Even after installing Pamco, bike still stumbles at idle

[ann0yed]

I can't believe I still have this problem. When I got the bike it was totally stock, and while idling at a light, it would stall occasionally. I eventually put new coils in, changed the plugs and while it started better, it would still have these falters in idle and stall sometimes. I finally decided to just put a new ignition in so I installed the Pamco and I just went for a short ride, and ITS THE SAME for god's sake! Occasionally it would falter and almost stall and I swear at times I only heard one cylinder firing.

-jonathan

 

[Tech7]

Have you checked your charging system?

 

[angus67]

kill switch could need cleaning. Does it at least run better than before once your rolling?

 

[cooltouch]

Don't overlook the carburetors. Seems like most electrical problems end up being the carbs.

 

[ann0yed]

I have not checked the charging system, could that be the culprit?

I can't quite say that it runs better before I take off and do some riding but I would like to say yes to that question, seems like that might be the case. How does one clean the kill switch?

I feel confident that the carbs aren't the problem. I've had them apart many times as I was playing around with the jets and they are very clean.

Thanks for the replies!

-jonathan

 

[angus67]

the kill switch can be cruddded up and ground out by itself. take it apart, and clean the contacts in there, might as well do the left side as well. blinkers might work better ,too

 

[ann0yed]

Where can I find the kill switch?

 

[angus67]

stock bike?

 

[angus67]

http://www.mikesxs.net/products-51.html#products
look at the 5th item down.

 

[ann0yed]

Oh, that thing, duh! Thanks, I'll check that out and eliminate it as a possibility.

-jonthan

 

[pamcopete]

annOyed,

Good tip...clean the kill switch contacts. There is a tiny spring loaded metal ball in the switch and just as you loosen the last of two screws holding the switch together, that tiny, tiny metal ball will zaaaaanggg clear across the garage, never to be seen again. I suggest that you hold the kill switch in a plastic bag as you loosen the last screw to contain the tiny, tiny, tiny ball. If this message got to you too late, you can get a new tiny ball at www.smallparts.com .

Don't ask me how I know about the tiny, tiny metal ball going zaaaaangg across the room.....

 

[ann0yed]

Ha ha, its raining so I haven't messed with the kill switch yet, but thanks for the tip, I'll definitely bag it!

-jonathan

 

[anysnail]

i had the same problem but in my opinion it is the TCI. i have no proof of this but after lots of new parts and still stalling i blame the 30 year old circuit board. my bike would stall all over the place and it seriously pissed me off. now it's in pieces in my garage. i gotta wait for some monies so i can get a points ignition system.

 

[ann0yed]

What's the TCI? I've got a 79 with the Pamco ignition, new dual output coil, iridium plugs...

-jonathan

 

[angus67]

u dont have a tci, ann0yed, TCI's were used from 1980 and on.

 

[ann0yed]

Ah, ok, I think somewhere in my head I knew that. I've got so much new content in there since getting into the Pamco installation that there are floating bits of information that aren't yet sorted properly.

-j

 

[angus67]

i was that way too, at first. sleep on it a few days. you'll get it.

 

[ann0yed]

Ok, well cleaned the kill switch very well, sadly it didn't fix things. Of course it couldn't be THAT easy... So now on to the charging system. How often can brushes be responsible for this kind of issue? What about the regulator/rectifier, sheeit, I don't even know what that thing does.

-j

 

[mrkil]

i'll bet you have crud in one of the passages of the carbs. once you give it gas it will run fine but at idle it will stumble. have you synced the carbs?

 

[ann0yed]

Yeah, I bought a CarbMate and have synched the carbs. I swear they are clean, but it wouldn't hurt to check again. Its true, at throttle the bike rides like it should but when i stop for a light, it idles fine with the occasional falter and sometimes stalls. Ok, I'll clean the carbs again and see what happens. I would still like to hear about brushes and regulator/rectifier though...

-j

-j