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What have you done to your XS today?
- Thread starter I am Carbon
- Start date
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- Tags
- maintenance
Its not wonderful but you’ve also just changed the filters. I’d live with it and see how it looks after the next change. Most engines have certain components which seem to wear more rapidly and put particles into the oil. It is a normal part of the aging process (nothing lasts forever) as long as the amounts aren’t excessive.
I’m not sure what parts are most likely to be shedding metal in the XS650 but the gurus will know and likely comment.
Once you’ve got things cleaned out with your new filters, the situation may stabilize.
I’m not sure what parts are most likely to be shedding metal in the XS650 but the gurus will know and likely comment.
Once you’ve got things cleaned out with your new filters, the situation may stabilize.
I think maybe you misunderstood my first post. I may not have been clear the way I wrote it up. I changed both the sump AND side cover filter to new ones and changed the oil about 2 months ago, and have put a little over 1000 miles on since. So yesterday when changing the oil For the second time I checked the condition of my NEW sump filter to make sure it hadnt blown out, since I had read they can if you ride too hard before it’s warmed up. So the filters are new and doing their job, but SOMETHING is shedding a lot of metal dust.
It's suspended in the oil and not being picked up by the magnet.... so that tells us it's aluminum. Two ways you can go here. Do as Pete suggested and see if it gets worse.... or start pulling covers to investigate.
If I was forced to offer a wild ass guess..... I'd guess the cam chain guide?
That’s what I’m fearing. I’m thinking the guide or the chain itself is wearing away. That’s what I’m worried the clicking noise is when I’m riding. Shit can’t be too off though, because the thing runs and idles just fine since the carbs were rebuilt. I am excited to put the Pamco on and set the timing and KNOW that it’s good and that it will stay good. Also to get those seals replaced so I don’t have that oil getting everything all dirty.
Ahhhh....OK. Well, it may be that you’ve got a component wearing rapidly.
Is the debris ferrous (i.e. iron or steel) or is it aluminium? You can easily tell with a magnet. The ferrous materials will normally be magnetic.
Is the debris ferrous (i.e. iron or steel) or is it aluminium? You can easily tell with a magnet. The ferrous materials will normally be magnetic.
Like Jim pointed out, since the metal was suspended in the oil, it must have been aluminum. Oil and metal bits are already long gone, but I’m assuming the metal was from my starter, because it only engages half the time. I did use the starter quite a bit after the initial oil change, before I read the book suggesting to abstain from using it. I’ve been reading threads with mention of metallic oil for the last hour, and it seems like maybe I just need to be patient and keep an eye on the next couple oil changes. My guess is same as Jim’s, my cam chain guide, but the thing is I havent found any plastic bits and everything else on the bike is in pretty awesome shape. I need to reset my trip odometer when I get home and make a point to change the oil at maybe 600-700 miles next time instead of a grand. My hope is with minimal/no starter use, I find significantly less metal chunks, and hopefully less metallic oil. I cringe when I think about how many times I must have used that starter before knowing to avoid it, especially considering how unnecessary it is. Kickstarting the bike is always way cooler anyway.
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Last night I took the bike to my girlfriends, half an hour up the interstate. I had to run to the store about half an hour after I arrived. When I walked outside, I spotted a small dime sized oil drop under my
Bike! What in the shit? My bike has never leaked! I had a theory though. A little nagging voice in the back of my head, reminding me that I had reminded myself not to forget one crucial step when changing the oil... This morning, after riding home, working out and taking a shower, I had half an hour to kill before work. I took my 27mm socket out and tightened the drain plug about 1/4 turn. Yikes! I have ridden about 75 miles since that oil change on sunday. No harm, no foul, but god- that could have been bad! I think I got thrown off because I was changing the oil on the bike AND the car at the same time. I forgot to tighten the drain plug after starting the bike to let the oil cycle and then rechecking the level to top it off.
Bike! What in the shit? My bike has never leaked! I had a theory though. A little nagging voice in the back of my head, reminding me that I had reminded myself not to forget one crucial step when changing the oil... This morning, after riding home, working out and taking a shower, I had half an hour to kill before work. I took my 27mm socket out and tightened the drain plug about 1/4 turn. Yikes! I have ridden about 75 miles since that oil change on sunday. No harm, no foul, but god- that could have been bad! I think I got thrown off because I was changing the oil on the bike AND the car at the same time. I forgot to tighten the drain plug after starting the bike to let the oil cycle and then rechecking the level to top it off.
Yikes!! 
Just bought a pair of NOS YAHAMA brake shoes from ebay for 36.00 including shipping. Looks like lots of rain this week. I’m planning on another overhaul day where I’ll replace the cam seals, install the Pamco, replace the rear shoes, and re-tighten my chain. My chain is already dragging on my swingarm again. I just adjusted it mid june. Is it normal to have a newer chain stretch this much in the first 1000-1500 miles?
NOS Brake shoes? Hmmmm. How old is the glue that is holding the braking material to the shoes? Not unusual for it to fail when they are 20-35 yrs old.
