Vlad's Restoration Project w/ Pics

[Vlad]

Hi everyone! I figured I would introduce myself to the community by starting a progress thread on the restoration of this bike. I found her when I was working in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin. A friend of mine got wind of one of his friends wanting to sell his bike so I went to have a look. 1980 XS650 Special (SG?). Previous owner said it was sitting for 15 years, has 10k original miles and "don't need nothin'". He wanted $300 for the bike. I knew I was going to have to do all of the maintenances ever so I walked on that deal, plus I knew he really wanted it out of his barn. He calls me the next day and offers the bike AND a three-wheeler, both for $250. Boom, deal. 3-wheeler flipped for 80 bucks, so the bike ended up being a whopping $170! Clean title.

Sadly though, my life was occupied with other things then and it sat for another 3 years. I moved the bike back to Chicago with me and I am reviving the effort to restore it by this season.

Here is what I've done so far:

• Compression test: good! ~165 PSI on both cylinders
• Rebuilt broken ignition switch, tested good
• carbs almost done being cleaned: one of the housings was damaged, pending potential repair, may need to replace completely
• electrolysis on fuel tank, almost done, need to tip upside down yet
• replaced fuel valve/petcock with manual non-vacuum type
• replaced fuel tank cap seal

Here are the short term plans to get the engine running

• Test ignition system
• Complete fuel tank electrolysis rust removal
• Complete carb cleaning
• Reassemble cabs and airbox with new OEM filters
• Install inline fuel filter
• Replace oil filter and sump filter, and gaskets for those
• Change oil

Long term plans to get bike on the road

• Service front and rear suspension
• Service front and rear brakes (both are disk)
• Replace chain and sprockets
• New Tires
• test/service/repair all electronics
• basically, every item in the maintenance section of Haynes

This is my first restoration, so I would be very grateful for any tips and advice! I do have a few questions though. Hope someone might be able to help! I'll be lurking these forums too, so perhaps I'll find the answers myself sooner or later.

• Is there anything missing from my list?
• Besides Clymer and Haynes, are there any other service manuals for this bike? I would prefer one from Yamaha if it's available.
• It seems that between mikesxs, 650central, and ebay, I should be able to find every part I'll ever need. Are there any other places I should know about?
• What kind of oil should I be running?
• Should I go with a 520 chain/sprockets instead of a 530 type? I was planning on getting the 530 x 104 IZUMI O-ring chain from mikesxs.

And most importantly, the pics:

This is what she looked like when I first got her.

And now

Got one of these bad boys

Here are all the parts off the bike, new air filters, fuel valve, sump filter, and some spares

This is what the electrolysis looks like

This is one of my other hobbies:

Thanks everyone! I'm very excited to get this thing back on the road!!!

Cheers!

 

[Vlad]

Update:

Put some work in last night.

It's a beautiful winter we're having this spring in the Midwest!

This is what the water looks like after a week of electrolysis on the fuel tank:

And this is what the tank looks like. I'm impressed. I tilted it upside down and continued the process to get the bits up top too.

Up to last night, all I knew was that the ignition switch was functional electronically. I took it apart, cleaned it up really nice, greased it and now the key is like butter. And the steering lock function works perfectly!

The last thing I did was pull the sump filter. It had the infamous tear:

The other side looks alright:

Also, the battery is fully charged and chillin. Even after sitting for 2 years with no use, it appears to be functioning well. Woot! The excitement just keeps building.

Cheers everyone!

 

[weekendrider]

Some folks have all the good luck. Nice find. It is looking good. And your documentation top notch.

 

[Vlad]

Haha I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to respond. Yes, I also feel that I got extremely lucky. But considering how much time and money it'll have cost me by the time I'm done, it would have been the same as finding a running one of these in decent condition lol. Appreciate the comment on the documentation! I hope that one of these posts may end up helping someone in the future. And it's fun to look back and see everything I did.

