Fired up for the first time, how to keep it running?

[oakback]

Awesome, thanks. Sunday I was able to get it hot to the touch, even though it took several start/stops. I'll give that a shot tonight to see which ones are hot/cold. That pickup wire fix looks pretty simple, I've got all the stuff needed.

[DiverRay]

If you need to do the fix, remember to NOT clamp the wires with the stock clamps on the plate. Loosen them up a little, so they keep the wires near the plate, but allow the wires to move. That should keep them from breaking again. A short bit of teflon tube between the wires and clamp is best, but sometimes hard to find. This is a fix I told Yamaha about in 1978, when I had mine break. I was a mechanic at the Yamaha shop at the time, but they never changed the crimp on the wires.

[LoHo]

+1 on the wires. If those are not working, or worse, working a little bit, you can go nuts trying to clean carbs and chase down bad grounds or faulty coils and any number of other things. Reading Ray's post has given me the mind to have a look at mine, as my current troubles might be partial operation of the pick-ups.

When I first had troubles years ago, I found the wires had powdered inside the plastic insulation, so that they worked sometimes, at other speeds they didn't, depending on if the electrons could find enough copper powder to make the journey. Then I fixed it wrong, leaving the same symptoms and the bike sitting for a year. Then I bought new/used pick-ups and pieced together the wires, and after repairing the damage I had done to the rest of the bike while searching for a phantom problem, she has run well for a while. But I insisted on putting the wires in their insulated clips like stock, which is what leads to localized flexing. It's hard to believe one of my scabby, amateurish solder joints could give up, but it bears a look.

[motoman]

I just watched a video where I guy used 2 identical drill bits. One to prop under a butterfly, and the other to test the other 3 like a feeler gauge. Any thoughts on that method?

I'm starting to see why people want pod filters so bad (I know the cons, I'm not getting them). I feel like destroying this air box each time I have to install it.

Oh, and regarding the video, does the engine sound relatively normal?

...Air box/carb removal in less than 12minutes: Remove crankcase breather hose and remove lower portion of airbox AND filter. Loosen airbox boot clamps enough to slip off lip TOWARDS airbox. Remove airbox sidemount bolts and top mount bolt(if still there). Pull back on airbox while rocking up and down. Once off carb bells, drop down leaving rest on top of crankcase. Unclamp and remove carb bank, and as carb bank comes out left side, THEN unhook throttle cable. Startin' carb bank back in from left side, hook up throttle cable BEFORE carb bank gets all the way in. A shot of silicone spray inside all carb/airbox boots makes things happily pop in place.

[oakback]

I get all that. Removal is fine, but here's how installation goes for me:

Sit on ground facing rear of bike, straddle center stand, hook one arm under the fork, brace foot against passenger peg (learned that after nearly dropping it off the center stand onto myself). Force carbs into engine boots with all the power my biceps and back can muster (I've been hitting the gym since new year's), they pop in nicely at that point. Admire bruises the next day.

Remove all mounting bolts for air box. Loosen the where the mounting brackets attach to the plastic air box. That sucker's just floating in place. Grease air box boots (not just silicone, but axle grease). Though they're ape-ishly long, my arms don't reach long enough from my former seated position to grab the airbox from both sides, so I have to force air box awkwardly from above using enough force to fog up my glasses, worrying I'll crush the plastic air box into bits. Tweak my lower back. Nearly drop bike off center stand again. Curse a lot. Find whisky.

I manage to get 2 air box boots on (1 & 4), 2 & 3 end up sorta pressed against the carb inlets. Call it quits for now.

I've watched a few videos, those guys never have boots as tight as mine. I honestly believe my boots have shrunk. Or the carbs have swollen.

[motoman]

I get all that. Removal is fine, but here's how installation goes for me:

Sit on ground facing rear of bike, straddle center stand, hook one arm under the fork, brace foot against passenger peg (learned that after nearly dropping it off the center stand onto myself). Force carbs into engine boots with all the power my biceps and back can muster (I've been hitting the gym since new year's), they pop in nicely at that point. Admire bruises the next day.

