Monty
XS650 Enthusiast
Hey guys, finally got my bike running and took it for a few test rides. I am 99% positive this was my fault and not Hughs, the wiring attached to the stator melted. I think the wiring wasn't secured well enough (my fault), and it either rubbed on the mounting plate or the spinning rotor, causing it to rub through the wire insulation and create a short, get hot, and melt.
I carefully cut the old melted mess off the stator, unwrapped each wire a couple times to have something to work with, and I soldered some new wiring on. Running off an external battery I got 15-22 vac on each pair, so I figure I repaired the stator correctly. I decided to jump the gun and wire everything back up and start it with no further testing. The bike ran like crap, it would only idle. It almost sounded like bad timing, so I put a light on it, and the mark jumped all over the place. Adjustments to the Pamco had no effect whatsoever.
I ran it on battery power again, and the timing was spot on and it ran well. I tested the voltage at the capacitor, and at a low idle (barely running) I'd get 12 or maybe 12.5 vdc, but it would drop dramatically when applying the throttle, down to 3 or 4 vdc. I got the same results with two separate caps. I checked and rechecked all connections and grounds. I figure somewhere along the line I fried the r/r, but it seems to me most people get over voltage with a bad one, not less. But what do I know??? Anybody got any other ideas before I buy a new one?
She sure looks good, but she is pissing me off right now...
I carefully cut the old melted mess off the stator, unwrapped each wire a couple times to have something to work with, and I soldered some new wiring on. Running off an external battery I got 15-22 vac on each pair, so I figure I repaired the stator correctly. I decided to jump the gun and wire everything back up and start it with no further testing. The bike ran like crap, it would only idle. It almost sounded like bad timing, so I put a light on it, and the mark jumped all over the place. Adjustments to the Pamco had no effect whatsoever.
I ran it on battery power again, and the timing was spot on and it ran well. I tested the voltage at the capacitor, and at a low idle (barely running) I'd get 12 or maybe 12.5 vdc, but it would drop dramatically when applying the throttle, down to 3 or 4 vdc. I got the same results with two separate caps. I checked and rechecked all connections and grounds. I figure somewhere along the line I fried the r/r, but it seems to me most people get over voltage with a bad one, not less. But what do I know??? Anybody got any other ideas before I buy a new one?
She sure looks good, but she is pissing me off right now...
