She Runs!

[Q Tip]

Major milestone with my '79/'77 build...got her cranked on the kicker and she idled fine for a bit....sounds awesome! Just a few odds and ends to do and I'll be able to take her out for a shakedown.

FWIW she kicked back on me viciously yesterday...I think I broke my foot!

 

[southerndime333]

VERY nice.. i bet your one proud dude.. with one big ass smile on ye face.

 

[littlebill31]

Nice!!! Uh, what's with the vise grip?

 

[Q Tip]

I broke the little ball end on my throttle cable dagnabit.

 

[XSLeo]

Often kick back comes from timing to advanced.Just a degree or two can do it.
Looks real good.
Leo

 

[Q Tip]

I think you may be correct about the timing; she is backfiring through the carbs right before cranking.

They x-rayed my foot today and it's only a sprain. My foot is a gnarly blue on each side below the ankle.

 

[XSLeo]

A little pratice on the kick start procedure will help too. With the key off slowly kick it over to find TDC. It gets harder to turn as it reaches TDC.
Now with it on TDC set the choke, turn on the key and give it a good solid kick through. You don't have to jump on it with all your wieght, just a good solid kick and don't stop half way through. Go all the way to the bottom of the stroke.
Repeat as nessesary. Depending on your bike slight variations on the procedure may help. Like with the key off choke on kick through twice then with the key on.
Maybe hold the throttle open slightly.
As in most things about this bike is no two are just alike.
Thats part of the fun. A good heavy work boot with plenty of ankle support helps, use the ball of your foot not the instep helps.
Once you get it running set your timing with a light. set it so the rotor mark is more toward the right side of the F marks. Thats slightly retarded from center of the F marks. I think the two F marks are about 3 degrees apart. So from center you get about 1.5 degrees each way.
Once you get it set at idle check the full advance It should move over to but never past the full mark.
On mine I have the Pamco and a new ATU from Mike's. I think the advance is just a hair wide. At idle I'm just a hair right of the right side F mark, and at full advance I'm just to the left of the full mark. Not much either way. the marks just touch the outside of the marks. \so at idle I'm timed to 12.5 or 12.75 instead of 13. and on the full side i'm maybe 38.25 or 38.5 instead of the 38. Not enough to worry me. I can always use Grizld1's peen the tips fix.
My carbs are my tuning issue right now. I replaced my BS38's with a pair of BS34's.I have upped the mains one size. I have ridden it a about 150 miles getting a feel for them. I need to bump the mains one more maybe two, the pilots up one and try it.
Anyway sorry about the foot. Glad it's just a sprain, not broke.
Do you still have the starter? It might be a good idea to use it till you get it better tuned.
Hearing roar to life that first time is an amazing feeling. If your like me even after a few years when I start the 75. I get a thrill, thinking I did this.
Leo

 

[Q Tip]

thanks for all the good info. I have VM34's on it which I just unstuck/cleaned. That's how I broke the ball end of my throttle cable actually, abusing it trying to free the carb slides. I took them down and cleaned them out well; lesson learned.

I have the starter turning but it's not turning the motor very much or at all. Makes a terrible racket.

In the past week I've been hooking up the wiring little by little. Thank God for this site and the many wiring diagrams...I have used the '79 diagram supplied by Jayel....many thanks.

The PO or PO's at some point wired in a blade fuse type fuse box...and tied everything in with a giant wire tie!!!

I've got everything in the headlight bucket sorted. I do need a new front brake switch.
I had planned to by a complete front master cylinder/lever/switch but all the overtime got cut at work so I am making do with the original components for now.

My build has come a long way in the last month. I was hoping to make a couple of rides
coming up but doesn't look likely now. But it definitely helped the build progress, having a time goal. At the first of the month i just had a bare frame.

 

[gggGary]

Never lock your knee when kicking, keep it a little bent. I grew up buying old kick start bikes and getting em running and can still walk fairly normally.

 

[danno]

Looks good! I really like the emblems. And chance you can give a closeup of them? And you (will) have a pm.

 

[XSLeo]

The starter noise and good function can be easily fixed.
In behind the clutch is the part of the starter mechanism that works like the bendix of a car starter. There are two springs that get weak.
Pull the clutch for room to work, pull out the gear set. Remove the springs, the coil spring is the return spring, stretch it a bit.
The other spring is wish bone shaped, on the narrow end squeeze it some to tighten it. This spring gives the gear set enough friction to get the gears to slide into engagement. If the teeth are at least half there this spring tightening will make it engage positively and retract positively.
Leo