-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Mailmans XS2 , the rebuild.......again
- Thread starter Mailman
- Start date
....in your climate Mailman - corrosion seems.....unlikely.
...unless of course, that connection was from the original 1972 build of that bike I guess.
Pete
Yep Yep!
What I was alluding to is undamaged cables never go bad somewhere in the middle.... it's the ends... terminals.
...and thinkin' it through, would prolly be an all the time problem, not just when the motor's hot.
Well anyways, baby steps. Battery will be here soon and I’ll go from there. 
SEd27
XS650 Addict
Well anyways, baby steps. Battery will be here soon and I’ll go from there.
Hopefully that is all it is.
The battery in my wife’s Santa Fe packed in this year (it was the original and was pushing 7 + years old).
I checked the voltage and it was wasn’t crazy low. This said, It would not take a jump start, nor crank over.
New battery and problem solved.
Yeah a weak battery cell that drops out under load is a thing.
advanced timing will make a starter look weak.
advanced timing will make a starter look weak.
Speaking of advance.... 2many did a study awhile back and he figures that with todays gas, it's better to run full advance a little retarded.... around 2-5° I'll see if I can find his thread.... anyway, a few degrees retarded will help take some load off the starter too, so might be worth considering.
Of course, that won't help the "no spark" problem you currently have... just sumpin' to chew on....
Starter cable as sent from Yamaha bolts to the starter but you gotta be super careful cuz you can bust it off the field coil connection if you let it twist when undoing the outer nut. )a thin wrench on the inner nut ... )
... )
Early ones are run through a grommet and soldered in.Starter cable as sent from Yamaha bolts to the starter but you gotta be super careful cuz you can bust it off the field coil connection if you let it twist when undoing the outer nut. )a thin wrench on the inner nut
Thanks Jim, I remember seeing that and thought it was a good idea. You know re setting my timing has been on my to do list for a long time. It wouldn’t have to be much, just back it off a little. Right now it fires right dead center of the F mark. Maybe move it over to the line on the right or just a hair more? I believe my ‘77 would benefit from this as well, it has always been a hard bike to start when it is cold.
Note, I was just watching Steve’s @TwoManyXS1Bs , YouTube video again , the one with his built in LED timing lights and I noticed he set his idle mark right on the T , TDC mark. Hmmmm. 
Yes.... maybe even slightly to the right of it. The more important adjustment is to see where it goes at full advance. Just for arguments lets say you go 35°. You'll want to adjust to the right side of the drain on the cover (see pic). You can scribe a 35° mark on your stator based on the pic below. Just keep adjusting 'till you hit whatever degrees advance you want. Where it winds up at idle is really immaterial, but setting it where you suggested should be a good starting point.
Fwiw, I'm running at 35.
Also.... lets fix your original problem first. No sense throwing stuff in there that might compound things. 
The points model alternators actually have a slash mark for full advance. It's not labeled but it's there .....
I run my timing a few degrees retarded as well, but just a few. I set it over by that right slash mark in the idle timing "range" like you are considering. My full advance ends up about like pictured above. I did this some years back to ward off some minor pinging I was getting once the weather got hot. Your weather is pretty much nothing but hot so I think this is something you should consider doing. And I quite like the results. I think the bike actually runs a little better, stronger at higher speeds and RPMs. The idle speed dropped off a bit but that was easily fixed by simply turning the idle speed adjustment screw up a little more.
Personally, I feel retarding the timing all the way back to the "T" mark is a bit much. That's a near 15° change. I think part of the reason 2Many is doing that is to compensate for the badly stretched out cam chain he's running. He needs to set his idle timing quite retarded so full advance won't be too much.
I run my timing a few degrees retarded as well, but just a few. I set it over by that right slash mark in the idle timing "range" like you are considering. My full advance ends up about like pictured above. I did this some years back to ward off some minor pinging I was getting once the weather got hot. Your weather is pretty much nothing but hot so I think this is something you should consider doing. And I quite like the results. I think the bike actually runs a little better, stronger at higher speeds and RPMs. The idle speed dropped off a bit but that was easily fixed by simply turning the idle speed adjustment screw up a little more.