I'm still wondering about the chain width and was hoping someone can comment on that. As far as I know, the OEM chain is 530 type with 104 links. What are the benefits of going 520? Any challenges? I'm planning on ordering sprockets and an o-ring chain soon, though I wanted to confirm the number of teeth and links on the parts currently installed first.

 

[5twins]

I don't see any benefits to going 520. The sprockets cost more and both they and the chain wear faster because they are physically smaller (narrower). The few pounds you save might mean something if you were racing, but not much for normal street riding. I would recommend altering the gearing slightly. Notice I said slightly. Some gear these things to the moon. That's just plain silly and kills the bike's "fun factor". This will never be a high speed interstate cruiser no matter what you do to it. It was never intended to be.

Yes, the stock chain is a 530 and length for your model is 104 links. Stock gearing was 17 front, 34 rear. Simply go down one or two teeth on the rear. With your 16" rear wheel, two teeth down to a 32T works well. The 104 link chain will still work without needing to shorten it and you won't lose too much 1st gear take off power and low speed "lunge".

Most aftermarket chains are sold in 10 link increments so you will need to buy a 110 (or 120, 130, etc.) and shorten it.

 

[scabber]

Welcome to the site. The 1980 was a good year. Good to hear you are not chopping it up.

 

[Vlad]

I don't see any benefits to going 520. The sprockets cost more and both they and the chain wear faster because they are physically smaller (narrower). The few pounds you save might mean something if you were racing, but not much for normal street riding. I would recommend altering the gearing slightly. Notice I said slightly. Some gear these things to the moon. That's just plain silly and kills the bike's "fun factor". This will never be a high speed interstate cruiser no matter what you do to it. It was never intended to be.

Yes, the stock chain is a 530 and length for your model is 104 links. Stock gearing was 17 front, 34 rear. Simply go down one or two teeth on the rear. With your 16" rear wheel, two teeth down to a 32T works well. The 104 link chain will still work without needing to shorten it and you won't lose too much 1st gear take off power and low speed "lunge".

Most aftermarket chains are sold in 10 link increments so you will need to buy a 110 (or 120, 130, etc.) and shorten it.

Thanks for all of this great info!! Alright, definitely going with 530. As far as gearing goes, is my understand correct that by lowering the teeth on the rear sprocket, I would be making the gearing taller, thus less acceleration but higher top speed? I wish I had something to compare it against. Honestly, I don't even know what this bike feels like at all so I can't really say it needs to be lower/taller.

Welcome to the site. The 1980 was a good year. Good to hear you are not chopping it up.

Thanks! I've seen some of the builds around here and they are very creative. I hope one day I have enough skills to make something like that. I like the way this bike looks and I'm still somewhat new to working on bikes. I was just hoping to cut my teeth and get familiar with working on bikes with this project. Maybe one day I'll build something ridiculous.

 

[Vlad]

Quick update. I didn't get that much done last night and won't get a chance to work on this bad boy until the weekend. The suspense and anticipation is awful!

Removed the headlamp, turn signals, and gauge cluster for cleaning. I found an awesome chrome polish that seems to work extremely well on these surfaces, but I didn't snap a picture of how well it works. Before/after pics to come.

Removed handlebar switches. They are extremely difficult to use. Hopefully nothing broke inside!

Oh, for the record, here is a before/after of the fuel tank electrolysis. How awesome is that!

I also took the fuel cap off because it wasn't operating smoothly. I took it apart to clean and lube but lost the stupid guide pin retaining clip for the latch. Hopefully I can find it, otherwise I'll have to come up with a clever way to hold that together.

Hoping to get a lot done this weekend!

 

[5twins]

These bikes were geared rather low from the factory which makes them a bit buzzy at highway speeds. Going down a tooth or two on the rear sprocket will drop the RPMs 4 to 500 at highway speeds and that makes a real difference. Plus, as I mentioned, it won't kill your low speed take-off. Due to your location, it's possible you've acquired a Canadian model. Some of the Specials up there came equipped with a 36T rear sprocket. If you have that, you definitely want to change it - unless you plan on pulling stumps, lol. If you clean the side of the sprocket off, it should have the number of teeth stamped on it.

