New XS400 owner! questions, comments, and my build!

rodeo

XS400 Enthusiast
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Been looking for a winter project for quite a while, and I finally managed to swoop in and grab a bike with a title for a fair price. (400$) Which compared to how high all the classic bikes have been listing at, I figured was too good to pass up.

1978 XS400 2E

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My repair manual is on the way!

Doesn't run, but kicks over, bad gas and dirty carbs for sure. Sounds like it has a good "whump whump" coming from the mufflers when I kick it over, so until I can get a compression reading so far so good.

I noticed that the bike doesn't have a starter motor or any controls relating to the starter motor on the handlebars. After more research I found that the 2E models were kick start only, which is kind of cool, I like stuff like that.

Also, Does the "2E" limit me to parts for the "2E" only? or can I safely purchase things like gaskets and whatnot designated for other XS400 models? So far the only differences I've been able to find have been the kick only and dual drum brakes.


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I'm really excited for this bike, I'm really liking the style of it already, and I hope I can modernize it a bit to fit my 20 year old tastes.

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... (400$) Which compared to how high all the classic bikes have been listing at, I figured was too good to pass up. ... I hope I can modernize it a bit to fit my 20 year old tastes.
Wow, that's amazing for $400, it's beautiful. Often at that price they look like 34 year old farm machinery. Welcome to the Forum.

If classics are selling at high prices, you may want to take care to save, store and label anything you take off the bike when you "modernize". Once it's running perfectly - with the help of the guys on here - it might be classic and someday command a crazy price, so you will want to be able to offer a buyer the chance to make it all original.
Zip-lock bags and a Sharpie may be your best investment. :wink2:
 
Parts question, You will find sites like eBay that will list off every bike that is compatible with like gaskets, so you will find out that you bike main gaskets are same for older bikes, and some newer ones. other sites like PowerSportsPlus will give you what is available for your bike, then you have the choice to keep shoping/looking for a better deal, or whatever. Like MikesXS.com has things listed by XS400, then while looking at the detail, it will break down into year groups/specialties. Welcome to the group!
Tobie
 
$1 per cc, not too shabby haha but really thats a rather clean slate to start from. any SOHC xs400 is going to have the same gaskets. watch out for 80-82 parts, espically when your looking for info on timing and such as those are electronic ignition (CDI) and yours uses points. welcome to the forum youll love it here.

side note, i am also 20, so i feel you on the taste thing. my bike was such a piece of shit when i started i just gave most of my stock parts away or donated them to ppl on the forum.
 
This is as far as I got today. I took the petcock apart and it's basically sludge everywhere. The tank has some rust but mostly large flakes of some dark gunk, so that needs to be taken care of.

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I also ran into the first "issue" aside from old rubber and rusty parts. The oil filter bolt has about 3 or so threads left on it. The rest are pretty flattened out. I'm thinking heli-coil at some point during the rebuild? What do you guys think?

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I wanted to rebuild the motor over the winter while I paint the frame, since I really want to see how all the parts work in there.
 
From what I can see, I think you can still recover it. But your right, Helicoils have been brought up here in the past, and I have never seen anyone disagree with that. Good photo!
Tobie
 
welcome to the forum Rodeo.

most of the posts covered the info you need. Helicoil or timeserts are standard in ally/steel screws for aircraft so you can't go wrong doing that!

looks like you got a good one for the $'s well done :thumbsup:
 
Not much progress today. Still stripping everything off and bagging it all up. Picked up a jack from harbor freight to help; seeing how I didn't have a stand that would work. A little big but not bad.

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Found this thing taped/safety wired to the bottom of the frame. That can't be OEM mounting spec ;)

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I ordered a gasket kit for the motor tear down, as well as a couple petcock things, but I feel like fuel delivery is at the end of a looong list. Thinking of working from the ground up once I get everything off, starting with a rolling frame that's painted and done.
 
I cant tell, If it has 5 wires, its a rectifier 3 whites, and black and red or green (its been a little bit since I played with that) other wise its a voltage regulator. the electrical test is listed in the Manual, as long as it test good, your good! I did short out my Voltage reg. I have tested my old rectifier and it tested good, so that will probably make it back into the bike this winter. (I would love to find a smaller Voltage regulator, but my new one works, and its paid for, & it fits snugly) I have posted pick in the album
Tobie
 
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Welcome fellow 2E (soon to be) rider! And how'd you find a blue 78 2E?!?! I didn't think they existed! Is it original paint?
 
The tank looks to be original, but the side covers aren't. My plan is to have all the pieces re-painted to the new Yamaha blue. Ah the daydreams, lol.

Progress is pretty sluggish this week. Only got the wheels off today, but I blame school/work ;)

Hopefully I can get the frame stripped of paint before Monday. That's the goal!
 
Finally got down the bare frame (minus the front clamp); I couldn't get that special nut off, as I don't have the tool and it wasn't budging with pliers or a hammer and pin combo. I gave up until I can pick up the correct tool tomorrow.

