Vape powerdynamo 277 install

123petey

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So I have noticed there is no dedicated install thread for this item so I figured I’d go ahead and make one while installing mine. Viewing a thread following a standard vape system install I noticed some very different numbers and talking to a few members installing 277 systems I realized there must be some changes that have happened over time, which is very normal for aftermarket parts. Definitely want to emphasize that you want to verify your particular system and which parts or numbers (measurements - you’ll see) are accurate and applicable for your particular system.
 
So here’s the engine. Rebuilt from the bottom up - clearly, since the crank and cam needed to come out to be rephased. Thanks to Hugh and his team. Beautiful work, got new rods installed at the same time. Installed the 5th gear overdrive while I was in there. Relatively cheap and simple so I figured, “why not”. It freaked me out a little that the mated gear didn’t need to be replaced to match and that the manufacturer just shortened the teeth to mate. Hopefully that doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass. New rebuilt head. JE 700 pistons and cylinders - thanks Hoos! The engine was so shot (picked it from some a neighborhood kid for a couple bucks) that most everything needed to be replaced so upgrades weren’t much more investment. Word to the wise - any time you are going into these engines inspect your oil pump! I’ve only recently started working on xs650’s and this is one of 2 engine builds and both pumps were filled with cam chain guide shards and aluminum bits and both rotors were broken due to the contaminants.
 

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Alright, so I started installing the stator/rotor/alternator blah blah blah. Remove the pin from the lower area of where the stator rests. Pretty self explanatory. So for full disclosure, I purchased this system slightly used to save a few bucks. Only the stator was installed. I only mention this because the stator has a pretty tight fit and whoever installed it previously ham fisted one of the sensors and dished one side and the screw went past flush. (See pics)

I mention this so you don’t go crazy screwing these down. They have a tension washer on them, but regardless you should use a little loctite on these and just snug them up.

So you can see where the one screw went through and hit that piece of the case. You want the stator perfectly flush with the case and no unnecessary flex or imbalance.
 

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The cavity or channel on the backside to allow the wiring to pass through is not very deep. Also, be extremely careful that it doesn’t ride over the inside corner as in the pic below. When you go to torque down the two fixings you can see the rotor plate not sitting flat and you can feel the wires squishing. Don’t do that.
 

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So I carefully guided the wiring behind two of the ridges coming off the case that the stator plate will end up resting on. I used my 90 degree pick but I’m sure a screwdriver or other thin instrument will work. Once again, the plate should fit right into place with no squish or slight teetering or imbalance. It should fit completely flush. If not, you are probably pinching a wire. Then tighten the two Allen bolts. Once again, don’t go crazy on these bolts. They are pretty soft. Loctite and 8-10nm is plenty. Now pull the slack out of the wiring and even the lengths. Fit the rubber guide in place for the wiring. Yours should be sheathed in a protective sleeve. Mine was removed and I’ll apply shrink wrap later.
 

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So - quick question - there is a zip tie around two of the stator coils which seemed to have been used to hold wiring in place when it was mounted to the plate. Maybe at factory, or maybe by previous installer. The instructions have pics and the one in the pics don’t have the zip ties. Will these possible melt due to heat? Should I remove them?
 

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Now it’s time to mount the rotor to the stator. Careful - there is some magnetism here so don’t let it pull you around and ding something. Truth be told this is the weakest magnetism I’ve felt on a stator but it could catch you off guard if you’re not expecting it. So the instructions show a steel and aluminum washer/spacers and the nut. So I have 3. I’m going to go ahead and say the shiny aluminum spacer first, then the two steel washers, then the nut. Since the nut is new and looks to be coated it’s a pretty snug fit. Careful not to turn your crank if you’ve already set it at TDC. No need to torque it down yet.
 

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Nice, sounds like you are going for some speed? What is the bike like? Pics?
Cheers from Vancouver

Hey Machine - not really. My initial goal was to learn why the xs650 has such a cult following. Now I know - they are very simple engines. Everything in the head was toast - rockers were beat, the cam lobes very worn, valves and seals shot. It was cheaper and easier for me to get a fresh rebuilt then trying to rebuild that one myself. Saving that crap head to slowly chip away at porting and valve work. That’s where any speed will come from in my opinion. My second goal for this engine is consistency and reliability. I’ll post pics as it comes together. Thanks
 
Ok, back at it. Been tearing down the frame. Wasn’t initially going to repowdercoat the frame but got a tx750 swingarm and tx500 rear wheel (gotta have that cush drive!) so all I have left to do is drop the front end. Might as well do it.

Anyway, so applied the spacer, washers, and the nut just hand tight. This will help stabilize the rotor. Measured 43.6mm of tape as the base timing measurement. (.6mm, really? Let me get my magnifying glass...) this part is interesting because previous editions were 37mm and 41mm. Also, the diagram shows the 43.6mm goes to the “outside” or right side of the sensor cylinder, but then later pics and text say “inside” or left side if the sensor cylinder. Regardless, just apply the guide tape to the right of the actuating plate “ridge” and while things are loose get your feeler gauge and check the clearance between the ridge and sensors. Should be .4mm. Remember, don’t torque these down hard! The sensor bracket will deform and the screw will come through the back and hit the case. Just use loctite and a little past snug.

