my 79 came with no harness. buy factory parts to start bike 1st? or go PMA/pamco?

Simple

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Got a 79 xs650 recently, and found my proper wiring diagram. matched up wires to components, and it looks as though all the stuff to get the bike running i need are absent, and only have the flasher relay, backup lighting box, and 1 other not needed component.

SO. do i purchase the needed electronics and harness and get the bike running first? is this a waste of money?

OR can i buy the PMA and pamco parts, and get it timed/running by building myself a new harness, without trying to get it running with the stock parts first... and then doing the PMA/pamco swap? I want to do the PMA/pamco anyways, so i dont want to be buying extra parts if i dont need to.
 
Yes, you can just do the PMA swap and Pamco. Just read up on how to mark TDC and the other timing marks.
Leo
 
thats what i was thinking. I dont know if the motor runs or not, has good compression. so i went threw and rebuilt the carbs. next i was going to do my electrical. the wiring doesnt scare me a bit. i just didnt know if it was worth trying to get it running with factory equipment first, then upgrade to the pma and pamco later due to the timing.

but if i can just bolt on my pma parts, time it according to hugh's instructions, then bolt on the pamco, and try and get it running to adjust the timing with the pamco unit afterwards... ill just do that and save myself the headache and extra parts money with the factory junk.
 
I actually bought a new harness for the rebuild, then bought the Pamco and PMA after-the-fact. Wasted $100.00 It's basically just a pile of wire at this point once I got done cutting out what I didn't need and what the Pamco and PMA eliminated.


Rich
 
Simple,

If you install the PAMCO aligned per this pic, the engine will start and the timing will be in the ball park.

pcboard11.jpg


1. Install the PAMCO with the factory rotor on the crankshaft.
2. Don't worry about charging the battery at first.
3. Run the ignition from a fully charged battery. Doesn't have to be installed. Could be just sitting on the floor.
4. Kick start the engine.
5. Use the marks on the rotor to get your timing light setting and adjust the PAMCO plate accordingly.
6. Hold the crank from moving and align the timing marks.
7. Remove the rotor and mark the PM rotor with the timing mark obtained in step 5.

Actually, you really don't have to run the engine or set the timing. Just align the timing marks on the factory rotor to the marks on the stator housing, remove the rotor and install the PM rotor and make a mark on it that also lines up with the timing mark on the stator housing.

I would also suggest that you power the PAMCO from a separate battery when you first run the PM setup because it is possible to have a very high voltage from the PMA if the regulator has not been wired correctly.
 
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great! thanks pete, will most likely be ordering one from you, or mikesxs tonight. :thumbsup:

by the way... what happens under the other cover of the bike. is that my advance unit? do i do anything with that side?
 
Simple,

Yes, the advance unit is under the right side cover. I would suggest that you inspect it and check for the correct "snap back" per this video to ensure its working OK.


I might also suggest that you follow the above procedure to get the engine running before you buy the PMA, just in case you have a non starter engine that needs serious work.
 
so you're saying i can get the motor running with just the pamco unit, the dual output coil, plugs, wires, fuel and a battery? i dont even need to worry about the pma swap, or any other wiring just to get it running? if thats correct... that just made my job a hell of a lot easier
 
Yeah, the PMA is just for charging. The XS stock has a crapload of wiring. Simplifying the wiring once you do the Pamco/PMA is always a good idea for a bike that is 30+ years old.
 
Simple,

Right. All you need is ignition and some gas in the carbs. The PMA is there to run the electrics and charge the battery, but if you just hook up the PAMCO to a fully charged battery and kick start the engine, you can run the engine all day on just the battery, no need for a charging system or any of the other electrics. This will allow you to verify that the engine does run and check out any potential problems before you commit to the PMA.

There are just three wires for the PAMCO. Red goes to a fuse and then to the battery positive terminal, black goes to the frame and the green wire goes to one of the coil terminals, doesn't matter which one. Connect the other coil terminal also to the fuse that powers the PAMCO red wire. Connect the battery negative terminal to the frame. You can use small gage wire for this as there is not very much current needed for the ignition system and there is no starter to worry about.
Do the wiring outside of the bike itself. Don't do anything to the existing wiring, if there is any.
Don't leave the power to the coil on for more than a minute with the engine not running. You can use the fuse to turn off the power to the PAMCO and the coil.

Before you power it up with the fuse, double check that the PAMCO green wire is connected to one of the coils terminals, all by itself with no other wire connected to the same terminal. The PAMCO does not use the condensers, so do not even bother with them.

The ignition should work for about 6 to 8 hours like this. Just put the battery on a charger overnight and continue working on the engine the next day. Once you are satisfied that the engine is OK, then go ahead and buy the PMA.

NOTE: Be sure to place a large fan in front of the engine to keep it cool while doing all this
 
perfect! shpuld i buy directly from you? or should i buy the mikesxs kit? does it matter to you pamcopete?
 
If all you want to do is start the bike and you have the coils, condensers, points, spark plugs, and a charged 12v battery, you can run power directly to the coils, ground the negative from battery to the frame, and kick start the bike. Here's a link to a picture in the tech section, from the thread on wiring diagrams. http://www.xs650.com/forum/showpost.php?p=14119&postcount=64 It shows a simplified wiring diagram.
 
Simple,

MIkesXS has the kits that include the coil, wires and plug caps which I do not have, so if you need the whole deal, then order from MIkesXS.
 
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