Just like the ignition switch, your switch gear will need to be dismantled and cleaned. All brass and copper contacts polished clean and shiny with the little wire wheel bit in a Dremel, dielectric grease applied, regular grease applied to the moving lever and switch parts. For the plastic moving parts, I use white lithium grease. Here you can see it on the plastic to metal parts, Kendall Super Blue on the metal to metal stuff .....

 

[Vlad]

Finally an update on this!! Been working and traveling a bit lately.

Since my last post, I picked up a '78 CB550K that I've been riding around. While it's technically not my first bike, it's the first one I've owned that I've been able to ride and it's a blast!!

The garage:

Anyway, here is some of what I've done since my last post.

Rebuilt gas tank cap

Disassembled, cleaned, and polished gauge housings (Using Turtle Wax Chrome Polish).

And turn signals

Removed brake master cylinder. I haven't rebuilt it yet because I don't have a tool to remove the lock ring. I heard some folks take a pair of old pliers, drill holes in them, install nails, and then grind the edges down. I'm going to do this because I have the stuff lying around. If it doesn't work, then I'll get a special tool (I have lock-ring pliers, but they don't fit).

Rebuilt both calipers
Before

After

There was little/no pitting on the pistons.


Rebuilt both handlebar switches. Lost a couple of non-critical parts here that were a slight nuisance to replace, but not expensive. Tested with DMM to be sure functional, ended up repairing one of the wires due to an intermittent fault.

Cleaned/polished headlamp/components

Cleaned sump cover (and side filter cover). Started gasket scraping with a razor blade and then realized it was a bad idea. Went to store, got gasket remover. Came off with a piece of plastic. This is definitely the way to go.

Removed left side cover. This needs a lot of work. Will also be replacing the seals after cleaning this up.

Removed, cleaned rear wheel

Progress not pictured:

• Polished Handlebar
• Rebuilt Rear Master Cylinder
• Replaced Oil Strainer and Filter
• Replaced Strainer and Filter Gaskets
• New Crush Washers
• Rebuilt and Re-keyed Seat/Helmet Lock

If I'm lucky, I get 5 hours per week on this project. I think I'm making decent progress at this rate. It doesn't help that I'm a perfectionist.


Next steps:

• Rebuild Rear Wheel (New Bearings, Sprocket)
• Rebuild Front Master Cylinder
• Replace Oil Seals
• Replace Front Sprocket and Chain
• Test Ignition System
• Install Carburetors and Airboxes

I was attacking the carbs and actually destroyed one of the housings when trying to remove the float hinge because of how seized it was. Rookie mistake. But my neighbor who welds a bunch of shit also rides bikes and offered to fix it. The only problem is that I haven't seen him in months and he has both my carbs. I reluctantly agreed to give him both since he offered to clean them both and rebuild them for me. Should have just tried my luck on ebay for a new housing. We'll see what happens with this...

 

[scabber]

Doing a fine job on the clean up. Making great progress for time spent. Like the CB 550 it look like it was taken care of and not abused.

 

[Vlad]

Thanks scabber! I got the CB from a close friend of mine who had it for at least 4 years and definitely took good care of it, a very lucky purchase on my end. I'll post some more pics next time I get on here.

 

[Vlad]

So, after three months in Malaysia, a month in California, a month in Colorado, and weekends in like 5 other states, and after fixing the brakes on the car and giving the CB550 a nice tune up, I have finally returned to this project!

I've refocused my effort on this project to get the engine running first, before dumping any more cash into chassis parts. After breaking the casting on one of the carbs trying to get the float hinge pin out, my neighbor was able to weld it back in place. It isn't straight, but it's functional! I'll need to double check the float height once it's all back together. Unfortunately, since it's not straight, the float level won't be consistent in turns, but it's not that far off.

