Only running on 2 cylinders

okay so i did some testing, and the voltage does not drop until the points are open. Is that supposed to happen?

I would like to get the ignition timing correct. Whats the best way to time it?

timing gun

okay so when i take a jumper wire from battery to the coils, voltage drops about .4v from the battery voltage.

Dylansword wrote:

okay so i did some testing, and the voltage does not drop until the points are open. Is that supposed to happen?

No. When the points are closed, they complete the circuit by finishing the ground side. When they open, the ground is broken, forcing the coil to build up a large charge that is discharged through the secondary wire to the spark plug. Opening and closing the points should have no effect on the positive side.

Dylansword wrote:

okay so when i take a jumper wire from battery to the coils, voltage drops about .4v from the battery voltage.

Can I ask If with the "Jumper" wire in place do you have spark to all 4 plugs, lay them on the head and crank it over with the starter. Just watch how close you have them to the plug holes cause there is fuel going to be coming out, OK.
The low voltage in the system must be traced 1 step at a time. Start at the battery, go through the main fuse, up to the switch, etc. Clean or replace as necessary. you'll get that part fixed. As it necessary to have the proper incoming voltage to get the correct output from the coils.
But try to get it running on 4 for now, as that seems to be your main problem.

When your ignition rotor is pointed at 1&4, the points that are opening, is that the wire you have on the coil with the plug leads on 1&4? Not trying to insult you just trying to rule stuff out.

This I borrowed from member Patton:
KZ650 mounting is opposite.
Regardless of its mounting position, whichever coil receives signal from left-hand points/module/pickup is supposed to fire outside plugs 1&4.

And whichever coil receives signal from right-hand points/module/pickup is supposed to fire inside plugs 2&3.

TexasKZ wrote:

Dylansword wrote:

okay so i did some testing, and the voltage does not drop until the points are open. Is that supposed to happen?

Opening and closing the points should have no effect on the positive side.

But it does, so what could the problem be??

And if i disconnect the hot wires that go to the points and check voltage, it is fine. So the problem, if there is one, exists in the points somewhere. If i open the the other set of points and check it, it is fine. The low voltage is only existent when one set of points are open.....

Beats me, but I keep having this nagging feeling that the wire to the points and the wire from the ignition are hooked up to the wrong posts (ie pos wire to neg post and vice versa)on one or both coils. I know you have checked an re-checked, so maybe there is another explanation. Did the little fiber washers get installed with the wire on the points?

TexasKZ wrote:

Beats me, but I keep having this nagging feeling that the wire to the points and the wire from the ignition are hooked up to the wrong posts (ie pos wire to neg post and vice versa)on one or both coils. I know you have checked an re-checked, so maybe there is another explanation. Did the little fiber washers get installed with the wire on the points?

I thought it didnt matter which post the wires went to on the coils. Everything else is correct. I will have to switch them in a bit and get back to you.

So on the coil, the posts that the hot wire and the wire going to the points connect to. There is a positive and a negative??? I was thinking they were interchangeable.... So what im gettin is they are not, and i need to switch them???? Thank you very much!!

BINGO :woohoo:

I've taken this from the instruction sheet that is on the Accel web site for those coils:

NOTE: The polarity of the two primary terminals is not important. One
coil tower fires positive and one fires negative. It doesn’t matter which
plug fires positive or negative.

Also I have these coils on my K2 LTD, bought them used, so I looked up this info before when I was installing on my bike. OEM Kawasaki coils have terminals marked +,-, or at least the ones for the electronic ignition in the early 80's.

Okay so it doesnt matter???

Well it doesnt matter now, cuz when i went to switch the wires on the coils around, i tightned one of the posts, and it snapped off :C

Does anyone have a set of coils i could buy for not expensive???

which coil broke, 1 and 4 or 2 and 3 ??? also unless u tightened the crap out of it it should have broke unless something was already wrong