Have you thought to check the temperature reading with a different thermometer? Don't trust the gauge! Find yourself a digital cooking thermometer with a probe for sticking in meat and put it in the oil tank with the engine running once it is good and hot. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was reading 10-15 degrees over and your engine was just fine.

Alternatively, stick your thermometer in a pan of boiling water and check that it reads 100 degrees. If it is reading more than 2 or 3 degrees over, then you have identified your problem.

You can waste endless hours chasing down problems that don't really exist due to faulty meters.

Regards - Alastair.

Are you running 65km/h in 5th gear? You might be lugging it a bit, try 75km/h instead.

110+ is a bit hot, but youre outsidetemp is also way up there.

Im still not sure if you have checked that theres enough oil, checked carb settings, and modified things for more airflow: Cut front fender, have clean engine and such)

Again, 120ish aint bad, people have drivin all over the world on theese, you might not even have a problem. Fullsynthetic oil can handle 120c easely, and so will youre engine.

If youre still unsure about the whole thing, make an oilchange yourself, change the filter, and the oil straner (stanless filter) on the front of the frame, just where you drain the frameoil. Put a hose over the bleedhole on the oilfiltercover to check oilpressure....

Theres plenty of things to check and/or modify if youre really that worried Have fun, and good luck.

Thanks very much for the idea, Alister.

Compared it with two clinical/pharmacy thermometers (which stop at 43ºC or so and they all marked basically the same.



Technically, I do not know, but for me boiling is not only bubbles at the bottom (started at 80ºC, kept on at 90ºC and on), but many coming out to the surface, which happened at 98ºC. Ergo, it seems to working very well. (Looked at Wikipedia and it says: While below the boiling point a liquid evaporates from its surface, at the boiling point vapor bubbles come from the bulk of the liquid).







Thanks again, Jens. Noooo, I ride at 65km/h in 4th gear: 5th gear sounds too bad, as brushing, so I avoid it when possible. Actually, I was riding with fellow HUBB member Bobduro and his wife, who are back of a RTW on two XT660R, and they could tell you I was at the front "riding Miss Daisy", veeeeery quietly as to reach 118ºC.

If I am able to follow all your advice, I'm 100% sure it will run cooler than my fridge, thanks again! The thing is not just temperature, it is that is just runs too poorly, bad, no power, vibrations, not my former/loved XT, etc. Temperature is just a symptom.

I got two manuals yesterday and plan to start working soon, when I get the garage available, starting with valves clearance adjustment.

Jens, no plans to come to Central Europe? I have a very comfy sofa bed!!!

I just might, next year =)

Cant wait for youre progress, it feels so good to be able to fix youre own machine

Well, I am not very disciplined. My girlfriend and I rented two 125cc bikes (she has and Swiss 125cc licence, so she can try both, she is considering big ones and needs a refresh) and we plan to head south tomorrow, maybe Vercors, which is just amazing. So no studying/on-line-shopping/wrenching this weekend! Sorry, bad pupil... but cannot wait to move a little bit.

The XT will take a rest this time.

Glad you checked it out, nice touch with the photos.

Enjoy your weekend!

Alastair

I think you can find it in Switzerland, there is compulsory to wear it.

Sorry, elcamino, I missed this. I recently talked about it with Pera (missed also his reply).

It is OEM part nr. 3TB-21521-01. You can buy it on line as well: flap front fender yamaha It was in the XTs in Sweden and Norway.




PS: I've been following your hard panniers, amazing!

Soooo, after a huge delay in getting the spares, I finally started to work on the bike this evening. Here is a pic of the first stage stripping the bike.

Tomorrow I plan the valves adjustment, remounting, testing and so on with other tasks (compression test, etc).

We'll see how many parts I get to break, I'll keep you posted! I've had lots of fun till now, even if nothing broke (fortunately, I cross fingers).

Thanks to all of you for all the wise advises.

Esteban

Turned counterclockwise the rotor and seem to find 3 marks (instead of 2?), but no T (as indicated in Clymer and workshop manual)



1st mark, which is actually linked to the 2nd markl. They look kind of a large H (or a horizontal T touching the 1st mark!).





3rd mark, with no T to be seen around either.



So, which mark should be the right one indicating the TDC? (Could not find any free play either!) Your help and knowledge, as always, really appreciated being a novice myself (more questions, but checking manuals and online first…).

Thanks to all,

Esteban

Theres 2 marks. one is "I-I" and is for the timing, the next is "I" and is the TDC mark.

Remember that theres 2 TDC's for a complete 4-stroke cycle, and you need to set it at the right TDC, otherwise you'll adjust the valves wrong. You need to use TDC right after the intake valves closes. Its the compressionstroke.

hope that makes sence, otherwise take all valvecovers off,a nd spin the engine slowly, you should be able to see whats going on Otherwise, youtube is always helpfull.

I was thinking: if the engine (may actually?) turn anticlockwise and ignition should take a little before TDC, it should be the 3rd mark... So, why 2 other marks? Maybe when you want to change the ignition time depending on fuel octanage??? Should I already get a chopstick through the spark plug hole?

So... THANKS SO MUCH, Jens! (starting to feel the satisfaction of repairing it myself you mentioned; nothing broken (by myself) yet, so feeling good!)

So, intake valves are closed when they get at its highest point; and after that, the next one is the TDC. Right! (info to add to the 1st pic up from Clymer manual).

Rocker arm seemed to have no free play at all. I will re-check it. (I could not find space to insert the gauge).

PS: Sure, youtube! I found this video very useful, from a XR 650. Apparently their "T" mark is horizontal.

Spark plug changed less than 500-600 kms ago, is it possible to read anything on it so early? (I did not follow the steps previous to the reading -full throtle, etc-, but will do it next time).

People says that the right colour is "café con leche" (coffe with milk), and your likes more milk than coffe.

I´ve talk my brother that you have no space for the "galga" (sorry I don´t know the English word) adjusting the valves and he said: wow, that bike must run as a Vespino (50cc. bike) and for sure overheats.

Hi, the carb has several "circuits" which overlaps each other. Think about the circuits as waterhoses with different diameters, operating at different times.

I've red youre sparkplug, but you dont know which circuit you have been testing. A bike can run lean at idle, or at low rpm (idle circuit) and run rich at full throttle (mainjet) orthe other way around. It could also be spot on in lower and higher rpm's, and be lean/rich at cruice.

So you need to know what you're testing, to diagnose the problem.

You can test the idle curcuit (idle jet) by cruicing around int he first 3-ish gears at low rpm, for a couple of minutes.


You can test the needlesetting at regular cruicespeed, and the mainjet ith WOT.

Before you test, make sure thet bike is fully warmed up, so you get the best possible combustion.

You're plug aint that bad. I've tried to read plugs and compare them to the results of my lambda-guage. Every plugreading was lighter in color than i though they would and shoud be. They were more gray-ish than brown.

So unless you feel it surging, I would leave it alone. My 2003 xt600e came slightly rich in all circuits, mainjets were actually a couple sizes to big for max hp. I think they do that to help it cool better.

To sum it up, dont worry about it. I wouldnt bother doing all the stufff I've done over time, if I could turn back time. Just make sure there are no airleaks and stuff like that, and adjust youre Co screw for strongest idle.