New approach - My get-my-XS-running again thread

brockd

XS400 Newbie
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After over two years of half assedly asking for help, lurking threads, interjecting here and there, and making little to no progress, I have finally be able to get my machine into my garage to work on it whenever I darn well please. Rather than create new threads every time I have a question like the noob I've been, figured I could localize to keep track of info.

The brief story behind these follies is- bought my first bike under the impression it ran well and needed only new rubber and a quick tune up to safety and would be good to go. Hundreds of dollars in new parts, an engine mount weld repair, and a whole whack of cash to two separate (and apparently incompetent) small town shops later - I had a bike that would run. Drove it to a trusted shop to get certified one night and it passed the next morning. Go to pick up the bike and it won't start - and it hasn't started since. She's essentially sat collecting dust in a relative's garage for a year. I've now moved into a place with my own garage and have gotten to work diagnosing. Also picked up a '78 XS in/for parts from a guy this weekend to steal some bits from. What I have so far:

- The charging set up wasn't working doing its job. Looks like the field coils enamel has stripped and is causing a short. The field coil on the '78 looks in better condition. Will have to test before proceeding though. The wires from my field coil have also come disconnected (in pic, from an early gorilla-handed attempt at moving the parts without knowing what I was doing...). I'd like to know how to re-attach, just in case.
- The wiring coming up from the starter/alternator has stripped and exposed two bare wires (see photo). I've read here somewhere that this could be the problem with it not starting as I have gas, spark, and air. Ideally I'd like to get the new field coil into the old bike to see if this could be the problem
- In order to get the wiring done I need to clean up the mess of chain grease behind my covers. Discovered tonight that mineral spirits and water don't mix. Any ideas on how to clean this mess (photo) up without ripping the whole machine apart? Would love to get the part in and try firing it up to see if it worked before going about ripping it down and cleaning everything else.

What else am I missing?! So many new things to learn.

Bedtime reading tonight will be my Haynes manual and tomorrows will be the original factory manual.

Join me on this overdue journey and thanks in advance for all the sage advice!
 

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I've used gunk remover/degreaser from Canadian Tire. Spray,let rest, wipe....spay, let rest,wipe....spray,let rest,wipe....well you get the picture. Works good with a little patience and elbow grease.
 
Get a large pan (an old baking try works well), a jug of solvent like Varsol, a couple stiff nylon brushes of various sizes, and a pair of long gloves. Put the pan under the area you are cleaning, pour solvent into a bowl and use the brushes to slop it onto the dirty area. Get the area throughly saturated with solvent, then start scrubbing from the top. Keep applying more solvent, allowing it to rinse the dirt off and into the pan.

When done, pour the solvent in the pan into a jug, using a funnel. Adding a paper filter (coffee filters work well) to the funnel will keep most of the debris out of the jug and allow the solvent to be re-used later. Allow the parts to air dry, or rinse with a cheap oil such as WD40.
 
Of course you could go "Old School" get a drip tray under your bike, a couple of 1" paintbrushes, and. A gallon of Gasoline, use the gasoline as Dave uses his solvent, and recycle the dirty gasoline, in the same way as Dave has done! The up side of using the gasoline is that when things are clean in your engine compartments, you don't need to clean any residue out of it. It also has the advantages of making things easier to clean off in future. Plus the gasoline can be used again, and even used to run your bike too, (using an inline fuel filter, of course!)

Merlin
 
I've seen first hand how volatile gasoline is. Not worth the risk of months in a burn ward and a lifetime of scars. Assuming one doesn't commit suicide from the pain in the following years... Play safe so you can play a long time.
 
The only risk of burns, is IF you are smoking, while you are cleaning your parts! Just use your common sense, and things will be fine! I have been using that method for 50+ years, without anything untowards happening!
It's up to you, chemical's, or, petrol(gasoline) either way, just use your common sense, and you will be fine!

Merlin
 
Static discharge, dropped tool causing a spark, heater or wood stove in 'close' proximity, or a camp fire 100 yards away. I saw the latter ignite a trail of gasoline fumes and blue flame race across the ground to where 2 guys were refueling a gasoline cook stove. Luckily they had just completed and everything was capped. Otherwise they may have lost more than the hair on their hands and eyebrows when the fire ball engulfed them for a second. I've used 1oz of gasoline to make an IED before that acronym was known to civilians. Gasoline is not to be trifled with, and most underestimate its potential...

I'm not saying bad things will happen, just that they have in the past and could again. Is it worth the risk to a young guy with a couple or 6 decades ahead of him?
 
I'm not going to argue the point with you Dave, A guy asked for advise, and I only offered up what I have practiced for five plus decades, with no problems! I have found that being TOO CAREFUL, causes mose problems than it solves!

Merlin
 
There should be a plastic/rubber guard over those wires coming from the coils where the chain is.. You should just take the whole side cover off and clean it and re wrap the wires if they are OK. Ive learned that if you want only want to do it once, do it right. The area where the chain is doesnt have to be too clean though, but those wires have to be protected with some kind of wrapping.
 
Now that the areas cleaned up I'm thinking id like to wrap up the wires and try to start it up. Any idea if there are any adverse effects/if it's possible to starting without the field coil in place? I need to get the new one wrapped and cleaned up but can't find a way to run the wires without taking the engine out due to the darn plastic box connectors.
 
The connectors can be removed to sleeve a new cover over the wires. Just note which wire went where.
When I rewired my stator connections I bought new connectors and tubing from cycle terminals. Went with the OEM style, though weatherproof connectors might have been a good idea.
You can of course reuse the connectors you have if they're in good condition.
http://www.cycleterminal.com/sleeve-tubing.html
The terminal extraction tools halfway down this page are extremely useful for the OEM connectors:
http://www.cycleterminal.com/crimp-tools.html

As for the field coil, with a fully charged battery you should be able to start without it.
 
So, as usual, the gremlins have re-appeared. PO had the bars flipped, which I was never a fan of, and finally got around to making them right again. Once all back together I thought I'd try starting again. After two weeks of sitting it looks like I'm back to square one.
The starter motor is skipping again on a fresh battery with brand new oil. I know the carbs are in need of some work yet and wonder if the valves aren't properly closed and leaking gas into the chamber, thinning the oil... Any ideas?
 
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