kill switch overhaul

[gggGary]

pictures say about 90% of it. This is on an 80 but prolly the same all years. Switch was stuck but a
"good to do" maintenance on any old bike, you want full volts to the coil....

In spite of the small size, those screws fit a #2 (or JIS #2) screwdriver best. Polish don't sandpaper contacts. grease with dielectric silicone or 2M's contact lubricant. There are three springs, two on the contact bracket one with a ball for the off-on-off detents, you can see just the top end of the springs in the pic, grease springs, ball, the spring wells, helps keep rust at bay. Nice to work in a cake pan, keeps little parts from wandering off.
Note the third switch retaining screw hiding under the two wires inside the control.

Key words; power control over haul fix repair ignition clean

 

[Mailman]

This is something I really need to do. All my switch gear has a thick gummy feel to them. I've been hesitant to get into them because I have spent entire afternoons before, searching my garage for tiny parts that have jumped out of their hiding places when I took them apart. I really like the cake pan idea for capturing run aways.

 

[gggGary]

I will say that I'll grab some spray silicone and hit sticky, rough feeling switches then give em a good work out. Often as not it gets them back in business. But mission critical switches like this and the key switch deserve the full monty.

 

[xjwmx]

Here's how I overhauled mine. Parts of it had crumbled beyond repair so I connected the two lugs together and taped them. Found a throwaway plug on the floor from an industrial light fixture and glued it in there. Gasoline and a thumbnail will get those labels off.

 

[mrtwowheel]

Much better to clean switches before you HAVE TO. I watched a Hi/Low beam switch burn up before my eyes when I was 700 miles from home once, smoke was rolling out of there. I rode another 75 miles that night with only high beam. Some ScotchBrite and charcoal lighter, borrowed from a neighboring camper, fixed it the next morning. I also cleaned an ignition switch, road side, once. I've had headlight problems with the Honda starter switches while far from home too.

Scott

 

[5twins]

Just a note on identifying J.I.S. Phillips screws. The heads have a dot stamped on them. Gary's pics nicely illustrate this.

 

[xjwmx]

Any idea why JIS is used in some places on the bike and Phillips in others?

 

[5twins]

Standard Phillips screws have larger heads than the J.I.S. ones and I think Yamaha wanted that in some spots. A couple examples of this are the screws that hold the points/advance housing covers on and the ones on the alternator cover.

 

[angus67]

This is a must-do, but i hate putting them back together with those tiny balls and springs.