GS400 Only Firing on left Cylinder

[Guest]

Hello Everyone.
Got a new project.
I just picked up a GS400 and have been trying to get it running.
I am only getting fire on the left cylinder.
The points seem to be correct and in good order best i can tell.
I do have a workshop manual.
I dont think it is the coils because if I switch the black and white wires coming from the points andgoing to the coils it will fire the plug on the right side. But then the left doesnt fire.

Make sense?

I am kinda of stumped atm.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[sam000lee]

Sounds like something in your wiring or maybe a bad condenser for the right cylinder. Next, I'd try swapping the left/right condensers and seeing if the behavior follows.

[tolartanker]

the problem follows from left to right cylinder. there are two wires coming from the points..a black and a white..they go up to the coils ...if i switch them around the right coil/condenser/spark plug will fire..so im not thinking its the coils or the condenser?

[Gorminrider]

you have two sets of breaker-points I think. One of them may be faulty.

generally ....Condensers are very important in Point systems. They are known to fail, are a regular replacement item and are cheap. You CAN test them in a" kind-of" way, or replace them with condensers from some other vehicle with similar or greater capacity... but like I said, they need replacement at intervals. Old ones are iffy.

[GregT]

the problem follows from left to right cylinder. there are two wires coming from the points..a black and a white..they go up to the coils ...if i switch them around the right coil/condenser/spark plug will fire..so im not thinking its the coils or the condenser?

Have you got the setup where there's a condenser mounted up with each coil - or down at the points ?
If up with the coils, yes, you're right that would rule out condenser trouble.
I'd check the wires from points to the dead coil for continuity first - and if the insulation at the point where the wire connects to the live side of the points has slipped.
Then the plug cap - see if there's a spark there from the end of the bare wire with the cap removed.

[nvr2old]

I had an old Honda 305 twin, and it would only run on one cylinder and it turned out to be simply a bad battery. Not sure if that even applies to a Suzuki GS400, though.. Drove me crazy. Enough of a charge to start the bike, but not enough to run both cylinders.