TX500 build

hell ya if you have a cooler then prep that sucker and prime it... then light coats to get full coverage! will look great!
 
Maritime Biker said:
I thought about those but my engine is now 450cc and the head gasket and base gasket would be the wrong size, although all the other gaskets and o-rings would work.

My bad, I forgot that you had the 450 engine now. I'm sure you can find a gasket set for it on ebay for about the same price.
 
Awesome build! It will be outstanding when you're done. It's great to see a TX500 getting the attention it deserves.

As for the oil cooler, you may not need that. A TX500 will not run especially hot unless the carbs are jetted too lean, or the valve clearances are set too tight, or the timing is off, or it is being revved up for a long time while it's parked. Pretty much like any other bike. Unless you are planning to do a lot of stoplight-to-stoplight drag racing, I bet your bike will not overheat.


TX500022.jpg
 
steve said:
Awesome build! It will be outstanding when you're done. It's great to see a TX500 getting the attention it deserves.

As for the oil cooler, you may not need that. A TX500 will not run especially hot unless the carbs are jetted too lean, or the valve clearances are set too tight, or the timing is off, or it is being revved up for a long time while it's parked. Pretty much like any other bike. Unless you are planning to do a lot of stoplight-to-stoplight drag racing, I bet your bike will not overheat.


TX500022.jpg

That's a clean bike!
 
screw it! i am buying gaskets! i failed 4 times making them... they where alright but not perfect! i dont want a leaker.. i will just buy new and suck it up! 60 bucks for 3 gaskets MAN that is STUPID $$$$$
 
So the parts store being closed when I got there last night is probably a good thing ;) I was wondering how hard it would be and was trying to figure it out. I may just have to swallow the full price new gaskets and try to save $$ in another way. My budget is just about blown on the build. I may have to sell off some of the spares to afford gaskets, plugs, paint..... Fun.
 
steve said:
Awesome build! It will be outstanding when you're done. It's great to see a TX500 getting the attention it deserves.

everything i have read on this bike is about how it runs hot... being that i PRIMED AND PAINTED the motor gloss black that will not help it to dispense heat... i am going to cooler it just to be safe... is that you TX500 in the pic? awesome ride! tell me though... WHERE DID YOU GET PARTS?! i am searching high and low for gaskets!!!
 
JRK5892 said:
everything i have read on this bike is about how it runs hot... being that i PRIMED AND PAINTED the motor gloss black that will not help it to dispense heat... i am going to cooler it just to be safe... is that you TX500 in the pic? awesome ride! tell me though... WHERE DID YOU GET PARTS?! i am searching high and low for gaskets!!! also what jets are you running? i am doing almost the same exhaust but a bit shorter... where you able to tune it in with the stock jets?
 

Gaskets are very hard to find for TX500s. I bought a complete NOS engine gasket kit from a guy who posted it for sale on the Yahoo TXs and XSs group. (It's a great group, they know everything about TXs. Join, and ask for whatever you need; a few guys there have some spare parts).

Engine gaskets are not available through any Yamaha retailers that I know of. Some gaskets do come up on Ebay from time to time. MikesXS.com has a lots of gaskets and seals for the suspension, brakes, fuel system, etc., but none for the engine.

Which gaskets do you need? If you need the stator cover gasket, clutch cover gasket and valve cover gasket, you can definitely make those from gasket paper. It takes time and is very delicate work, but you can do it for sure. That gasket you made in that one photo looked good, what was wrong with it?

I made a stator cover gasket and valve cover gasket using gasket paper and an Exacto knife. It took me four tries to get a decent gasket, but now I know how to do it. Start by tracing the outside of the cover onto the gasket paper using a fine point pen, and then sketch the "inside" line freehand. Save any bits of the old gasket that you can, and use those bits to guide you in sketching the inside line. Then cut out the gasket very slowly , using the Exacto knife. Your first gasket will probably be too narrow in some places, and too wide in other places. Use you pen to mark the too-narrow and too-wide places on the gasket. Then trace another gasket on a new sheet of gasket paper, using the first gasket to help you make corrections. After a few lousy gaskets, you'll get a good one. Before you install the gasket, make sure you trace it onto gasket paper and save it, so you'll have a spare for later.

I am running 135 main jets (two sizes larger than stock), and I raised the needle jet a little. It was way too lean with the stock jets., since I am running pod filters and nearly open pipes.
 
AWESOME!!! i found the TX site, that will be a huge help! i found the valve cover gaskets on bikebandit... 35 for both of them... i did make the smaller one for the points cover... i am going to use permatex the right stuff to make the gaskets on the side cases... alot of people i know use it and just LOVE IT!!! so i will go with that... as far as the jets... where did you track those down? I am going to be using stock Harley mufflers and V-stacks... so i bet those would not be too far off!!! Man i am so glad you found the thread! love your bike... thought i was the only one out there with this bike, ha ha ha
 
Here's an effecting way to make that paper gasket in a pinch.

I use RTV in a really thin layer on the metal piece and basically glue the gasket paper to the part. Once it's setup I first cut away the extra on the outside. Then carefully cut away the inside part paying attention to not gouging the case with your blade. Next, burnish the gasket into the case until you can see all the cutouts for bolts etc and cut them out. easy as pie.

I've also used dyechem and then pressed the side case to the gasket paper. Pull it up and you should have a nifty blue layout of your gasket. Once the dyechem dries you cna brush the vast majority of the left over off and what's left is not worth worrying about.
 
JRK5892 said:
as far as the jets... where did you track those down?

About 5 years ago, I bought them at a Honda dealer. The TX500 uses the same carbs as some of the 1970's Honda CB450s. The Yamaha dealers I contacted don't sell them.
 
I almost bought 3 tx500's. When I was looking for a project I found a package deal similar to the one I ended up getting (cb350's) but it got bought out from under me... Seeing how much trouble you are having finding parts Im glad it did :p
 
actually the only parts i have had trouble locating is the gaskets.. everything else has been pretty easy... ebay has a ton and so does some salvage yards
 
holly crap tonight took forever! first off i am stoked! my new shocks came in... off a Radian 600, they are super fat like i hoped and fit perfect... just need to be cleaned up and powdered...
OIL COOLER ACOMPLISHED!!!! got the jack plate for my oil cooler... so basicly to add an oil cooler to this bike ya have to... convert the motor from carcrage filters to screw on filters, then get another adapter plate at 1.5-20mm cooler, from here i will run my lines out and to the cooler... going to have to put my side cover under the blade again but should look cool as hell with the cooler sticking out of the case the the two lines coming out as well... plus it will ease my mind on heat issues!

tonight i finished tackling the carbs... pulled them apart, cleaned them up, powder ultra gloss black with a touch of gold flake... polished EVERYTHING that was not black even down to each screw... cleaned up the insides one more time, all the jets a spotless and they look awesome... Canuck Plumber is going to hook it up with a PIMP ass set of brass V stacks so i tried to make the carbs blend in so the STACKS will REALLY stand out, added the light gold flake to tie in the brass of the stack... ahhh one more thing done 10000000 to go....

Before:
2j3lnit.jpg


Side by side:
bk8qe.jpg


14dkles.jpg


AND DONE:

wkhkhv.jpg


122zups.jpg
 
That looks great, man! I'm very impressed with the amount of work you're putting into this and your attention to detail. That oil cooler is going to be slick.
 
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