WTF???!!!!???!!!!

[Rambo814]

Ok, gang. Having some frustrating trouble with my bike. I'm actually along side of the road as I type this. When my bike gets good and warm it drops the right cylinder. But leave it cool down for 10 minutes and it picks back up. What the hell is wrong? I just put new plugs in before I left the house, the carbs were rebuilt and synchronized, and my idle air screws are 3 1/2 turns out. Ugggggggg! This is so frustrating!

 

[HoughMade]

When a cylinder drops out when it gets hot, look at the ignition. Test the coil for that cylinder.

 

[drewpy]

and also look at the condensor if you have points, values change with heat

if the bike is really really hot, could have vapour lock

 

[Rambo814]

Ok. Checking the coils right now. The left side has 2.9 ohms and 19.31 kilo ohms. The right side, which is the problematic side, has 2.8 ohms and 17.47 kilo ohms. The temperature is right around 70* Farenheight. The Hayne's manual says it could be retarded timing, but that would affect both cylinders, wouldn't it?

 

[Rambo814]

All right, this might help a little more. These are the plugs just as they were taken out of the bike. Left on left and right on right, both pictures.

 

[Rambo814]

Picture number 2. Apparently they were too big for one post.

 

[racegeek]

coils are cool now so will test ok. best thing is run it around and let it die out then test for spark right then . im gonna say coil. after awhile the coil will fail completely .

 

[Rambo814]

coils are cool now so will test ok. best thing is run it around and let it die out then test for spark right then . im gonna say coil. after awhile the coil will fail completely .

I was kinda thinking that geek. What do you think of the plugs? I can't tell if the right side wet from gas or oil. I really hope it's gas because I'd like to ride this thing til the season is over, then I could rebuild it.

 

[racegeek]

id say wet from gas from not fireing. another way to do a quick check is swap the coils and if the other side dies off then you got a good idea what it is. ive seen coils ,(Ive work in lawn and garden for tooo many years) do just that, run great then bam. let sit fires right up after cools. just my two cents.

 

[drewpy]

Ok. Checking the coils right now. The left side has 2.9 ohms and 19.31 kilo ohms. The right side, which is the problematic side, has 2.8 ohms and 17.47 kilo ohms. The temperature is right around 70* Farenheight. The Hayne's manual says it could be retarded timing, but that would affect both cylinders, wouldn't it?

no idea till you tell us which bike you have, dohc, sohc, year?

 

[LuckyEight]

1980 SOHC

 

[arfstrom]

I am inclined with my own experience. New Plugs, (yours look new, another 5 bucks, new Cap 5 ohm resisters, and wires. I have not looked at the manual, so I don't know if the Greater the ohm, the greater the failure? Local plug number is in my signature for the NGK. The wires are cheap replacement, and caps should not be that expensive. Good luck

 

[Rambo814]

I am inclined with my own experience. New Plugs, (yours look new, another 5 bucks, new Cap 5 ohm resisters, and wires. I have not looked at the manual, so I don't know if the Greater the ohm, the greater the failure? Local plug number is in my signature for the NGK. The wires are cheap replacement, and caps should not be that expensive. Good luck

Thanks everyone! Thanks Lucky Eight, it is a 1980 Special II. Sorry I haven't replied lately, the weekend got pretty busy with other things.

Toby, my plugs are actually brand new, I literally just put them in before taking this ride. Would I just be able to wire brush them to clean 'em up a bit and put the back in? Also, I see the number you have in your signature is for BPR7ES's, are those much different than the BP7ES's? I just put the BP's in because that is what was supposed to be stock.

 

[arfstrom]

This one is pretty basic, same as you will find in a Haynes manual
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/tech_support/spark_plugs/faqs/faqread.asp

DANMC if you haven't been to his site, ton's of good info, in this case
http://www.dansmc.com/Spark_Plugs/Spark_Plugs_catalog.html

In your case, I think you are still having a motivation issue. New plugs, don't waste anymore $$, If you have room, trim off 1/2 inch of wire on both sides of the the plug wire, and get a fresh bite for those spikes. They just spin in, and out. I suspect the 5 to 7 metal wires will lose their conductivity, So by shortening, will give you fresh wire for the bite, but the spike is still old. That hasn't been much of an issue for the Coil, as for the plug caps. Same thread, recommended 5k Ohm caps. Since I bought that first set of stuff at a Yamaha dealer, I paid more, since then I found the stuff everywhere. (Google is your friend)

I couldn't find the Coil check location in the manual, i must be rushing. Sorry I see if I can find it in the paper copy I have. Later

I found this interesting, Levels of sparkplug, Hot, cold standard, see thumbnail, there is the gap info., NGK changed the numbering system, from 30 years ago.

 

[Charles]

id say wet from gas from not fireing. another way to do a quick check is swap the coils and if the other side dies off then you got a good idea what it is. ive seen coils ,(Ive work in lawn and garden for tooo many years) do just that, run great then bam. let sit fires right up after cools. just my two cents.

This is the simplest thing to do before you spend any more money. Just swap the coils and go for a ride.

 

[HoughMade]

This is the simplest thing to do before you spend any more money. Just swap the coils and go for a ride.

Good advice.

 

[Rambo814]

In your case, I think you are still having a motivation issue.......

Well, it sounds like I will be swapping the coils this afternoon and trying that.

Mr. Arfstrom, I beg your pardon, but its not so much a MOTIVATION issue as it is a wife and 16 month old son issue. Who wouldn't want to get a 40+mpg motorcycle running to park their 14-mpg truck for a little while??

 

[arfstrom]

Sorry if that came across bad, I am old marine, who enjoys running wild with the "Full metal jacket" genre. Now if its full Metal jacket, or Platoon, or something else, It was meant to be a funny quip. Meaning your coil has the motivational issues, not you, and definitely not your family.





I totally agree with you, I have 1994 Olds, that has died, it used to get 20 MPG, the 2004 Saturn gets 30, the bike was at 42 before I started messing with the idle screw. I have 2 girls, 7&14, and my wife, who bought this bike in 1996. I have spent a lot time getting her to run dependably, and I definitely want to help others get theirs going too. She garaged it for almost 10 years. Then there is the damaged I did to it, and the extensive repairs(time consuming) The bike is dependable now! With minor issues(now) I have a few months before winter, with my job, I haven't seen a pay raise since the US president got elected. ((he even promised a raise for us if he got re-elected, never happened) I have a federal job)

 

[Rambo814]

Sorry if that came across bad, I am old marine....

Mr. Arfstrom, I apologize for being so defensive. I've seen some people post some pretty rude things on here and I guess I thought that's what happened here. As for being a Marine, I want to thank you for your service!

I swapped the coils yesterday and the bike did not want to fire. So, I took the plugs out and held them against the heads and hit the start button. The good coil seemed to have decent spark but the "bad" coil seemed kind of weak. I changed out that coil and it did not help. Then I took Arfstrom's advice and cut just enough off the plug wire til I was at fresh loking wire and, voila, the spark looked better. Put some fresh gas in the tank and it pretty much fired right up. Then the throttle cable broke.

 

[arfstrom]

No problem,man