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JoeKanuck

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Everything posted by JoeKanuck

  1. JoeKanuck
    I'd say those diodes are just about toast. That being said, as long as your TCI is still working, then it can probably be saved. You're not screwed until the diodes cause a problem in another component...and there's no telling what a bad diode can fry. Since you already have it apart, I'd say get the diodes replaced and give it a try. My diodes were in about the same shape but my TCI was still working....and it's still working after the fix...3 years later. Visually, I couldn't tell if any other components were ready to go, but they all looked good. Once again, if you're not really handy with a soldering iron, get someone else to do the job. The conductive layer on the board is a bit delicate and there is a chance of lifting or breaking traces if it's done wrong...which isn't a deal breaker if you know what you're doing. I'm no expert but I have done my share of soldering, so it was a fairly straightforward job.
  2. JoeKanuck
    Good day. I thought this might be a good time for an update on my TCI mod. It has been almost 3 years since I did my preventative diode replacement mod to my stock TCI and my bike is running as good as ever. It's all spelled out here; http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51767 If you're stock TCI is still working, you don't have much to lose by trying the diode swap. I have probably put 10,000 or more miles on the bike since the mod without a single TCI related problem. Doing this saved me a lot of cash and gave me tons of piece of mind. I'm confident that it would work for anyone with a still working TCI.
  3. JoeKanuck
    So it has been almost 3 years and my bike has been ticking along without a hickup. I think I can conclusively say the fix has worked and I consider it a screaming success. I recommend it to anyone who has an old TCI, because I'll pretty much guarantee that those diodes are on the way out, and if you catch it before they fail, I strongly suspect that you'll have as much success as I did. If you're not that keen with a soldering iron, I imagine an electronics tech would do the job for less than 50 bucks.
  4. JoeKanuck
    Definitely check the three post connector that runs from the stator to the R/R. The wire on my bike ran up from the R/R to a loop on the gas tank just under the left side of the seat. One wire had fried the insulation and was bare. When I removed the wire harness from the frame, that wire had gotten so hot, it had actually melted the metal crimped connector and pulled out with the lightest effort. I removed the entire connector and connected the three wires individually but have since just soldered the wires together. It was a very close thing that could have been expensive.
  5. JoeKanuck
    I vote for sending this to the First Gen Tech Library.
  6. JoeKanuck
    Crappy tire is where I get mine...the part number is FRAM CH6002.
  7. JoeKanuck
    The only hot spot was the 3 connector plug...and only one of the connectors. That's a real problem with old style, unsealed plugs. Eventually, the contacts will corrode and you'll get higher resistance across the connector, which makes heat and corrosion which finally fries the wires, connector or both. It is a really good idea to re-seat any connector you come across and put a bunch of grease in the female side. I've never worried about using dielectric grease. I've used and tested regular grease in very high voltage situations and it has zero conductivity. Bad connectors are not only a source of burned wiring and components, but just having erratic signal caused by intermittent contact can fry electronics or just be a pain in the butt. Basically, clean them when you see them...but I wouldn't wait too long....
  8. JoeKanuck
    Here's the place I used; Mr Speedometer Inc - 505 53 Ave SE, Calgary, AB 403-258-2909. They primarily do auto speedos and there is a slight difference in the size of the square bit that plugs into the speedo, but he did some extra hammering and it works like a charm. That equipment sounds interesting. It might be something to drag out of the closet. Basic speedo cable stock is available...all a person needs is the length.
  9. JoeKanuck
    I've been really happy with my E3. I still have the E2 on the front...but it needs changing soon. I really don't know how many miles I have on it...at least 2 full summers of riding...probably in the 10,000km range...maybe 7000miles. They really aren't showing much wear, ride well and handle the wet just fine...and I'm about 300lbs. That's a lot of stress on that poor tire. The tire has lots of life left in it...I don't hesitate to recommend them.
  10. JoeKanuck
    I totally recommend it...it taught me techniques I use today...and it has probably saved my bacon a time or two. This happened a couple of years after the course. While riding at night, my buddy was riding about 100 or so feet in front. I saw something flash by his bike. I saw a lump in the road right in front of me...all I had time to do was get up on the pegs then I hit a bloody huge dead porcupine. My friend said all he saw was my light go up then disappear. I had both wheels in the air...at highway speeds...at night...while riding what is probably the crappiest bike ever made...a Yamaha XS750 Special. Without the course, I no doubt would have done something stupid and potentially fatal like slam on the brakes or death grip the bars or who knows what? Instead, I got the balls of my feet on the pegs, stood up just a bit and landed safely....which allowed my to park the bike and examine it properly. It was fine except for dozens of quills stuck in both tires. If I had just gotten on a bike and tried to learn as I went along, I would never have had the confidence or reflexes to survive that like I did. One reason is that i never would have tried the things I learned in the course. Up here in Canadia, there's the extra bonus of a discount on insurance after earning a pass.
