Oh, Man, it's that time of year. All work and little play. So, a couple weeks ago, I wanted to set the timing retard a bit, to keep from "Holeing" a piston, give me a better idle, and maybe to prevent the pop-N-die at idle, that happens sometimes.
I replaced the points with a set from Mike's. I did the usual, static time and such. With timing light , I see the timing jumping around on the left but right is steady. I'm not sure about this "Little retard" setting, but I think the point spring is weak on the left point, because it's jumping around and the right cylinder is rock steady. I ran out of time. I covered the bike and went back to work.
Fast forward: I have the whole day to work on the Yam and get in a ride or two! By this time I have the bike covered as usual and a skeeter net over it, to keep the daubers out. I spend about two hours messing with the timing trying to get things to fall in. Right Cylinder is perfect but left is jumping around and popping out the pipe. Mike's Points! I pull the points, dress, and put the old set back in. Better? Can't tell but still popping out the left pipe. I know this thing will tick over at 800 rpm and no popping of any kind out the pipes. Something is not right. I thought, Lets check the full advance with the timing light. At 3K it was 1/4 inch beyond the full adv mark! I wasted time trying the heat shrink hoochie on the weight stops. It worked at first, but the shrink heated up, returned to it's original oval shape, and I was only getting 1/2 the way to full advance. I got rid of that crap.
Ok, by the book: I took a piece of spring steel strap and cut it down the middle. I made one little spring for keeping the fly weights at full advance ( First pix -with the heatshrink on the stops) and another for keeping the weights at full retard. Second pix.
I set the points at .010 with .008 as go,no-go. It made for about 30 degrees of dwell. Got it static timed close as possible. Used the spring to hold the advance wide open and static checked the full advance. It was dead on. I did not set it retarded. I set it dead center of the timing marks. Started great, runs good, advance dead on the full mark at 3K, BUT it pops out the Left pipe!
Ok, I think it could be the condenser on the left side? I'll pull the tank and swap wires and see if the popping moves to the right side. If so, I'll change the condenser.
I pulls the tank and before my eyes, a Mud Dauber had built a nest on top of the left coil, across the coil terminals. It had two wasps inside about ready to crawl out and one top section incomplete. I guess I had put the net on before he got finished. It couldn't be this easy? I removed the nest and cleaned the area. I also swapped the condenser wires while I was there just in case. Fired it up. Perfect! No popping out the left OR right pipe. Timing dead on and left cylinder timing no longer jumping around, advance at full mark at 3K., and could turn the idle right down to 800, no problem and it just ticked over.
How many Ohms resistance is a Dauber nest anyway? The nest was dry. How it made a difference, I don't know. Now, it still may be the condenser, but the wires were clean and tight, and the problem didn't move to the right cylinder, but cleared up completely. But I ran out of time and had to cover the bike back up.
So today, it's after the rains. It's wet and muddy in places and I have some time. Thought I would check in to see if anybody ( ya'll know who you are) has come up with an anti-grav attachment for the XS yet?
Thu
Total handle bar width measures 35".
Frame modifications, tank, and seat are next. This is the longest I`ve ever took to build anything.
