Coming out of long term storage.

[CPF65]

Hello, I recently inherited a collection of motorcycles, one being a 1989 Vmax. I would like to get it running even though it will probably not be ridden. It was parked in a somewhat heated building at least 10 years ago.

I removed the tank and dumped the bad gas. The tank is really rusty. How rusty can a tank be and still be salvaged? Along with the bikes, I inherited an entire motorcycle shop so I am pretty well equipped. I have the chemicals and tank spinner they used to clean rusty tanks but I would rather have a new tank. Does anyone make them in plastic?

I will open one of the carbs soon. If they are clean, can I get away without a carb rebuild?

The fuel lines and filter will be replaced.

Coolant looks good. Oil looks good but I will change it.

Any other areas that will need attention before attempting to start it?

I pulled the plugs and tried to look in the cylinders with a scope but couldn't see much. I squirted some fogging oil in the cylinders and turned the back wheel in 5th so I know it is not stuck.

Thanks!

 

[VMAXer]

That's fantastic. Guys with more knowledge will surely be along soon to answer your questions. Got some pics of your inherited collection?

 

[Aquamax]

Check with your local dealer as to availability of a new tank. The last new one I bought was in 2013...maybe I should have bought a dozen at the time. LOL!
The sending unit will likely be as gunked up as the tank, so look at that.

The carbs...barring a miracle, they will need everything rubber related & then some.

Fuel lines themselves will likely be cleanable. The "1FK" fuel filter replacement is a no-brainer while you are there. The fuel pump is pretty resilient usually, as long as the electrics are cooperating. But it may need some flushing depending on how nasty the gas got to...

 

[Aquamax]

And YES, let's see this collection?
Would also love to hear the story behind it all.

 

[Fire-medic]

The search engine on here is your friend.

Save this and if you're going to be doing much work yourself, print it out: vmoa.net/VMX12-Service-Manual01.pdf

Vinegar 6% (cleaning vinegar, it's called, it comes in different %'s but 6% will work fine. Don't leave the fuel level sender in if you do the vinegar cleansing! It's potmetal, and will dissolve!) will clean that tank like-new. Immediately after you rinse-out the tank with water, after the vinegar has done its thing, use a blower to dry the tank interior, and throw at least a quart of cheap oil or ATF into it, and turn the gas tank to coat the inside. If you leave it to air-dry after you rinse it with water, it will flash-rust!

You can do electrolysis, naval jelly, or other rust-remover chemicals (Evaporust), much-more expensive than cleaning vinegar.

The carbs have to come-off, be disassembled, and re-installed, tuned/balanced (synchronized) and if you aren't familiar with CV carbs, you're better-off paying someone knowledgeable to do it. Members dannymax ( [email protected] ) , Sean Morley ([email protected]) or CaptainKyle ([email protected]) are the people on-here who do great work.

I doubt your hydraulics are functional. That includes both brake systems, and the hydraulic clutch. I wouldn't be surprised if your master cyl reservoirs are dry, and brakes & clutch are non-functional. You can try dumping some DOT 4 into the cylinders and bleeding the systems (remember that shop manual link?) and they may 'come-back,' but more than likely you'll need rebuild kits for both brake master cyl's and the clutch slave cyl. The clutch slave cyl requires removal of an engine side cover, by the left footpeg. Add a engine side cover gasket to your list of parts. That can be removed and you'll probably only lose a few tablespoons of oil, if the bike is on the centerstand.

Clutch slave cylinder replacement Directions on the slave cyl process, including doing a 'reverse-flush' of the hydraulic lines, quicker than almost anything-else. It includes directions on fabricating an inexpensive flushing tool, my Mityvac sits unused while I use this home-built tool.

Here's a thread on another old bike being refurbished: (93) My experience getting a 2004 VMX12 road ready after sitting for 5 years | Yamaha Star V-Max VMAX Motorcycle Discussion Forum (vmaxforum.net) It was easily found using the search function, upper right-hand corner.

Here is a great thread on the VMax, it will answer many of your questions and save you $$. (93) New Vmax Owner FAQs....new members please read! | Yamaha Star V-Max VMAX Motorcycle Discussion Forum (vmaxforum.net) If you read and understand the owner's manual, and RaWarrior's thread, you should have a much-easier time of getting the bike ready for the road.

FYI your bike has the 'early' ignition system, found on '85-'89 bikes. It uses two ignition pick-ups. The 1990-'07 bikes use another system with one ignition pick-up, and the wire harnesses and CDI boxes are different.



The pilot jets often clog and cause intermittent firing on those carburetors/cylinders. Clogging is caused by contaminated gasoline, a dirty/rusty gas tank, and/or not changing your fuel filter.



The Crimp Fix, to get more volts to your electrics. It costs nothing but time, and a bit of soldering. Remove some tape on the wire harness in this area under the seat, and solder the brass sleeve, and re-tape.


Dissolved potmetal fuel sending unit from soaking in vinegar. Remove it before the vinegar treatment and use a block-off plate to seal the hole during cleaning!


Note overlap on the wiring diagrams.

Getting the float level roughly where it needs to be, you can also check it 'wet' (service manual)

 

[Dansmaxresto]

The Vmax I got sat for 11 years. I bought a new tank instead of trying to clean the old one. Sent the carbs to Dannymax for rebuild.

 

[D Larson]

Hello, I recently inherited a collection of motorcycles, one being a 1989 Vmax. I would like to get it running even though it will probably not be ridden. It was parked in a somewhat heated building at least 10 years ago.

