Starting from scratch 1981 xs650

Aldo5468 that's great. The one I see attached like that must have a bowl on the bottom.
thank you.
 
Aldo5468 that's great. The one I see attached like that must have a bowl on the bottom.
thank you.
I also filed a bit of material off the blackened area of the check valve shown in the attached pic to help ensure adequate clearance to the frame tube above. The hexhead bolts that attach the breather to the cylinder head have to be in place before JB-welding the check valve in the breather port. An alternative might be to use studs Loctited into the head with washers and nuts. For a drain hose, I just use the original one, upside down from its stock placement.
 

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Hey guys help me out, what is that black and yellow wire sticking out the relay for or to ? Trying to get head light working still.

The four prong unit the connector plugs into is just part of the safety relay, correct?
We're enjoying the sunny spring weather in Maryland today. Days like this make me happy, a sure cure for the winter doldrums.
Patrick
 
What's considered the main safety relay, the one for the starter and headlight, is the 2 relay unit below the one with the broken wire. The single one with the broken wire is the clutch switch relay .....

qO7iCqh.jpg


There's a switch on your clutch lever that connects to this relay. This relay only allows the starter to function if the bike is in neutral or the clutch lever is pulled in. Notice the R/W wires running into and out of the relay. That's power to the solenoid from the starter safety relay. This relay interrupts that power flow. If you want to do away with this relay, you'll need to jumper the two R/W wires together to restore power flow to the solenoid. Personally, I recommend doing away with it.
 
This weekend I pulled the left side cover off to install a new rewound rotor. Darn Amazon puller is the wrong size. ordered another of ebay with 4 day shipping ($20).
When I tested it through brushes several weeks ago, I got no reading. This time It tested out at zero (ol) (infinity ?) ohms. At first I didn't believe it
but I tested my new Jim's rewound rotor it tested out at 5.4 OHMS, like it was supposed to, so i know my multimeter is not broke.

There was many years of oily road and motorcycle road dirt under and behind the left cover. Man I am sore as heck from squirting and scrubbing
and brushing and rinsing. Old toothbrush, rag, old paint brush, scraper, wd40, simple green, soap and water, bucket and hose.

i left it in neutral when i took it apart. that was probably the wrong thing to do when it comes to removing the rotor nut. So I took a big pipe and stuck it through the rear wheel rungs (mag type wheel) to lock up the rear wheel. I turned the breaking bar counter clock wise with a 17MM socket. The pipe moved in the same direction and wedged up against the rear forks. The nut came of with ease. Pretty good day. Sore back sore hands. I was sitting on the driveway with the bike on the center stand.
Anyone ever try the rope in the spark plug hole method with a motorcycle? It works great on a outboard motor.
Patrick
 
i left it in neutral when i took it apart. that was probably the wrong thing to do when it comes to removing the rotor nut. So I took a big pipe and stuck it through the rear wheel rungs (mag type wheel) to lock up the rear wheel. I turned the breaking bar counter clock wise with a 17MM socket. The pipe moved in the same direction and wedged up against the rear forks. The nut came of with ease. Pretty good day. Sore back sore hands. I was sitting on the driveway with the bike on the center stand.
Anyone ever try the rope in the spark plug hole method with a motorcycle? It works great on a outboard motor.
Use an oil filter strap wrench. Perfect fit.


2.jpg
 
I try to get under that left cover at least once a year and give it an annual "Spring cleaning". I'm usually presented with something like this, just some chain lube fling-off .....

lvGuHOe.jpg


Keep up on it like this and you won't have the major clean-up you usually find needed when you 1st get one of these. A tip after cleaning - grease the exposed portion of the clutch pushrod. It's just raw steel and although chain lube fling-off will eventually coat it again, if you get caught in the rain before that, it can rust. Then you'll be pushing rust through the pushrod seal every time you pull the clutch lever in, not good.

vbunUzX.jpg
 
5 Twins and Jim thank you. Is the push rod the thing attached to the end of the clutch cable or is it the rod with the rubber seal surrounding it in the upper left of your picture ? I haven't even thought about what that thing does.

Next that old rotor comes off. It looks real bad. No wonder no charging.
 
