My 60th birthday present

I should have mentioned this earlier because it's a bit late for you now, but maybe you can use the tip in the future. It's about a grommet for the Pamco wire. You probably noticed the grommet on the original points wire was stuck there super good and not coming off. I used an old spare solid grommet from the other side. I just drilled a hole in it for the Pamco wire (3/16" if I recall). An old hard grommet works better for this because it's easier to drill. A new soft one would be more difficult.

I also added a length of 3/16" fuel line to the Pamco wire to mimic the protection sleeve that was on the original points wire. Obviously, both these "additions" must be done before you put any crimped ends on the Pamco wires .....

PamcoPick-upPlate.jpg
 
Thanks 5T,
The Pamco kit I bought came with a new grommet, I have a better photo of the finished installation here. I do like the idea of the protective sleeve though. It does worry me some that the wiring is literally between cooling fins on the engine.
IMG_4434.JPG

I'll be going out to the garage in a little bit to test fit the gas tank. I sure hope it fits, I really don't feel like making a new mounting plate.
 
The protection sleeve is actually for where the wire exits/enters from under the tank edge. You don't need anything where it sits in the engine fins. Apparently it doesn't get hot enough to harm the wires. If it did, mine would have cooked years ago, lol. I'll be entering my 9th season with the Pamco this year. It hasn't missed a beat.
 
weekendrider said:
When you put on the rotor for the pamco watch the spacing between it and the green wire.
Click to expand...

I've seen the thread ( was it yours?) that showed the rotor rubbing on the green wire.
There seems to have been a little redesign. The wiring no longer comes near the rotor
IMG_4450.JPG
.
 
Success! At least the tank fits. Haha!
I was able to get a little look up there with a mirror and I can see 1/4" free space all around. Whew! That's a relief.
IMG_4451.JPG
 
Mailman said:
Success! At least the tank fits. Haha!
I was able to get a little look up there with a mirror and I can see 1/4" free space all around. Whew! That's a relief.
View attachment 96961
Click to expand...

Alrighty - now let's hear that old gal rumble!

....ooops - no carbs. Yup, you're gonna need those on there Mailman 'fer sure..
 
I did have problems (and sparks) with the clearance so it is possible the pic you saw was mine. The redesign looks like it took care of the problem.
 
Ok gang, TA DA! Made a little video. Running sweetly now, air intake leak fixed, idle no longer hanging up, got it timed. It idles rock steady, starts quickly. Yay! I am sending for the e advance though ( I cheaped out ).
The mechanical advance isn't hitting full advance at 3,000 rpm. It advances, just not all the way. But real progress!
Don't mind the loose Pamco wires , I had to loosen them to adjust the timing. P.S. I'm such a goober, I didn't hold my phone sideways so the video would look right. Doh!:doh:
 
Well I just got back from a 30 minute ride around the surrounding neighborhoods, I occoaisionally took it out in some major roads so I could really run it up through the gears. I made the following observations, in no particular order.
1. Speedo not working
2. I was wrong about rpm's not hanging up. It was fine in the garage , but as soon as I started riding it around I noticed it was hanging up between shifts. The hotter it got, the worse it got.
3.On the instrument panel, neither turn signal indicators work.
4. Between bad steering head bearings and shot swing arm bushings, the handling is a little "exciting at times.
5.The transmission is hard to shift, by that I mean it requires a pretty hard jabbat the shifter.
6. And this one is the biggie, this one just makes me want to park this bike and throw a sheet over it. The head gasket is really and truly blown. As soon as I got off the bike I could see oil on the right side engine cover, the head gasket is leaking right below the right exhaust pipe. I was hoping to be able to ride this bike for a while before tearing the engine down but now, I just don't know. I only had it out for 30 minutes and when I got back there was oil everywhere. It's not just seeping at a gasket like my old Triumph used to do.
I'm pretty bummed.
" Sometimes a man's just got to know his limitations."
IMG_1623.JPG
 
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What a bummer. Deep breath. Remember how much fun you're having despite the setbacks.
Mailman said:
Hahaha Rovember! I love it! The funs contagious! You know I was telling my wife just a little bit ago how much fun I've been having with my bike. I just get lost in it, even when I have setbacks, it becomes like a puzzle, a challenge to figure it out. Frankly sometimes it stretches my meager abilities, but I never fail to enjoy the process. Maybe someday I'll even get to ride this thing! Haha
Click to expand...
 
Ok , I've had time to calm down , one step at a time. Help me out here guys, what am I missing with the rpm' hanging up? The mechanical advance has been completely disassembled and lubed, I don't have any more intake air leaks that I know of. They were audible before and now it's quiet. When I first started it up after installing the Pamco, I would rev it up and the rpm' we're just a little slow to return to idle, but not bad. But after I started riding it the RPM'S would hang up when I went to shift and when I came to a stop and some times I would have to give the throttle a quick twist and it would return to idle pretty quickly. ( Maybe that's a clue, do you think the cable is hanging up?)
Also regarding the timing, it was not reaching full advance. Do you think the E Advance unit from Pamco would solve this?
I don't mind getting one, I'm kind of inclined to, but man it seems I'm just throwing money at this bike and not getting results.
Also, I'm not opposed to pulling the engine and resolving the blown gasket and whatever else requires doing but I would like to have the bike pretty well sorted prior to doing any motor work. Does that make sense?
Please chime in, I'm looking for input here.
 
We both have the K&N OEM style replacements with 76/77 carbs. It have been suggested to us that we might want a size up on jets, and I've suspected I need a bigger pilot jet due to hanging RPMs, but I was going through jetting starting on mains. I have also just found that my throttle is a bit sticky even though I oiled it using the gravity method back in October. Maybe the old gunk needs a better flushing. You've done a whole lot to this bike, and its going to be that much more enjoyable when done.
 
Thanks Daniel, yeah I need to just settle down and get methodical again. I am just having trouble trying to figure out where to go from here. So you think jetting could be an issue with the rpm's hanging up?
 
I'm far from an expert, and I haven't even tried it. But it was in mind from reading these pages. Do check the cable, it's easy and was some of the cause for me.
 

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