Hi all,

One winters commute over: Up M20, across M26, then around M25 before dawn...
I have now discovered that the coldest metal on planet earth is a motorbike clutch lever!

My Xt600 1VJ is a tad on the shakey side and in need of alot of TLC. Being more adventurous than intelligent I was basically figuring that I would take the engine apart then reassemble with relevant new bits.

Can you guys give me some pointers please:

1> I need to tighten up the engine bit, it just feels loose. Rings replacement max I will do, couldnt replace the sleeve (if it has one)
So>What will I need to buy to take apart and then put this together (rings, bearings, gaskets etc)

2> I have a problem with setting the idle speed, I'm fairly sure that the rev counter is wrong, but I know that it idles too slow cold, and too fast when hot.
So>What is the main reason to control this variation? Is it carbs

3> I know the clutch needs replacing (in gear, clutch lever fully depressed the bike doesnt freewheel very well!)
So> Just exactly what kind of nightmare is this to get to the bottom of? and what user replaceable parts are needed?

4> Bloody oil leak from somewhere underneath the tank onto the cylinder head, on the right (starboard side) may be the rev counter feeder tube thinggy
So>Apparently theres an Oring in there somewhere, is there any advice that you guys can offer me? (I have resolved the Oil filter cover leak, and associated nightmares)

5> Carburettor: Oh god I dont want to have to open up that can of worms. Although I am reasonably confident it is a working order, is it a case of dont fix something that is not broken? Should I open it up, clean it, then put it together?

6> The starter motor wont start the bike, its kick start only, this is nothing that bothers me, its just that I am concerned that it will affect kick starting as well, so any tips here?

Lastly what "special" tools are needed to remove everything? ie taking the head apart, is it difficult?

Thanks in advance G

well you will need rings, gaskets there are no bearings in the top end that usually need replacing. I would recommend measuring the piston and barrel wear you might want to replace and/or rebore.

yes it's the carb's. is the choke working correctly.

not many bikes are easy to push around in gear even with the clutch pulled in. The clutch is a easy job just behind the engine cover on the right-hand side you can measure the fibre plates to check if within wear limits and you inspect the metal plates for deformaty and heat damage.

Yes change the O ring

If it works correctly just leave them but again is your Choke working correctly.

Starter motor not working should not effect the Kickstarter.

Nothing really special needed for any of those jobs your going to do.

__________________
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Great Brian,

When very cold, will not start unless choke lever is pulled out, when it starts fairly easily with no throttle.
The opposite when its warm, no choke and a twist of the throttle and its all fine.

So I feel that the application of the chole has the desired effect on the running of the engine, but couldnt tell you if it is working (or what it does and where it does what it does)

Clutch is on the right hand side...
Should I pull the engine out, and fix in the loft, or can I replace the clutch with the engine on the bike?

What order do I take engine apart in?

ie carburettors first, then clutch, then head?

Any tips or pointers / words of advice?

Thanks G

P.S. I am going to by plying for information

Also check to make sure the breather going to the airbox isn't sucking too much oil out of the crankcase.
I had this problem when the oil tank was overfull (weird on a dry sump system,but seemed to be the problem.)
I also made a longer hose,which run up to the left side and looped under the top part of the frame and the bottle sat with the lid end facing forward with the hose coming in and holes punched in the base and covered with an oil soaked rag to let it breathe.

hi
I would definately buy a manual if i were you.
The clymer manual should include your model. I bought one second hand from ebay for a tenner, and its worth every penny, especially if your'e gonna do the work that you mention.


good luck
dave

Mr Eland

keep a lazy eye on this thread because I will be joining you with this bike and rebuilt engine on your green route this year...

Hope I do a good job on the engine.
Great bike by the way, big enough to ride motorways from kent up to Lake district, then cross country to Northumberland, then down motorways to Kent!

Yobbo, I have a fairly active imagination yet I get seriously confused at the; "bottle sat with the lid.." Any chance that a picture worth 1000 words could be of assistance?

Oh and bidding furiously on a Clymer manual

Cheers G

Pics could be a while,as I need to strip the tank etc off.
But I'll try explaining it a bit better.
Imagine a coke bottle,laying flat in parallel with the frame tube running above the engine.The drinking end is open and faces towards the front of the bike,thats where the breather hose from the crankcase comes in.
The other end has a few holes punched in it to allow the crankcase to breathe as normal,but has a rag over the end with filter oil to stop it sucking dust back in.
So basically,if you look at your setup there now,your hose comes out of the crankcase behind the barrell,goes up the right hand side and into the bottom of the airbox.All I did was lengthen the hose and make it run from the right hand side,over the top of the engine to the left and loop around and into the bottle.
Oh and if you do that,make sure you plug off the hole in the airbox where the hose originally went.

I hope that helps

Hey we're rebuilding our 1VJs -- and we're in London too!!

We're replacing a head gasket next week...!

Come round - we have a manual...AND EVEN ONE ON CD we even know how to use a TORQUE WRENCH...!!

We've got a WHOLE CRATE of 1VJ ENGINE arriving from Germany at the end of the week...

We've got a contigent of mechanics around the place who's lending expertise - who will probably be THRILLED to have another bloke around, rather than listening to our giggling. (You don't giggle do you?! )

AND OFCOURSE - the LOADS of fab people on the HUB who made the mistake of giving us their IM addresses.. so now they can't hide from all our questions!


Don't worry - you won't have to join the XT Girls...


..

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Sorry couldnt resist, you are going to have to bear a few of these coments from me!

Open the cylmer manual to page 127, paragraph 5, heh heh heh!

"CAUTION
Even though the cylinder head has been washed there may be a residual oil or solvent odor left in the oven after heating the cylinder head. If you use a household oven, first check with the person who uses the oven for food preperation to avoid getting into trouble"

I kid you not, its there! This is the point that I realised these guys are my kind of people!

Havent dared open heart surgery yet...

My bike is in Kent and looks a lot dirtier than yours do on the web. Currently it would be illegal to ride this anywhere, so the mission is for me to get it through MOT by end of march.

Would like to pop around one Sunday after I have had her MOT'd, and I only giggle after lots of witblits. Will be good to meet your men folk too.

Cheers G

P.S. I like the Youtube idea, I am keeping a written and pictoral diary of work done. but not video yet, may just have to set up some time lapse stuff.

I did the same thing when I spannered on my TT600R about a year ago: the pics proved to be quite useful when things were not quite clear in the manual - the written bit consisted mainly of scribbles in the margins of the manual. Even so, there were times when I never seemed to have got a pic at just the right angle, or whatever - take as many as you like I would suggest.

The single most useful tip I got was to make cardboard templates of the bolt layouts (e.g. 16 for the cyl head) and put the bolts into slots in them - there are quite a few different lengths and it serves as a check that they all come out and they all go back in.

The other useful tip was to work clean, very clean.

Cheers,

ps Oh yes, I suggest you be very sure of each of your "next moves": as joiners say - measure twice, cut once.

__________________
Dave