(Part 2) Best products from r/Fixxit

I just rewired my GS500 (a couple of times, since the first was a major learning experience) and I can tell you, it's likely a bigger project than you're expecting. For starters, do you mind if I ask why you're doing it? And what exactly are you planning to do? It sounds like you want to replace the current harness with a new, homemade one. If that's the case, here are some things to consider.

Will you reuse the same connectors? If so, how will you connect them to the wires? I would not recommend using butt splices, as they serve as just another point of failure later down the road. Only use these when completely necessary, but they are good to have around. You should try to get quick disconnect terminals, like these (I call them male and female paddles, since I've yet to find a succinct name for them). The trouble is, in order to fit in the connector blocks, they need a barb on the back of the female to hold it in place, and I couldn't find any such terminals. I ended up replacing all of them with weatherpack connectors, but that was likely overkill.

What wire will you use? I was a cheapskate, and I chose not to buy the various colored wire that the bike used. Now it's pretty much all black and red wire. This turns out to be really difficult. If you can avoid it, don't do this.

And do you have your service manual? If not, get one. The wiring diagrams are invaluable. I absolutely could not have done this without the manual. It's the greatest investment you'll make for your bike.

Make sure you understand how every electrical subsystem works before you really delve into it, and it's really not that bad. And the knowledge on the other side is great to have. You'll know every square inch of your electrical system.

Oh, and a couple of things I found helpful. I put an ignition-switched power and a ground post at the rear of the bike. Just a bolt and nut through a hole in the fender. With ring terminals and another nut to hold them all in place, it serves as a great way to power and ground anything that needs to only be on when the key is turned. And it's easy to add things to it later.

In general, cut all of your wires long. Label them accurately—I used painter's tape—and cut them to length as you're adding the connector. Saves much confusion.

Good luck.

Where to begin.

First off, never again put a meter lead on a spark plug wire. I have no idea why that meter didn't stop working forever. You are hitting the meter with 30,000 volts when it's probably not designed to measure over 1000 volts. You check for spark using a spark plug, or one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-20610-Inline-Spark-Tester/dp/B0002STSC6 and a video how to use it is here: https://youtu.be/eQBtzk-dGYM

Second, Your starter clutch is fine. It's allowing the starter to turn the engine over. That's the first function. The second function comes into play when the engine starts, and you haven't gotten there yet. IT allows the engine to run without the engine driving the starter motor. The thing you see moving in that window is the flywheel, and it's connected to the crankshaft, so it's going to spin whenever the engine is turning over to start or when it's running. Cover that hole up. your problem isn't there.

Third, the little philips head screw on your carburetor is a drain to empty your carburetor float bowls for winter storage, or to set the float height. It's not going to help you start the engine, although the fact gas is coming out of it is a good sign that that carb, at least, is getting fuel. But, tighten it down and leave it.

Fourth, and this part scares me, is how do you know the left carb needs a vacuum diaphragm (as they're more commonly called)? Good on your for being able to repair your starter motor and get it back together so it turns the engine over, but it's very easy to screw up a carburetor without even knowing it if you don't know what you're doing.

You need to get a socket for your spark plug, they need to come out to see if they're wet, or fouled, or even have a proper gap.

I could go on forever, but go HERE and start reading. You could go straight to chapter 13, "Trouble Shooting a Bike that Will Not Start," but you'd be doing yourself a favor by starting at the beginning and reading everything.

Good luck, man. I know you're trying and I commend you for that, but I saw so many things in just that short video that made me cringe. I don't know where you live, but if you live anywhere near Syracuse, NY, I could probably help you get that running in short order. I've repaired bikes professionally (and in fact am a very busy industrial electrician/mechanic,) and was a service manager at a Kawasaki dealer for a while. I've been repairing motorcycles on and off for over 45 years, since I was 13, and fixing mowers and chains saw even before that. I know what I'm doing and if I come across something I don't know, I'll find out and won't bullshit you in the meantime. For example, the guy who asked about valve adjustment is not wrong, he's just jumped too far ahead. The fundamentals of a viable engine are fuel, compression, and spark. It seems like you have all 3, so it's probably something relatively minor preventing you from getting started.

