Dyna problems

The stock ignition setup on my 1980 C3 has been suspect for sometime. Very weak spark. So we got the Dyna S and the Green coils and 23mm wires. We changed the coils and wires and wham major spark. So we took out the igniter box and old system and added the Dyna S and now... nothing. I've checked the connections over and over and cannot see what went wrong. I have not timed it, but it should still spark right? Also the coils are not marked, so how do you know the plugwires are right. On my bike the left side are for 1-4 and the right are 2-3 but which is 1 and which is 4?

Viewed from the rear looking forward: 1234 from left to right. And the firing duties are the same as stock: left coil 1&4, right coil 2&3.

I just installed the Green 3 ohm units on my '80 KZ1000 LTD and the spark is much better (caused my idle RPM to jump up by 200!). I did remove the ballast resistor as per Z1Enterprizes recommendation. They had easy to follow diagrams and instructions. Do you still have the resistor installed?

Sorry, but I can't help you ref the Dyna S. I left mine stock since the points are already gone on the '1980 bikes.

You should indeed still have spark wheather or not it was timed. According to wiredgeorge's website, there is an additional wire from the Dyna S that is wired to 12V (see his ignition re-power pages). That may be part of your problem.

Good Luck!

Funny you should mention that damn ballast resistor. I just found it. I bypassed it and got spark, then I put it back and got spark, then when I mounted it where it belongs, none. So I took it back out. This time with it completely out, it kept blowing the main fuse. So I put it back. It stopped blowing fuses, but I have no spark again whenever it is bolted down. If I leave it dangling and leave the coil dangling as well, great spark. Maybe a ground but that doesnt sound right.

dual post, sorry.
Post edited by: MaddMaxx, at: 2006/08/27 17:16

Post edited by: MaddMaxx, at: 2006/08/27 17:17

The ballast resistor was needed to increase the resistance of the DC voltage going to the OEM coils. With the Dyna S, the ballast resistor MUST NOT be used. Normally, as they age, their resistance gets higher than intended and with the higher impedence Dyna coils (about 3.8 Ohms), the cumulative resistance will be about ~7 or 8 Ohms at the coils and this high resistance will ensure a poor spark.

OK, look at the ends of the wires on your Dyna S. Although the wires are white and black (and a red one), they have bands on the ends. One band is GREEN and one band is BLACK. The GREEN band indicates that this wire is coming from the 2/3 side of the Dyna S. Whichever coil you connect this wire to becomes the 2/3 coil. Generally, this will be the right coil as you sit on the bike. The BLACK banded wire when hooked up, will become the 1/4 coil.

As noted, the cylinders are numbered 1,2,3,4 (left to right) as you sit on the bike. The other wire is RED coming off the Dyna S. You will connect this to the coil power wires (yellow/red) using the blue splice provided. I would not use the splice but would solder/shrink wrap as that splice is kind of junky.

Use a test light to intially set the timing using the "static" method then use a timing light once you get the bike running.

This will be my first attempt at adding an image to a post. If it works you'll see the diagram with the resister included in the circuit. In my next post I'll show the diagram with the resistor bypassed.

And the bypasss:

The diagrams are from Z1Enterprises. They sent them with my Dyna Coils. There was no copyright verbage on them, so I hope they don't mind me posting them here.

I always look to them first for everything I need for my KZ. They are fast and I have yet to find anyone priced lower.

Thankyou! Lots of help here, and those pics was exactly what I needed. Will let you know what happens.

Did away with the resistor and still had the same problem. If the coils were left dangling, plenty spark, mounted no spark and blown main fuse. Then I realized that it was only happening in the run position. The little eyelets they provided were all metal. Once tightened, they were making contact with that mounting bar on the dynas. Once mounted they grounded to the frame. A simple twist of the screwdriver and VIOLA!

Could you clarify this.Are you saying the coils need to be grounded to the frame?Why was it blowing fuses when it was mounted to the frame before?

Post edited by: mark1122, at: 2006/08/30 14:52

mark1122 wrote:

Could you clarify this.Are you saying the coils need to be grounded to the frame?Why was it blowing fuses when it was mounted to the frame before?<br><br>Post edited by: mark1122, at: 2006/08/30 14:52

They don't get grounded to the frame.

He was saying the connectors on the coils were touching the frame which was causing a short. They are not supposed to touch the frame.