What have you done to your XS today?

2m has done extensive work on oil pressure gauges, oil pressure when hot and cold in conjunction with one of MikeXS high volume oil pump...........well worth a read............
http://www.xs650.com/threads/hp-oil-pump-from-mikes.40991/page-3

My preference is still having a mechanical Tach hooked to the oil pump............and yes there have been more than a couple of pump failures reported on this site
 
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Okay, quick couple questions. I have been searching for hours the past few days and have not found the answers to these- I have an old rotor off my chopper engine that I replaced with one of HHB’s PMA kits. I don’t remember if it was a later or earlier engine, and haven't had the chance to dig it out, but I was wondering about compatibility. I know that an older rotor wouldn't work with a later TCI engine because it doesn't have the magnets, but will a later rotor WITH magnets fit and function the same on an older engine? I havent had time to touch the bike for the last week, and I pulled out my multimeter to try to diagnose the charging system, but I don’t think it is capable. I think it is a light duty model. It doesn't seem to have a 12v setting for battery testing. Anyway, my engine passes the slap test, but not super strongly, and the headlight DOES get brighter when I rev the bike. From what I understand, that means that the charging system IS working, but perhaps the rotor isn't producing enough juice to keep up with what’s being used. I know I need to buy a multimeter and test to know for certain, but am I on the right track so far? Have some pity on a guy who’s working 50 hrs a week and moving. Help me hold on to a little hope for a straightforward fix. I don’t wanna be done riding this season. The DGR is coming up and we got rained out last year!
 
tzimmerm said:
Okay, quick couple questions. I have been searching for hours the past few days and have not found the answers to these- I have an old rotor off my chopper engine that I replaced with one of HHB’s PMA kits. I don’t remember if it was a later or earlier engine, and haven't had the chance to dig it out, but I was wondering about compatibility. I know that an older rotor wouldn't work with a later TCI engine because it doesn't have the magnets, but will a later rotor WITH magnets fit and function the same on an older engine? I havent had time to touch the bike for the last week, and I pulled out my multimeter to try to diagnose the charging system, but I don’t think it is capable. I think it is a light duty model. It doesn't seem to have a 12v setting for battery testing. Anyway, my engine passes the slap test, but not super strongly, and the headlight DOES get brighter when I rev the bike. From what I understand, that means that the charging system IS working, but perhaps the rotor isn't producing enough juice to keep up with what’s being used. I know I need to buy a multimeter and test to know for certain, but am I on the right track so far? Have some pity on a guy who’s working 50 hrs a week and moving. Help me hold on to a little hope for a straightforward fix. I don’t wanna be done riding this season. The DGR is coming up and we got rained out last year!
Click to expand...
OK.... here's an easy way to remember it (for everyone... I get lots of PM's asking this)....
If you're running Yamaha's original Transistor Controlled Ignition (TCI) system, you have to use an 80 or newer rotor with the trigger magnet. Other than that, any year bike can use any year rotor... be it the old or new style. Original points, Pamco... HHB, Boyer.... rolled your own from your Briggs and Stratton lawn mower:rolleyes:.... doesn't matter... ANY ROTOR will work. Yamaha TCI? You have to have the rotor with the magnet.

Zimm... I'd be more than happy to rewind a rotor for you... but you're a long ways from calling the rotor bad. Weak battery, old brushes... regulator or rectifier, high resistance in a switch or connector.... there's a lot of stuff can cause what you describe.

Tell you what, just so the rest of the community gains from this, go to either my rotor thread or @gggGary troubleshooting thread in Tech and start a conversation there. That way, when people search for the info on charging, it'll come up. Just put up a short description like you did here.... and include a closeup pic of your voltmeter.... and we'll go from there.
 
Thanks for the insight Jim. Like I mentioned in my post, I know I need to get a voltmeter and actually test to make a diagnosis, but since I know I have a spare rotor lying around, I’m trying to assess my immediate options and the costs so I will have an estimate of what I’ll do when I find out.
 
tzimmerm said:
Thanks for the insight Jim. Like I mentioned in my post, I know I need to get a voltmeter and actually test to make a diagnosis, but since I know I have a spare rotor lying around, I’m trying to assess my options and the costs before I get there.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. These OEM rotors are all near the end of their life... so it never hurts to have a spare on hand..
Put up a pic of your meter. I find it hard to believe someone sold a meter that won't measure batt voltage.
 