I'll post up pics in a few days of how everything is currently situated. But I've basically stripped the bike of everything except the swingarm, engine, and steering head + fork. The alternator brushes needed to be replaced, but the charging system components test good for impedance. The ignition coil secondary winding was internally destroyed, so I got a replacement coil from Mike's. TCI pick up coils are good, and I even took apart the igniter unit to check the solder joints on the PCBA - it looks far better than some of the pictures of ones I've seen posted here. I touched up just one of the joints and put it back together.

Cleaning up the carbs this weekend, and then installing the ignition coil. Should have a running engine next week!!

 

[warmin]

So, how's the project going? R U Rollin?

 

[Vlad]

Haha I'm embarrassed to admit how little progress I've made since the last post. Basically, the carbs are completely finished and everything to get the engine running is ready. I've got to reinstall the carbs, airboxes, ignition parts, some of the electrical components and then fire up the engine. I've been putting this project on the back burner lately because of a bunch of other stuff. In the mean time I'm riding around on a 1978 CB550K, and a 2011 Triumph Daytona 675 SE. Not to worry! I haven't and won't abandon it.

 

[CDNTX650]

Nice work. Sohc Honda 4 are nice bikes. Especially the 500 and 550. I also own a new triumph. 2014 scrambler. Really enjoying it.

 

[Vlad]

Finally back with an update! It's been a while. But this time, all I've got going on is this project so I'm very excited to be rollin' on this bad boy in several weeks. I've done a lot since the last post but I'll keep the list short. Finished cleaning and rebuilding the carburetors. Replaced every seal and gasket including the butterfly shaft seals. The choke rod was damaged so I got a new one of those. And also a nice aluminum fuel tee. I repaired a leaky diaphragm with a dab of liquid electrical tape. We'll see how it holds up, but when I tested it both carb slides fell very slowly, although one slightly faster than the other. I also continued to clean a bunch of stuff up including the countershaft area and the back side of the left cover. But check out the video at the bottom of this post!

This is how she's sitting right now:

But, I did manage to reach a major milestone:

Will keep posting updates as I make progress! Just got a load of parts in today. Replacing the clutch pushrod seal and bushing, replacing the countershaft seal, need to replace the carb holders due to vacuum leak, and bunch of other stuff. Once the engine work is done I will focus on the chassis and brakes.

I have a question that I'm hoping to get some advice on: I can't seem to clean the mag wheels up. There's some kind of white krud that just won't come off. Can anyone recommend a cleaning product that won't damage the paint?

Thanks!
-Vlad

 

[Vlad]

To start this update, I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone in this community for all of their help! What would I (and so many others) do without you guys! Thanks! I hope that by documenting my project I am contributing something valuable and maybe someone will find something useful here too. Thanks everyone!!

It's been a productive couple of days! Received some new stuff from Mikes, replaced the clutch rod seal and bushing, countershaft seal, and replaced the carb holders and gaskets the vacuum leak is gone, no more exhaust popping! Did a bunch of other random stuff too, mostly cleaning up. Here are some pics:

Didn't take a before shot of the kickstarter or rear brake lever shaft but they were pretty nasty! Hit that alternator rotor with some 600 grit, cleaned it up very nicely. And the carb clamps I just brushed up and then hit them with some silicone spray to hopefully prevent them from dulling as quickly.

