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Couple small problems

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by Dustan Burrell, Feb 29, 2016.

  1. Dustan Burrell

    Dustan Burrell New Member

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    So first off i would like to say thank you to everyone on this site. The information i have received has been outstanding my wife has been getting mad because of the late nights spent up reading the articles huge shout out by the way to chacal on the In the church of clean article and cds1984 on XJ750 Engine removal and split (as i had to repair the starter clutch). Last year I purchased a 1982 XJ750 Maxim for $400 off a friend the engine ran ok the bike just needed some TLC and I wanted to do some customization to make it look more like an american cruiser (i know im going to get flack for this statement but hey its my bike my money and i like it so bring on the hate lol) Replaced stock gauges, box window handlebars, new blinkers, tail light, and opted for a 7" round headlight, junked the old wiring harness and ran made new one. On the engine side i put pods (yeah i know i know), re-jetted the carbs, shimmed valves, bench and vacuum synched, open 4-2 exhaust. i do have a one question though i kinda went cheap on the gauges and bought a Chinese made Koso knock off i was wondering if anyone had experience with theses and how they got their tachometer working. Side note at the end of this year i will be upgrading gauges but just need something to get me though the year (my wife told me i have reached my allowed budget for the year :-( lol) any help would be greatly appreciated and once again thank you to the XJBIKES community for all the help and resources that allowed this build to be so enjoyable.
     
  2. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    My experience with KOSO knockoffs is that they are best used as a way to fill up the garbage can (KOSO makes great stuff, but they get ripped off more than any other manufacturer IMO). If your ear is good you can skip using the tach.
    Having said that, did the gauges come with a wiring diagram?
    If so, post it up.
     
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  3. Dustan Burrell

    Dustan Burrell New Member

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    Yeah i know the gauge is garbage i want a legit koso gauge but as i said right now the $300 isn't in the budget. The darn thing didn't come with any wiring diagram and i haven't even been able to find a wiring diagram online (the gauges are labeled ss180) but after many hours with the multi-meter and a battery i was able to find where all the wires go as far as the tach goes it is a single wire (i think blue with a white chaser). currently i have this hooked up to the signal wire (gray) of the one coil but have absolutely no reading at all. Also as i expected the chinese company i bought it from on amazon is absolutely zero help. Ive been reading a couple of different things online one suggestion involved connecting the single wire from the tach to both "signal" (wires orange and grey) using a Y cable diodes and resisters and the other mentioned a pulse converter.
     
  4. Dustan Burrell

    Dustan Burrell New Member

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    also and i cant believe i forgot in my original post but THE INFORMATION OVERLOAD HOUR was absolutely incredible THANK YOU!!!!!
     
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  5. Dustan Burrell

    Dustan Burrell New Member

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    let me also just add that im used to v twins so my ear reads anything over 6000 as not good lol
     
  6. Polock

    Polock Well-Known Member

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    some of them have you wrap that signal wire around the spark plug wire a few times and tape it there and some say hook it to the - side of the coil thru a 1 meg ohm resistor.
    i used a 1.5 meg ohm resistor and it works fine. the - side of the coils is the wire that goes to the tci
    don't connect the coils together
     
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  7. Rooster53

    Rooster53 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    This link discusses the KOSO knockoff gauges:

    http://www.customfighters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68498&page=5

    And another link where a member here was fighting the same issue, but did not solve the issue:

    http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/aftermarket-tachometer-not-responding-82-xj750.60839/

    Per one of the posts in the first link, one member suggests a negative signal is needed and requires connecting the tachometer wire to the pick-up coils. If you read the entire thread, there are also concerns on doing this not knowing the exact specification on the KOSO knockoff - what is the input impedance of that line would be the question. If I were doing this and were to try connecting to the pick-up coil at the TCI, I would at least start with the 1 megohm resistor as Polock suggested to eliminate concerns over resistive and capacitive input of the gauge affecting the output of the pick-up coil. I would also first try wrapping the signal wire several times around the plug wire as Polock suggested.
     
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  8. Dustan Burrell

    Dustan Burrell New Member

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    Just waiting to get to my local radio shack to get the resistor and give it a try. As far as the wrapping i solder all my splices so i think im pretty good there. I am having one more issue in my homemade wiring system i have everything wired and working but have no "ignition switch" i have the kill switched wired reverse so it is a switch to the hot of the coils and cdi if i leave the ground on for the regulator my battery is dead when i return to the shop the next day. Is this something wrong or will i be fine once i wire in an ignition switch
     

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