So new to the fj1200's doing complete tune up, need advice

[irishluck]

so I just bought this 87 fj1200tc about a week ago.

Im waiting for the title to come so im kinda doing a complete tune up for the bike.
Saturday afternoon i spent from 4pm to about 1am in the morning pulling the whole engine out and disassembling the whole bike

Had a couple of bolts break here and there(rather i break them then have them broke while driving down the highway)
Going to be cleaning up the engine and painting it now.

My main question id like to ask is what should i all replace to make it in good running condition?
I know i need new pads, forks dont leak. Should i replace wheel bearings? Anything would be helpfull here

[andyb]

Everything can wear or break   Ideally check everything.   Common things to look at include:

-steering bearings
-clutch slave seals
-consumables (brake pads, tires, chain, sprockets, plugs, clutch, and so on)
-swingarm/shock linkage bushings
-carb cleanliness + state of orings (specifically orings on the float seats and between the carb rubbers and motor)
-new exhaust gaskets on reassembly

As far as maintenance items, replace what's broken.  Wheel bearings if notchy go into the bin, otherwise grease them and carry on.  Forks could undoubtedly use fresh fluid (as could the brakes, clutch, motor, etc etc), make sure they're not leaking because the seals are good rather than because it all leaked out years ago.  Lubricate everything that moves.  Look for worn/hacked up wiring, and check for corrosion in connectors.  The valve lash could always use checked in on, and you'll be wanting a carb synch after.

If you sit down and measure absolutely everything, odds are a huge number of things are worn out of spec, but odds are it'll do fine with just a few things being replaced.  Most FJ running problems are down to crap in the carbs and worn rubber bits in the carbs, and being years behind on maintenance.

[Arnie]

If the wheel bearings aren't making noise and have no play in them, you don't need to replace them.  They'll let you know when you do need to replace :-)
Full engine tune-up would include changing oil, oil & air filters, check and adjust valves, replace sparkplugs, balance (sync) carbs.  Unless you know the history of the bike, I'd also replace all other fluids at the same time so you at least have a base.  This includes fork oil, brake and clutch fluid, and any remaining fuel that's in the tank. (use it in your mower)
Check steering head and swingarm pivot and rear suspension bearings for excess play.
Are you sure the forks don't leak?  They may not have any fluid in them. :-(   Check all electrical connections are clean and tight.  Check chain for wear and tight spots, and sprockets for rounding or hooking.  Make sure the tires have enough tread depth and don't have any cracks from age.  Check all lights for proper operation.  Check fuel petcock - the outlet pipe can become loose (I think its that year - check files for more info)
That should keep the bike running well for the season.  By autumn, you'll know what you want to "improve" and modify on the bike to make it even better.

Cheers,
Arnie

[irishluck]

Everything can wear or break   Ideally check everything.   Common things to look at include:

-steering bearings
-clutch slave seals
-consumables (brake pads, tires, chain, sprockets, plugs, clutch, and so on)
-swingarm/shock linkage bushings
-carb cleanliness + state of orings (specifically orings on the float seats and between the carb rubbers and motor)
-new exhaust gaskets on reassembly

As far as maintenance items, replace what's broken.  Wheel bearings if notchy go into the bin, otherwise grease them and carry on.  Forks could undoubtedly use fresh fluid (as could the brakes, clutch, motor, etc etc), make sure they're not leaking because the seals are good rather than because it all leaked out years ago.  Lubricate everything that moves.  Look for worn/hacked up wiring, and check for corrosion in connectors.  The valve lash could always use checked in on, and you'll be wanting a carb synch after.

If you sit down and measure absolutely everything, odds are a huge number of things are worn out of spec, but odds are it'll do fine with just a few things being replaced.  Most FJ running problems are down to crap in the carbs and worn rubber bits in the carbs, and being years behind on maintenance.

Yea my plan is to atleast try to check everything, i just didnt know if there was something i should check more than other, ill deff be changing all fluids, a couple of questions i have on that would be how to change fork oil and when i change the clutch fluid do i just bleed it just like i would with brakes?
What is a valve lash?
As far as i know the fork seals dont leak but ill deffr check to see if there is even any in there ha. Will be checking the brake system too.

If the wheel bearings aren't making noise and have no play in them, you don't need to replace them.  They'll let you know when you do need to replace :-)
Full engine tune-up would include changing oil, oil & air filters, check and adjust valves, replace sparkplugs, balance (sync) carbs.  Unless you know the history of the bike, I'd also replace all other fluids at the same time so you at least have a base.  This includes fork oil, brake and clutch fluid, and any remaining fuel that's in the tank. (use it in your mower)
Check steering head and swingarm pivot and rear suspension bearings for excess play.
Are you sure the forks don't leak?  They may not have any fluid in them. :-(   Check all electrical connections are clean and tight.  Check chain for wear and tight spots, and sprockets for rounding or hooking.  Make sure the tires have enough tread depth and don't have any cracks from age.  Check all lights for proper operation.  Check fuel petcock - the outlet pipe can become loose (I think its that year - check files for more info)
That should keep the bike running well for the season.  By autumn, you'll know what you want to "improve" and modify on the bike to make it even better.