It's the rod with the rubber seal around it, the one I've greased after cleaning. It does as it's name implies, pushes through the engine cases when you pull in the clutch lever. The clutch is mounted clear on the other side of the motor so a means to transmit pushing power to disengage it over to it's pressure plate is needed. Your model actually has 2 pushrods with 5/16" balls between them .....

H29lYkR.jpg


Over at the clutch, they push against the top hat or mushroom shaped part "m" below which moves the pressure plate out. That allows the clutch plates to separate, "float", and disengage .....

ie48Tbk.jpg
 
BowlingSS thanks for asking. Yes I am having fun. Just a minute ago myself and the clutch worm actuator assembly started playing ring around the rosy.

Fed ex left a nice gift last night at my door step. My new flywheel puller. It works real well.
I can't get it off the old rotor however. Maybe i should sell it on ebay list as a flywheel puller
used rotor combination, no returns accepted. BowlingSS do you need it , PM me I can set up at my cost push free used rotor.

Pulling rotor and side cover. Rotor installed then I look at the clutch worm
when I am putting things back together. The old assembly is intact, but the white plate looks cracked. I probably won't put things back together like this, so it's probably time to use
the $100 free shipping at Mikes again.
Back to work at 8am tomorrow.
Patrick
 
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5Twins thank you. Before I even read your post I tried to put things back together but could not get HER
out of gear. The clutch light stays lit. I don't feel the push rod connecting securely with worm gear.

How common is it to lose the bearing between the first push rod and the second ? I took and pressed it againest the push rod seal but nothing came out.

The top of the actuator assembly were the screw and worm are connected and the skinny end of the rod goes (?)I can see a ball in the shaft. Is a bearing supposed to be there ?
When I did the deep clean the rod was covered in mud. Probably lost.

I already ordered a new push rod lever assembly 56.95 and a new ball bearing and new stator screws for ( $72). You can get a 5/16 at ACE for like $1 or 100 for 5-10 bucks from China. Really thanks again for all your help.


It's the rod with the rubber seal around it, the one I've greased after cleaning. It does as it's name implies, pushes through the engine cases when you pull in the clutch lever. The clutch is mounted clear on the other side of the motor so a means to transmit pushing power to disengage it over to it's pressure plate is needed. Your model actually has 2 pushrods with 5/16" balls between them .....

H29lYkR.jpg


Over at the clutch, they push against the top hat or mushroom shaped part "m" below which moves the pressure plate out. That allows the clutch plates to separate, "float", and disengage .....

ie48Tbk.jpg
n I pulled out the rod and at that point I didn't even think about looking for a bearing sticking
on the end of it.
 
I'll send it back maybe. Where do you get a better one then Mike's ? Luck if can find it ?

The old one looks better after I took it off and soaked the screw in blaster
 
If you can endure that whole thread, you'll see that the MikesXS actuator can be used, just be aware of the reduced travel.

Otherwise, used actuators sometimes show up on eBay...
 
BowlingSS thanks for asking. Yes I am having fun. Just a minute ago myself and the clutch worm actuator assembly started playing ring around the rosy.

Fed ex left a nice gift last night at my door step. My new flywheel puller. It works real well.
I can't get it off the old rotor however. Maybe i should sell it on ebay list as a flywheel puller
used rotor combination, no returns accepted. BowlingSS do you need it , PM me I can set up at my cost push free used rotor.

Pulling rotor and side cover. Rotor installed then I look at the clutch worm
when I am putting things back together. The old assembly is intact, but the white plate looks cracked. I probably won't put things back together like this, so it's probably time to use
the $100 free shipping at Mikes again.
Back to work at 8am tomorrow.
Patrick
Jim might need the rotor.
 
I may go with the old one. Use some expoxy on the cracks in the white housing.

But one major concern with the old lever - Are the two screws supposed to be loose ?
I tightened them a bit but they didn't want to go to far in so I didn't force them.
 
If you mean the two mounting screws that hold the female nylon worm to the side cover, no, they shouldn't be loose .....

TtNMEiE.jpg


Check the screw length, maybe someone installed longer than stock screws. The holes in the cover are semi-blind and the screw won't go all the way through .....

kKU1l8Z.jpg


Gg9H6tf.jpg
 
Awesome 5twins That has to be it. I will find shorter ones. I have about 2000 spare old machine screws
inherited from Dad and Grandpa ;)
 
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