Hello all, the purpose of this log is to chronicle the two projects that I outlined in this post regarding my late father. Once again, I would like to thank you all for the kind words, it means a lot to me to know that he was respected and will be missed by so many. He really was one of the most outstanding people I have ever known and certainly the most mechanically gifted. Let’s hope I can do him proud with this work.
A little about me… I am married and a father of three with an 8-month old baby girl and two boys, 5 and 8. I am a molecular biologist and manage a CAP/CLIA (accredited /state-certified) clinical genetics laboratory. I had the bright idea to start a COVID-19 testing program at the end of March, so between work and family I do not have as much free time as I would like for my tinkering. Please forgive me if these projects take a while to complete! This is also my first time really posting to a forum, so please let me know if there is anything I can do to improve the style/content of this thread.
I am choosing to finish the 1980 first, as this is my first time really working on an XS650 and if I am going to make mistakes I rather them be on this bike than Dad’s XS1. I have the bike running and even looking fairly good at present, but wanted to tackle an engine build. The engine in the bike now is an eyesore next to the freshly painted tank and is leaking oil from at least two seals. This bike came with an extra engine (and Dad has maybe another half dozen laying around…) so here we go...!
To date, I have completely torn down the engine and have done my best to “bag and tag” all of the pieces. My engine building experience prior to this consists of a 5hp B&S off my minibike when I was 12, so naturally I was horrified with the sheer number of pieces spread across the bench when I was finished.
This past weekend I was able to degrease the cases and make it over to a friend’s house to soda blast them. Great technique, I was very pleased with how they turned out. It was also one of the single messiest tasks I have ever engaged in. It was a decently warm day and I broke just enough of a sweat for the aerosolized soda to cake nicely onto my entire person…
From here I pressure washed the pieces, taped off the internals, and wiped all surfaces to be painted with acetone.
I applied a VHT high-temp primer then enamel per the manufacturer’s directions. Again, I was very pleased with how they turned out. Dad had previously made a collapsible paint booth from PVC that greatly improves the quality of aerosol can projects. I know there are better engine coatings out there, but this fit the bill for the scope of this project.
I started assembly by reinserting the studs into the upper half of the case. It took a bit of guesswork and measuring to get the studs in the right order, but I eventually got it figured out. Dad had made his own stud puller which made the task fairly easy along with a 1/2" drive torque wrench.
I am waiting on a new cam chain and other goodies to arrive before I install the crank. In the meantime I plan to continue my studies of the crankcase assembly. The shifting mechanism in particular I find very confusing... I might also start working on the heads, lapping valves, rockers, etc... Also need to look around for a shop to bore/hone the jugs for me as new pistons will be going in. Lots to do, will keep you all posted as to my progress!
A little about me… I am married and a father of three with an 8-month old baby girl and two boys, 5 and 8. I am a molecular biologist and manage a CAP/CLIA (accredited /state-certified) clinical genetics laboratory. I had the bright idea to start a COVID-19 testing program at the end of March, so between work and family I do not have as much free time as I would like for my tinkering. Please forgive me if these projects take a while to complete! This is also my first time really posting to a forum, so please let me know if there is anything I can do to improve the style/content of this thread.
I am choosing to finish the 1980 first, as this is my first time really working on an XS650 and if I am going to make mistakes I rather them be on this bike than Dad’s XS1. I have the bike running and even looking fairly good at present, but wanted to tackle an engine build. The engine in the bike now is an eyesore next to the freshly painted tank and is leaking oil from at least two seals. This bike came with an extra engine (and Dad has maybe another half dozen laying around…) so here we go...!
To date, I have completely torn down the engine and have done my best to “bag and tag” all of the pieces. My engine building experience prior to this consists of a 5hp B&S off my minibike when I was 12, so naturally I was horrified with the sheer number of pieces spread across the bench when I was finished.
This past weekend I was able to degrease the cases and make it over to a friend’s house to soda blast them. Great technique, I was very pleased with how they turned out. It was also one of the single messiest tasks I have ever engaged in. It was a decently warm day and I broke just enough of a sweat for the aerosolized soda to cake nicely onto my entire person…
From here I pressure washed the pieces, taped off the internals, and wiped all surfaces to be painted with acetone.
I applied a VHT high-temp primer then enamel per the manufacturer’s directions. Again, I was very pleased with how they turned out. Dad had previously made a collapsible paint booth from PVC that greatly improves the quality of aerosol can projects. I know there are better engine coatings out there, but this fit the bill for the scope of this project.
I started assembly by reinserting the studs into the upper half of the case. It took a bit of guesswork and measuring to get the studs in the right order, but I eventually got it figured out. Dad had made his own stud puller which made the task fairly easy along with a 1/2" drive torque wrench.
I am waiting on a new cam chain and other goodies to arrive before I install the crank. In the meantime I plan to continue my studies of the crankcase assembly. The shifting mechanism in particular I find very confusing... I might also start working on the heads, lapping valves, rockers, etc... Also need to look around for a shop to bore/hone the jugs for me as new pistons will be going in. Lots to do, will keep you all posted as to my progress!
