82 XS650 Starts then dies

There ya go ! how can ya go wrong there !!!!??? Smart feller.... Mc Master and car might have been cheaper though but at least you'll have extras for other stuff ! ..... I like to buy extras when it comes to stuff like that too ! ya never know when you'll need one !
.....
Bob..........
 
Yup - those should be fine I'd say.

I also wholeheartedly agree with littlebill31 about the plugs locking up if you do NOT use a washer. Back in the 1970's when I had my first XS650B - it came without a washer on one of the plugs and I had to have a buddy sit on the bike and hold the brakes on while I use a long pipe on the wrench to get the stuck plug out.

Fortunately, there wasn't any damage - but it was not a happy moment.

Pete
 
Yup... I'd be checking things like the valve clearances and timing chain tension carefully. Also front fork fasteners and rear wheel axle nut plus cotter pins all around....
 
now we can see why the carb bowl threads are frequently stripped out :rolleyes: wouldn't surprise me if some owners use a torque wrench on them.

I once helped a neigbour fit something to the handlebars of his bicycle. He was a young Intern so not exactly stupid. He had stripped all the threads of his bar clamp and was attempted to torque up a replacement.

I removed the torque wrench and tightened the 4x screws into the aluminium theads by fingertip feel . He was incredulous !..... why didn't I use the wrench to torque the screws to the manufacturers recommended torque settings ? How could one possibly trust 'feel' for correct tightness. I could see that he wasn't at all happy to trust my simple muscle torque test
I just hope that I never find myself going under his scalpel.:(
 
So huge update today. The bike went for a small right around the neighborhood for the first time in oh lets say 9 years. It had a little trouble starting but that was probably because i did a lot of electrical testing and definitely drained the battery a bit. Now to get it running smooth is the plan. So while sitting idle or running the RMPS would jump up to 2-3k and then slowly come back down. I am going to start looking into what it could be but it scared me a bit while riding when the rpms jumped up without me giving it any throttle.
 
Excellent Cal!! It must feel great to finally have even a short ride.

On the idle issue - lots of potential causes but start with a simple one: is you throttle cable routed properly and is it binding?

That was my big issue with all the time the tank was on and off and on and off etc etc.

Pete
 
The throttle cable is routed properly and is not binding at all super responsive even watched it down low to make sure. Going to put a couple drops of lube on there just to make sure.
 
Okay guys so I know its been a while since I posted anything so here we go with the rebuild. First off throttle cable is in great condition and I swapped the carbs, bike stopped hanging as much. I am assuming air leak through my original carbs. I will rebuild them again. Second I fixed all my oil leaks. Looks like the cam shaft was not 100% centered and gasket behind was deteriorated (replaced). The oil filter gasket (which I never think the oil filter was cleaned) was so worn down after removing it I couldn't get it sealed up. I bought new ones from a local shop... Super expensive, I will buy a gasket kit online next time and wait for it to arrive.

After listening to it backfire a bit time and time again I went in with an ignition timing light and verified that timing seemed right (again not an expert mechanic) so I went to the cam tensioner and noticed that the little nub was way too far out. Adjusted that and the back firing is all but a thing of the past.

Next and I think last step in getting this bike road ready besides a fresh coat of paint is a charging problem. I ran the bike for a while and then it just suddenly died. Checked the battery and I couldn't turn the bike over with the push button. Kick it a few times it starts up and dies. Recharge battery and it runs for a while then dies again, and battery is dead.

While looking over the bike I noticed a nice dent in the stator rotor (FML) which I would assume is part of my charging problem (hopefully all of it). Will plan on replacing that as soon as I get a list of parts I still need (will need brushes too). As I have the 82 I need one with the permanent magnets. Was searching the internet for one and I went to MikesXS first because I can usually find what I am looking for. I also found others on the internet for a bit cheaper. So I will see what I come up with all I know is after all of this if its just a stator rotor and some elbow grease to get this thing up and running I am going to be super happy. Until my next update Cal out
 