  11. JoeKanuck
    For as long as I can remember, my cruise has acted a bit oddly. I do have draggy throttle cables so the cruise isn't as precise as it could be but often yet irregularly, it would jump up 5-10 kph then fade away under the set point, then cut out. I could resume but in a few minutes it would happen again. It was getting to be a pain but I had taken out the vacuum pump and checked the connectors and all seemed ok....I was stumped. I even took the speedo apart to see if anything in there was off...didn't look like it. The cruise box behind the light was a bit worse for wear wth the board basically hanging out...but that wasn't the issue either. Last week I was on a road trip and while going through one town, I noticed my speedo wasn't working. I pulled over and the cable was undone....and the core missing. I went back and forth over the couple of mile stretch where it happened 4 times but found nothing....so I went on my way without a speedo or cruise. The next day, i found a place called Mr. Speedometer that, among other things, fabricated speedo cables. It cost me 25 bucks but the new one works like a charm. One side benefit is that my cruise is no longer jumping. It seems my cruise problem was a loose speedo cable. The speedo itself was always steady but since the cruise uses pulses, it only takes the slightest slip to make it think the bike is slowing down and try to speed things up...which is where the jumping came in. So if you're having odd cruise issues, I suggest first checking your speedo cable.
  12. JoeKanuck
    Before I bought my first bike, I took a motorcycle riding course. I knew nothing about riding but wanted to. Being a coward, I thought I should get some instruction first. The course was 24 hours long spread over 3 weekends. One of the first things they drilled into us is counter steering. It worked then and it works now. The instructor explained that it is the way we instinctively ride a bike...but don't realise it. If you pay attention to how you steer a bike, you will realise that you control it by counter steering. When I got to that course, I barely knew which way to sit. To pass, you have to run an obstacle course which includes, riding over curbs, tires, a teeter totter, ramps, emergency braking, gravel, wet roads and emergency maneuvering. The last one is where you really 'get it' about counter steering.
  13. JoeKanuck
    For the most part, at anything above idle, my stock voltage gauge reads 14ish. Lately, it's been getting up there but it seemed a bit random. Tonight, I checked the wires leading to the R/R and man...did I ever get there just in time. One of the wires from the 3 prong plug had gotten so hot, it not only melted the plug, it heated up the connector enough to slide out of the crimp. One slight tug and it came completely free. I have been going over my bike and re-seating and greasing plugs as I come to them...I was planning on doing this anyway but damn...there was some serious puckering happening when I saw that bare wire. I pulled all the connectors out of the burned and melted plug, cleaned them up and plugged the wires together, without the plug, and insulating them. A quick startup showed the volts at around 14...right off of idle and steady as a rock no matter the load. Moral of the story; check those plugs. If you catch them in time, you may save yourself the time and effort of getting stranded and buying a new R/R.
  14. JoeKanuck
    I just did an oil change today. I still have the stock canister setup.The price of the FRAM 6002 was ten bucks. This will be my third oil change with this filter and I've never had a problem with a FRAM yet. The cost for the adapter is 95 bucks...that's the price of about 10 stock oil filters to save me around 5 minutes...max. I'm more than happy to be a luddite and keep the stock system for as long as I can keep getting filters. So far, I have yet to add a drop of oil between oil changes and I change the oil once a year. Just this summer I've done around 6000 km and the oil was still in the middle of the sight glass when I drained it. I have no idea how many I did last summer since my last oil change. I am all about free will and what I prefer has no bearing on what other do...or should do. As it is, I have a very long list of things I'd rather spend a hundred bucks on.
  15. JoeKanuck
    There is still the option of preventative maintenance by replacing the diodes on the stock TCI, provided it hasn't crapped out yet. I did it a couple of years ago and I haven't had a single problem with it. Here's the thread with the details on how I did it; http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51767&highlight=diode+repair&page=1
  16. JoeKanuck
    I was never worried about overheating but I like to keep my engine temps close to one value when warmed up. It was warmer than I wanted it...and I really don't need any more heat beaming up from my engine on a hot day. I have noticed that when I'm on the road, the temp never gets much above 1/3. That is probably the point where the thermostat opens. That is below where my new fan switch kicks in but my fan will run full time in heavy traffic. With the new switch, the gauge doesn't get much higher than half way...which is probably close to where the thermostat is fully open. I like it better now. It was so cheap and easy I thought I'd share.
