83 xs400k, First Bike rebuild

[moore19ca]

Hey, new to the site, I recently just purchased an 83 XS400K a few weeks ago and this is what it looked like after it was dropped off



Needs a little TLC



Got the tank and seat off, quite a few parts missing, side covers, rear tail light and rear side markers, no ignition and a few others.





Close up of the side, rusty exhaust





Close up of headlight mess






Original KMs?




Crystallized brake fluid





Not sure what this part is. It was sitting on top of the engine.




Side pic with rear parts removed




Exhaust removed





Where I am currently with the bike, the plan is to take it down the frame and powder coat the frame. I don't know if the engine runs. There was no fuel in the tank and no oil in the engine so I think it's been sitting for few years, I hope to redo the engine as well eventually. I have some plans for it but I'm still mostly undecided on the final product, but it's a work in progress. Thanks for checking it out. I'll try to keep posting my progress on here. I'm sure I'll have loads of questions.

 

[16VGTIDave]

Not sure what this part is. It was sitting on top of the engine.

Welcome! Looks like you have quite the project ahead of you. The mystery part is the side stand safety switch. It will kill the ignition if the engine is put into gear with the side stand down. It can be removed by joining the wires together to make the circuit, with the inherent risk taken into consideration of course.

 

[willem]

Welcome and congratulations on the new project. Hope you get this one resurrected, cause it sure was in rough shape when you got it.

Just one tip, if you hadn't already come up with this: don't just try to start it if you're not 100% done. It's often tempting to give it a try earlier than you should, which will likely only put you further away from getting it going again.

Judging from the state of it, I'd definitely inspect the top end thoroughly: open up those cylinders and check the pistons and rings. Obviously replace all cables, tires, fluids, brake pads and -shoes, filters and battery.

Good luck! looks like you're gonna need some

 

[xschris]

Welcome to the forum. Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you Keep at it and you will get it there.

 

[moore19ca]

Update.

Finished disassembling the rear end, air box and what not.









Just have to finish removing the harness and front fork/ wheel. I'm also planning of cleaning up the engine a bit and checking the condition of everything. So far so good!

 

[moore19ca]

When replacing the mono shock, I measured mine off the bike and it's 15" long, eye to eye centuries about 13 5/8" or so, is it possible to replace with something similar to this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/13-3-8-Air-...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item2a0c974441

 

[16VGTIDave]

The description of that shock is vague. It is slightly shorter than the stock shock so it will probably lower the bike slightly. But what is the stroke? Spring rate?

Getting it to fit will also be a challenge. The external reservoir is large and there isn't much room under the gas tank and seat. You will have to modify the airbox, or remove it completely to make room.

 

[willem]

My guess is probably yes. You can put shorter, stiffer shocks on the bike no problem. Search on the forum (use google search top left corner) there have been quite a number of threads about shortening the rear suspension, up to the point where the fender rubs the tire when going over bumps.

totally agree with dave on the vagueness of this description though. Wouldn't buy it there just for that reason, better to find something else on the bay of e

 

[Lou Ranger]

Hi and welcome to the Forum. I am impressed with your ambition, making her right will not be an easy task.

If the mileage is correct, then the original shock may have many more kms in it so you could likely afford to gamble on it for now in case you need the funds for internal engine parts - or to buy new tires since the ones on it are undoubtedly too old to run safely.

Have you been able to turn the engine over using the the nut under the side cover? If so, it'd be a good idea to fill the crankase with some thin oil and dry to get it to coat all the internals. It might pay dividends later when it comes time to tackle it.

Check out Willem's thread on what to do with a newly acquired xs400. Among other things, it includes numerous pitfalls which are both easy to avoid and easy to fall into without a heads-up. . .http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10595

Best of luck and keep us posted.
You'll want to be ready for the Southern Ontario Get Together in the spring ... . http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11284

 

[Scorpio1963]

The inside of those fuel bowls off the carbs look like they have crumb cake inside of them LOL.
You came along ways from how you got the bike,good luck

 

[moore19ca]

So made some progress, I turned over the engine using the nut under the side cover and there seems to be plenty of intake and compression. I'm unsure of how far to go on the engine. Since I'm pretty sure there was only 16,000 KMs on the bike, should I take the cam cover and stacks off to check out the piston and rings? Or are there any other tests I can do to check the condition of the engine more thoroughly?

