Mechanic Needed - NE Ohio

[howardrayserra]

I'm looking for some advice, and maybe a reference to an honest mechanic who charges by the hour. Several years ago I picked up an '89 XVZ1300 with 18K miles that was running good but obviously had been neglected for some time. At that time I figured it needed fluids changed, carburetor cleaned, brakes checked...basic maintenance.

Long story short, I never got to it. I purchased rebuild kits for the carbs and a new fuse block but never installed them, but I change the oil as soon as I got it home. I was very good for the first few years about starting and running it around the block 2 or 3 times every summer, but at the end of summer 2014 I needed space in my garage so into storage it went. There is a reason they say "out of sight, out of mind". Now the carbs are so gummed up it won't idle off choke.

I was talking to a couple of local bike mechanics about bringing it back to life so I ran a compression test to see where I'm starting from. To my surprise the right front cylinder was way down around 110 psi. Others were between 165 an 170 psi. Then I did a leak down test and can hear air going by the intake valve, coming out the carburetor. I say I was surprised because it was running strong the last time I had it around the block. I'm thinking that having left it sitting full of gas may have gummed up the valve seat enough to keep it from closing properly. Wishful thinking maybe.

With this new information I went to mechanic number one, an experienced man with his own full time shop. He said he wouldn't touch it without pulling the motor out an taking the heads off, and I should plan on a full top end rebuild. So off to mechanic number two I went, a young guy just out of tech school working part time at a dealer and doing side work in his dad's barn. We had it set up that as soon as he cleared some space I would bring it over. Unfortunately for me, he was put on full time an no longer has time for side work.

With the back story in place, now is the time I ask for advice and/or a reference to someone willing to take on my project. With the house, work, family (blah, blah, blah), I don't have time to do it myself. I can barely find time to ride. My options as I see them are, find someone to finish what I hoped to do myself and then decide if I want to keep or sell it as a running bike, sell the bike as is, and part it out (blasphemy, right?). Thoughts?

[Marcarl]

Sell it the way it is. Financially you'll be much better off. It seems to me that you don't get time to ride enough to warrant having a scoot, not that it isn't a nice thing to have, but it costs money. You'll be putting much more into the bike than what you can ever hope to sell it for. I took on an 84 last year, real cheap!! but when I figured just the basics that need to be upgraded I was at more than double of what I would hope to get for it, and that was not counting labor. Now if you do the work yourself, enjoy doing it, and want to ride it in the end,,, now that is a different story altogether.

[Flyinfool]

A full can of Seafoam in the gas tank can fix many neglect evils and is s not a big investment in time or money. I would certainly try that before anything else.

Just dump in the Seafoam and do a few hot laps around the block every day until the tank is empty or it cleans up and starts running good. If the full take of heavy Seafoam does not clean it up. then you need to pull the carbs for a proper cleaning. The sticky valve might just clean up with the Seafoam also. If not then while the carbs are off you can look in there as see if there is anything to see with the valve. It is possible that that valve was open the entire storage time and there is a bit of rust on the seating surface that just needs a bit of time to seal back up.

 

I always try the cheap solutions first, I hate throwing money at an issue and hope it goes away.

[BlueSky]

A valve adjustment might fix the compression problem. But, I agree with trying seafoam first. A newer bike with fuel injection may be the best bet for you. Unless you develop an interest in working on the bike yourself. As neglected as the bike has been you could spend a lot of time getting it up to snuff.

[RedRider]

1st - Valve shim check. First mechanic is likely used to working on older HDs where they need a top end refresh every 40-50k miles. I would bet on a tight shim. Don't run the bike until you get this part fixed. If it is a tight shim, it can burn the valve/seat which will require significant work to repair.

2nd - Seafoam for the carbs

3rd - if the Seafoam doesn't work, need to pull the carbs and clean them out. It is likely you will pull the carbs to do the valve shims anyway. So, skip step 2.

 

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

 

RR

[Flyinfool]

On a 1st gen there is no need to pull the carbs to check valves.

If there is a bit of rust on the valve seat causing it to be slightly open, the valve lash check will give wrong calculations and you will end up with a way to thick of shim and then when the interference goes away the valve will be way to tight.

 

If it was all good before storage and the valve and carbs went bad during storage the valve adjustment would not have changed and the carbs are just gunked up.

 

Normally the exhaust valves wear a lot faster than the intake valves, so if was a lash issue it would be more likely on the exhaust than the intake. Not impossible, just less probable.

[RedRider]

Jeff,

 

On 1st Gen knowledge, I bow to your superiority. Didn't know you could do the shims without pulling the carbs. It also makes sense about the valve issue. Will be interesting to hear.

 

RR

[cowpuc]

Good thread,,,, love this stuff! Got lots of great input going here Howy - this bunch of misfits are amazing!! Another thought,,, it is also possible that your intake valves were stored in an open position and the valve stems got corroded up enough to hold a valve open slightly or, like Jeff mentioned, crud on the valve/seat surface.. I would personally try fogging it.. You can find engine fogging oil at most Marina's,, probably even an Auto Parts store.. I would pull the plug on #2 , ground the plug still on the wire (like your checking for spark) somewhere out of the way, pull the breather cover and fog thru the #2 carb throat till you get a good fog coming out of the plug hole while the engine is running on three.. It will be messy but this way you will get good lubrication on those valve stems and seats.. Let it run for 30 seconds or so while keeping a good fog going.. Let it run for another 30 seconds or so with out fog.. Put the plug back in and crank er up. Run er till she cleans out and recheck your compression - you just might be surprised!

As far as a mechanic in Ohio,, no idea,, I live in the Winter Wonder Land of Michigan

[howardrayserra]

Great input from everybody. Thanks.

It's not like I don't ride, I average about 10K per season, not a lot, but respectable, for a working man. I ride to work whenever weather or travel schedule permits, but rarely for it's own purpose. The problem may be that I have too many bikes ('89 XVZ1300, '84KN1300, '05 VTX1800, not to mention dirt bikes and scooters kept on hand for the grand children and wife), and not enough time spent on any one of them. Of the 3 big boy bikes the Yamaha gets the least love.

I'll probably spray the cylinder down with fogging oil and turn the crank around a few times by hand before starting it up again to run a tank of sea foam through it. See if that loosens up the intake valve or de-gunks the seat. It seems unlikely to me that there are any issues with the valve seats, it was running beautifully before parking, and it's a low miles bike at just over 18K. I will definitely check them once up and running.

Still needs all the fluids changed, clutch master and slaves rebuilt, brake master and calipers rebuilt, fork oil and seals replaced, and main fuse block replaced to be a safe and dependable ride. Maybe I'll take care of this issue to get it running and continue looking for a young mechanic looking for experience and a few extra dollars to take of the rest.

I enjoy doing the work myself, and with all the bikes over the years have never paid a mechanic to work on any one. It's just that this one particular bike, at this time in my life, is a bit more than I am able to keep up with. What I really want is to sell them all for a new Goldwing, then all my dreams would come true.