Parts reconnaissance is NEEDED!!! HELP PLEASE!

G_YamTech_314

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OKAY, Long time no see, so hello everyone. Yes I still have the XS. No, I haven’t touched it this winter. (It’s been cold, and I’m sad about it) HOWEVER. I’ve been saving my money and I’m now ready for the basics to go into it. That being said, I’m looking to 1: change the oil, 2: rebuild both carbs, 3 replace the torn up clutch cable, and 5: seal this gas tank once and for all!

I am set on at least one thing: CASWELL tank sealer. Gonna go with “dragons blood red” for the color, simply for contrast to the blue on the tank and so I can see even coating inside.

Now, before I get questioned... I scribbled out part #’s because I didn’t think very hard about how to chart it all out, and realized each site had a different #...

I’m TOTALLY LOST on where I can find good sump filters and smaller oil cleaner element... been comparing prices, and finding very limited results. I’ve been told MikesXS is a last resort kind of deal... saw some posts about the quality of their oil filter gaskets being poorly cut. I’ve found gaskets for that on other sites, but I’m not trying to spend more than necessary. I’m looking for recommendations SPECIFICALLY for just the oil filters and gaskets, as well as if anyone knows of any other place I can find a full carb rebuild kit anywhere other than MikesXS... pretty much everyone has clutch cables so that’s all depending upon what handlebars I choose to replace the “buckhorns” I DID look at the tech section a bunch today trying to gain insight, but something tells me that like wine, advice gets better with time, and someone may have found a decent resource that wasn’t posted in tech recently, thanks a ton in advance for all the help guys. Hope everyone is doing well.
 

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I’m TOTALLY LOST on where I can find good sump filters and smaller oil cleaner element...
Both the filters are cleanable. Shouldn't need new ones. The sump filter might will probably be torn. It's fixable. 5Twins has a thread on fixing them. You can get an OEM on Ebay pretty cheap and fix that one also for a spare. I think I paid about 20 bucks for a sump filter and plate for a spare.

For the carbs, google NICHE CYCLES. You can get OEM parts for your carbs there pretty reasonable.
 
Welcome back, Greg.

Here's my "Dragons blood" experience.

Post #3315.
http://www.xs650.com/threads/what-have-you-done-to-your-xs-today.32082/page-166#post-531940

Piledrive thru the oil filter thread.

http://www.xs650.com/threads/oil-filter.72/

In summary, an OEM sump filter has superior, finer filtration compared to the aftermarket versions. Can find those on eBay, often with a sump plate. Just do the recommended patch job. The latest aftermarket side filter, in stainless, also has the finer filtration. Found on MikesXS, and eBay. Ensure to get the "Fuji" brand.

Post #270.
http://www.xs650.com/threads/oil-filter.72/page-14#post-552492

Recommended to avoid carb kits.
Do a forum search on "carb kit" posted by member "5twins".

Best clutch cable so far is the Motion Pro 05-0013.
Can be found for as little as $10.

http://www.xs650.com/threads/xs650-clutch-cable-experiments-and-tidbits.32945/
 
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2M. Thank you a ton. I’ll look into the motion pro cable for sure. As far as the filter gig. Gonna have to sit back and really read before devoting time to the repair, from what I understand, oil that pisses at super sonic speeds just tears the paper? Or perhaps the metal is expanding rapidly due to heat and concentrated HOT flowing oil to a non protected spot? How do I path the paper? Just plug it shut with job weld and slop that stuff on there or what? Saw lots of metal fixes, like that idea better. Still finding it hard to understand exactly what this plate does. My guess is that it deflects the high speed oil to slow it down so it isn’t hitting the filter so hard??? As far as the carb kits go... I am feeling a bit discouraged with the parts list I made... but I’m glad I decided to ask before impulsively buying all the wrong stuff.
 
Main cause of the sump filter blow out is that the cold oil is thick and people rev the engine to high when cold or take off on the bike before letting the oil warm up. If the oil gets a chance to warm up and the revs are kept to a reasonable limit before riding, i have heard of sump screens lasting years.............
 
Main cause of the sump filter blow out is that the cold oil is thick and people rev the engine to high when cold or take off on the bike before letting the oil warm up. If the oil gets a chance to warm up and the revs are kept to a reasonable limit before riding, i have heard of sump screens lasting years.............
1+ on that. I had an XS back in the 70's when I was stationed in Florida. in the 4-5 yrs. and 30-40 thousand miles I put on her, I never blew out a sump filter.
 
The oil filters in these aren't paper, they're metal screen. That's why you just wash them clean and re-use. Not as fine a filtering system as paper, but we make do with more frequent oil changes (1000 to 1500 miles). The metal screening also allows patching with JB Weld.

