frankd

I was installing the clutch slave cylinder on the 83, and when I went to snug up the bottom bolt, the threads in the block stripped. Any ideas how to fix them good enough to tighten up the bolt? I checked and it looks like there is about 1/8" or a bit more of good, unused threads left down in the blind hole, so I may try and see if I can find a bolt that is a little longer and see if there is enough left to hold. I don't think a heli-coil would be very easy to install. The female threads in the block are about 6" inside of the bulge in the stator cover, so I'd have to find a way to extend the installation tool. Also, the threads don't start at the surface, they are recessed about 1/8" so that the bolt will act as a pilot bushing also. The next best alternative that I see is to tap it for a larger bolt, probably a 1/4"-28 and open up the hole in the cylinder a bit. The Yammie bolt is 6mm or .236". I'll still have to come up with a way to extend the tap though. I haven't looked on the Grainger site yet, but do they make a tap extension so you can reach into recesses? Anybody ever have any luck with Devcon or something like this? Barb and I are leaving on the 89 Thursday, so it'll be sitting for a bit. Frank D.

Gary Z. Actually, I was suggesting this to the other Gary (Dingy). His gave the the impressoin that he could be losing 12V power to the new TCI, and an intermittant contact in the KILL switch was doing this to mine. Yours doesn't sound like this. Good luck on finding the problem!!!! Frank

You can test some of the regulator with an ohmeter. To do this, I use an analog ohmeter (one with a meter, not a digital meter), but you can also use a digital if you select the diode test function. The red regulator leads are the positive terminals, and the black leads are the negative. The brown lead is the remote voltage sense, and the 3 white wires are the stator leads. Connect one of the meter leads to the positive (red) regulator lead. Now touch the other to each of the stator leads, one at a time. All 3 should measure relatively identicaly. Now reverse the meter leads, and if you had an indication in the prior test, you should not now. You are testing the positive diodes in the regulator and they will conduct in one direction, but not the other. Now repeat the above tests except measure from the black regulator leads to the stator leads. This will test the negative diodes. If all 6 diodes conduct in one direction and are open in the other, your regulator will produce DC power. This does not check the regulator portion though. To do this off the bike would take a variable DC power supply and isn't too easy to do. Regulators are pretty reliable. Frank D.

Gary, I know you suspect the new ignition module, but is there a chance that there is a different problem? The reason I say this is that 3 years ago when I bought my 89, it only had 30,000 miles on the clock. In fact the PO had bought it from a dealer with 23K, 8 months prior, so she obviously slept for a lot of years. On the test ride, she ran perfectly, but when I took it for a ride after I got it home, she died when I came to a stop. She restarted fine, and finished the ride. This was late November, so I winterized it and it sat until spring. Then next spring, I was riding down the interstate, and decided to turn the cruise control on. When I pushed the power button, the bike went dead, the tach went to zero, and the cruise green light did not come on---then about 2 seconds later, everything came back to life. I dug out the print and saw that the cruise power flows through the "KILL" switch. I excercised the Kill switch and have not had the problem again. I regulary use the the KILL switch, especially when my wife is with me, so the contacts have remained clean (I hit the kill switch to stop the motor, and then after she gets off, I turn the key off). It will be very easy to tell if you are also having this problem---turn you cruise control ON and watch if the green light goes out when the bike goes dead. A lot of riders never use the kill switch, and if you are one of those, maybe it's time to rock it back and forth a bit. Frank

I needed a spacer for the rear wheel bearings, and it also was discontinued. My local Yammie dealer has been there for lots of years, and sometimes has the needed parts on the shelves.....well, they didn't have the spacer, but they were able to go 'online' and see which dealers did have it in stock. They gave me a list of about 6 dealers (with phone numbers), and Monday I started calling. Like you, I did find some that were closed on Mondays, but I found a couple that were open on Monday, and one that was able to find the needed part. They shipped it, and a week later, I had it installed. Actually, all the closed Monday dealers had answering machines, and several of those called back and said they also had the part I needed. The moral...go into your local dealer, and see if they will look who has it in stock....you may get lucky. Also, on one of the 'previous' Venture web pages that I used to belong to, someone had submitted a list of aftermarket hoses that would work on our bike. Another thought----be certain that your leak is actually from the hose. Our bikes have problems with some of the 'O' rings in the cooling system, and also the top of the thermostat housing distorting and leaking. 'O' rings are a lot easier to get than hoses. The hoses on Ventures have been very reliable and long lasting.