Here's a short bullet list of everything I got done since the last post:

• clutch push rod seal and countershaft seal (the short clutch outer rod is still wobbly as hell even with the new bushing, will switch to the long rod to see if it helps reduce play)
• new carb holders and gaskets
• synchronized carbs with vacuum gauges (was surprisingly close doing it with just my ear!)
• replaced tappet cover o-rings
• replaced some random missing hardware
• cleaned up alternator rotor
• cleaned and lubricated speedometer, tachometer, and clutch cables
• removed plastic swingarm bushings (not so bad - used a heat gun to make it easy)
• cleaned up rear wheel for tire mounting, bearings and reassembly (adhesive removed got all the old krud off very nicely)
• cleaned and lubed kick start, rear brake lever, seat lock and lever
• cleaned most of the parts off the bike, man that chain guard was NASTY! still have to polish them up

Next I am going to work on the brakes, wheels, and chassis. Already got parts waiting to go on and more on the way! The next couple of weeks will be very exciting.

Here are the current challenges I am facing:

Cosmetics
I originally planned to do a FULL frame-up restoration, but I won't be able to do that this time around as I am running out of time. The frame has quite a bit of rusty spots, and the swingarm is actually very bad, with a large amount of the paint flaked off and rusted. I can't seem to clean the black part of the mag wheels with any soap or brush that I have and am nervous to try using a solvent as I don't want to damage the paint (is it even paint?). Also, all of the aluminum parts really need a polish, they look very bad. Not just dull, but dirty and grimy. I'll polish up any chrome plated stuff that I can (a lot of it has pitting but still looks decent after applying some elbow grease), but the aluminum parts will have to wait. So here's the revised plan. Get the bike rolling! Feel it out and think about upgrades. Phase 1, functional restoration. Then phase 2 will be a cosmetic restoration and upgrade extravaganza!

Exhaust
The mufflers have absolutely no functioning baffles. It looks like the previous owner drilled part of it out, and over the years whatever was left has simply rusted away. This is probably causing it to run lean. I am now faced with these options:

• Replace stock pipes with stock pipes, ebay and classifieds
• Aftermarket exhaust
• Universal mufflers on stock head pipes

The last option appeals to me the most because it would be the cheapest and if the correct muffler is chosen, wouldn't require re-jetting the stock BS34 carbs.

Gauges
They move so slowly that they're basically useless. Some searching around tells me that I should probably just replace them. But, I think I'll try to open them up and see if it's possible to repair them. Hey, what do I have to lose!

 

[Endee]

Your pictures and posts are absolutely helping me out. Did the new carb holders and gaskets take care of the vacuum leak and stop popping at idle? I was thinking about ordering a new set. They are not terribly expensive, but I want to make sure that is what my problem is.

 

[Vlad]

Your pictures and posts are absolutely helping me out. Did the new carb holders and gaskets take care of the vacuum leak and stop popping at idle? I was thinking about ordering a new set. They are not terribly expensive, but I want to make sure that is what my problem is.

Great!! Glad to hear it.

Yes they did fix it, I verified the vacuum leak by spraying some starting fluid near the old ones. The old ones were in pretty bad shape but I thought I might have been able to get away with it. Keep in mind that another common vacuum leak is the butterfly shaft seals on the carbs which is quite near the carb holders so if you do the test with starting fluid pay close attention to where you're spraying. The idle will change noticeably when you find the spot. You can also use carb cleaner for this test instead of starting fluid, but do so cautiously because it can severely damage rubber and plastic. One more note is that new carb holders could come with thin gaskets included, but I've read people having problems with those thin paper ones in this particular location, so definitely get a set of the thicker ones. I think they're about 1/8" thick. I got mine from Mikes.

Oh and one more thing, which could be unnecessary, but I'll mention it anyway. I lightly coated the engine side of the gasket with anti-seize lubricant to prevent it from sticking and tearing if I ever need to remove these. I also coated the carb holder side of the gasket with yamabond 4 because it was slightly curved and I wanted to fill in any potential imperfections as well as get the gasket to stick to the carb holders.. These steps probably aren't necessary if the surface on the engine is cleaned up well and not scratched. I did it as a precaution after reading some horror stories on here. If you do this, make sure to clean out any excess (pun intended) on the inside of the bore so that it doesn't get sucked into the engine. Good luck!