The Crimson Revenger!!!

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armyofda12mnkeys

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The Crimson Revenger!!! (XS750 tank on XS400)

Finally got the XS750 tank on.
Here is how she looks be4 I rode her around today:

16928253169_c41c797123_o.jpg
 
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The ride was good for the 1st ride of season.

I saw gas was leaking very slowing from the botom of one carb drain bowl. I think the right carb that has a copper washer at the bottom of the bowl is fine. But the left one, has a washer I bought that might have been the official Yamaha one that wasn't copper (something like this one) and the metal is a bit too hard so you have to really tighten the drain screw good so it doesn't leak.
So just tightened that when I rode back and thats fine.
Anyone know if these coppers ones fit BS34 Mikuni carb drain screws?



Also I'd like the clutch to be smoother, but I can never figure out how to make it as smooth like other/modern bikes I've tried.
I do the clutch adjustment and turn in the screw, then turn out the screw 1/4th of a turn as the manual indicates, but the clutch isn't smooth (bike won't start moving till the end of the release) or get false neutrals. So I give the clutch lever *alot* of play, and that seems to solve getting the bike to move earlier when I release the clutch (although as a consequence, again there is alot of play when pressing the clutch in).
 
armyofda12mnkeys said:
Also I'd like the clutch to be smoother, but I can never figure out how to make it as smooth like other/modern bikes I've tried.
I do the clutch adjustment and turn in the screw, then turn out the screw 1/4th of a turn as the manual indicates, but the clutch isn't smooth (bike won't start moving till the end of the release) or get false neutrals. So I give the clutch lever *alot* of play, and that seems to solve getting the bike to move earlier when I release the clutch (although as a consequence, again there is alot of play when pressing the clutch in).
Click to expand...
I've been having the same issue. The clutch is very sensitive and only works in a very small range of the lever pull. It's supposed to be my wife's bike eventually but she really doesn't like the clutch. :doh:
I'm guessing it has to do with the amount of friction between the clutch plates but haven't investigated further.
All the plates and springs in my clutch are within spec but the steel plates have some minor surface rust from sitting for 10 years. Just speculating at this point, but adjusting the factors affecting friction might get the control we'd like. Oil viscosity, spring pressure, and plate friction could all be adjusted.

I'll be looking into it. Maybe someone here has some advice too.
 
BBS360 said:
I've been having the same issue. The clutch is very sensitive and only works in a very small range of the lever pull. It's supposed to be my wife's bike eventually but she really doesn't like the clutch. :doh:
I'm guessing it has to do with the amount of friction between the clutch plates but haven't investigated further.
All the plates and springs in my clutch are within spec but the steel plates have some minor surface rust from sitting for 10 years. Just speculating at this point, but adjusting the factors affecting friction might get the control we'd like. Oil viscosity, spring pressure, and plate friction could all be adjusted.

I'll be looking into it. Maybe someone here has some advice too.
Click to expand...

Btw I have new clutch plates in there that are within spec and the springs were in spec (I replaced the old ones couple years ago thinking it was a clutch plate issue, but when i opened the bike to put the new clutch plates in, i measured the old ones and they were within spec too hehe). plus my steel plates i believe looked fine and no rust.

Im going to try other oil.
I use now the Drag Specialities 20w-50 that the local shop has.
41kVa5WRxFL._SY355_.jpg

But not sure if its 'JASO MA' approved.
Some peeps on the boards here recommended 'Shell Rotella T Triple Protection Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil. 15W-40' or 'Rotella T6' (cause of certain things in Diesel oil that our engines like?).
I may goto down to K-mart to try it even though its not a 20W-50 like our manual spec requires (so heard it may not start up engine as quick on early spring/fall colder days).
 
Not finding much via google. Maybe using the wrong search terms.
Lots about moving the engagement point but not much about increasing the friction zone at the lever.

A few comments about adjustable levers to change the amount that the lever pulls.
Some stuff about changing the distance that the cable attaches to the push lever behind the sprocket cover.
Will investigate more later.
 
Walmart has oil for wet clutches. These bikes clutch grab close to the end. It's just how they are even with all new parts. If they grabbed at the middle or beginning it would mean the are worn out and not holding. :)
 
In summary btw i saw this info in another thread:

Rotella T6 full syn 5W40
If you replaced all the gaskets and seals, and cleaned the internals well, then synthetic would be the way to go.

Rotella T triple protection 15or10W-40
If you decide to go with dino oil, change it and the filter every 3000km (2000mi). I'd also suggest Shell Rotella T 15W40 in that case.


I might try the T6. the gaskets on the sides (clutch cover, alternator cover) and bottom oil pan have at least have been replaced recently so maybe the T6 synth would work?
Does synth oil have like much smaller particles than reg oil, why the chance of an oil leak unless have recent gaskets/seals?
 
For temps under 45* use 10w-30 wet clutch oil and for temps above 20w-50 wet clutch.
 