Yes, it's not an oil pressure warning, but an oil level switch, and it's located in the front of the oil sump. On my 83, if the oil is near the lower allowable level, and you run it hard through first and second gears, the warning may come on briefly. Because the float is in the front of the pan, and the oil pickup is in towards the rear (where the oil flows to when you're accelerating hard) I never worried about it. Your's is different. If you look at the bottom of your engine, you will see a single wire going into the motor....that's the oil level switch, and I think that the warning comes on when the wire is grounded by the level switch. If the wire's insulation has been damaged and the wire is grounding, this could make the warning intermittant, but this isn't very likely. The most likely problem is the alarm panel printed circuit board has a break on one of the runs. There are several discussions about this on the site.

When I listened to your audio clip, it sounded like you didn't have enough choke on. Did you use the choke?? How much?? Are you sure the choke cable is connected and adjusted correctly? If so, I agree, turn the idle speed screw (the knob under the back of the left front carb) clockwise about 1/8-1/6 of a turn. Another thought....you do have the airbox cover on and a filter installed don't you? Did you buy the bike in this condition or did this just happen?? Frank D.

I then moved the meter shunt to one of the stator wires running from the stator to the regulator. I spliced the shunt into the lead and verified the connection had little or no resistance (less than .3 ohms). The meter shunt is marked as .5 ohms resistance so my meter is reading close enough for comparison. I then started the bike back up and measured the current flow (amps) through the single stator wire while turning on and off the different electrical loads on the bike ( no load- only TCI, headlights (HI and Lo), and with the cooling fan running). In all cases the current flow to the regulator from the stator on the lead I was testing NEVER went about 4-5 amps on the single stator lead. It cycled from 0 amps up the a reading of 3 to 4 amps and then back off. Just as I would expect for a FET SERIES regulator that was opening up or closing the stator coils as needed to maintain the battery at the 14.3 V setpoint. I also measured the battery voltage during these tests and it stayed at 14.1-14.3 volts at all RPM's. If this regulator was a shunt type them the stator wire under measurement should have had a higher and more steady current reading. It didn't react like a shunt type of regulator. It reacted exactly like a series type of regulator, controlling the current output according to battery load and maintaining battery voltage at the setpoint at all RPM's. My stator in my bike is one I had rewound by a specialty shop that specializes in motorcycle stators. It was rewound to increase output as much as the stock stator core would allow (not much) but with modern wire and superior methods of vacuum coating and encapsulation. I am very happy with their work and have had ZERO issues. The combination of the Shindengen FH0012AA and the rewound stator produce great output (current (amps) and voltage) at all RPM's, from idle to redline. I have no doubt that this regulator is a SERIES type, it doesn't perform in the manner of a shunt type. The OEM regulator may have been a shunt type, I never tested it. I know the older combination regulator/rectifiers suffered from too much internal resistance in the rectifier section which caused alot of heat gain during operation. The Actually, since I wrote the beggining of this thread, I also have obtained a Shindengen FH012AA regulator. Before I disconnected the Yammie regulator, I took my clamp on AC/DC ammeter and measured the stator current and found that at idle, I had about 11 amps AC, and at about 3,000 RPM, I had about 26 amps AC, on each phase. No matter how much DC current I had flowing through the red and black leads. I turned the headlight on high beam, turned on the driving lights, applied the brakes---the DC current through the red lead went up as expected, but the stator current stayed the same, 26 amps and change. I got the impression by your message that you measured the current in the stator leads with your 50A/50mv shunt. Did you measure the AC voltage accross the shunt when you were measuring the stator current? When I hooked up the Shindengen, I still had 26 amps AC of stator current at about 3,000 RPM no matter how much DC current was being used, so indeed it is a shunt regulator just like the OEM. Now, the schematic above of the Shindengen gives the impression that it is a series regulator, but I found that schematic on the net and maybe it's not accurate. Also, you are correct that the Shindengen doesn't make much heat. I've heard here that the Yammie regulator uses a zener to regulate the voltage. The alternator system is rated @ 30A D.C. When the battery is fully charged, the bike (lights, ignition, etc.) draws about 11 amps D.C. going down the road. That means the shunt regulator normally disippates about 19 amps, and that would be a lot of heat if it is indeed shunted with a zener diode (It comes out to over 200 Watts, but I can't believe that is so). I wonder if the Shindengen clamps the voltage accross the stator leads at less voltage so that less heat is produced (P=IE, so a lower E would be less heat). You say that you measured the stator current with the shunt.....Usually shunts are used to measure DC current, but I don't see an reason why you couldn't measure AC current with it also. Just measure the AC voltage accross the shunt and compute the AC current. However, .5 ohms of series resistance will lower the stator current a bit. I don't think that it really is .5 ohms though. R=E/I or .050/50, which equals .001 ohm (.050V=50mv.) Try measuring the stator current again. Connect the shunt in series with one of the stator leads. Connect your digital meter across the shunt (at the smaller screws) and put the meter on the AC milivolt range. Start the bike, rev it to about 3,000 RPM and measure the AC stator current. The Yammie manual says the stator produces 26.2 amps minimum @ 3700 RPM. You will read 1 milivolt for each amp., so if you read 27mv. you have 27 amps flowing from your stator leads. Frank D.

