Search results

So I managed to drop my bike in the lawn the other day. I slipped on the grass as I was testing the new master cylinder. No serious damage but I'm in the market for new handlebars, as I bent them a bit. Looking at Mike's site, he carries some bars which are more or less OEM with the weights...

Thanks for the advice. So here's an update. Today I went out and dropped the front disk brake pads in case I had a rock stuck in there (I live on a gravel road). All seemed fine and the wheel spun loosely. Then I took it out for a ride. Within a few miles, I could hear a squeak. I was...

Hi all. I have replaced the front pads and master cylinder on my '80 XS400. Today I had the bike propped up and tried spinning the front wheel. It will turn, but it's snug, for lack of a better word. It certainly doesn't spin freely. I'm just curious if this is normal.

When I stripped my bike down, I took a pic so I'd remember where the wire went. Ironically, I forgot I had this pic and attached to wire somewhere else. And yes, it's just a case bolt.

Gosh, you must kick like a mule. Bummer about the lever; I didn't realize they were that breakable.

I had my first official ride today since I dug my 1980 out of deep storage a couple months ago. Had to get the state safety inspection (passed, but the guy said the valves sounded like they needed adjusting), and then raced over to the DMV before they closed for the weekend to get it registered...

Join the club Kirk. I just went through this myself. Did you boil the carbs in vinegar? Also check the rubber washer in the fuel mix screw hole. (I think that was giving me some issues, but don't really know which fix got my carbs running smooth.) On the plus side, you will find you get really...

Just to close out this thread, I took the carbs apart again. I traded the jets from one to the other. I don't think that did anything, but it was a diagnostic. At the same time, I replaced the tiny O-ring in the fuel mix screw because the old original one looked somewhat flattened. Put it all...

Good point about pulling the spark plugs. I'll be more careful about that. Well, today I pulled the carbs and boiled the left one in vinegar for a couple hours. Rechecked all the jets, etc. Put it all back together and .... the left will only run with the enricher out to the first stop. I...

I have cleaned and rebuilt the carbs, which have all the original stock jets. And yes, they are very clean! When I fire up the engine, it seems like only the right side is working. If I pull the right plug wire off, the engine dies. Pulling the left wire does nothing. If I have full enricher...

Thank you Chris. It turned out the cam seal was not seated. Ironically, after everything was put together, I had remembered that I wanted to seal the rocker box because it always seeped a bit, even when new in 1980. So I had pried up the cover with the engine in place and juiced some sealant in...

Percy, the attachment point is on the actual aluminum cover itself (the rearmost one, which covers the chain drive sprocket), which is removed in your pic. I hope you have that part. I have a 1980 as well, so I am quite sure. And Kiliman, that's a very interesting modification. It looks like it...

Hi all. I just finished putting my 400SG back together. I didn't rebuild the engine, but I stripped it all down for a paint job, rebuilt the carbs, etc. One thing I did do (which might be relevant) was pull the camshaft cover, but I didn't do much more than look and put it back together...

I've stripped everything off and repainted all the parts and frame. I was a little concerned about tearing up the frame paint when I put the engine back in. It's heavy and I'm doing it solo. Then I realized that the stripped frame weighed a LOT less than the engine, so I laid the engine down on...

Sure enough, the brass plug was about a quarter inch thick. I drilled it out and there was the screw behind it. Fortunately, there was a little space between the plug and the screw head, so drilling it didn't affect the screw head. Once I got the cover off, then the cylinder cover came right...

Thank you Chris. It just seemed odd to have to drill it out. You've eased my anxiety considerably.

Ok, so an update. I found a good parts diagram. One of the screws has a plug over it, about a quarter inch long, judging from the diagram. The plug is a good half or 3/4 inches deep in the hole. Why is this here?? And more to the point, how does one get it out to get to the screw? It's #22 on...

This is my first time rebuilding an engine, so it's all new to me. I have the Hayes manual coming in the mail, and so far I've been using the online manuals. According to what I've read, the contact breaker cover is held by two screws. But on mine, it's one screw and some kind of stud (no head)...

Good point. I was interested in restoring it just in the interest of keeping things original. So who has a good replacement?

I've taken apart the old master cylinder and it appears the plunger is stuck. It won't go in or out. From the rubber surrounding it, I'm guessing it is stuck in, but I'm open to being corrected. What now?? I read something about there being a snap clamp, but I don't see it. I'm also wary of...