Others might disagree with me but I find I actually prefer mechanic's gloves to most motorcycle gloves and the protection they give is good (much better than the plain leather ones I wore 30 years ago).

I tend to like the fit and improved dexterity better than budget motorcycle gloves.

You can get a pretty good pair for $15:
https://www.amazon.com/Vgo-Dexterity-Anti-vibration-Anti-abrasion-Touchscreen/dp/B07GYPXTSF/ref=sr_1_30?keywords=mechanic%27s+gloves&qid=1570371002&sr=8-30

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G59ZYWJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rovsun 6L one. Actual tank capacity is around 4L. It would fit 2 of these disassembled carbs at a time. If you think you might want / need to clean a 4 bbl auto carb or even a 2 bbl Weber type, I would get the 10L.
For solution I used water and a cup or so of Krud Kutter. Ran @ 140'F for 3 - 20 min. sessions., the 3rd of which w/ clean / new solution.

I found crosskart / buggy plans someone uploaded so I downloaded and printed them. From Badland Buggys out of Ontario. Plans are for their ST2. Has materials list, cut list, bend templates, lots of dimensional drawings and instruction... Going to save me a ton of time and engineering. They're only $50 to purchase and I think well worth that.

http://badlandbuggy.com/product/st2-1-seat/

Thanks again for your help. Very much appreciated.

The trickery in those systems is not in their electrical wiring, but in that they're increasingly computerized. ABS and EFI in particular. With increasing model-specific complexity also comes increasing variety, so you're going to need a model-specific service manual.

If you're unfamiliar with 12V electrical systems in general, I'd probably start by reading the generic automotive electrical books. Haynes would probably suffice to get you up to speed, so that terminology used in the service manual makes more sense.

The main differences you'll find will be in charging systems and accessory wiring (both covered in a model-specific service manual), but pretty much everything else follows a similar (+)->Distribution/Fuse->Device->Ground circuit.

Where it gets complex is the ECU. I know a few bikes use a variation of OBD-II (Triumph comes to mind), but the rest are completely proprietary, requiring their own set of scantools and protocols. Pretty much all EFI and ABS diagnostic procedures will be done with one of these scantools (or at least pricey cable and software) if you want live or freeze frame data where supported.

The same trend continues in the automotive world as well. ABS and electronically-controlled transmissions were a big deal when they first hit the market (pre OBD-II), and now they're adding drive-by-wire and hybrid technologies to the mix. The only thing standard between manufacturers and even model years is engine management data (emissions). Airbags, ABS, SRS, and body electrical control data still require dealer scantools to access. They don't make their PIDs public knowledge, so these scantools are often priced out of reach of all but the big shops.

Finally, not that you're gonna botch anything, but electrical is only worth doing if it's done right, so take pride in your work! No half-ass duct tape and twist splice crap. I've had tons of vehicles come to me in sorry shape after being "fixed" with electrical tape and prayers, many of which have required a new harness ($$$, time, patience, sanity). Doing it right takes skill and patience, but it's worth the reward when your car/house/bike doesn't burn down in the course of normal operation :)

Sorry, that was long.

TL;DR: It's not much different from cars; computers are weird

remove the whole seat so you can get at what's left of the bolt. Hit it with some WD40 , PB Blaster or whatever your favorite penetrating oil is. Now let it soak in there for a good long time. Then hit it again with the WD40 and let it soak again for a good long time...like an hour or so. After it has been lubed and penetrated get some vice grips and clamp those fucker on there as tight as you can perpendicular to the direction of the bolt. Make sure they are on there real good and then slowly try to back the bolt out. It looks like there is enough left of the bolt for this method to work. If it doesn't you can always try one of these , but I have had mixed success with them and always try the TONS OF PENETRATING OIL and vice grips method first. Also , make sure you let the penetrating oil soak in there real good.

