Hey guys! Finally got my 442 running and drove it around the block! Just tried to pull it into the garage and it just stopped. No power. Smoke started coming out of the grill so I shut it off and popped the hood. Positive terminal wires had popped out of the connector. So I hooked them back up and then the wires all started smoking and melting real bad. What did I do and what do I have to fix now?

 

Sounds like you have a big nasty short somewhere!

Check battery cables and other underhood wires for pinching and resting against hot surfaces, esp. by the starter. I suspect these first.

Next you will need an ohmmeter and a wiring diagram. (Do you have these?) Basically, you will need to disconnect stuff until the short-to-ground goes away. Regulator and alternator will be first suspect...

You will need to replace any melted wiring and perhaps what caused the short if it is not the former easy stuff.

Let us know what you find...

 

X 2

I bought one once that some yahoo had put the positive side a mite too close to the exhaust manifold

 

The positive cable HAD started smoking by the exhaust manifold. Maybe it had melted thru and ground out? That would explain why the ground cable was smoking too where it was attached to the cylinder head?

 

Two very good possibilities. Take a real good look at that positive cable and replace it if melted. Replace the neg. cable also if melted badly. The exh manifold may show some signs of the severe arcing. If you see this, then that is the main reason this occured.

When replacing your positive cable, make sure it is routed away from the manifold and secured well. In later years (not sure about yours) the cable was routed through a 2" dia fiber tube mounted to the frame.

 

That tube would have been there from the factory, but after 41 years? One can hope. It sound like one of the primary hots under the hood got shorted like everyone else has already stated. I would also check the hot coming off the alternator. Had that happen on the first two harness I made for my sporty before I finally got it routed away from the bad stuff. Nasty little pinch points.. First one I thought the whole bike was going to go up.

 

Hey guys, just wanted to say thanks. I found the positive cable had been routed right by the exhaust manifold, had melted and then shorted against the head. Replaced it with a longer cable and ran it away from the heat. Started like a champ!