Gordon in nc
XS650 Junkie
I'm going to give in and ask.....just to many "other" won't start threads to search through.
As Pink would say "I'm a hazard to myself....don't let me get me...I'm my worst enemy"
Back ground: 1975 XS650B. I've had it a little over a month and within that time, woke it up from a LONG sleep. I've been going through the bike and trying to get in road worthy. Just a couple of weeks ago the bike ran for the first time since 1985. I've put a little over 50 trouble free miles, never getting far away from the shop and taking it easy with it.
No problems until a couple of days ago. I just got back from a short run and the bike was running fine. BUT (here I go) I decided to strobe check the timing again to see if it was still in spec. It was off just a little so I re-adjusted it. Right side first, then left. I'm feeling pretty good about that task by now. While I'm doing it.....I get to thinking about the advance. There hasn't been a problem with it but I read a lot about lubing the advance rod. This bike sat unused for a LONG time and everything else was gummed up and stuck....so I figure, what the heck I'll pull it out and that will be one more thing I won't have to worry about.
I did the research...printed out some posts (5twins) that explain how to do it. No problem. First I rechecked ( I had already done it because Barb told me to) the weights movment (with the points held open) and they seemed to be free. But I was bound and determined to pull that rod out to see what it looked like if nothing else. Well....the only thing I DIDN'T do following 5twins instructions was to pull the locating pin out of the advance side. I gave it a little tug and it didn't move so I figured the heck with it I'll leave it in and it'll be indexed correctly when I put it back. Good thing is....the rod was free but pretty dry. I felt good about getting some moly in there and also the points cam had a bit of surface rust and I cleaned that up too. Slid the cleaned and lubed rod back through the cam......slid the knotched spacer on.....tightened the nut (w/a drop of blue) lined up the two scribed lines on the advancer and attached the weights. I figured I would need to re-adjust the points gap because of the cam cleaning...and I did. Job's done.....let's fire it up and see how it goes. That was two days ago.....the bike wouldn't start then and still won't start.
All I get is a slight chuffing through the carbs when I'm trying to start it.
Here's what I've done up to now.
Swapped the weights around and got a backfire......figure I'd put them back where they were.
Checked the cam chain adjustment (twice)
Checked the valves (twice) (this was a puzzler and might be a clue? Exhaust were tight and inlet were real loose...it's been run a little over 50 miles since I adjusted them the first time)
Checked the points gap (twice)
Static timed it (twice)
Checked spark to the plugs (yes)
Checked for compression (yes...finger over the plug hole....it's the same as before, when it ran.)
New plugs
Gas is getting to the cylinders
Some how........something has changed. My guess is timing but, HOW. If I line up the two scribed lines on the advancer....the locating pin is a 12 oclock. If I go around and look at the points cam....I can barley see the notch behind the nut but it's at 12 oclock too.
It was running fine/starting with the first touch of the started button before I took the advance rod out.
Timing chains......grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I did get a pretty good backfire when I swapped the advance weights around...but that was only after it didn't start.
It's got to be something simple...might not be simple to fix but I'm not giving up.
Searching for answers and needed to vent.....thanks in advance.....Gordon in NC
As Pink would say "I'm a hazard to myself....don't let me get me...I'm my worst enemy"
Back ground: 1975 XS650B. I've had it a little over a month and within that time, woke it up from a LONG sleep. I've been going through the bike and trying to get in road worthy. Just a couple of weeks ago the bike ran for the first time since 1985. I've put a little over 50 trouble free miles, never getting far away from the shop and taking it easy with it.
No problems until a couple of days ago. I just got back from a short run and the bike was running fine. BUT (here I go) I decided to strobe check the timing again to see if it was still in spec. It was off just a little so I re-adjusted it. Right side first, then left. I'm feeling pretty good about that task by now. While I'm doing it.....I get to thinking about the advance. There hasn't been a problem with it but I read a lot about lubing the advance rod. This bike sat unused for a LONG time and everything else was gummed up and stuck....so I figure, what the heck I'll pull it out and that will be one more thing I won't have to worry about.
I did the research...printed out some posts (5twins) that explain how to do it. No problem. First I rechecked ( I had already done it because Barb told me to) the weights movment (with the points held open) and they seemed to be free. But I was bound and determined to pull that rod out to see what it looked like if nothing else. Well....the only thing I DIDN'T do following 5twins instructions was to pull the locating pin out of the advance side. I gave it a little tug and it didn't move so I figured the heck with it I'll leave it in and it'll be indexed correctly when I put it back. Good thing is....the rod was free but pretty dry. I felt good about getting some moly in there and also the points cam had a bit of surface rust and I cleaned that up too. Slid the cleaned and lubed rod back through the cam......slid the knotched spacer on.....tightened the nut (w/a drop of blue) lined up the two scribed lines on the advancer and attached the weights. I figured I would need to re-adjust the points gap because of the cam cleaning...and I did. Job's done.....let's fire it up and see how it goes. That was two days ago.....the bike wouldn't start then and still won't start.
All I get is a slight chuffing through the carbs when I'm trying to start it.
Here's what I've done up to now.
Swapped the weights around and got a backfire......figure I'd put them back where they were.
Checked the cam chain adjustment (twice)
Checked the valves (twice) (this was a puzzler and might be a clue? Exhaust were tight and inlet were real loose...it's been run a little over 50 miles since I adjusted them the first time)
Checked the points gap (twice)
Static timed it (twice)
Checked spark to the plugs (yes)
Checked for compression (yes...finger over the plug hole....it's the same as before, when it ran.)
New plugs
Gas is getting to the cylinders
Some how........something has changed. My guess is timing but, HOW. If I line up the two scribed lines on the advancer....the locating pin is a 12 oclock. If I go around and look at the points cam....I can barley see the notch behind the nut but it's at 12 oclock too.
It was running fine/starting with the first touch of the started button before I took the advance rod out.
Timing chains......grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I did get a pretty good backfire when I swapped the advance weights around...but that was only after it didn't start.
It's got to be something simple...might not be simple to fix but I'm not giving up.
Searching for answers and needed to vent.....thanks in advance.....Gordon in NC