way through the fist kick. It was running before I even completed a full stroke through on the kicker. It doesn't get much better than a half kick to start.

 

[Orion61]

It starts first kick after it has warmed up. again it is only about 50 degrees F up here now.