The myth of having to change gaskets when switching to synthetic oil is rather funny. I've switched every engine I've ever owned to synthetic oil without any issues. But I'm sure someone will chime in with something like "my friend's neighbor's brother-in-law's second-cousin's uncle once tried this, and the water in the creek flowed uphill for 2 days. So you won't catch me trying it!"

For a bit of clarity, it is only rubber gaskets that were an issue in the earliest days of synthetic oils. Paper gaskets were not, and never will be, effected by the oil they are exposed to.
 
For further obfuscation, I would like to relate something my friend's neighbour's brother-in-law's second-cousin's uncle once told me.

He told me that sometimes changing oil to synthetic on an old engine can reveal a fault or weakness in a gasket which was not presenting itself due to the weakness being buttressed by a thin coating of crud left by years of regular oil.

He claimed that the synthetic works so well that it could actually dissolve this and leave you with nothing but the weak gasket - which might start to weep again.
According to him, you would either have to put up with the weeping or replace the gasket, or switch back to regular oil and hope that over time the fault in the gasket would seal up again.

While is sounds plausible, even logical, I don't know if it could ever happen. But if water could flow uphill in the creek for 2 days, then I suppose anything is possible :wink2:
 
If there is enough sludge inside an engine that it is helping keep the rubber oil seals functional, then the engine should be rebuilt. The actual issue, that some people experienced many decades ago, was that the synthetic oils would draw out all the dino oil that was keeping the rubber seals swollen. Once the dino oil was drawn out of the seals, over a period of many months or even years, the seals would shrink and leak. Modern synthetic oils include agents to keep this from happening. Modern rubber seals also don't have this issue. Please note that there is a difference between a seal and a gasket. A seal is on a moving part, a gasket is between stationary parts.

Another factor to consider is that since synthetic oil flows so well, it will get past any seal. In doing so, it lubricates the seal and reduces wear, but it also makes a bit of a mess when dust and dirt stick to it. I used to think this was an issue, but after working on engines worth millions of $ each and all of them having "oil leaks", I'm over it. If a Pratt & Whitney or Rolls Royce turbine engine is allowed to leak some oil and consume some oil, so is any other engine.

If an oil seal (on a moving part) isn't leaking some oil, there is an issue. If an engine isn't using some oil, there is an issue.
 
I will add one more problem. The oil drain bolt turned without torque wrench clicking.
I was like crap, the plug or threads are stripped. I took out the oil drain bolt and saw the threads inside the engine are a bit iffy.
Like pushing the threads with a toothpick moved some of them heh.
Im usually super careful about not overtightening especially that bolt and keep it minimum torque like 20ft/pounds instead of the recommended 25-29. Wonder if i should have replaced the crush washer each time (only had the bike 5 years though so changed the oil maybe 10-15 times).

I'll probably try seeing if can get it fixed next year. HeliCoil or Timesert or try a simple retap?
Im guessing I'd have to take the engine out for a mechanic to do those options (well maybe a retap is easy and can stay on the bike).
 
Does the bolt still tighten enough to keep oil in?

Going back to the clutch talk. I came across a different V-Star clutch mod. This one addresses the V-Star small friction zone by changing the leverage at the handle:
http://www.theclevver.com/

This installation instruction shows how simple the modification is:
install11.jpg

The anchor point for the cable was just moved slightly closer to the handle. I have a spare clutch handle that I might try it on.
 
BBS360 said:
Does the bolt still tighten enough to keep oil in?
Click to expand...
It got tightened enough that it stays in relatively, but I get a couple drops of oil leaking a night. I been busy and haven't ridden it since then but I'll probably have a chance 2 weeks from now (after vacation) to see how much it drips on a hot engine.

BBS360 said:
The anchor point for the cable was just moved slightly closer to the handle. I have a spare clutch handle that I might try it on.
Click to expand...

Cool, let me know how it works out. I wish I could just buy a clutch handle that fits our bikes with that same functionality as not sure I can do.
I'm guessing the Clevver doesn't fit our bikes and you are going to customize the stock handlebar you have to simulate what it does?
What does 'moving the anchor point closer to the handle' entail? (like welding something on the clutch handlebar?)
 
Looks like the Clevver wouldn't fit our clutch perch.
It looks like he just drilled a new hole closer to the lever pivot point. The channel that the cable slides through would have to be cut deeper too.

Hard to say how far down to move the hole. My super-rough measurements on the Clevver photo show that the new hole is about 30% closer to the lever pivot.
I'll get the hole drilled tomorrow. Will probably have to file the channel by hand. Should be able to try it on the bike by the weekend.

Will test it out. As long as the clutch still fully engages and fully disengages, everything should be ok.
Might be some trial and error involved.
 
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BBS360 said:
I'll get the hole drilled tomorrow. Will probably have to file the channel by hand. Should be able to try it on the bike by the weekend.
Click to expand...

Nice, mind if you take a pic or two on the setup or final clutch lever you drill out for others to see what to do if it ends up working great :)?
 

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