The big XS breathes fire again!!!

[strom]

I got the pick-ups today from Tiaro motorcycle wreckers, installed them and the bike started (second try) after sitting in boxes for 6 years.

A few problems emerged.
1. oil dripping from the crankshaft seal on the left side. I didn't change that one, since they sent me a wrong size.
2. a bit of oil on the head, just below the valve cover. No biggie.
3. bike started, ran OK, in a minute or so settled on 1100 rpm at idle. However it died soon after, fuel starvation probbably, since I installed 2 inline fuel filters and it probbably didn't get enuff fuel. I've put a hose directly, wo filters and it started, but ran barely at 550 rpm, I think only 2 or 3 cyl were firing... not sure. Will check later.

All in all... it's gonna run, and I have a whole winter ahead to sort stuff out.

Pics at http://213.143.72.86/ under interest section.
Thanks for all the help and tech tips section

LP

[Phill the strat]

Re: The big XS breathes fire again!!!

Originally posted by strom
I got the pick-ups today from Tiaro motorcycle wreckers, installed them and the bike started (second try) after sitting in boxes for 6 years.

A few problems emerged.
1. oil dripping from the crankshaft seal on the left side. I didn't change that one, since they sent me a wrong size.
2. a bit of oil on the head, just below the valve cover. No biggie.
3. bike started, ran OK, in a minute or so settled on 1100 rpm at idle. However it died soon after, fuel starvation probbably, since I installed 2 inline fuel filters and it probbably didn't get enuff fuel. I've put a hose directly, wo filters and it started, but ran barely at 550 rpm, I think only 2 or 3 cyl were firing... not sure. Will check later.

All in all... it's gonna run, and I have a whole winter ahead to sort stuff out.

LP

G'day Strom,
Hmmmmm seems you may be on the winning side at last..
550rpm...no wonder it "barely" ran...I'm surprised it ran at all... now you need to sync and tune the carbs, a bit here an a bit there....small alterations at a time, with one thing changing at a time.
Winter??? brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
It was frigging 27oC yesterday morning coming to work at 08:15 with it climbing to 34oc during the day....12oC above average temps.....12 houses got burnt down in a bush fire, an today it was 16oC and raining ...what a diference a day makes, but tell that to the owners of the burnt out houses they were sitting down to tea in the day before....

cheers

Phill

[strom]

Well, Phill... I did 400m on it... it seems it works almost fine till sth gets overheated and the spark on 1&4 is... well... weird. They fire, sometimes... but not all the time. Hence 500 and a bit RPM.

I tried new coils, wires, was planning on checking the TCI on another XS today, but it seems I've caught a bug and will probbably be spending some time in bed having tea parties with myself

LP

[Phill the strat]

Originally posted by strom
Well, Phill... I did 400m on it... it seems it works almost fine till sth gets overheated and the spark on 1&4 is... well... weird. They fire, sometimes... but not all the time. Hence 500 and a bit RPM.

I tried new coils, wires, was planning on checking the TCI on another XS today, but it seems I've caught a bug and will probbably be spending some time in bed having tea parties with myself

LP

Morning,........
"till sth gets overheated and the spark on 1&4 is...."

I think you should carry a multi meter with you for when next this happens and measure the resistance of both pick up coils from the plug that connects the pick up coils to the TCI unit...they should each be 720 ohms +/- 10% or something...... This was one of my scenarios.............not nice when going to work in peak hour traffic and the motor just dies...... cools down then away you go again...that is providing the Mack truck missed you that was following behind you nose to tail just when the motor died....

Phill

[strom]

Thanks phill... I was thinking bout that.. but didn't remember the right resistance.
The connector is behind the airbox... it's gonna be pain-in-the-anus to get it disconnected...

LP

[strom]

Tested pick-up coils... 736 both before & after problems occour.
Will check TCI as soon as I get the XS guy on the phone.


LP

[Phill the strat]

Originally posted by strom
Tested pick-up coils... 736 both before & after problems occour.
Will check TCI as soon as I get the XS guy on the phone.


LP

"connector is behind the air box......' don't you have the TCI unit on the rear mudguard like the XSE?? under the seat rear cone? just two bolts holding the seat to the frame and the TCI unit is there, simple unplug and measure.... there is another connector that goes from the TCI unit plug (which is where I always used to measure the pick up coils from), that then goes behind the fuse/starter relay mounting plate. This joins to a connector that then goes into the pick up coils.....But you have measured them in both the good an bad scenario....scratch that cause then.... 736 ohms "perfect".

Did you say that the coils were new?? I did have one of the HT leads shorting to the frame from punctured insulation once, right where they cross over under the tank... HT leads all in good nick?

Vapour lock in the fuel maybe??nahhhhh you say cyls 1 an 4 die...hmmmmmmmmmmm ok see what the new TCI unit does.


Phill

[strom]

Forgot bout the connector on the TCI... the one behind fuse box is the one I had in mind... airbox.. fuse box... there somewhere.

I'm taking my TCI to this guy to test it on his bike.

Vapor hose thingie has free passage. No problems there.
Tried with gas cap open... same ****.

If TCI is OK I'm gonna dismantle carbs till they're in atom state and clean every bit of them... again.

When I changed the coils, I also changed coil wires and plug caps.
Will change back to original set.

At this point I just hope it's the TCI...

LP

[uk1.1s]

1 and 4 trouble

Strom,

Sounds like Phil has got a good measure of what to look for but I thought I'd chip in anyway.

Would be completely lost if my TCI went down - but your problem could also be caused by a failing coil. Even if they are new - don't overlook the obvious without first checking it out.

Not 100% sure, but the XS probably runs a lost spark system (if I'm wrong - sorry 'bout that) - If so you should be able to simply switch the plug leads 1 + 4 swap with 2+3. The problem (if coil circuits are failing) should now move to 2+3. If the ignition is not lost spark you will have to swap the connections to the low tension side of the coils too in order to swap the firing sequence signals over

Just a thought as I chased a problem on another old bike all summer until I found that the Brand New spark plugs I had put in were all defective.

Good luck with it

[kenkrieger]

One other thing to check I have read here on the site is a load resistor under the tank that breaks down when it gets hot or has caused the wires to melt together,,and has caused similar problems to the symptoms you describe,,,though I don't recall xactly,, believe it was a loss of power after warm up,,but I do recall the older XS's has this resistor.

[strom]

Yep, mine has that resistor and it's sth I didn't check yet... is it just a resistor or sth else?

I changed the coils, but no improvement.
I put in the old spark plugs, all with nice fat spark, still no improvement.
Changed the coils back to original (tested with GSX coils).

Measured the pick-up coils resistance before and after it warmed up and started running on 500rpm, they were OK.

Thanks for all the ideas. I'll let you know how the situation develops.

LP

[strom]

A friend took some pics and a movie 2day... will post the link. Then you'll see the problem.

LP