A High pitched

[RobMan]

Sound is coming from my reserve lighting unit when I turn on the key. Is it time to ditch it?
Also, am just now getting back to the 'hammer after a layoff and have gone through the electrics real thoroughly ('cept for this and the starter button) with all your guys help. Thanks a bunch.
Now, it's finding out why no fuel to the cylinders and I'm still stumped as to if I should take off the black rubber caps to the pilot jets and see if that starts her. Carb cleaner sprayed into bell causes her to pop, but no delivery, no fire.

[Snow]

You should look in the pilot jet tubes and see if there is a hole that goes into the main jet tubes. If there are holes, then you want to cap the pilot tubes, if not, then using caps would completely starve the pilots.

[RobMan]

Thanks Snow

I finally got her to start by jumping across the solenoid terminals, but as soon as I broke contact she died.
My next check is the ballast resistor, but, I have also rewired the stator/alt and this could be a problem too, yes?
(BTW, all she needed was a coupla gallons of gas and it fired her up..duh) Thanks, gents. And all you bikers, too!

[RobMan]

Please help

Hey guys, can anybody clue me in on what else to do here?
I am real close to having her in running stage and can't get past this starter issue. I have cleaned the button and contacts and checked continuity on the blu/wht wire all the way to the solenoid (good).
I can get the bike to start and run Only when shorting across the terminals at the solenoid. When I let go, it dies. I ask again, is it (solenoid) shot?
Everything else is working o.k. for now, except this. Suggestions, please!

[Snow]

It almost sounds like your on/off run switch isn't quite right. Have you actually mounted the starter button/run switch housing to the handlebar?

[xssiveone]

Which terminals on the solenoid are you shorting across? Are you providing power to the switch contacts, or are you shorting across directly from the battery connection to the starter connection?

Have you checked with a voltmeter or troublelight to see if you are getting voltage to the solenoid when you press the starter switch? If you are getting voltage up to this point, and the starter still won't crank, then the solenoid is suspect. If you are not getting voltage at this point, then somewhere in the switch circuit there is an open.

As for it stalling, it does sound like the ballast resistor to me. Or, a dirty or corroded connection somewhere... either the ballast circuit, the tci connection, etc etc. I hate electrical problems, but it really is just a process of elimination to find them.

[RobMan]

Thanks, Snow and Brian. Yeah went through button with emory paper on Monday, looks like good contact and all and is attached to bars.
Have been shorting terminals from battery and from starter with a pair of needlenose, but did not check voltage there with button pressed or at resistor when trying to crank. Will do that in about an hour from now. It could be corrosion in any of the connectors (need to replace amost all of them-Where? do I get them?) as the bike has sat up for 2 years after a fire. That's why I had to take my time putting all this in perspective, and going slow since I've never had to do this much by myself. I guesstimate I have over 160 hours in as of now. Couldn't have done it without all you. Cheers!

[MartyA]

This past summer I thought my solenoid was shot. I could only get the durn thing started by shorting across the terminals. I had two electricians looking at it. Turns out it was a rusty washer preventing the terminal from making contact. I had taken the thing off and cleaned the terminals, and did not realize that the lump of discolored metal at the base of one of the terminals was a rusted washer. When I bolted the thing in that rusted washer would act as an insulator. My son-in-law noticed that there were two washers on the one terminal and only one on the other. He hit the terminals with w small wire brush and saw that there was that washer pressed at the base of the terminal, not looking like a washer. Just enough to insulate the solenoid.

[RobMan]

Well, the only thing I can come up with after trying different approaches yesterday is that I've got some major wire/connector chasing to do today. I changed out the sol and resistor and same syptoms= starts only when shorting across terminals/dies when I release the contact. (Thanks, Marty, I'll still look for corrosion, too.)

I did find a completely degraded red wire insulation on the voltage reg/rectifier and a crack in one of the white ones which I covered with heat shrink and wrapped with tape.

Most of my plastic connectors are crumbling and all are suspect at this point. I've sprayed with silicon and taped best I can.
What's the best fix for this? Individual pin connectors crimped and soldered or are there some replacement gang types available someone has some success with (Radio Shack, etc.).

I'm fast getting where the 'hammer may be my only mode of transportation this winter and I've got to get her to a point of some reliability. Still have mufflers to mount and a tank to paint, yet, but.... Help!

[Ken Talbot]

Oh oh - still more electrical gremlins to work out. It is still possible to buy replacement plastic blocks and the individual pins that go into them. If your blocks are starting to crumble, you will want to replace them. If not, you may get by okay with just fishing the pins out of the block so you can clean them properly or replace them if they are that far gone. This is not a job that requires a lot of advanced wiring skills, just a lot of patience.

[MartyA]

Check here, I have not checked out much of this site,

http://www.electricalconnection.com/...connectors.htm

[RobMan]

She Lives!
After checking all the connectors and wires, again, and with a meter I found the culprit. It was the 4 pin connector from the start button to the harness (and thence to the sol/ing fuse). I just chewed it apart real good with a pair of dikes and cleaned the contacts, then plugged in each one individually and taped. Wa Lah!
Road about four or five miles after she warmed up just to get that feeling back. Man, I sure missed it!!
Now, "Project Fat Boys" and then the tank. I'm still doing little stuff like finding the right indicator bulbs for the gauges (just missed a set of 11's on ebay-mine are off a 750) and shrink wrap the stator wires, etc. But, whew what a time! I'd still do it all over again, though. All 200 hours and counting.
Now, when's the best time to check valve clearances? Mine were all over the place early on in the job; I'm going to recheck after I run her about 4-5 hours, change the oil/filter and see what differences there are from then to now.
Thanks mates and Merry Christmas to all.

[MartyA]

"She Lives!"
Hooray!!

"...when's the best time to check valve clearances..."
Cool, man. Clymers says "room temperature."

Clymers also says the 80 intakes were reduced to 0.11-0.15mm (0.0043 - 0.0059 inches) instead of 0.16-0.20 for the pre-80.

The exhaust must still be the same as pre-80 0.21-0.24mm, doesn't say.

Way to stick to it.