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I’m at work. I’ll try to when I’m home later. If I remember correctly though it has a 9v setting and a 1.5v setting for battery testing. I got it at advance auto
 
20190725_160742.jpg
Easy Air Boxes
I will confess that anytime I have tried to install air boxes, it usually means a stressful, wasted hour and a reversion to some sort of pod filter. But today, putting together my '77, it was easy because the P O, after spraying them a nice shining black, also installed three new rubber joints plus KN style filters. The fresh soft rubber parts made the job a breeze.
Now to tidy up the wiring.
 
That meter should work just fine. You don't use the BATT functions... ignore 'em.
White arrow is for checking batt (12V give or take) voltage
Blue arrow is for checking resistance.
Green arrow is for checking diodes (the rectifier)
Red lead to red arrow. That's the positive lead.
Black lead to black arrow. That's your ground
Those are all the functions you need... you're good to go.:smoke:
9BBB5FF1-AE28-4E9D-9F3B-3432A15DCAE5.jpeg
 
Thank you Jim!!! You saved me the cost of a new meter, and the time I would have wasted waiting to buy one. I’ll see if I can’t get a solid diagnosis this weekend, now that I know how to use this thing. Quick question- could the turn signals all being ungrounded contribute to my battery loss? My new turn signals are cheap plastic Chinese knockoffs. The metal light bulb socket is soldered to a thin piece of metal with a rounded O shape at the end which is tightened onto the threaded mounting stud. The stud is grounded to the common ground on the inside of the bucket. After a few days riding, the vibrations broke the thin metal socket “mount” and I deduced that is why I am getting the flickering on my signal indicators. When a bulb becomes completely disconnected, not only does it not flash, but it doesn't flicker either. Same if a bulb burns out.
 
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tzimmerm said:
Quick question- could the turn signals all being ungrounded contribute to my battery loss?
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Doubtful.... and let me reiterate... let's move this conversation to where it belongs so others can find it and learn from it. :)
 
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As Jim says - that meter will be just fine and in fact, it is quite a good one because it has the audible function on the diode setting (the GREEN arrow) which not all meters have.

This is extremely handy for setting the timing on a points bike (which I guess yours is not because it is an '81 TCI bike).

Anyhow, you just connect one lead to the terminal screw on the ignition points and the other lead to ground (like a cylinder head acorn nut or even the negative battery terminal) and when the points close, the buzzer begins to sound.

That makes it dead easy to figure out when you're on the correct timing mark.

Learning to use a multimeter is a very useful skill and it is NOT difficult at all. Don't be put off by the fancy symbols on the dial.

Pete
 
tzimmerm said:
View attachment 146054 https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/autocraft-digital-multi-tester-tool-85357/5760112-P Here it is
Click to expand...

Your getting good advice on how to use the meter........... a couple of points............

A good quality, or any, meter should have a good instruction sheet/booklet with it.............and gadgets like buzzers on cheaper meters are taking money away from other components , things like, better internals/outlets or leads

I have found cheep meters save money by having cheep probes...............the quality of the probe wire reflects on the resistance in the probe themselves..........Didn't realize how much difference this made till i replaced my $25.00 Meter with a $40.00 one that was on special for $28.00.........I did a comparison between the probes from the cheep meter, (the leads wire gauge was noticeably smaller), and the probes from the new meter, (thicker gauge wire leads), the resistance was negligible on the new ones, quite high on the old thin ones.......thing is the resistance wasn't noticeable when i was using the thin gauge wire leads on the old cheap meter till i used them on the new meter........

This thread, by I an Carbon, has some utube videos on how to use a muti meter.........Good presentation and although not motorcycle specific, it is well presented and very laymen friendly
http://www.xs650.com/threads/how-to-use-multimeter.27826/
 
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:doh: Sorry Jim. Should’ve heeded your warning the first time. Looks like this WHOLE THREAD is gonna need moved now:lmao:
 
Put in the new tasty OEM spring to fix this problem. Smooth as glass. Might get to finish and button up this weekend.
http://www.xs650.com/threads/clunk-when-turning-engine-off.55232/

spring.png


Going through my tools, got out my ratchet that I've never used stamped HUSKY USA that I got for $1 from a box of hundreds of them at a flea market. Husky had this thing a few years ago where they got in trouble for stamping USA or foreign made tools. This might have been a box that came in under the radar. Surprisingly good, as are most Asian tools these days.
 

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