Cheers,
Arnie

Yea when i tore apart the bike i found out that it didnt even have an air filter so thats another thing on the list ha. alslo tires will have to be changed too.

Ya this year ill be wanting to ad modifications to it, id like to make the bike to "me".

Well all this info from both you guys has helped out great, ill be checking over these things tonight and will be making a parts list, ill post anything i find weird and if you guys have any other info please let me know, thanks!

[jykkeh]

ANTI DIVE and FRONT FORK, open, wash, change all bushes and seals AND take Anti dive away, you get much more better front fork after that and also much better to ride.

Inside motor: starter chain what a noise, clutch: slippery, change all parts..

Front brakes: throw away, buy 400 rr calipers (six pot) and you have brakes.

Rear shoch, if original throw away, its always very poor.

[Arnie]

Irishluck said, "Yea my plan is to atleast try to check everything, i just didnt know if there was something i should check more than other, ill deff be changing all fluids, a couple of questions i have on that would be how to change fork oil and when i change the clutch fluid do i just bleed it just like i would with brakes?
What is a valve lash?
As far as i know the fork seals dont leak but ill deffr check to see if there is even any in there ha. Will be checking the brake system too."

You can drain the fork oil through the little screw on the slider, but it takes a long time and frequently makes a mess.  Best to remove fork cap and spring then remove each leg and tip the oil out.  Refill with Kerosene, pump the leg a few times and then dump that out.  Pump the leg several times to get all the kero out, and then with the fork fully compressed and the spring out, refill with your choice of fork oil to 150mm below the top of the fork.  Repeat for the other leg.

Clutch is notoriously difficult to bleed.  An easy way is to introduce fluid at the bleed nipple on the slave as you remove the old gunky fluid from the reservoir.  You'll see when the new clean fluid fills the reservoir.  Squeeze the lever a few times to make sure you have clutch action, then button it all up and tie the lever to the bar overnight.  Should be right by the next morning.

Valve "lash" is the amount of free play between the cam lobe and the valve.  On the FJ this is adjusted by changing shims.  You do need a special tool to do this.
Randy (or other yamaha dealers -maybe) can provide this tool.  See Vendor section.   

Cheers,
Arnie

[andyb]

If the fork oil is low or empty, there is likely a reason, and you'll have to tear it apart to replace the seals.  Popping the top of the forks off isn't hard (but a vise is damned handy for putting them back together!), and it'll give you a chance to see what springs are in there as well.  You may well be shocked at the amoun of sludgy glop in there, too.

Valve lash is when you pull the valve cover off and measure between the shims that sit atop the valves and the backside of the cam lobes.  No gap means you have a problem, there's a given spec for these things.  Shim replacement is how you get things back into spec.

[irishluck]

now you guys are talking about this valve lash and what not, i mean if im not having a problem with the engine at all and its running smooth is it still a must to check it?

[Pat Conlon]

Yes. If you want to do a "complete" tune up, like the title of this post, check your valve shim clearances. Just do it.

[Mark Olson]

The valve lash is very important to check, due to the fj engine valve clearance gets tighter with miles.

If the engine is quiet you need to adjust valves . noisy is normal.  On the valve train.

[andyb]

True of any mechanical valve setup.  As the engine wears over time, the valves basically pound themselves into the head (seeing as the seats are hot, the valves are tulip shaped, they're containing a fire, and metal isn't all that strong...).  So what happens is that the valve clearances (between the shim and the backside of the cam) closes up over time.  Eventually, the valves stop being able to fully close, so they can't effectively throw heat into the relatively cold head, and you end up burning expensive things.  In the meantime your power goes to hell and the cranking compression crashes.

It's a bit of a bastard of a job to do for "routine maintenance" but it's the price of having horsepower. 

[mz_rider]

True of any mechanical valve setup.  As the engine wears over time, the valves basically pound themselves into the head (seeing as the seats are hot, the valves are tulip shaped, they're containing a fire, and metal isn't all that strong...).  So what happens is that the valve clearances (between the shim and the backside of the cam) closes up over time.  Eventually, the valves stop being able to fully close, so they can't effectively throw heat into the relatively cold head, and you end up burning expensive things.  In the meantime your power goes to hell and the cranking compression crashes.

It's a bit of a bastard of a job to do for "routine maintenance" but it's the price of having horsepower. 

But a lot less hassle than a "shim under bucket" arrangement like most modern bikes.

Stuart

[irishluck]

ok well today i will take the forks off and have a look, i am ordering some fork seals.

Also in the process of doing this whole tune up im doing a almost complete clean of the bike. Ive cleaned the whole engine and painted it along witht he frame and a couple of fairing.

but ill look at forks today and post some pics

[irishluck]

is there a certain ind of for oil i shoudl use when replacing? and also how much oil does it take to fill up each for roughly?

[irishluck]

Im getting ready to order some new air filters for my bike. Problem is i have no idea what the diameter is on the intake of the carbs.

Does anyone by chance know the diameter on the carbs for an after market UNI filter?

they are mikuni BS36