  17. JoeKanuck
    Like many, I noticed my water temp gets very close to the redline before the fan kicks in. Once it does, it cools down nicely but I feel more comfortable with the fan coming on at a lower temperature. The thread for the switch is 16m x 1.5. Using that info, I did some searching. I found a good cheap alternative on ebay that switches on the fan significantly earlier than the stock one. The one I got was from a 1988 Chevy Sprint, part number Beck Arnley 201-1367. It is normally open. Opens @ 185 Deg. F; Closes @ 194 Deg. F Fits in with no problem and works like a charm. Fan comes on a lot more but the water temps don't get over half way up the temp gauge. It cost me 5 bucks plus shipping. Just cut off the connector and add a couple of flat, male connectors and they will fit right into the stock harness. Here's a pic; http://thumbs1.ebaystatic.com/m/mkooBtkIH-fJevn12Jx82sQ/140.jpg
  18. JoeKanuck
    Like many, I noticed my water temp gets very close to the redline before the fan kicks in. Once it does, it cools down nicely but I feel more comfortable with the fan coming on at a lower temperature. The thread for the switch is 16m x 1.5. Using that info, I did some searching. I found a good cheap alternative on ebay that switches on the fan significantly earlier than the stock one. The one I got was from a 1988 Chevy Sprint, part number Beck Arnley 201-1367. It is normally open. Opens @ 185 Deg. F; Closes @ 194 Deg. F Fits in with no problem and works like a charm. Fan comes on a lot more but the water temps don't get over half way up the temp gauge. It cost me 5 bucks plus shipping. Just cut off the connector and add a couple of flat, male connectors and they will fit right into the stock harness.
  19. JoeKanuck
    I bet it will...deer are stupider than rocks. They are rats with antlers...it should be legal to hunt them with hand grenades.
  20. JoeKanuck
    I agree with Rick's theory about seat shape being so important. Remember those old steel tractor seats that had a really smooth contoured shape? A person can sit on one of those all day. Saddles are also all day seats, on rougher rides as well. I found a hard backed, foam covered car seat pad that I've been using in my truck to bolster up the saggy stock foam. I have thousands of miles on it...and using a heat gun and much swearing, am working on molding it to be suitable for my bike. Next step is to track down some dense memory foam...not the fluffy mattress and pillow stuff. I have an extra seat so I'm playing with different shapes and materials to try and fab up something better than the 25 year old stock foam. I'm nowhere near there yet but I can definitely recommend an electric bread knife for carving with...something I learned from a seat modder in Australia...who completely cured two very painful BMW seats for me. They looked only subtly different from stock but what a difference. I have discarded most of the stock foam and even cut into the plastic base. It has been an interesting project.
  21. JoeKanuck
    When your bike is idling, slowly rev up and note when the volts come up. My volts drop just under 1000rpm and level off at around 1300. One thing to note is when the brake is on, not only are your powering the brake lights, but the anti dive as well. My volts drop to 12 at idle if the brake is applied. As for your rough idling, a bad spark will do that. You only need one bad plug, wire or coil to give you a rough idle and that cylinder will definitely run rich. You can try adjust your low speed jets as well.
  22. JoeKanuck
    I noticed my out of sync condition most severely at idle...popping, unsteady idle, bogging off the line, generally running like crap. If you think about it, idle is when you get the greatest relative difference in airflow through the carbs if something is out. A small change at idle means a big percentage change relative to the other carbs. That same small change at full throttle won't have nearly the effect.
  23. JoeKanuck
    You can do a quick check for vacuum just by using your finger...or tongue. If you prefer your finger, just wet it and place it over the end of the vacuum port. Your finger should 'stick' to the port. Or...if you have especially insensitive fingers, get a piece of hose, (clean), which fits snugly over the vacuum port, get the bike running and close off the end of the hose with your tongue...don't worry...it won't peel the skin off of your tongue. At least it is possible for you to know if there is any vacuum at all at any of the ports. If yes, then it has something to do with the carbtune.
  24. JoeKanuck
    First thing; sync the carbs. I just did a bunch of stuff to the carbs and it idled like a horror show before I synced the carbs. It makes a tremendous difference.
  25. JoeKanuck
    Good day. I just got my '86 back on the road after some major carb transplantation. I had 2 carbs with hopelessly seized low speed jets so I got a set of 4 from thirdbike and frankensteined a set out of the 8. The floats were perfect and as it turns out, the needles he sent were different than mine...with a longer and shallower taper. They were also set to their max rich setting. I put on some new diaphragms on the best of the slides, left it at max rich and bolted it back together. Holy crap...what a bunch of nasty noises when I started it up...I did a balance, set the low speed jets by ear and now it's running better ever. With the needles set rich, I don't have the bogging with the filter out anymore since more gas needs more air. Some previous owner had drilled some holes in the air box lid and then covered them up with tape...I took off the tape and no bogging. I was planning on trying this experiment for some time and this was a good opportunity. The bike has more power than before, smooth from idle to redline, no dead spots, no more popping at idle, leaner at idle, (less raw gas stank), and I don't even need the choke anymore when it's cold. Basically it goes like a scalded rabbit. I could probably lean it out for a bit but instead, I'm going to try supply even more air and put that extra gas to good use. I'm getting about 32 mpg, (us gallons), but it runs so damned good that I think I'd rather eat the couple of extra bucks than chance screwing with the goodness of the engine. I added a couple of huge wind deflectors to the fairing so that will have dropped the mileage a bit. Someday I maybe even change the plugs. So if your bike is running somewhat rich, maybe try giving the engine more air as a first resort...it working great for me.
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