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Timing gun motorcycle specific?

  • Thread starter Thread starter zangetsu
  • Start date Start date
Z

zangetsu

Guest
Sorry for the newb question, but is there a reason why my timing gun won't pick up the spark on my motorcycle? I'm having trouble with my '79 GS1000 that I figured were coil related (#3 only wasn't firing). I picked up a set of Bandit 1200 coils and only installed the 2-3 coil.

This seemed to fix my problem because the bike (finally) started right up, but I think the timing is a bit off. My gun lights up off the 1-4 stock coil, but when I hook it up to the 2-3 coil it doesn't light at all. I did notice that the Bandit ignition wires were a bit thinner than the stock GS wires - does that have something to do with it?

Thanks for any help!
 
The idea that the wires are different diameters bothers me a little. Did you try both wires coming off the new coil? Your timing light should pick up the current no matter what. Try moving the pick-up around on the plug wire.
 
The guns work by picking up a slight magnetic field as it expands and collapses when the spark is sent down your HT wires. I highly doubt a little bit of extra diameter on the HT wires is going to make a considerable difference unless the spark is fairly weak or the gun is not working well.

Try using different places within the HT wires though, you may have found a break in the wires, and if the gun works when you move the clip (make sure you install it in the proper direction) replace your HT wires.
 
The only reason I commented on the wire diameters is that if they are different, they will have different resistances - probably not much and probably not noticeable, but I'd rather have them all the same. Any diameter difference should not have any effect on the gun, however.
 
Knucklebuster;

I see, I don't see any harm coming out of your current setup, but for the sake of getting a good spark I would change over to the higher quality stuff, the greater the wire thickness the less resistance.

Of course I change my bike over to a DynaS Ignition + Coils and HT wires, it made a huge difference in the operation of the bike.
 
The two different wires will be addressed, as soon as I can figure out why my timing gun doesn't work with the new wires. I'm actually thankful that I decided to only install one set of coils, otherwise I'd be going crazy thinking my gun was bad. As soon as I figure out how to set off the timing gun, I'm definately swapping on the newer-style coils.

I've moved the pick-up all over the wire - on the #3 it's not very long, so there's not much to go by. On my car, sometimes it works better the closer I am to the coil, but that doesn't seem to make a difference here.

kurifu,
I think you're reading me "backwards" - the wires that are thinner in diameter are the ones that don't read. The thicker wires are firing the timing light fine.

Here are some pics if that helps any:
http://amcforum.net/images/gs1000/100_3026n.jpg
http://amcforum.net/images/gs1000/100_3027n.jpg

I pulled both plugs and they're both getting spark, but my gun's still not working. I can't imagine it's the gun, it works on every car I have and even on that same bike on different wires.

Thanks for the help provided and any additional help in the future :)
 
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Are the wires shorter than on the coil your timing light works on? If so then you problem is probably the fact that they are shorter and thinner.
 
I've seen this before but never really heard a good explanation. I guess I'm fortunate in that all my stuff now is electronic and not given me any problem in years. I would guess that the new wires may have some insulation that suppresses whatever it is that the light reads. Do both sets have solid copper conductors?
 
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