Back to reassembling the '80 so it can be sold as a survivor. I switched out the fork tubes for a set that were a whole lot less rusty.
Realized that to pass Ontario fitness, it would need a chain guard, so back to the parts storage, selected one that i was not saving for a project and determined that it cannot be installed without removing at least the shock, but better the wheel. Turns out the axle is frozen into the hub and all manner of special oils, balms and pursuasion would not free it. Fortunately, being a Special, there are the stops that can be removed so the wheel can come out with axle intact. Apparently it was designed so that the wheel could come off without removing the exhaust system, but by then, I had that removed as well as the fender, grab bar, taillight and so on. Once on the concrete, the axle, properly supported, drove out, but took the sproket side bearing as well, and the axle was still stuck in that. Back to the shed for another wheel.
But all is well, I am now back to where I was 2 days ago.
Tomorrow, figuring out why the clutch cable will not adjust. Bet it is in the side cover mechanism, but there is lots of help on the site about clutch adjustment!
Realized that to pass Ontario fitness, it would need a chain guard, so back to the parts storage, selected one that i was not saving for a project and determined that it cannot be installed without removing at least the shock, but better the wheel. Turns out the axle is frozen into the hub and all manner of special oils, balms and pursuasion would not free it. Fortunately, being a Special, there are the stops that can be removed so the wheel can come out with axle intact. Apparently it was designed so that the wheel could come off without removing the exhaust system, but by then, I had that removed as well as the fender, grab bar, taillight and so on. Once on the concrete, the axle, properly supported, drove out, but took the sproket side bearing as well, and the axle was still stuck in that. Back to the shed for another wheel.
But all is well, I am now back to where I was 2 days ago.
Tomorrow, figuring out why the clutch cable will not adjust. Bet it is in the side cover mechanism, but there is lots of help on the site about clutch adjustment!
What's wrong with this picture?
So here I was looking through my box of speedos and found one that had the right wiring out the back that matched the '80's, tested and replaced the bulb and installed it (those 8 mm dome nuts are fiddley) stepped back to admire my work and saw that the needle was broken off. I have no idea where the rest of the pointer went.
Oh well back to the box of spares.
So here I was looking through my box of speedos and found one that had the right wiring out the back that matched the '80's, tested and replaced the bulb and installed it (those 8 mm dome nuts are fiddley) stepped back to admire my work and saw that the needle was broken off. I have no idea where the rest of the pointer went.
Oh well back to the box of spares.
Maybe this is why direction lights and horn don't work!
Did a quick clean up and spray and the indicators started indicating, horn still mute.
I plan to change the bars and the master cylinder so it will all be freshened up.
Really hot again here in SW Ontario so I moved the bike out to the shade tree and had a breeze and better light!
Retired life is starting to agree with me!
Did a quick clean up and spray and the indicators started indicating, horn still mute.
I plan to change the bars and the master cylinder so it will all be freshened up.
Really hot again here in SW Ontario so I moved the bike out to the shade tree and had a breeze and better light!
Retired life is starting to agree with me!
Yup - that could be the problem....
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
Bought it.
Rode it home.
Took off the mirrors, and put the left one back on... because the left mirror was attached to the right side of the handlebar on a clamp, and the right mirror was crossthreaded into the mount on the left side. You all know that Yamaha bikes have left-handed right mirrors, but apparently the previous owner didn't. Gah. The collar nut is missing from the right-hand mirror, so I couldn't remount it, but after running a bolt through the left-hand mount from the bottom to straighten the threads, that mirror went on fine.
Removed the expired license plate from the bike.
Loosened one of the broken signals to examine it. The rear signals are pressed together (the stem into the formed baseplate), right? So anyway, that's where it's broken. Also the flange it attaches to is bent, but I don't expect any trouble bending it back out. Haven't dug into the headlight to remove the front signals for examination as yet... hoping the headlight bucket and mount is undamaged.
Rolled it into the garage beside my 1980 CB650 and 2008 TW200.
Looked up this site on the net, to learn how to fix my "new" bike's issues.
Rode it home.
Took off the mirrors, and put the left one back on... because the left mirror was attached to the right side of the handlebar on a clamp, and the right mirror was crossthreaded into the mount on the left side. You all know that Yamaha bikes have left-handed right mirrors, but apparently the previous owner didn't. Gah. The collar nut is missing from the right-hand mirror, so I couldn't remount it, but after running a bolt through the left-hand mount from the bottom to straighten the threads, that mirror went on fine.
Removed the expired license plate from the bike.
Loosened one of the broken signals to examine it. The rear signals are pressed together (the stem into the formed baseplate), right? So anyway, that's where it's broken. Also the flange it attaches to is bent, but I don't expect any trouble bending it back out. Haven't dug into the headlight to remove the front signals for examination as yet... hoping the headlight bucket and mount is undamaged.
Rolled it into the garage beside my 1980 CB650 and 2008 TW200.
Looked up this site on the net, to learn how to fix my "new" bike's issues.
