I got discouraged last year after installing a new piston in my’74 DT360A and not being able to get it cranked. I finally bought a used CDI box from a working bike to see if that will work, and I installed it tonight.

I filled the gear oil last night but looks like a lot of it leaked out. What I hope to do tomorrow night is hook up the battery and try cranking it.

Guess I wanted to come back around, say hello, and see if I can get some encouragement. Thanks as always for such a great resource!

And I’m a little scared since my decompression valve is not working after reading about people breaking their ankles cranking one of these Enduros. Is that really something to be concerned about?

I feel your pain! my 73 RT3 360 has been fighting me for a year straight! had a ton of spark issues which i got fixed but i still need to open up the points like 2 thousands of an inch (i like it retarded as much as possible because kick back can be vicious on these ) then there is the matter with the carb, all stock jets but i cant get it to idle no matter what i seem to do.
Sometimes you just need a break from it but never give up because these old bikes are always worth it in the end!

Wear good boots and kick it like you're the boss.
Don't give it any throttle. Don't short stroke your kick.
Make sure your kicking leg isn't fully extended when the kick starter is all the way down.
A slight bend in your knee means it can still recoil with a kick back.
A fully extended leg means your knee is locked and a kick back is going to win that battle.
My 360 has only kicked back a few times, and my leg has always been recoiled back with no harm.
Good luck!

Yes i would say definitely something to be concerned about lol mine sent me to the hospital for an X-ray last July i really thought i broke my ankle but fortunately i didn't but ill bet it came close. My factory decompression dont work despite my best efforts to make it work, but thanks to this site i found a decompression release that you can screw into the 2nd spark plug hole it works like a charm.
I agree with Schu kick it like your the boss, full send and pray it dont bite back! wear some good boots but as for the throttle i have to gas it a bit since i have carb issues

Welcome back!

Is it the cable not working or the valve itself stuck? With the valve's rubber cover off, you should be able to see the cable operate when you gently push the kickstart with your hand. They should be adjustable, or maybe take the valve out of the barrel for a clean up.

I get so impatient because I'm limited with what I can do on this thing, but this site and you guys have been awesome to help me along the way. Thanks so much!

Thanks for that info. I'll be sure to be careful with it!

Yeah, I have an aftermarket decompression release that I haven't been able to get to work yet, either, but I may bite the bullet and try to crank it tonight anyway. Thanks!

It's been missing parts probably for years - they had an aftermarket decompression release in it, but the cable was trash. I bought another one, and it wouldn't install correctly, so I hope to get another one installed soon.