In addition to Ride-On in my tires, I carry a small cheap compressor, and a Stop & Go (the umbrella type plug) repair kit. Of course, I've got a Slime patch kit also, but I've had string patches come out of my rear tire and I'm not likely to use that unless it's that or I'm stranded. Just the compressor will get you out of a lot of circumstances....you can keep on filling the tire and ride until you can get somewhere to get it fixed. My 89 came with a cigarette lighter, but on my 83 I made up an adapter kit that had aligator clips on one end and a lighter socket on the other. I could just take my tank cover off and get to the battery, connect the aligator clips and plug the compressor into the lighter socket. Frank D.

My father in law went on the Honor Flight about 3 years ago, and to see the look on all of the WW II vetrans when they returned home was amazing. It's a long day for them (remember they're in their middle to late 80's) but I'm sure that every one of them was happy they went.

Is there any chance that your carbs are out of sync?

Trader, Avon has a good web site that tells you the tire size AND the recomended air pressure. However, because I recently bought 2 rear Avons, I can tell you the rear size is 140/90-16. Frank D.

I've taken the exhaust system off of both of my Ventures many times, and I usually put them back together using the old gaskets, and nothing leaks. That makes me think you have another problem. Are you sure the exhaust clamps are tightening properly?? The clamps also have locating tabs, and these tabs have to be in the right spots for the clamps to tighten correctly. Check the bolts/nuts and make sure the threads are in good shape and not stopping the clamps from tightening. I've also had the exhaust chamber crack where the mounting bracket is welded and cause leakage. You also mentioned the rear cylinder pipe gaskets. These have stops that prevent the clamps from being overtightened. THe problem with these is they bottom out too soom. Use a grinder and take off some of the stop so they tighten a little better. When my 83 was new, I had problems with these. Frank D.

Let me tell you what I've been through for the last couple of weeks..... My brother brought the 83 up to me because it needs some work, and also the rear tire changed. The Avon on it was 8 years and 22,000 miles old, but it has just the beginning of a little cracking in the tread area and none on the sidewalls. On my 89, I had a Dunop 591 with just less than 10,000 miles on over the last 1 1/2 years. Barb and I are planning about a 3000 mile trip, and there really didn't look like there was enough life left on the thread, so I bought a new Avon for it also. After I got the 591 off of the bike, I noticed some big cracks in the threads, some pretty scary. I had bought this tire at a local dealer because I was leaving on another trip, my old Avon had a small nail in the threads, and we were leaving on a trip 1 1/2 years ago. Now, the 591 looks like an old Elite 2, and has Harley Davidson written on the side also, not a cheap tire. I looked at the date code and it was from 2006, but remember I'd bought it in the fall of 2010. It'd been on the shelve for 4 years. Make sure any tire you put on your bike hasn't been sitting somewhere for a long time. Check the datecode. Be safe.

Yes, you could replace the plug with individual terminals, but there are other ways to restore the connections as well. You could take a new male connector and plug it into the females on the connector and see how tight the females are. You'll probaby find they are fine. However after all of this time they are oxidized. You could spray the connectors with some contact cleaner (one that is easily available is Radio shack Catalog #: 64-4338) and then sliding the connectors on and off the TCI about 5 times. Then put some dielectric grease on the male pins. I'd think this would be a lot easier than replacing the terminals. Frank D.

Tom, I've never worked on a Voyager, but all of the battery electrolyte level alarms I've seen (including by back up sump pump) work just like the first Gen Ventures. Does the battery have a sensor pluged into the top?? It probably doesn't but look around and you may find the wire that used to go to the sensor near the battery. On the Ventures, I just connect it with a 1,000 to 3,300 ohm resistor to the auxilary power screw coming out of the fusebox. The reason I chose this was because it is switched OFF when the key is OFF. I don't know if the Veeger has a similiar item. Frank D.

No, that bulge is just the vinyl outer jacket, the sheath inside is fine. You can tell the way the cable twists that the valve in the shock just won't move beyond #2 positoin.

