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Any resources on 1979 to 1980+ ignition coil pickup swap AKA ditching points cheap

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    Any resources on 1979 to 1980+ ignition coil pickup swap AKA ditching points cheap

    Hi,

    I've got a 1979 GS850 and a 1980. The 1980 looks nicer and I prefer it, so I gave it my Dyna 2000 ignition. It runs great.

    The 1979 has never really started well. The Dyna lived on it for a bit until I pulled it off and added it to the 1980. Now the 1979 won't start at all. My question is, is there information somewhere on swapping the 1980 ignition pick up into the 1979 to ditch the points? I've got the pickup coil all bolted in and wired up, all really straight forward, but I'm not getting spark on 1 or 4 and assuming no spark on 2 and 3.

    Any ideas would be most helpful. Thanks!
    1979 Suzuki GS850G The Michio Zombie: The Dead is rising and hungry for brains
    1980 Suzuki GS850GT, Collecting these things is a funny new bad habit

    #2
    I did the same thing. From memory of swapping bit around, the advance unit of both bikes is the same, but the nose of the 79 unit (the points cam) will unbolt and the nose of the 80 unit gets put on in its place. This is the proper profile to trigger the factory (1980) electronic pickups.
    ---- Dave
    79 GS850N - Might be a trike soon.
    80 GS850T Single HIF38 S.U. SH775, Tow bar, Pantera II. Gnarly workhorse & daily driver.
    79 XS650SE - Pragmatic Ratter - goes better than a manky old twin should.
    92 XJ900F - Fairly Stock, for now.

    Only a dog knows why a motorcyclist sticks his head out of a car window

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      #3
      Just buy a Dyna S for the 79
      No ignitor, no rewiring
      If it takes you an hour to swap over, you spent 30 minutes rereading the instructions
      1978 GS 1000 (since new)
      1979 GS 1000 (The Fridge, superbike replica project)
      1978 GS 1000 (parts)
      1981 GS 850 (anyone want a project?)
      1981 GPZ 550 (backroad screamer)
      1970 450 Mk IIID (THUMP!)
      2007 DRz 400S
      1999 ATK 490ES
      1994 DR 350SES

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Grimly View Post
        I did the same thing. From memory of swapping bit around, the advance unit of both bikes is the same, but the nose of the 79 unit (the points cam) will unbolt and the nose of the 80 unit gets put on in its place. This is the proper profile to trigger the factory (1980) electronic pickups.
        Awesome! Good info and glad it's worked for someone else. I'll double check my work and make sure I got polarity right. Also, I used the 79 coils and wires. Is there any reason that I need to use the 80's here or are they essentially the same other than connectors? Anything else I should check that would contribute to no spark? Do I also need to swap out the 1980's ignitor?
        Last edited by DesertRatliff; 09-03-2021, 10:40 AM.
        1979 Suzuki GS850G The Michio Zombie: The Dead is rising and hungry for brains
        1980 Suzuki GS850GT, Collecting these things is a funny new bad habit

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Big T View Post
          Just buy a Dyna S for the 79
          No ignitor, no rewiring
          If it takes you an hour to swap over, you spent 30 minutes rereading the instructions
          Meh. What fun is that? Plus...I already have the parts for an updated conversion. The last thing I need to do is throw more money at this bike if I don't have to.
          1979 Suzuki GS850G The Michio Zombie: The Dead is rising and hungry for brains
          1980 Suzuki GS850GT, Collecting these things is a funny new bad habit

          Comment


            #6
            Will update this thread for posterity in case another idiot wants to follow in my footsteps. Haha.

            It pays to look at a diagram.

            The big difference in the ignition systems between the 79 and 80+ is the ignitor box. Duh.
            Last edited by DesertRatliff; 09-30-2021, 10:49 AM.
            1979 Suzuki GS850G The Michio Zombie: The Dead is rising and hungry for brains
            1980 Suzuki GS850GT, Collecting these things is a funny new bad habit

            Comment


              #7
              Heres the 80's diagram with addition of the ignitor box20210903_075103.jpg
              Last edited by DesertRatliff; 09-30-2021, 10:49 AM.
              1979 Suzuki GS850G The Michio Zombie: The Dead is rising and hungry for brains
              1980 Suzuki GS850GT, Collecting these things is a funny new bad habit

              Comment


                #8
                And here's what the box looks like:s-l400.jpg
                Last edited by DesertRatliff; 09-03-2021, 11:09 AM.
                1979 Suzuki GS850G The Michio Zombie: The Dead is rising and hungry for brains
                1980 Suzuki GS850GT, Collecting these things is a funny new bad habit

                Comment


                  #9
                  So just add the box, wire it all up and I should have spark and an updated solid state ignition. I'll keep y'all posted.
                  1979 Suzuki GS850G The Michio Zombie: The Dead is rising and hungry for brains
                  1980 Suzuki GS850GT, Collecting these things is a funny new bad habit

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Since the ignitor fails regularly, a good one is generally a
                    S much as a Dyna S.
                    Plus, it will eventually fail, putting you back to square one
                    S
                    1978 GS 1000 (since new)
                    1979 GS 1000 (The Fridge, superbike replica project)
                    1978 GS 1000 (parts)
                    1981 GS 850 (anyone want a project?)
                    1981 GPZ 550 (backroad screamer)
                    1970 450 Mk IIID (THUMP!)
                    2007 DRz 400S
                    1999 ATK 490ES
                    1994 DR 350SES

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Pretty sure the OEM box failed or was failing. Gonna take the advice and just buy a Dyna S.
                      1979 Suzuki GS850G The Michio Zombie: The Dead is rising and hungry for brains
                      1980 Suzuki GS850GT, Collecting these things is a funny new bad habit

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by DesertRatliff View Post
                        ... The last thing I need to do is throw more money at this bike if I don't have to.
                        I like points, can't beat the price.
                        Rijk

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