'74 TX650 Build (monoshock)

YesX,
In a word; no. You've put all the work into your '74. That's a lot of sweat equity. And your pal wants to offer 3 P.O.S. basket cases in exchange? Yeah, right. No. Even if all three are papered (titles), you've got at least twice (or more, much more) than that in the '74. IMHO, he's gonna hafta come up with some serious cheese, plus the three basket cases. If you can get him there, then you'll have three blank slates.
Eventually, you'll come across an Xs worthy of a nut-and-bolt restoration (I'm still looking!). You've seen them on this forum. Then you'll have your "Holy Grail" bike. Good luck, good hunting (and chopping), and keep us updated!
Live, give thanks, build, ride, repeat.
Tebo
 
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I can't help but agree. Honestly, I enjoy building as much as riding. Fixing and troubleshooting, not so much haha.

Today I'm adjusting all the valves, cleaning and setting points properly. In theory it should run haha.

When I set the points, it's the F timing mark I'm looking to line up with right? Just a hair to the left of the F correct?
 
View attachment 143705 I can't help but agree. Honestly, I enjoy building as much as riding. Fixing and troubleshooting, not so much haha.

Today I'm adjusting all the valves, cleaning and setting points properly. In theory it should run haha.

When I set the points, it's the F timing mark I'm looking to line up with right? Just a hair to the left of the F correct?
yup two lines by the F try to get both sides in the box.
timing1.JPG

.0025" min for the intakes many around here like .003" intake .006" exhaust.
 
When I did my xs1 I got a Hobart stainless steel commercial dishwasher box of some sort. It was tapered and looked cool. I shoved everything in it, bungeed it to the frame and mounted the key switch to the side of it. Of course nothing worked. Had to take it to a shop. He hooked me up. That was 40 years ago. I built in on a 3rd floor condo full of old folks on my moms patio out of boxes. You should have seen the look on their faces when I came down in the elevator with a 650 standing vertical and no front wheel. And!!!! Watch me get the wheel on it and get it outside. Classic. I was seventeen.
 
I had found a post indicating for my '74 TX650A that intake should be 0.002" and exhaust 0.004".
I set those and then set my points gap, and finished up with timing.

It runs a lot better now. I stuck pod filters on until my uni-foam filters get here.

Also, I learned that I have a very grumpy neighbour who doesn't like my bike. Came over to my yard, chest to chest and threatened me saying "this will be the first and last time you start your Harley around here, you don't know who I know, I promise you that"....

Politely told him that I think he has me confused with someone who gives a fk.

Apparently it's too loud. I'll start it behind my house from now on. He'll get his.
 
Got a weird issue going on with the right signal.

When I push the switch over to the right, the left dummy light blinks and and the neutral light blinks, but no signals.

Left signals work just fine.

Burnt bulb up front maybe
 
On the RH turn signal check for a crossed wire in the headlight bucket black, dark green, and dark brown, all easily confused.
 
On the RH turn signal check for a crossed wire in the headlight bucket black, dark green, and dark brown, all easily confused.

That's exactly where I had to go hunting.
The rats nest that is in there is unreal. Duct tape, masking tape, cheap crimp connectors...I fixed what I could with OEM-like connectors (bullet connectors?). Found loose connections and a ground plugged into a brown/hot.

Today, it ran on only one cylinder about a half hour into a trip. made it about 5kms before the bike gave up...and it started to rain and hail... so we grabbed my truck and hauled it home.

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I would suspect an electrical connection.
Be sure to check your plug wires , where they connect to the plug caps and the coils. I had a miss once that turned out to be a wire that was no longer connected to the cap. I pulled on the wire and it came right out.
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If the connections seem dodgy it might even be worth your while to cut the ends off and make fresh connections or buy some new wires, you can order 7mm solid core silicone wire by the foot on eBay. Four feet is plenty.
Here’s a tip from 5 Twins about preparing the plug wires to fit the caps back on. Open up and splay the wire back over. It works well.
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Also check all the ignition related connections, coils and points. If you’re running points, make sure the gap hasn’t closed on one of the set.
It could be other things, but the way one cylinder suddenly quit firing sounds like an ignition fault to me.
 
My guess is that the plug is fouled. I didn't use any gasket bond on anything (lesson learned) while reassemble the engine. Just bare gaskets throughout...smoking a lot out of left cylinder, also weeping around head gasket.

So in theory, oil is passing into cylinder via cam chain tunnel. Or my rings are toast. Either way I need to tear it down again and do it properly.
 
Ahhh.....I didn’t realize you had larger issues.
what you described with the plug wire going into the coil is an issue I had a couple weeks ago and on this particular cylinder. Ill double check once the sun comes back out, and Ill also pull the plug. lots of oil in exhaust however.
 
Did a compression test today. Engine cold. Got about 140-142 on left cylinder. 140 on right. That's not bad at all, considering.
Left:
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Plug:
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Right:
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Plug:
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Lots of oil getting into left cylinder. Maybe valve seals eh?
 
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Well, I hit a wall with the engine. I ran out of funds to do an engine rebuild....so..today I'm working on the tins and petcock.

Little bit of body work, mixing paint, making a new steel bracket to mount fender to swingarm (aluminum kept breaking), and rebuilding petcock as floods carbs even in off position.

Green/Blue depending on lighting:
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Petcock o-ring is toast:
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