TOPIC:

Brought the old girl out of storage today and she wouldn't start. Starter relay just clicking. Battery is fully charged and healthy.

Thinking it was the solenoid I did the old trick and jammed a wrench between the two terminals and it started right up. Is it safe to assume the solenoid is bad? Are there replacements available? I feel like its a common item.

Thanks

This may help.

www.kz1300.com/index.php/forum/electrica...319-starter-solonoid

I didn't know they could come apart and be cleaned up. Fantastic that we actually have a part that is serviceable. I'll take it apart today and see what I can do with it. Thanks!

My bike is working great except it still has occasional trouble with cold starts. I have a clear filter and I can see that fuel is not flowing. It will crank but fuel is not flowing. I leave it alone for an hour or so, go back and then it starts. Runs like crap until all the bowls fill up and then it runs like a champ. I feel like its becoming airlocked after sitting. I have no idea why. This probably contributed to my relay burning up.

If you haven't already, you should check the vent tube that runs through the fuel tank. Too many reports of blocked tubes of either rust or small insects for what ever reason. The tube runs between the vent at the bottom of the tank and the vent hole at the fuel tank filler cap. Air enters the tube at the bottom and flows through the tube to the vent port at the fuel cap, then through the fuel cap and then entering the tank.
Also note that if by chance you replaced the filler cap with a new one offered on EBay or elsewhere, that some of the aftermarket caps did not come with the crossover port in the cap that marries the vent port in the tank with the port that is supposed to be in the cap.

Ah the wonderful world of aftermarket replacement parts that were made for specific applications and yet they missed a critical aspect. Remember "Fit, Form and Function" . You always need to remember this when replacing a part with a new non OEM part.

kawboy made a good point regarding the vent.
If I can add my 2 cents: I'd certainly start by checking the vent. A blocked vent will stop fuel from flowing. This is typically discovered when riding, when the fuel flow is higher then simply idling. Have you tried starting the bike with the gas-cap open? Check the vent by installing a short length of tubing to the vent outlet, open the gas cap and blow through the tubing. There will be some resistance due to the long length, small diameter of the internal vent pipe and the rubber seal in the cap assembly, but air should pass. The vent pipe can be cleared with compressed air and if it has been blocked by rust / insect nesting, a long wire can be used to remove this debris. Is the internal fuel filter still in the tank? With the age of these bikes and multiple owners.....I suspect not. If your tank is on Empty you may have selected "Reserve" for your supply. If the tanks internal filter is missing or damaged it's possible the fuel-valves Reserve port is blocked with rust and debris. It does not have a tube attached to it like the "RUN" fuel side does. It's literally level with the bottom of the tank. Any crap that's in the tank will settle into the fuel-valves Reserve port if there's a damaged filter or no filter at all. It's then probable that the porting in the fuel selector is blocked. A clean fuel valve should literally pour fuel.
Cold "Hard Starts" are another topic. Check out " Choke Air Mod."
supplement to: Runs like crap until all the bowls fill up I'm confused by this comment. Maybe just your wording. With empty fuel bowls: when the fuel is turned on you should hear subtle "gurgling" as the 3 bowls fill, until the float levels have been reached. I can only presume your float-levels are set correctly and your fuel line routing is not the cause !
If the above mentioned details have been dealt with and you're still having "fuel delivery" problems then there's another possibility: debris has settled on top of the Float-valve body and is obstructing the small port that feeds the fuel through these assemblies. I'd received a set of carbs for rebuild and all three were completely blocked with rust !
can't think of anything else right now !

So I took apart the solenoid and found it as clean as whistle inside. No carbon tracks or deposits. Clean copper. I gave it a scrub just the same and reassembled it. Now it doesn't even click the one time. Before it would give one audible click. I've taken it apart and put it back together three times now. I have a feeling the tiny wires that are supposed to going into the bottom part are not sliding in, though it looks that way when I take it apart. Is there any way to take apart the bottom section?

Power is getting to the solenoid, confirmed via test light, but it is not coming out the other side.

Where can I find a new one? Is there other compatible bikes of that era that used the same one?

This one actually came off my 81 parts bikes as the 79 one crapped out last year. I'm out of spares.

Scotch: I haven't touched the carbs at all since you rebuilt them. When I don't hear the gurgle of the bowls filling up I know its not going to start. I leave the gas on and come back an hour later. When it starts it will run like crap for a few seconds until the other bowls fill up and the cylinders start getting fuel. They do, but there is a delay.

Yes, I have tried opening the cap. Seems to make no difference either way.

This has been a problem since I got the carbs back, so I immediately dismissed the problem as being carb related. The problem existed before they were rebuilt as well. Its completely random, it may not do it for weeks but then, randomly does it after it sits for more than a few days. Not every time. I'd say 50% of the time.

I remember checking and clearing the vent tube a few years back. Its wasn't plugged then. Far as I can see, the fuel line is routed well with no kinks. When it does start, there is no problem after those first few seconds and I ride this bike pretty vigorously. No problem with fuel delivery right up to red line. Just on cold starts after sitting. When I ride it every day, or every few days, this does not happen.