Personally, I feel retarding the timing all the way back to the "T" mark is a bit much. That's a near 15° change. I think part of the reason 2Many is doing that is to compensate for the badly stretched out cam chain he's running. He needs to set his idle timing quite retarded so full advance won't be too much.
Thanks Gary! Lots of interesting reading there!
Although it might be a little late since you already ordered a battery, + 1 for Batteries Plus Bulbs. I had some of the exact same symptoms as you are having. Hadn't really thought much about the battery, but one day, it just gave out. I did a bunch of research and decided to go with the Batteries Plus lithium battery. It was a direct fit, 3 year non-prorated warranty, no core charge. Granted, it was about $170 or so but haven't had any starting problems whatsoever, hot or cold, since I installed it. World of difference! We may not be quite as hot as your neck of the woods, but we've been in the 90's -100's consistently for the last couple of months. I know it's pricey, but $170 is a small price to pay, imho. Plus with a 3 year nonprorated warranty, I figure that works out to about $57 or so a year. I was tired of going places and hoping it would start when I was getting ready to leave. The only issue is that the battery instructions say my bike/alternator has to be putting out I think 14volts but it's only putting out 13.5 -13.6. But I figure with a 3 year warranty, I have time to figure it out, lol.
That being said, I still have the the slightly higher idle when the weather and bike are hot. But if I remember correctly, I think temperature changes the density of air. So I attribute it to that. (lol, ignorance is bliss, right?) But just in case, I'll be following this thread
And of course, your issue may be one or a combination of all the other suggestions from this extremely knowledgeable and very helpful group. Never ceases to amaze/impress me.
Best of luck.
ps - I've always absolutely loved your bike mailman. It's one of, if not, my favorite.
That being said, I still have the the slightly higher idle when the weather and bike are hot. But if I remember correctly, I think temperature changes the density of air. So I attribute it to that. (lol, ignorance is bliss, right?) But just in case, I'll be following this thread
And of course, your issue may be one or a combination of all the other suggestions from this extremely knowledgeable and very helpful group. Never ceases to amaze/impress me.
Best of luck.
ps - I've always absolutely loved your bike mailman. It's one of, if not, my favorite.
Although it might be a little late since you already ordered a battery, + 1 for Batteries Plus Bulbs. I had some of the exact same symptoms as you are having. Hadn't really thought much about the battery, but one day, it just gave out. I did a bunch of research and decided to go with the Batteries Plus lithium battery. It was a direct fit, 3 year non-prorated warranty, no core charge. Granted, it was about $170 or so but haven't had any starting problems whatsoever, hot or cold, since I installed it. World of difference! We may not be quite as hot as your neck of the woods, but we've been in the 90's -100's consistently for the last couple of months. I know it's pricey, but $170 is a small price to pay, imho. Plus with a 3 year nonprorated warranty, I figure that works out to about $57 or so a year. I was tired of going places and hoping it would start when I was getting ready to leave. The only issue is that the battery instructions say my bike/alternator has to be putting out I think 14volts but it's only putting out 13.5 -13.6. But I figure with a 3 year warranty, I have time to figure it out, lol.
That being said, I still have the the slightly higher idle when the weather and bike are hot. But if I remember correctly, I think temperature changes the density of air. So I attribute it to that. (lol, ignorance is bliss, right?) But just in case, I'll be following this thread
And of course, your issue may be one or a combination of all the other suggestions from this extremely knowledgeable and very helpful group. Never ceases to amaze/impress me.
Best of luck.
ps - I've always absolutely loved your bike mailman. It's one of, if not, my favorite.
Well thank you for the kind remarks! Yes I am hopeful that the new battery will be the cure, it’ll be here tomorrow.
I would’ve liked to had a battery with something like 200 CCA, this one is rated at 165 CCA. If everything else is in good order it should , however be sufficient. Thanks for checking in, and I’ll keep the battery you mentioned in mind.
