I guess I've joined your club now...

OK, so I finally found the engine serial number and it matches the one on the frame, so this is indeed the original engine.

Also started on changing the oil. This bike has apparently been parked for a few years, and the black, sludgy oil was evidence of that. Had to buy a 27mm socket for the drain plugs. Hard to imagine they're so much larger than a drain plug on a car. The copper washers looked to be in decent shape, so I just put the plugs back in the way they were.

Then I took off the filter plate and filter on the side. Doesn't look too bad. What do you think?
IMG_3577.jpg


Don't know why the pics keep getting rotated. Put the filter in some solvent for the night. Tomorrow, I'll look at getting the sump plate off and check that filter too.

Put a bit of gas in the tank and discovered that the left petcock leaks like a sieve, so I'll also have to take that off and examine it. Tried to take a photo, but it came out all blurry so it doesn't show much.

Making progress...
 
New filters on the way from Mikes XS. Going to put on the center stand before trying to remove the sump filter. Just looks easier somehow. Too much rain and snow lately so I haven't been able to do much work on it. I'm really starting to itch for a ride.
 
SCORE!!!!!!
Just bought a Genuine Yamaha Service Manual on eBay for twenty bucks. Didn't want to pay Yamaha $89 for it, so that seemed like a good deal. Got a Haynes and a Cycleserv already, but everybody keeps saying the real Yamaha one is the best.
 
replacing sump filter is no big deal, putting bike on center stand is the way to go, I would just tell you to be caution when torquing the sump filter bolts, too much you could snap them, that was the only area I was careful in the process.
 
Got my shipment from MikesXS yesterday, so now I can replace the sump filter, as soon as I put the center stand on. Might also try 2M's front stand trick.
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?p=307597#post307597

Checked the spark plugs, they don't look too bad. What do you think?
full


A little carbon, but not a lot, and I don't see any oil or anything.

Then it's time to rebuild the petcock, fill and bleed the front brake MC, and install the front engine support bolts that were strangely missing from this bike. Hope to be able to ride it by my birthday, next Wednesday. Think I'll make it?
 
I think you're going to want some new plugs, lol. Those look like the standard "B" type and are probably B-8's to boot. That's probably why the electrodes are so black. The plug spec for these was revised to the next hotter 7 and to the projected tip "BP" style. Get some BP7ES plugs. You can get them right at an auto parts store now. The same plug will cost you nearly twice as much if you buy it at a motorcycle shop. Buy a 4 pack so you have a couple spares.

CorrectSparkPlugs.jpg
 
Your center stand was probably removed when that aftermarket exhaust was installed. You may have some clearance problems when mounting the stand.

Scott
 
Got my shipment from MikesXS yesterday, so now I can replace the sump filter, as soon as I put the center stand on. Might also try 2M's front stand trick.
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?p=307597#post307597

Checked the spark plugs, they don't look too bad. What do you think?
full


A little carbon, but not a lot, and I don't see any oil or anything.

Then it's time to rebuild the petcock, fill and bleed the front brake MC, and install the front engine support bolts that were strangely missing from this bike. Hope to be able to ride it by my birthday, next Wednesday. Think I'll make it?



Be sure to have a cat nearby for 2M's stand trick. It's the most important part.
 
I think you're going to want some new plugs, lol. Those look like the standard "B" type and are probably B-8's to boot. That's probably why the electrodes are so black. The plug spec for these was revised to the next hotter 7 and to the projected tip "BP" style. Get some BP7ES plugs. You can get them right at an auto parts store now. The same plug will cost you nearly twice as much if you buy it at a motorcycle shop. Buy a 4 pack so you have a couple spares.

I thought the earlier bikes needed B7ES and didn't really like BP style? OP said he has a '75. I put BP7ES's in my 1973 accidentally and after 50 or so miles they didn't have a single spec of carbon, oil, tanning or anything. They looked brand new.
 
I don't think the BP style was out yet when the early bikes were being produced.
 
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