Matt's First mechanical endeavor. I'm hoping for the best!!!

[fishhat]

Got the clutch adjusted this weekend, and It is working SOOO much better. It is such a good feeling to actually be able to cruise around city streets in 3rd and actually have power when I put on some throttle. There is still a bit of slippage, but it's not bad enough that I'm going to tear the case apart. I think I'll plan on thoroughly checking the clutch when Hugh finishes his hydraulic conversion kit (http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6356&highlight=hydraulic+clutch ).

I have been struggling with where I wanted to go with this bike. At first I was fairly set on visualimpact's ( http://www.visualimpact2.com/UNITED-STATES-SHOPPING-PAGE.html ) brat kit. After looking at Pregrid's build ( http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7059&highlight=pregrid ) I started to like the idea of a tracker. What to do? I think that I am going to do a bit of a bastard of the two. Here is my inspiration

The goal is now salient. What to do next???

 

[crashcourse]

I'm borrowing this pic to add to my inspiration files.

 

[osteoderm]

#1 - This whole thread is deadly awesome honest good-time entertainment! A+ Keep rockin' it!

#2 - Someone else wants to see how my capacitor bank works. Dang. I better get on that again...

#3 - That bike is from An-Bu in Japan. Lousy website, impossible to read, will entertain you for hours. I don't like every last detail, but their overall style is what has inspired me the most, and what I keep going back to when my imagination falls flat.

 

[fishhat]

Here is a link to the An-Bu website that uses Google to translate Japanese --> English

http://translate.google.com/transla...t=1&eotf=1&u=http://www.an-bu.jp/&sl=ja&tl=en

It still isn't easy to understand, but you can sort of get the gist. I'm in love with their gas tank. Just not sure if it's worth $1000 plus international shipping.

All right, all that said....back to my clutch.
It is jacked again. After running beautifully for about a week, it's back to slipping. But, it isn't just back to slipping... new problems with the clutch:

1. can't downshift while moving. I have to be stopped to get into 1st (Even then it can be a pain in the ass)
1a) When I do downshift from 5--> 4--> 3, etc. I can hardly feel the gear catching
2. More difficult to find neutral
3. Shift lever range of motion has gotten smaller
3a) because of this, I have found a secondary neutral between 3rd & 4th which is a delight when getting onto the freeway

What to do now?

 

[pamcopete]

Did you change the clutch or at least take it apart and back together again? If so, are you aware of this little trick?

http://www.650motorcycles.com/assembly1.html

 

[Ksboy19]

Subscribed

 

[KentMoney]

just get a new set of friction disks/plates man. That fixed all my clutch slipping problems and it's not very expensive. I also got aftermarket clutch basket springs which helped a lot.

as for shoddy shifting, it may be a problem that can only be solved by taking the crankcase apart...

 

[fishhat]

Where to start...
*I will come back in and add pictures when I get the time to upload everything from my camera.

This past weekend, I rebuilt my clutch.

New parts from MikesXS:
6 - High Performance Friction Plates. Part #39-6533
6 - High Performance Clutch Springs. Part #39-6506
1 - Needle Bearing & Thrust Washer. Part #39-6505
1 - Long Pushrod. Part #39-6511
2- Pushrod Ball Bearings. Part #39-6509
1- Clutch Pushrod Shaft Bushing. Part #01-2020
1- Clutch Pushrod Oil Seal Part #01-9019
LHS case Gasket, RHS case gasket, Filter element gasket, Filter element cover gasket - from Mikes Gasket Set.

I took off the LHS and the RHS engine cases Friday afternoon, and I set the new friction plates to soak overnight in oil.

When taking the clutch apart, I stripped out 4 of the clutch spring screws and had to drill them out.

The old clutch laid out.

I had originally wanted to buy the 2 piece clutch spring set from Mikes, but they were out of stock so as a back up I decided to modify them myself using the steps here ( http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3408&highlight=clutch+spring+screw ). Being as how I don't have any power tools of my own, I had to turn to my father in law.

Keep in mind that this drill press must have been at least 40 years old. The first attempt went off without a hitch. Nice clean hole straight through. The next two didn't work out so well... I'm not sure if my makeshift wooden jig failed, or what, but after the first, it just would not work.

Then I went on a mad search for clutch spring screws. I found them, but I think that they might have been solid rust.

After soaking them in Vinegar overnight and taking a steel brush to them, they didn't look all that bad.

Now, to the work.

I started out Sunday by switching out the clutch pushrod bushing. Now, every "to-do" guide makes this seem like an easy job. Not for me. Whether my drill was not true or what, this turned out to be an absolute pain in my ass. By the end, I had to file the original bushing down completely. It never came out on its own.

Then I lubed the clutch cable, and reinstalled the LHS case.

I moved to the other side, carefully put the new clutch & friction plates in place. It wasn't until the 3rd attempt that I finally realized that on my '81, needed to put the thicker clutch plate on and secure it with the clutch-boss retaining wire. That little wire is now my nemesis! Little FUCKER just doesn't want to go into it's home (got to appreciate the opportunity for a "Happy Gilmore" reference).