Verify you are at TDC (which the instructions call OT as well it seems) So now we can set the 43.6mm space between the plate and sensor. Regardless of whether it’s to the left or right, it’ll most likely need adjustment and fine tuning once everything is installed and running. Probably safer setting it to the right side if concerned or in doubt.

I put pics of the instructions so you can verify if I’m misunderstanding something and to show the inconsistencies at least the way I’m seeing it. Let me know if I’m wrong
 

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So I’m finally getting back at the install. Apologies for the delay. I did fit a tx750 swingarm and an xs500 rear wheel. Pretty stoked about the setup now. I didn’t get the frame and whatnot powder coated as planned.
 

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Ok, so once I got the engine back in the frame, I just followed the instructions plugging the two triggers at the stator into the igniter boxes. Those get plugged into the coils. Coils then to the spark plugs. Two black leads from the triggers run to the reg/rec, and a brown lead and a red lead come in the kit that are connected to the reg/rec for positive and negative battery connections.

I’ll definitely be cleaning up how the components are mounted, I just want to get to firing it up and seeing where I’m at with the settings.
 

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So a couple questions for people who have installed or are more knowledgeable at the electrical end of things:

There is a fifth lead on the reg/rec that looks to be optional and says it functions as a charge light and is not needed if running without a battery. I don’t have any light to connect to (this is an extremely stripped down bike) and plan on running with just a capacitor but will use a battery initially for test runs. Will it be ok to go without the fifth lead?

Secondly, all I will have is a toggle switch (on/off) hidden to be able to kick start (no electric starter) the engine. Do I need to connect the “blue” wire relay at all coming from the coils or can I omit this completely?


Thanks
 
I don't imagine there will be a problem not hooking that wire up. Those instructions are a doozy to read, have you got the beast running yet? I considered one of these ignitions but the price scared me off. I didn't notice from your pics, is the rotor keyed to the crank or is that the timing "adjustment"?
 
I don't imagine there will be a problem not hooking that wire up. Those instructions are a doozy to read, have you got the beast running yet? I considered one of these ignitions but the price scared me off. I didn't notice from your pics, is the rotor keyed to the crank or is that the timing "adjustment"?

I fired it up this week and it sounded crazy. Double checked my work (which I should have done first!) and realized I pretty much had everything backwards. Gary, from Hoos Racing where I purchased the system, confirmed my suspicions. A little amazed it fired right up and a lot amazed I didn’t blow up the motor or cause any damage. I won’t go into specifics on what I did wrong but I certainly will include how to correctly install and set up the engine.

I think it’s a hell of a good deal considering it’s your entire charging system, plus the only electronic crank based system on the market. I was building a bike from scratch so I needed all those components. It is pretty easy to install but the instructions really fail in some spots - at least they did for me.

Unfortunately the rotor is not keyed. I’ve seen on another thread a different distributor who offered keying as an option. The issue is the rotor is the only place you can adjust the advance. If you key it, you will need to move the pick up sensors for advance adjustment. To me, the latter seems more likely for user error.
 
If it's well made the timing should not need to be adjusted though, and it appears to be well made. I would prefer to have it keyed for ease of installation, who offers one that is keyed?
 
If it's well made the timing should not need to be adjusted though, and it appears to be well made. I would prefer to have it keyed for ease of installation, who offers one that is keyed?

Looks like it was HVC Cycle in Lincoln, NE. It was for an rd350 and they look to be a 2 stroke specialist shop so they may not offer the service for the xs650.

It is definitely nicely made, but if you have a big bore, aftermarket carbs, changed the sprocket gearing, etc you may need to slightly adjust the timing.
 
I can set my timing with an unkeyed rotor, I've set my current cam driven ignition just fine. For 800 bucks I would expect it to be a bolt on and go solution is all.
 
I fired it up this week and it sounded crazy. Double checked my work (which I should have done first!) and realized I pretty much had everything backwards. Gary, from Hoos Racing where I purchased the system, confirmed my suspicions. A little amazed it fired right up and a lot amazed I didn’t blow up the motor or cause any damage. I won’t go into specifics on what I did wrong but I certainly will include how to correctly install and set up the engine.

I think it’s a hell of a good deal considering it’s your entire charging system, plus the only electronic crank based system on the market. I was building a bike from scratch so I needed all those components. It is pretty easy to install but the instructions really fail in some spots - at least they did for me.

Unfortunately the rotor is not keyed. I’ve seen on another thread a different distributor who offered keying as an option. The issue is the rotor is the only place you can adjust the advance. If you key it, you will need to move the pick up sensors for advance adjustment. To me, the latter seems more likely for user error.
I am about to install one of these. Your write up was helpful so far! Can you included what you did wrong and how to correctly install?
 
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