your '82 has a regular Alternator in it... not a permanent magnet one...if it's stock.... which is better ! (it's not a PMA)
9 times out of 10 the voltage regulator/Rectifier will be bad because people put Automotive size chargers on the bikes and cook the Rectifier/regulator in a hart beat....
yes check the brushes ! chances are they are too short to reach the copper rings under proper pressure.... and making and braking that connection can lead to Rect/REG failure too.
I have no idea what you mean by a Nice dent in the Stator Rotor (FML) the center thing that spins is the stator and would be near impossible to dent as it's almost solid steel..... do you Mean the cover, covering the alternator ? pictures would help ! <GRIN>
Good catch on the cam chain adjustment curing the Backfiring ! that is a new one on me !
next time you have the valve cover off double check the valve timing and make absolutely sure the crank and cam are timed perfectly !
there are trouble shooting threads on the NO charging issue in the Tech section , under Forums/garage/xs650 technical reference.
......
Bob.........
 
Cal Schilling said:
Okay guys so I know its been a while since I posted anything so here we go with the rebuild. First off throttle cable is in great condition and I swapped the carbs, bike stopped hanging as much. I am assuming air leak through my original carbs. I will rebuild them again. Second I fixed all my oil leaks. Looks like the cam shaft was not 100% centered and gasket behind was deteriorated (replaced). The oil filter gasket (which I never think the oil filter was cleaned) was so worn down after removing it I couldn't get it sealed up. I bought new ones from a local shop... Super expensive, I will buy a gasket kit online next time and wait for it to arrive.

After listening to it backfire a bit time and time again I went in with an ignition timing light and verified that timing seemed right (again not an expert mechanic) so I went to the cam tensioner and noticed that the little nub was way too far out. Adjusted that and the back firing is all but a thing of the past.

Next and I think last step in getting this bike road ready besides a fresh coat of paint is a charging problem. I ran the bike for a while and then it just suddenly died. Checked the battery and I couldn't turn the bike over with the push button. Kick it a few times it starts up and dies. Recharge battery and it runs for a while then dies again, and battery is dead.

While looking over the bike I noticed a nice dent in the stator rotor (FML) which I would assume is part of my charging problem (hopefully all of it). Will plan on replacing that as soon as I get a list of parts I still need (will need brushes too). As I have the 82 I need one with the permanent magnets. Was searching the internet for one and I went to MikesXS first because I can usually find what I am looking for. I also found others on the internet for a bit cheaper. So I will see what I come up with all I know is after all of this if its just a stator rotor and some elbow grease to get this thing up and running I am going to be super happy. Until my next update Cal out
Click to expand...
First, make sure your battery is good by checking water levels in all cells, charging it up and then taking it to a garage or battery store to get it load tested and then replace if necessary. Check voltage available at brown wire on generator brush - lots of info on how to do if you search this forum. Dirty master switch and/or run-stop switch will reduce input voltage that the generator needs to work right - again, good info on how to clean them on this site. There also is a very complete charging guide in the Tech section that explains how to test rotors and stators, but you need to start with a known good battery. Clymer or Haynes manual will have test for diodes in the later voltage regulators. Be very wary of aftermarket rotors of unknown quality - you can get your original rotor or stator rewound if they are bad. Properly maintained, the stock charging system on later models like yours is a well-functioning, reliable one - spend some money on a voltmeter, not on a PMA.
 
+1 - a good voltmeter is a must for working on anything with an engine or a motor (which are quite different animals BTW).
 
Bob Kelly III said:
your '82 has a regular Alternator in it... not a permanent magnet one...if it's stock.... which is better ! (it's not a PMA)
9 times out of 10 the voltage regulator/Rectifier will be bad because people put Automotive size chargers on the bikes and cook the Rectifier/regulator in a hart beat....
yes check the brushes ! chances are they are too short to reach the copper rings under proper pressure.... and making and braking that connection can lead to Rect/REG failure too.
I have no idea what you mean by a Nice dent in the Stator Rotor (FML) the center thing that spins is the stator and would be near impossible to dent as it's almost solid steel..... do you Mean the cover, covering the alternator ? pictures would help ! <GRIN>
Good catch on the cam chain adjustment curing the Backfiring ! that is a new one on me !
next time you have the valve cover off double check the valve timing and make absolutely sure the crank and cam are timed perfectly !
there are trouble shooting threads on the NO charging issue in the Tech section , under Forums/garage/xs650 technical reference.
......
Bob.........
Click to expand...