Some gunk around the sprocket

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Holy CRAP that motor was heavy! I managed to get it out though, barley.. haha.

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It was a two step process, lifting it out and then resting before lifting it UP onto my work table.
Skinny white boy triumphs!

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I ran out of bags just as I removed the center stand/kickstand, but as per the advice above, I've tagged and bagged just about everything.

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I was going to get the frame and other stuff powder coated, but in the light of saving some considerable money, I'm going to try to strip it myself and paint the frame with some truck bed liner. I read that it has a pretty good finish, as well as being durable. I'll have to check it out.
 
Welcome to the XS family from another youngster!

I dig that blue. And great progress man!

Gonna be taring down the motor? You'll want more than 50 bags for that alone. I have 65 of tagged and bagged parts atm.

Look at Parts-n-More for gaskets and carb rebuild kits. Its about the best pricing I could find.

Clayton
 
Cracked the engine open tonight. I knowwww I wanted to make more progress on the frame/wheels, but I figured it would be a good idea to take a look at the top end to see if there were any more parts I needed to buy.

top off!

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after cracking the top cylinder jug off, I was greeted by a HORRID smell. I mean HORRID! I can't even begin to describe it, it's like a mix between burning rubber, melting brake pads, and oil..:wtf: Needless to say I got the bottom jug off before it was TOO much for me and I had to call it a night.

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Crusty!

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Pistons were dirty on top, but the bores and the rest of the pistons looked almost new! Lots of sludge up on the piston crowns though... wet sludge.. almost like oil soaked. Nothing a good cleaning cant remedy!

I've got just about all my engine gaskets, oil seals, and new piston rings all ready to go. I'm hoping the bearings are all okay.. It looks like the pistons should clean up pretty nicely.

Also, I noticed the cam lobes looked slightly lop-sided.. I don't have the right tool to measure them yet though.

Hopefully I can get around to finishing my electrosis de-rusting station and start getting the frame going soon too.
 
Well, its been a little while. School/work have been keeping me away from any "real" progress. It seems like all I've managed to do is go backwards actually...

The first day of Thanksgiving break I break my engine case trying to get out a stripped screw! Long story =\

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Anyways, after much cursing, I decided that having the aluminum repaired/thread repaired would probably cost more in labor/gas/time, so xschris swooped in and saved the day! Luckily he had a matching engine case set that he was willing to part with.

I may fix this properly down the road, for the extra parts, but with this and my stripped oil filter threads on this engine case, I think the new pair is the way to go for now.

Finals will be over with next Monday, and after that I'll have SIX weeks until spring semester begins, so I plan to make some good headway; as I have about 7 months until my buddy and I plan on going on our road trip with the project bikes!

More to come soon

Also, if any one knows the steps to fix my above "blunder" so that I could have a useful engine case set again that would be VERY cool!

Thanks
 
just toss the bottom half and keep the top portion for insurance reasons. your going to transfer everything from this case into your new ones, so what extra parts would be gained, and why would you need a useful engine case when you already have on on the way? just tryin to save you time and money.

this should show you everything you need to know about splitting it. past that, use the manual PDF downliad and that will walk you through the removal of stuff. just do the opposite to put it back in and your good. just know that the small phillips screws holding stuff in usually will strip. just be aware of that
http://www.xs400.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4843
 
I had a hard time with those screws as well. I was lucky, and borrowed a neighbors Impact driver, (the type that you hit with a hammer.) I don't know if a JIS screw driver would have been helpful. I doubt it. I did see drewpy response to a similar issue, seems he had luck with welding more metal onto the screw. apparently the case metal doesn't accept the weld. (For the record, I haven't welded anything out side of highschool since 1988 or so. So I have no idea) Like VolSkater stated, I did just what he suggested. and if the link he put there is where I think it goes, I used that too. I watched ebay for a good year, till I seen a case with the same model year 3 digit as my bike. I picked that for 65 or so, and 15 for shipping. I bet if you were going to be that particular, you could email those bone yards that post regularly on the Ebay, and get one that matches your Serial number. So I have the same top with the new 2 generation case model, which seems to be fine, driven it up to 80 mpg this summer.
Good luck
Tobie
 
I attempted to polish my fork tubes tonight with a setup I bought from Harbor Freight. I'm amazed how well they turned out! I mean, I've never polished anything before in my life, and they are far from perfect, but they have a nice look to them now! Sure beats painting them.

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Wire wheeled them, then sanded with 500 and then 1200 grit; Then used the brown polish from harbor freight with my nifty new bench wheel. Looks good! not perfect, as I had a hard time sanding out all the imperfections and some of the creases and bends were hard to sand, but.. well.. you all know what old fork lowers look like, so I'll take it!

I'm thinking of trying to polish my brake drums instead of painting them as well. If they turn out anything like these... woo!
 
Looks good:thumbsup: Now you will have to keep them clean all the time now:doh: Its the only problem with polishing parts, they don't stay that way forever.
 
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