After getting the clutch together, I ran into some trouble getting the case back on. When I pulled the case off initially, I knocked the kick starter out of place. So, I got the kicker lubed up and back into position, and I was able to button the RHS case up.

At this point, I was fairly anxious to get the entire project completed. I poured in 3 qts of oil, threw the gas tank on, and fired the bike up.

I sprung a fuel leak at the petcock, so I pulled the tank back off and replaced the fuel line between the petcock and the filter. (I was using cheapo ¼ in hose from autozone).

I fired the engine up, and everything seemed to be working great!

Monday morning, I drove the bike to and from school (roughly a 14 mile round trip canyon road going over a hill). The clutch seemed to be working like a charm! After 14 miles and no problems, I thought that it was time to put it to a freeway test. I got about 5 miles down the road averaging 5k rpm in 5th gear (don't know my exact speed since my speedo is fried), and the engine cut out on me. It felt like I had run out of gas, so I flipped over to my reserve tank, and began moving to the shoulder. By the time I had come to a stop, the engine fired back up again (once again making me think that it must have run out of gas). I continued about 5 miles and exited to fill up my tank. Only, I didn't need gas, I had about ¾ of a tank. WEIRD!!! The bike started without problem, and I started to make my way back home. 1 mile later, while waiting at a stop light, the bike dies again, but this time won't start up again.

I did find a really good tow company based out of Orange County, Ca. If you need a tow call Richard (714) 887-6429 he has a custom truck made specifically for towing bikes, and he did a great job. I wish I would have gotten a picture.

I assumed that I must have messed something up with the fuel system, since I rushed putting the tank back on after the clutch, and had to replace a fuel line. I went to a local bike shop, and picked up some high Free Flo fuel line and a new filter. When I installed these to the bike, I noticed that the breather hose had developed a significant crack and popped off of the engine block. I couldn't find an exact replacement for the breather hose, so I used a 5/8"fuel line as a temporary fix. Got everything back on, and...

NOTHING

The bike will not fire. I checked my fuses, and pulled the spark plugs (they were a little dirty, but not oily or wet). I can't see any kinks in my fuel line, and I'm not dripping any fuel. I am planning to run through INXS's step by step troubleshooting guide when I get out of school for the quarter. Until then, I am angry, concerned, and somewhat depressed. Any suggestions (about the bike, not my mood)?


Thanks

 

[KentMoney]

i highly recommend checking your battery and charging system. When i first got my XS I had tons of problems and they all pointed back to my stock charging system and the battery.

do you have 12-14v of juice in your battery?

 

[fishhat]

The day after all of this went down, I charged the battery overnight. Fresh off of the charger, my battery was showing 13.6v and still didn't respond.

 

[fishhat]

I finally got the time to work on my bike today. I did a thorough check of the electrical system:

Fuses are all good.
Red/White wire feeding the Pamco & Ignition is clean and carrying full voltage.
The coil is intact.

Using Pete's Pamco testing procedure:
I am getting pretty blue spark on both plugs.
The green wire is alternating between 12 & 1 like a champ.

I think that I can say that it is not a problem in the electrical system.

I did realize that I had unintentionally used fuel cap breather hose instead of fuel line so I am going to replace it using Motion Pro and install the new breather hose from Mikes. Maybe that will get it working

 

[pamcopete]

Fuses are all good.
Red/White wire feeding the Pamco & Ignition is clean and carrying full voltage.
The coil is intact.

Using Pete's Pamco testing procedure:
I am getting pretty blue spark on both plugs.
The green wire is alternating between 12 & 1 like a champ.

:

Remember that this is a wasted spark system. If one of the magnets has exited the rotor, you will still get spark on both plugs, but only one of them is getting the spark on its compression stroke, so check to be sure all four magnets are there. That will not be a problem if you installed the large washer that came with the PAMCO.

 

[xjwmx]

When taking the clutch apart, I stripped out 4 of the clutch spring screws and had to drill them out.

You need a hand impact driver. Little known tool outside the motorcycle world. Very good to have around for other uses (removing door hinges). There is no substitute.

 

[fishhat]

IT'S RUNNING

So, at this point, I have absolutely NO idea what the problem was. I am pretty sure that the most recent cause of it not running was my bonehead decision to put the wrong hose in place of the fuel line, but what happened in the first place???

Could it have just gotten extraordinarily flooded when the breather hose ripped off the first time? I sat and tried to get it to run for two hours waiting for the tow truck to show up.

Regardless, I'm off to give it a thorough test ride

 

[fishhat]

I sprung a fuel leak at the petcock, so I pulled the tank back off and replaced the fuel line between the petcock and the filter. (I was using cheapo ¼ in hose from autozone).

Perhaps this had something to do with it...

Remember that this is a wasted spark system. If one of the magnets has exited the rotor, you will still get spark on both plugs, but only one of them is getting the spark on its compression stroke, so check to be sure all four magnets are there. That will not be a problem if you installed the large washer that came with the PAMCO.

Pete, I can't even explain to you how cautious I was when installing my PAMCO kit. I was mortified that I might do something wrong. There is a decent installation youtube video (

) that some guy made for the kit. Between that and reading through your install guide a dozen times, I was finally confident enough to try turning it over on about the 5th recheck of my installation.

