99% probable, overtightening the fastener.
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Old XS, new member !
- Thread starter MrQ
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- 1979 project bike
Yup, POs always seem to be ham-fisted. Thread inserts are your best bet - done properly will give a good, durable solution. Those bolts only have to hold the cover on so it's unfathomable why people find it necessary to over-tighten. Well, I suppose people think they are preventing oil leaks, but only needs the cover to squish the O-ring seal to keep the oil inside.
The O rings if bought by the 10 are pennies really. But I'm guessing over time, some previous owner thought overtightening the nuts was the solution to a leak rather than just fitting a new O ring.
Welcome! Beautiful machine you have there! Long shards of aluminum and plastic is almost certainly the cam chain guide. The starters are crazy noisy and sound like doom. I kick my bike over as often as possible. You will find everything you need on this forum.
Mikey
got muscles in his head that ain't never been used
Travis? Though IMO the thread title is good - memorable and links to owner and bike.
Welcome - nice looking bones - I would take the motor apart and replace all bearings / seals and gasket - check the compression before you take it apart to get an idea whether to bore the cylinders to next over or just replace piston rings. It’s a fairly straight forward job and gives you peace in mind.
Love the solex 2200 project - fun old mopeds.
Love the solex 2200 project - fun old mopeds.
A propos the O-ring : I have ordered a gasket set and it has both O-rings and flat gaskets for the rocker covers. My 1979 parts list does not show the flat one, only the O-ring.
Is this a mistake, a matter of model year, is one better than the other, can you put both (which feels counterproductive to me) ?
Just the o-rings work fine.
Early models used the gasket, later models had the groove in the cover for the o-ring and used only it. Just use the o-ring, the gaskets I've found installed leaked badly, lol. If it leaks with the o-ring, many times you can just flip it over. This presents a fresh, unused side facing out. Also, the 3 hole covers can be installed in 3 different positions, and sometimes they seal better in one compared to another. So, you can rotate the cover 120° and try it again to see if it seals.
The factory o-ring has a rather odd diameter of 2.8mm, but a more commonly available 3mm thick o-ring fits fine .....
The factory o-ring has a rather odd diameter of 2.8mm, but a more commonly available 3mm thick o-ring fits fine .....
Yes, I won't really escape it because of the cam chain guide. I fully expect to re-enact this joke, though.
Thanks, Niels. I did, a friend dropped by with his vintage Motometer. We're not sure the absolute value is of any use, but the difference between the two cylinders is probably right (G=left ; D=right ; the rest are failed attempts
).I'll probably measure again before taking it apart, with a more precise tool.
This bike has been stored in 1997 with a full tank. When opening it, 27 (!) years later, it was clearly under pressure, it has sprayed rusty fuel everywhere.. Without the hinge the cap would have gone through the roof.
After emptying it and leaving it for a couple of months to dry, this is what came out ; without even shaking it with nuts and bolts.
Rust has now been removed, and the inside coated with a dedicated resin (Restom). There are some small specks of rust left under the resin, but I don't expect these to cause problems.
I'm busy with the brakes now, making great progress thanks to the awesome threads in the Tech section, but I'll probably have a couple of questions later nonetheless.
After emptying it and leaving it for a couple of months to dry, this is what came out ; without even shaking it with nuts and bolts.
Rust has now been removed, and the inside coated with a dedicated resin (Restom). There are some small specks of rust left under the resin, but I don't expect these to cause problems.
I'm busy with the brakes now, making great progress thanks to the awesome threads in the Tech section, but I'll probably have a couple of questions later nonetheless.
I have two quick questions. I have started reassembling my brake calipers.
First question, it takes a LOT of effort to move the alloy tube in its rubber sleeve. I would expect the caliper to move along this axis pretty easily, so maybe I'm using the wrong kind of grease, maybe the new rubber sleeve is too thick, maybe something else but this does not feel right. Pressing it down hard with both my thumbs does not move it.
Second question, is the big steel ring around the piston rubber only held in place by its own tension + friction ? I don't see any groove or locking mechanism, but this looks like it could slip off really easily which is a bit scary.
First question, it takes a LOT of effort to move the alloy tube in its rubber sleeve. I would expect the caliper to move along this axis pretty easily, so maybe I'm using the wrong kind of grease, maybe the new rubber sleeve is too thick, maybe something else but this does not feel right. Pressing it down hard with both my thumbs does not move it.
Second question, is the big steel ring around the piston rubber only held in place by its own tension + friction ? I don't see any groove or locking mechanism, but this looks like it could slip off really easily which is a bit scary.
1 I gave mine a polish with some abrasive cloth to improve how it felt. It must move pretty easily or the brake pads will not wear equally.
2 Looks fine.
2 Looks fine.
Red Rubber grease?
Yes, red grease at first, then a second attempt with the thinnest lubricant I have (WD40), then I thought "better to ask the wise guys on the forum"
I'll try Its-been-a-long-time's suggestion, should fix the problem.
I'll try Its-been-a-long-time's suggestion, should fix the problem.
I think I used a silicone o-ring lube on mine, and it worked well. Although I love that red rubber grease, I'm not sure how long it would last in this application. Just keep in mind that if you sand the part, you're going to remove it's protective plating and then it will rust up if it gets dry. I wouldn't sand it unless it was my last resort. Maybe a replacement is in order?
If your replacement rubber sleeve is aftermarket then maybe it's not sized quite right. You can still get an original from Yamaha .....
https://www.partzilla.com/product/y...?ref=8f547cd9f9aeeb2b23aedb47542660e7fbbdbd7d
You can't get the metal sleeve anymore but I'm thinking a properly sized rubber sleeve is what you need.
https://www.partzilla.com/product/y...?ref=8f547cd9f9aeeb2b23aedb47542660e7fbbdbd7d
You can't get the metal sleeve anymore but I'm thinking a properly sized rubber sleeve is what you need.
Sometimes, I'm astonished by what OEM parts are still available for these old bikes. When you look though, it seems that some parts were used on a lot of different models. Explains why they're still available, I guess there's enough demand out there to make them economic.
The rubber sleeves are aftermarket indeed, the originals were dry and broken. Hence I thought Its-been-a-long-time meant sanding the inside of the rubber sleeve, not the metal part, so that's what I was planning to do this afternoon.
And great to know that if I end up ruining them, I can get new OEM ones - thanks a lot !