I removed the tank and dumped the bad gas. The tank is really rusty. How rusty can a tank be and still be salvaged? Along with the bikes, I inherited an entire motorcycle shop so I am pretty well equipped. I have the chemicals and tank spinner they used to clean rusty tanks but I would rather have a new tank. Does anyone make them in plastic?

I will open one of the carbs soon. If they are clean, can I get away without a carb rebuild?

The fuel lines and filter will be replaced.

Coolant looks good. Oil looks good but I will change it.

Any other areas that will need attention before attempting to start it?

I pulled the plugs and tried to look in the cylinders with a scope but couldn't see much. I squirted some fogging oil in the cylinders and turned the back wheel in 5th so I know it is not stuck.

Thanks!

I would like to hear the whole story.

 

[Fire-medic]

Some pics of the clutch slave cyl operation. This shows you the engine side cover which needs to be removed to access the clutch slave cyl. Use a good-fitting allen screw head wrench to remove the two mounting screws, you don't want to ruin the allen head socket! The back of the service manual has a torque chart for all the fasteners on the bike.



If you find oil-spotting in the area of the left footpeg, on your floor, it's possibly due to the clutch slave cyl leaking. If the clutch lever has no resistance and comes back to the handlebar, the probability is that the reservoir is empty or the slave cyl is leaking. The slave cyl on the left is what a leaking slave cyl looks-like. Thoroughly clean the engine crankcase area where the slave cyl mounts if yours comes off and resembles this one.

 

[CPF65]

Great information! Thank you.

No great story behind this. My cousin passed and left his 30 year shop and a bunch of bikes, mostly Kawasaki Triples.

I am not entirely sure how far I will take this project. In the short term, I want to preserve it so problems don't get worse. I would like to have it running though. My riding days are over. Too many interactions with stupid drivers. I have an area in my shop where I will display three of the cycles. I will be keeping the Vmax, a Kawasaki H2, and a Buell S1 Lightning. The others I will sell when his wife is mentally ready to part with them. They are in storage at the moment.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge

 

[one2dmax]

Nice looking bike

 

[ZAMMAX]

There is a german manufacturer of a 20 litre plastic tank for the 12 Vmax

 

[Rollie]

Note : Some of us buy and sell other makes of bikes . We could be a source for a buyer as we are also members of other sites and forums on the web...

 

[Dansmaxresto]

Some pics of the clutch slave cyl operation. This shows you the engine side cover which needs to be removed to access the clutch slave cyl. Use a good-fitting allen screw head wrench to remove the two mounting screws, you don't want to ruin the allen head socket! The back of the service manual has a torque chart for all the fasteners on the bike.

View attachment 84155View attachment 84156View attachment 84158View attachment 84159

If you find oil-spotting in the area of the left footpeg, on your floor, it's possibly due to the clutch slave cyl leaking. If the clutch lever has no resistance and comes back to the handlebar, the probability is that the reservoir is empty or the slave cyl is leaking. The slave cyl on the left is what a leaking slave cyl looks-like. Thoroughly clean the engine crankcase area where the slave cyl mounts if yours comes off and resembles this one.

I have the fluid leak near the left foot peg and recently had to add clutch fluid. Is there a write up on replacing the slave cylinder?

 

[Fire-medic]

See post #26:
(95) Clutch disengaged after changing clutch plates | Page 2 | Yamaha Star V-Max VMAX Motorcycle Discussion Forum (vmaxforum.net)

(95) Clutch slave cylinder replacement | Yamaha Star V-Max VMAX Motorcycle Discussion Forum (vmaxforum.net)

 

[Dansmaxresto]

See post #26:
(95) Clutch disengaged after changing clutch plates | Page 2 | Yamaha Star V-Max VMAX Motorcycle Discussion Forum (vmaxforum.net)

(95) Clutch slave cylinder replacement | Yamaha Star V-Max VMAX Motorcycle Discussion Forum (vmaxforum.net)

Thank you sir!!

 

[CPF65]

Well I though my tank was junk but I had 5 gallons of Metal Rescue so I dumped it in there and let it sit overnight. There is actually clean, bare metal where there was heavy rust and scale. There are a few spots left so I will try some Evaporust on that.

I think it would be nearly impossible to coat everything inside the tank with an epoxy or POR15 type product so I will probably use oil to seal it. I need to think of a long term solution as this bike will probably not be ridden or ran enough to keep clean gas in it. Any issues using race gas or av gas in these engines? That stuff lasts a looong time.

 

[Fire-medic]

I've never used it, but the POR 15 tank sealer gets good reviews. Like CaptainKyle says, "whatever stuff you use, follow the instructions exactly!"

I've used 6% cleaning vinegar left filling the gas tank for 2-3 days, after removing the fuel sending unit, and installing a block-off plate. It works well.

 

[CPF65]

I have the Vmax back together and a new battery installed. Before digging into the carburetors I would like to make sure some of the other electricals are working but I have no power to anything. No horn, lights, gauges, starter. There are 12v to the starter solenoid but I just get a click when I jump the solenoid. Main fuse is good and all connections seem to be clean.

Ignition switch?

There is a little toggle switch below the left front of the fake tank. Is that factory or some sort of security mod?

 

[Fire-medic]

That 'Max-(Boost)' white cyl is likely a VBoost switch: on, for regular operation of the VBoost; and a low opening, say ~3K rpm's. If it has three positions, the third might be VBoost butterflies always-open. That gives the Chevy V8 loping idle that drives the H-D's crazy, because it one-ups their V-twins.

No power, check your grounds.

 

[CPF65]

If it has three positions, the third might be VBoost butterflies always-open. That gives the Chevy V8 loping idle that drives the H-D's crazy, because it one-ups their V-twins.

No power, check your grounds.

The switch has only 2 positions, but now I want that third position!