You need a hand impact driver. Little known tool outside the motorcycle world. Very good to have around for other uses (removing door hinges). There is no substitute.

I actually just purchased the new Dewalt 20v impact driver. A little too late for the clutch replacement though.

 

[SINKING78]

Handheld impact drivers are a must BUT, If you don't have a dead-blow hammer with shot in it, they will won't do a thing...

 

[fishhat]

I am surprised that I'm not dead right now.

I had been planning to take the bike for about a 100 mile round trip freeway ride two days ago.

The morning before I left, I checked and adjusted my cam-chain tensioner. When I popped the acorn nut off, the pin was probably 1/4" (or more) recessed. I brought it out flush with the adjusting bolt and tightened everything back down. I would have liked to have gone through and checked the spacing and timing of my valves, but the bike had been running fine up until then and I didn't have time to let the bike cool before leaving on the ride.

I did the first 50 miles fine. Maintained about 5000 rpm in 5th gear without noticing any problems.

When I started on my way back home, I noticed that there was a weird rattling somewhere low on the bike. When I pulled over to investigate, I immediately saw that my drive chain was loose (probably1-2" of play). My cotter pin was still in place on the axle nut, so I decided to take it home. I tried to drive as easily as possible on the drive home to not put unnecessary strain on the chain/sprockets.

The bike did at times feel as though it was running at a higher rpm than it was, or maybe the engine was working harder I don't know, it seemed to be louder and vibrate more if that makes sense...

When I got home, I rechecked my chain It had gotten so loose that I could probably pull it off of the rear sprocket if I had tried (there must have been over 3" of play both above and below the sprocket).

I was already planning to install my Hughes Hand Built hydraulic clutch this weekend, so when I have the left side case off I'll check to see if something went wrong with the drive sprocket (the rear axle nut wasn't loose in any way).

I have no idea what could have caused the chain to loosen up like that besides the rear wheel shimmying forward.

I'll post what I find.

 

[fishhat]

UGH

I put an effort into HHB hydraulic clutch conversion version 2.0 this week. This time, I got it done properly and went for a 10 mile test drive.

It was working beautifully! I just wanted to make a few adjustments to the levers positioning.

I went back home and fiddled around with the lever which meant I was pulling it a bunch. Once I got it positioned where I wanted it, I noticed that it was no longer engaging the clutch properly. I assumed that I had air in the line and went about bleeding it.

Hugh's instructions make it seem so simple The piston kept sneaking out far enough that a chunk of the seal would pop out of the cylinder (this must have happened 3 or 4 times in the several bleeding attempts). I also bled it dry twice and had to go in and refill the brake fluid. The plastic cover to the reservoir is SOOOOO fragile. I was trying hard to be delicate, and still cracked it in multiple locations

After all of this, I thought that I had all of the air out of the system. I test drove it down the alley and back (200 yards) and it was acting like it was full of air again

After all of these clutch problems, I didn't need anything to happen with my electrical system.

As I started the bike there was a "pop" sound from beneath me and my electric started stopped working. At first I thought that it must have been a fuse, but they were all solid. Then I noticed the smoke coming from somewhere at the bottom of the bike. I think that I fried my starter, but I wanted to check my battery in case it could have been something simple It was worse that I had thought. My battery was a little low 11 V. More concerning was that when running, my PMA was barely putting out 12.4 V at 4000 RPM.

I started the week with my bike running great, even though my left hand was aching a bit. Now my clutch is down for the count, my starter is dead, and my PMA is limping for some reason. As for the "pop" I heard, I don't think it came from the starter; it sounded like it was maybe around the safety relay or just beneath the seat so I have another mystery problem.

I am starting to wonder if it's worth continuing. DAMN this is frustrating.

 

[fishhat]

It's been a while since my last update, so here it is.

First of all, Hugh (punkskalar) has AMAZING customer service. I will come on later to mention my troubles with the clutch on this bike.

For now, I'm going to stick to the valves. A while back, I did a valve adjustment (first the cam chain tensioner, then the valve spacing). Everything was running great! Then a rattle/slapping/tapping sort of sound developed. It was especially bad around 3000-4000 rpm. I was hoping that maybe I had just left a lock nut on one of the valves too loose, but no. My left side exhaust valve is stuck (at least I'm assuming that's what the problem is). There is no gap whatsoever for the feeler gauge, no matter how much I tighten/loosen the adjustment screw, the spring keeps pressed tight against it.

Now what? I'm moving forward on the assumption that I need to pull the engine out and rebuild my top end, maybe my pistons & sleeves, maybe more. Who knows? I'm really starting to get down about this bike. Anyone want to cover my costs and take this sweetheart of a money trap home as your own???? Nah, I'm going to see it through to the end. Whether that's the junk yard or the highway, I'm not really certain.

 

[Royboy]

Matt, I think you are my hero. Just read the whole thread and this could make a novel. You've got the best get it done work ethic I've seen in a while. Do not despair, stay tough. There's gotta be a member somewhere close to you who could provide some support. How bout' it guys?

roy