Too late for this, but easy outs are NOT for use with seized screws. They are only for use with screws whose head is buggered.

I wrote this up a while back, you should give it a read:

Best tools for removing broken or stripped screws.

As for getting the easy out OUT, there is another option, but you need some crazy tools. Mainly a drill-press stand for your hand held drill, and a hollow, diamond coring bit, like what you would use for drilling a hole through glass or ceramic. If you can cut around the easy out with the coring bit, then you can break it free. Next, you finish over-drilling the hole, and then insert a threaded insert to bring the hole back down to the correct size.

Parts I'm talking about:

Drill guide The drill guide is important because the coring bits will walk all over the place since they don't have a center point. The guide can be fastened, held, etc. in place better, and help guide the bit to where it needs to go.

Core bit
You can also use a more standard bimetallic hole saw, just without the pilot bit installed.

Threadsert (Choose the ID of the original fastener, and find it in SS, not carbon) Don't use a Helicoil, those things are shit. (Speaking from LOTS of experience here...)

Two taps that match the outside threading of the threaded insert. One a taper tap, and one a bottoming tap.

I had an ebay special last me about 4 chains before the pin snapped. I bought a the [DID chain tool] (https://smile.amazon.com/D-I-D-KM500R-Chain-Rivet-Tool/dp/B0040PM2EI?sa-no-redirect=1) and have riveted around 10 more, it's super easy as it has an aligner plate on the back so you can't misalign on the rivet, and a rivet stop built into the pin so you can't really over-rivet it either. Worth the extra dough.

My side grind is moto maintenance so I do a lot of simple jobs like this, good tools make all the difference. You'll give that DiD tool to your grandkids trust me it's like a tank.

EDIT: and like everyone else here I just cut chains with a dremel cut off wheel.

You can use nay 12v battery you'd like to that can supply the cca (cold cranking amps) to the motor to get it started, I have a designated large car battery to do this.

I wouls strongly suggest that you invest in a multimeter of some sort. I do not own the one linked but based on the reviews it can't be that bad for the price. and see what the voltage of the battery is, if it is above 11v I would consider the battery to be salvageable and try to recharge it. if not, yes I would get a new battery. Just know that while you are troubleshooting the bike that you should have a way to charge the battery. I used to just hook up leads from my car battery to my bike to do the testing; relying on the alternator of the ca to get the battery charged as I drove it.

Yes, a good place to start would be the battery, next I would test for spark: take the spark plug cap off, unbolt the plug, put the cap backon and ground the plug to the engine by holding threads up to the engine case (bare metal). and then try turning on the bike looking for small spark jumping at the tip. That should be good if he said it was running sporadically. then, again I would assume the carb is the main problem.

I just wasn’t sure if it could’ve been an electrical issue like one or both coils getting hot and failing but if you think it’s your carburetors, this may be a useful resource for you. I would also try to see if you have an intake leak the next time you have it running and idling, spray some starting fluid around the carburetor and on the intake manifold between the carburetor in the head looking to see if you can make the idle change. Just short bursts would work because if you got some in the airbox inlet it would change the idle speed for sure. But here’s a link that may help you learn to troubleshoot your carburetors. http://www.pjmotorsports.com/trouble-shooting.html

And if you don’t know when the last time the carburetors were synchronized, you may want to look into doing that as well. They make one with four gauges as well. www.amazon.com/dp/B004MSJ7C8/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_c_aFG0AbHHTVZK2

I learned by doing it. It may be intimidating at first but once you get the hang of it, it's easy. A good tool to get for cleaning carbs is a mig welder tip cleaner

https://www.amazon.com/AES-Industries-2501-Welding-Cleaner/dp/B0025D5SQQ

It works amazing for cleaning jets and other small orifices.

No, the threads are the normal orientation.