 

[willem]

You could check out the insides of the cylinders with a flashlight, just by looking through the spark plug holes. If they look less than perfect I'd take off the top end and just visually inspect the pistons and rings. It may be good to spray some WD40 in there as well after looking through the spark plug holes, but before opening up the cylinders entirely.

But it not being stuck is already a very good sign! Put some fresh oil in the engine asap though, unless you're going for a complete rebuild.

 

[moore19ca]

We'll that's what I'm wondering, if it's necessary. I'd rather be extra cautious then not and not have any issues down the road. Does anyone know the average cost for gaskets and all that when redoing an engine?

 

[16VGTIDave]

I wouldn't tear it down just yet. With only 16,000 km on it, and that you can turn it over by hand, chances are very good that it will be okay. Just clean it up and get it running. If (and that is a big if) it has issues once you start riding it, it is easy to drop out and fix.

Mine was "stored" for 16 years with no prep at all, and 49,000 km on it. It was just stuffed in the back of an un-heated work shop. The engine has had no internal problems at all so far, and I'm hard on it.

It is a gamble, but your odds are pretty good...

 

[Lou Ranger]

I agree with Dave. If it turns over by hand it should be fine. Just get all the old oil out of it and get some fresh stuff in there. If it will be a while before you have it ready to fire, consider a can of fogging oil or warming up some 2 cycle oil and spraying it into the insides, then rotate the engine and repeat several times to get it spread all around.

I have read numerous stories on here and other forums about overly enthusiastic, inexperienced new owners who try to do extensive preventative maintenance and end up breaking or incorrectly re-installing something complicated and expensive inside a good engine. I have have put 15,000 trouble-free kms on my dohc since I got it 2 years ago (with 28,000) - simply by changing the oil on time, lubricating and adjusting properly and following the principle "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

 

[moore19ca]

I might be interested in the spoke rims off of mikes xs. They say that the black 18" rims fit xs400's, how would the rear brake hub work with spoked rims? I'm guessing id have to buy a different hub?

 

[moore19ca]

So a couple updates, got some new handlebars in the mail today. I was thinking of either going with these clubmans or a tracker style, wasn't sure about the Clubmans but they are growing on me. I'll likely get them powder coated back. I've also been working on the front forks, there is some corrosion on the fork tubes, tried SOS but it only removed the surface rust. Are these fixable or toast? I don't want to put a lot of work into cleaning these when I could just get new ones.

Also removed some tabs last weekend, the frame and a bunch of other things are going to be sandblasted next weekend in prep for powdercoating.

 

[xschris]

Any pitting on your fork tubes in the travel area of the forks will destroy your fork seals. I have heard of people using epoxy to fill in the pits but have never done it myself. You may want to start looking for another set.

 

[bcware]

I might be interested in the spoke rims off of mikes xs. They say that the black 18" rims fit xs400's, how would the rear brake hub work with spoked rims? I'm guessing id have to buy a different hub?

I contacted them a few times about xs400 fitment since there are many options. Front disc, front drum, rear disc, rear drum, etc. They were never able to give me the information I needed and honestly I think they just don't know. On ebay you can get spokes from thailand for a reasonable price that specify fitment for wheel size and brake type. Rims should be a little more generic in fitment.

If it were me I'd just clean up and powder coat the rims you have. Switching your model to a spoked wheel will be more challenging and expensive since I doubt the older model wheels swap out directly. If you have the ability go for it though. I have no idea what your budget and goals are.

I would second replacing the fork tubes. There are usually cheap enough sets floating around.

Most "xs400" parts sites cater to the SOHC model including mikesxs. Just ask lots of questions on here before wasting your time and money on parts.

I never read about a satisfactory answer in regard to swapping out that monoshock; not anything that is a direct bolt-on anyway. Lots of people ask; I've never seen an answer. If you can weld and fabricate you can do anything, of course.

To be honest I really haven't seen many people do much with the model you have. Lots of talk; little action.

 

[16VGTIDave]

To be honest I really haven't seen many people do much with the model you have. Lots of talk; little action.

Yeah, um, okay. We have a member flat track racing a Maxim, and a number of DOHC project bikes, custom and restoration, that I've seen in the past few months. I guess if one isn't looking for them, they aren't seen...