1978 xs4002E project

[Kinney]

Hi guys!

I just joined the forum about 2 weeks ago after I purchased my first motorcycle from a guy on Craigslist. I took a risk on buying the bike as it didn't run when I bought it. Well after installing a new battery and swapping out the old fuse box with an ATC/ATO box and going through the "newbie" checklist, the bike fired up!!!

 

[Kinney]

Old fuse box

 

[Kinney]

New fuse box

 

[Kinney]

My next step is replacing the spark plug and cables. Is it possible to swap out the cables from the coil? I see that they are epoxied into the coil so my question is can I change the plug wires without having to replace the coils?

 

[willem]

Looks great man! Welcome

 

[xschris]

Those coils have non-replaceable cables. If they still have long enough wires you can cut a little off the ends to get a clean end for the new caps. They do make cable splicers if you need to add more length. Welcome to the forum

 

[Kinney]

Thanks guys. I figured that was going to be the case with the coils. My next question concerns the seat. My seat has a metal latch shaped like a hook mounted to the seat and on the frame there is a slot with a hole on each side of it. Now to the question, is there suppose to be a strike plate or catch plate mounted to the frame for the hook to latch? My bike seems to be missing this.

 

[xschris]

It should look like this.

 

[Robj]

Fuse box looks good, thats one thing I need to do to my bike.

 

[Kinney]

Thanks.

xschris, Thanks for the part picture, now I know what's missing. Today, I got the stock side covers and center stand with hardware in the mail. I had the centerstand sandblasted as it looked like some kid buried it in the sand box and left it there for 30 years. Anyways, I got it painted and mounted tonight. Also installed an inline fuel filter.

Next question. To everyone who still has a centerstand, does your centerstand when folded up rest on your exhaust? The PO put aftermarket Mac pipes on, and the stand is rubbing on the left side.

 

[Kinney]

Centerstand primed and painted.

 

[Kinney]

It has been a couple weeks since I have worked on my bike. This week Xmas came early and I got some parts. I received new coils, plug wires, plug caps, carburetor intake boots, and new mufflers. I ordered parts from Dime City Cycles and Mikesxs. I will be doing more business with both businesses. I have no complaints.

 

[Kinney]

Old coil. (sorry about lighting, my shop light is an old lamp)

 

[Kinney]

New coils with plug wires and plug caps. I used NGK 5K resistor caps. Will these work, or am I suppose to use the non-resistor caps?

 

[Kinney]

I ordered the new mufflers from Mikesxs. The muffler came with a reducer kit. Is it ok to mount the muffler to the header pipe using the reducer coupler alone or is it recommended to use the reducer coupler and along with a gasket? If you guys use a gasket, what gasket do you recommend and where do you buy it without breaking the bank?

 

[Kinney]

New muffler. I will post a better picture after I get the new carbs mounted. The next order of business is mounting the new carburetor boots. Removing the old boots and scraping the old gasket and all of the silicone off was a pain in the ass. I got the surface all cleared and ready to go though. Do you guys recommend using gasket sealer when mounting the new gasket and carburetor boot or mount it without?

 

[xschris]

The boots should have only a gasket between them and the engine.

 

[xschris]

Here is what the stock gasket looks like. It might be a better seal than just the reducers.

 

[Kinney]

Thanks xschris for the pictures. I found an after market gasket on mikesxs that matches the OEM parts number. I got the boots and the new carburetors I bought from you mounted. Tomorrow I'm going to start her up!

 

[xschris]

Awesome