Here's the picture....I don't see anyway to get it apart, but if you take the adjustment nut off, be careful not to loose the little springs and balls!!!! If you look into the shock top opposite of where the cable hooks to, there is what looks like the bottom of a bolt that's been loctited with black Loctite. I don't see anyway to get it apart without destroying it, and then it does have that warning label... Probably the best thing for you to do would be to find somebody parting out a Royale. Frank

One important thing that I didn't see listed was to lube the drive shaft splines. On the 1986's (MkII), they added a seal on the rear spline hub, but the 85's and older (Mk I) the hub is open on one end. Every 10 or 12,000 miles, I would take my 83 apart and lube this and the rear wheel drive coupling. The MkII and 2nd Gen don't need the driveshaft splines lubed quite that often because the seal keeps the grease in better. If you look where the drive shaft tube goes into the shaft drive unit, you will see a Zerk fitting. Ignore it....it doesn't do a darn thing. Before the internet, I wore out the drive shaft and shaft drive unit hubs because I was greasing the zerk fitting and the grease wasn't going into the right spot. Do a search here for greasing the drive shaft and if you have any questions afterwards, you'll get a lot of help. Pick up a container of molydenum disulfide grease for the drive shaft couplings. As you will find out when you do a search for the proceedure, that a lot of people here suggest the Honda (car) grease. I don't use that, I bought a container of thick molybendum disulfide grease a long time ago and I'm still using that. Welcome, Frank D.

No, after I got the old one out, I could see that the flex we feel is just he cable twisting. Something is bound up in the shock. When I get a chance, I'll take a picture and see if it'll come apart without destroying it. Frank

Mine was no-where near that easy. I trashed one puller, and then tightened the 2nd puller about a half turn tighter than I thought was safe. Then I beat it with a hammer.....no go. As was suggested here, I made a safe landing port for it and left it overnight. Next morning it was still tight--the gremlins were busy elswhere that night. After loosening and tightening the puller a couple times more, and hitting the bolt with a hammer each time, it finally came off. BTW, before you reinstall the flywheel, clean all the oil off of it and the crankshaft (where they meet). THis is one area you don't want lubricated. I used lighter fluid because that's one of the purest solvents easily available. Straight naptha is even better. Frank D.

When I used to run Dunlop Elite II's, I got about 22-24,000 miles on them. By then they didn't handle the greatest, and the back tire was noisy in turns, but they lasted. With Avon's I found they lasted about the same, but handled a lot better and were much quieter when they were worn. I don't always get that life though.....When I bought the 89, it had a Dunlop 404 on the rear and @ 9,000 miles it was shot. I installed an Avon, and things were fine until it attracted a nail. We wanted to leave on a trip, so the only tire I could find was a Dunlop 591, which is made for a Harley. I've got about 9,000 miles on it, and it probably has another 2,000 left. We're leaving on a trip in 3 weeks, so the bike will have a new Avon on it when we leave. I've got a spare back wheel, so I'm planning on putting the Avon on the spare wheel, and then swapping back to the 591 when we get home. We'll see if I get that carried away. On the front of the 89, a Bridgestone was installed a year before I bought the bike. The PO and I put about 26,000 miles on it....it's still not really worn out, but since I've had it it's handled bad... No precision in the turns and unstable at high speed. Tire brands and types do make a big difference. I installed an Avon, and now it's a different bike. Frank

As a matter of fact, I just did!!! There was a former member parting out his MkII and I needed a few of the parts,so I also bought the rear shock, and I finally changed it the other day..... The adjustment cable goes right into the top of the shock---when I get a chance, I may try to take the old unit apart and see exactly what happened and if it can be fixed. It's not a real bad job to remove the rear shock, but it does take 2 people to get the top bolt out---one to reach in from the left side with a socket and a long extemsion to hold the bolt, and a 2nd to loosen and remove the nut on the right side. You disconnect the air line underneath the seat, and I taped a small rope to the air line, removed the shock pulling the rope out the bottom of the bike, taped the rope to the new shock's air hose, and as you raise the shock into position, pull the rope so the hose follows the original path. To get the suspension linkage out of the way, just unbolt it from the swing arm, but before you do, put a block under the rear tire to keep it from falling down when it's released from the suspension. You don't have to remove anything except the side covers and seat to pull the rear shock. Now I have all 4 damping positions available. Frank

I just got off the phone with a Ride-On engineer, and he says that about 6 years ago, they discovered that their current product reacted with the release compounds that some of the tire manufacturers used, and broke down. Since then, they've changed their formula and now there is no problem with Ride-On. He went on to say that the orange colored Ride-On is the new stuff, and the older formula is lavender color. I'm thinking that I may want to give it a second chance, escpecially because it's not because the Ride-ON just got old and dried. It is comforting to have Ride-On in your tires when you are on a trip. Frank

Yes, it was Ride-On, I know because I put it in. Their web site says that the life in the bottle is 3 years, and after you install it in the tires, it's good for 5 years. 2 years ago, I changed the front tire and the Ride-On (6 years in the tire) was somewhat dried, but nowhere as bad as the rear. If it turns this bad after 5 years, why don't they tell you. I know, nobody would use it. Yes, 8 years on a tire is a long time. I had a couple of low mileage years on it, and then I gave it to my brother who only put about 3000 miles on it the last 2 years. BTW, the Avon was not cracked at all, just worn out.