It will be worthwhile for you to get two tools - a bolt extractor (to work on the nuts) and a stud extractor. You may get them in the same kit - this is the one I have.

The bolt extractors come in different sizes. They fit over the nut a bit like a normal socket, but they are slightly conical inside and there are six helical ridges. Providing you selected the right size, these bite in to the nut or bolt head and get purchase even if it is badly corroded or rounded off. The nut may come off the stud, or the stud may come out of the head. Fortunately studs are fairly thick these days, so they rarely snap. Heat and penetrating oil will also help, but you can also use a 50:50 mix of acetone and ATF which seems to work well. A few drops of diesel is also good.

The stud extractor fits over the stud, and three rollers inside cam on to the stud, giving grip. These work well.

Do take the opportunity to replace the studs (if you can get them out) and the nuts. You should find that the stud extractors can be used in reverse to wind them in.

I have only used it on my bike a couple times, but I love my Weller Portasol

It heats up fast, solders well, and the little butane exhaust port on the tip works perfectly for shrink tube.

I always called them plug patches. They're patches with a plug sticking out of them. I've also heard them called combi plugs. Look like these guys. You'll need to buff the inside of the tire where the hole is to create a rough surface for the patch to glue to. Be very careful when you're doing this, as you do NOT want to wear through the inner liner. You just want to roughen up the surface a bit. Then ream out the hole to create a nice even hole. Apply some vulcanizing cement to the area (including the puncture hole) and allow it to dry completely (typically about 5 minutes). Pull the plug patch through, and then "stitch" it down with a stitching tool. You probably will not have one of these, so you can probably get away with using the back end of a screwdriver to just push it smooth. Cut the tail of the patch flush, and you're good to go.

I just pulled a similar sized dent with a PDR kit from amazon that cost around 15 bucks. Worked great! If paint hadn't come off when it was dented it would have been (almost) perfect, but since it did i added a little bondo to completely smooth it and matched the paint as best i could. Here's the link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY4S7ZU/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498742094&sr=sr-1&keywords=pdr+kit

In the US most auto parts and hardware stores have a small selection of studs. In a pinch a Allen head bolt and washer could be used in its place short term. Use of bolts will eventually take a toll on the threads in the hole after repeated use.

It doesn't look like there is enough left of the stud to double nut it.

• If you have room to swing a pair of vice grips you may be able to turn it out. Heating the area with a torch will help it come out easier.
  
• Putting a nut over the remaining stud, then weld the center of the nut to the stud. It heats the stud and allows you to use a wrench or socket on the nut.
  
• Drilling and easy outs. Just a no, don't do it. Unless you have skills and practice from doing it before. It's a good way to make a bad situation really bad.
  
• If you have time and can wait. Let chemistry do the work for you. Clean the area well with brake cleaner. Take a aluminum or plastic bottle cut it up to Silicone/RTV it in place so a liquid can be poured into it and hold it submerging the bolt, sometimes you have to be creative to do stuff on the side like this. Go to the grocery store and get some Alum(it's a Double Sulfate salt. Alum attacks the steel stud but not the aluminum, it will leave a clean hole.). Mix it with water making a stiff salt brine like you would use to gargle. Poor it in the container you've fashioned. Adding a small heat source like a heat lamp or small light to it helps speed the reaction. Wait 12-30 hours and the stud should be gone. You can use this as a fall back method to Vice drips.

I have had some luck with bearing pullers on a bearing like this. These usually are not stuck too bad. If you by the cheap puller in the link it might work once. A good puller kit will be $250 and the difference will be the hardness of the steel. The cheap set will be mangled after one use and hopefully will last long enough to pull one bearing

https://www.amazon.com/ATP-Bearing-Puller-Remover-Extractor/dp/B075YRHWCM/ref=asc_df_B075YRHWCM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309811990469&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=944491512671937252&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-624679758447&psc=1

i would probably get a carb sync tool and go from there. are the rpms all over the place too?
edit: and how did you tune the carbs?