I swear I read that this one is permanent magnet but thanks for the info. As for the dent on the Sator Rotor it looks like something hit the rotor right in the outer copper ring that would make the brush skip when it rotates (I will take pictures when I go back to my parents where the bike is located) But I found the rotor on MikesXS

https://www.mikesxs.net/yamaha-xs65...MIk8Ln8cCi1gIVlrXACh27tAryEAQYAyABEgKQsvD_BwE

aldo5468 said:
First, make sure your battery is good by checking water levels in all cells, charging it up and then taking it to a garage or battery store to get it load tested and then replace if necessary. Check voltage available at brown wire on generator brush - lots of info on how to do if you search this forum. Dirty master switch and/or run-stop switch will reduce input voltage that the generator needs to work right - again, good info on how to clean them on this site. There also is a very complete charging guide in the Tech section that explains how to test rotors and stators, but you need to start with a known good battery. Clymer or Haynes manual will have test for diodes in the later voltage regulators. Be very wary of aftermarket rotors of unknown quality - you can get your original rotor or stator rewound if they are bad. Properly maintained, the stock charging system on later models like yours is a well-functioning, reliable one - spend some money on a voltmeter, not on a PMA.
Click to expand...

Battery is brand new so no problem with that battery. I will check the wire on the generator brush, and will clean the run-stop switch (think I did that already but I have done so much) I have tested a lot of the electronics but will check some more. Also I have a couple voltmeters, but what is a PMA?

I will keep updating as I try things but as most of you know I live a few hours from where the bike is stored right now and I don't work on it as much as I should.
 
Well, it's good to hear from you again Cal - stick at it and you'll get there.

Pete
 
I would say so.........said he needed brushes, Factory charging system..................

WARNING...........some of MikesXS's rotors, (yes to the link you posted is the rotor for a TCI ignition-80-84 XS650's), have been found wanting...........some the taper is not true, bad run out, and there has been a case where the rotor was put together and the magnet placement was 60 degrees or so off.

Do a search on the site for "Custom rewind", they rewind your original and from reports this guy is good and the best way to go.........save $10 as well i think.
 
PMA stands for "Permanent Magnet Alternator". It's a different type of charging system compared to what came stock on your 650. The stock system is an automotive style 3 phase alternator. One of the benefits to that is we can use cheap and reliable automotive regulators if a replacement is needed. A PMA requires a different type of regulator and they are quite expensive, often $100 or more. The auto regs for the stock system can routinely be found on eBay for between $10 and $20, and even brand new at an auto parts store are only about $30.

There are several vendors selling PMA kits for the 650 now. They claim the stock charging system is crap and you need this upgrade. That's just not true, a stock system in good shape is every bit as good as, even better than, a PMA. The truth of the matter is that the PMA is crap. I feel it's a poor design even though it's commonly used on many different bikes. Once the RPMs rise, it's running full blast. The extra, unneeded voltage is bled off through the regulator in the form of heat. As you might guess, burnt out regulators are common on these systems, even on factory ones using quality Japanese components. The kits being sold contain mostly cheap Chinese parts. These can fail even sooner, and many do.

Even if I had a 650 with a totally shot stock charging system, I wouldn't get a PMA. I'd replace it with good used stock components.
 

Similar threads

Fingerscrossed
Engine cutting out / dies on throttle
2 3
Replies
41
Views
1K
Fingerscrossed
Fingerscrossed
M
Idles poorly, surges and dies after 40 minutes of riding
Replies
5
Views
706
Halftwist
Halftwist
O
1980 XS650 Bobber Build - Starts with electric starter, not kickstarter
Replies
9
Views
243
onimoto
O
2ManyHobbies
77 xs650 won't start after mods
Replies
19
Views
536
sleddog83
sleddog83
J
Ignition or?
Replies
12
Views
614
jetmechmarty
jetmechmarty
Back
Top