[UPDATE!!] Arghhh! What next!?!

[Anonymous]

Been reading these boards for a few years, but first time for needing help so be gentle /grins

Lil info, 1980 GS1000G stock motor, Emgo pods, Jardine 4 into 1 Exhaust, Dyna coils and 8.8mm Plug wires,
stage 3 jet kit(170 mains slides drilled air correctors installed), clips 2nd from top(runnin rich still, will explain later)
Just put new rings into the beast(previous owner overheated the bike and the rings had lost all their temper), what a ditz

I have been having a problem with the bike dropping 2 cylinders, sometimes when riding, sometimes when it is idling.
One of the posters had a similar problem and it was suggested he check the voltage at the coils,
so I did the same and this is whats wierd. I only have about 9.8 volts at the coils.... I thought I should have had 12 volts there?
Coils throw spark(light orange) at 8mm on my tester, looks better at 5mm.
I have also suspected the ignitor unit, but I know of no way to test it.

Oh, on the carbs runnin rich... When I bought the bike it was running wayyyy lean, so I took a tip from these pages
and raised the needles about .020 making washers to replace the stock spacer for needles, now that I put in the jet kit it
seems I cannot lower them enough with just the clip on the needle.....
Do you think I will have to hit the salvage yard and replace that stock spacer before I can get it to jet right?

Help me guys, I have been without my baby for 6 months and its not lookin good at this point


Found my problem(Finally!) one of the wires to my pickup coils had been nearly pinched in two, was very intermittent and nearly impossible to trace out...
now installing my DynaIII and finishing with carb tuning read: almost back on da road

 

[AOD]

reconnect the coils to the bike, put a spark plug in each plug and screw all but one into the head. ground that one on the side of the engine block and check the spark. you want blue spark... repeat the process with each plug.

your bike runs 2 coils, so 1-4, and 2-3 will show problems if you have a bad coil. if you have weak spark at all the plugs, you could have a problem with a dirty ignition switch that might be robbing some volts to the coils...or in the end your coils might be losing it.

honestly i suggest you replace the coils if they are stock. 20 year old coils and wires have never been good to me.

as for the ignition...i'm pretty sure you have a mechanical advancer on yours. now is the optimum time to cash in on Dyna's - Dyna III sale for $99. www.dynaonline.com - i'd suggest adding some new coils to the list (Accel are cheaper) and you've got yourself a brand new feeling bike. i did this to mine over the summer...no regrets whatsoever!

~Adam

 

[KEITH KRAUSE]

Just a quick thought, I'm off to work.
If your stock needle set up is similar to my '79 1000, you would have a thicker plastic spacer on top of the clip and a thinner plastic spacer under the clip.
If the top spacer is mistakingly not re-used for the new Dynojet needle, it will allow the needle to raise up at least 2 positions richer than anticipated.
You also need to retain the spacer under the clip. Gotta go.

 

[Anonymous]

Checked voltage at the ignition, had11.9 ingiong, 11.7 outgoing, so moved on to test the ignitor, when we did that I only had 1 spark plug firing instead of both as the book said, so looks like its time to replace that with the Dyna, good gawd....

Thanks for the advice guys, will keep ya updated.

BTW it has new accel coils, dont know where the heck I got the dyna name in my last post....

 

[Billy Ricks]

If you have time to wait you can use coils off of newer model Katanas, Bandits, and Gixxers. You can usually pick them up on Ebay for about $30 a set. Some people have had to change plug wires so they will be long enough, but I actually had to shorten mine. Katanas and Bandits still use the old air/oil motors so they are probably the best bet for long enough wires.

 

[Anonymous]

so moved on to test the ignitor, when we did that I only had 1 spark plug firing instead of both as the book said....

Whoa!! One spark plug fired, or only one coil? If only one plug fired on the coil, then the spark plug (or wire) is suspect.
When doing the ignitor test, one coil should fire when you touch the terminal, and the other should fire when you release it (if the test is the same as my 650).

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, one fired as it connected, the other did not fire when disconnect happened, new coils and wires, I suspect this Ignitor has been my gremlin for a couple of years now.....just glad I finally found SOMETHING suspect

and I did the ignitor test with 2 new sets of plugs, so 99% sure it is ignitor, not coils, plugs, plug wires.


EDIT I meant one coil Billy.

 

[Anonymous]

Kieth, this is a tad different set-up, I have the thick washer on top'(or supposed to...) and a very thin metal washer on bottom to retain the spring, guess Its time to hit the ol salvage yard to replace em, been too many years since I made that swap. They are loooong gone.

 

[Anonymous]

Cool, sounds like you're on the right track then. Make sure though before blowing a wad on a new ignitor or a Dyna setup that it's not a bad wire between the ignitor and the coil in question. Just thought I'd throw that in.

 

[Anonymous]

Holy good deals, Batman!

Missed the auction on a gs850 ignitor on ebay


BUT! I emailed the person and they still had it /grins, got it for $15 and $8 shippint WOOHOO she may live yet

Just FYI, bikebandit lists the same ignitor part # for gs750 - gs1100, kind of nice to know when lookin for parts, thanks for that bit of info :twisted:

EDIT: BAH! can't spell.....