The small side filter isn't a problem, it holds up fine. It's the bigger sump filter on the bottom of the engine that tears out. I think it's partly due to a bit of a design flaw. One end of the filter sits squarely over the oil intake port and the pressure is very high there, especially with cold, thick oil. That's where the tears always occur.

I don't have any issues with the MikesXS filter gaskets. I think they work just fine, even if the sump filter one may be cut a bit large. They're probably about the most reasonably priced ones you'll find unless you stumble across an eBay deal.
 
I don't buy carb kits. I do a tear down, clean and inspect before I even think about buying anything. This way I can buy what I need. Often, if careful you can reuse the stock gaskets. Pretty durable stuff. Most of the brass parts can be cleaned and used.
If you buy carb kits the float bowl gasket is about the only thing that you can use. Some times if they come with float valves they work but often they leak.
Leo
 
I don't buy carb kits. I do a tear down, clean and inspect before I even think about buying anything. This way I can buy what I need. Often, if careful you can reuse the stock gaskets. Pretty durable stuff. Most of the brass parts can be cleaned and used.
If you buy carb kits the float bowl gasket is about the only thing that you can use. Some times if they come with float valves they work but often they leak.
Leo
I did a good hard clean on both carbs a while back, and noticed the left side leaks. I’m guessing it needs a new needle valve and seat... I did see that I could buy just those pieces on a few different sites. I’m just worried that I’ll buy a few pieces, and still need to wait on even more parts. I’m sad that you can’t just buy a kit for these things like you can on some other bikes.
 
For gaskets, I buy a roll of Karrowpak gasket paper and make my own. This roll will last years for small gaskets. Buy this hole punch kit or one from Harbor Freight and an Exacto knife.... and do like us old guys.... make your own. ;)
The real question is: can I use this material for the carb, AND other parts of the bike? The sump filter cover gasket? I don’t wanna buy the tools and a whole roll for just the carbs. Although it would save me waiting time when I do carb rebuilds for customers...
 
You might try a trick I learned a few years back. I think it was XSJohn. Take a Q-tip, peal off most of the cotton off one end. Wrap a small amount of 0000 steel wool around where the cotton was. Use this to polish out the needle jet seat. It will clean out all the built up crud in old jets and remove any burrs in new jets. Use plenty of carb cleaner.
Leo
 
The real question is: can I use this material for the carb, AND other parts of the bike? The sump filter cover gasket? I don’t wanna buy the tools and a whole roll for just the carbs. Although it would save me waiting time when I do carb rebuilds for customers...
The paper I linked to above is 1/32" thickness. This roll is 1/16". I use the thicker stuff for the float bowls. You could also use that for filter gaskets... but the thicker stuff is definitely harder to work with.
Look around at some auto parts stores, you might find a small sheet of the thick stuff. Or just buy both from Amazon. If you're gonna spend the rest of your life fixing bikes, you'll eventually use 'em both up. There is no shelf life....
 
Get your float needle and seat from Yamaha, they're the best and not outrageously priced .....

https://www.partzilla.com/product/y...?ref=0c2514270f638cfd80aa2c78e639f3d5a7971cda

As mentioned, no need to replace the original float bowl gaskets unless they are bad, broken or torn. In my opinion, you can't do any better than those originals. I still have them in my '78 carbs and they work fine. Your leak is because the fuel level is getting too high in the carb, not because of the gasket. It would probably even leak with a new gasket under this circumstance. The proper fuel level setting puts it below the gasket so it's not constantly soaking into and through it.

The fuel level being too high is related to the float or the float needle and seat assembly. Either your float has gone bad (sprung a leak), it's set wrong, or the float needle and seat assembly has dirt in it (won't close and/or seal) or is bad. Instead of spending money on gaskets you probably don't need, you would be better off putting it towards an external float level checking tool like this one. You will use it many times in the years to come .....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carb-Float-Level-Tool-Yamaha-XS400-XS500-XS650-XS750-XS1100-XZ550-77-83/273099883552?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

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You might try a trick I learned a few years back. I think it was XSJohn. Take a Q-tip, peal off most of the cotton off one end. Wrap a small amount of 0000 steel wool around where the cotton was. Use this to polish out the needle jet seat. It will clean out all the built up crud in old jets and remove any burrs in new jets. Use plenty of carb cleaner.
Leo
I do this with blue magic and a q-tip chucked in the battery drill on rubber float valve tip BS34's, all metal BS38s, I tend towards installing new seats. The difference is the rubber can conform a bit to match the seat, the steel tip? not so much. My holy grail is rubber tipped float needles to fit BS38 carbs, they gotta be out there somewhere.
 
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