Remove all mounting bolts for air box. Loosen the where the mounting brackets attach to the plastic air box. That sucker's just floating in place. Grease air box boots (not just silicone, but axle grease). My arms don't reach long enough from my former seated position, so I have to force air box awkwardly from above using enough force to fog up my glasses, worry about crushing the plastic air box into bits. Tweak my lower back. Find whisky.

I manage to get 2 air box boots on (1 & 4), 2 & 3 end up sorta pressed against the carb inlets. Call it quits for now.

I honestly believe my boots have shrunk. Or the carbs have swollen.

Stand over top of bike installing, and keep the grease off the boots!...rots the rubber. Airbox boots DO have an alignment angle, and can easily get rotated off angle. Other than that.......easy-peasy! Again, ashot of silicone, a little rocking while shoving forward, catching bottom of carb bells first, then up and forward pressure(keep leg against front of rider peg so bike doesn't rock forward off centerstand), they'll pop on there.

[oakback]

Pipe for cylinder 4 is hot, the rest cold. I guess it's trying to run on one cylinder.

[oakback]

I've never looked at this, but to me it looks pretty good. Like recently worked on. The wires are flexible and supple. In one pic you can see where the blue wire contacts that bushing (?), and the insulation of the wire barely shows the slightest sign of contact. The fuse box and the other end of these wires looks all janky and messed with, so I'm inspecting those now...

[natemoen]

Fixed them for you.







Are there no fuses in there?

[oakback]

Thanks, I hate posting from my phone.

Someone put in some in-line fuses, like the white one at the edge of the frame. The others are out of the frame.

Nothing obvious jumps out at me, aside from the fact that there's been work done around the fuses. No broken wires that I can see. If the pickup wires are broken, I'm not sure how I would tell. The writeup I found says tug on each one and look for stretching, I see none but I don't want to tug too hard. I really ought to get a multimeter and learn to use it. But I'm open to ideas in the mean time.

[natemoen]

I don't want to tug too hard

That is the only way to find out. Pinch the wire up by the pickup coil so you don't pull the wire from the coil and then pull on the wire. It has to be done.

[oakback]

That is the only way to find out. Pinch the wire up by the pickup coil so you don't pull the wire from the coil and then pull on the wire. It has to be done.

Alright, I straightened out the clips holding the wires in place, then cut that black insulating hose off. I gave several very firm, steady tugs on all the wires, several times. I pinched at either end (at the coil, and at the base where the insulation covers them) and pulled very hard each way. I couldn't see any signs of weakness anywhere, no give at all from the wires.

[DiverRay]

2 things now that you have pics.
1. Cut some of the black off the Blue/Orange wire. That should stop at the "crimp" that holds the wire in place, like the other side.
2. LOOSEN THE CRIMPS!! That is what will cause the wires to break. By "crimps", I mean the grey plastic covered metal that holds the wires down.
A VOM can be had from Harbor Freight for about $5, and is worth it. It will allow you to check the resistance of the coils, and if you put it into the connector that goes into the TCI box, you can watch as you tug wires, and SEE if you have an "open". Very easy to use and learn and the paper that comes with it will show you how to use it.

[oakback]

2 things now that you have pics.
1. Cut some of the black off the Blue/Orange wire. That should stop at the "crimp" that holds the wire in place, like the other side.
2. LOOSEN THE CRIMPS!! That is what will cause the wires to break. By "crimps", I mean the grey plastic covered metal that holds the wires down.

The black is gone now. And I'll be sure to keep the crimps loose when I put it back together.

edit: do you mean the long black, or the short black insulation right near the ends of the wires at the coil?

A VOM can be had from Harbor Freight for about $5, and is worth it. It will allow you to check the resistance of the coils, and if you put it into the connector that goes into the TCI box, you can watch as you tug wires, and SEE if you have an "open". Very easy to use and learn and the paper that comes with it will show you how to use it.

I'll see about picking one up tomorrow.

[motoman]

Using both hands, try to pull apart wires every inch section. Insulation will stretch where break is. Internal breaking of the white wire, for whatever reason, rotational movement,etc. seems most common.