Running rough

Ok I got this thing fired up today its running rough, under a load its like it almost runs on 2 cylinders with a chugging feeling..

It starts right up and idles fine

Also I noticed down by the pickup coils the crankshaft looks like it moves side to side just a little bit when I rev it up, is this normal?

And my new coils arrived today,(to late to get em on) not sure if they would help.

I think I need some direction :blink:

Checked the sparkplug wires and sparkplug caps? They both age, and can lose spark energy. The caps have a 5000 ohm resistor that can go bad from heat and vibration. Compression good?

Hi MFolks,
The plug wires n caps are all new. I havent did the compression test yet.. I dont see why it would run like this from compression tho (EDIT: unless the valve lash is way off which a comp test would indicate) let me give you a idea of what its doing and see what you think.

Ok lets say your in 3rd gear and you start to go up a slight upgrade without adding anymore throttle it starts to bog down and then sputters and then chugs almost like you turned off 2 cylinders.. If you add throttle it seems like it loads up and sputters until you rev it up and clear it out

I hate to open and try the new coils if I dont need them...would rather spend the cash on what I need.. do you think the coils could cause this?

Clean the carbs.

Where's Pattons -> Check Valve Clearances.... :pinch:

* Clearances to spec
* Ignition timing correct for 1/4 & 2/3 timing...
BTW, you running Points/condenser or Dyna type EI...?
* Clean & SYNC carbs.
* Voltage to Coils to spec...

"crankshaft looks like it moves side to side just a little bit when I rev it up"...
How much is a little bit (in mm or inches) are you seeing...?

What's the condition of your spark plugs (carbon, burned white, 50/50 on the gap) etc...?

Old Man Rock wrote: Where's Pattons -> Check Valve Clearances.... :pinch:

* Clearances to spec
aint done valves yet need a good manual for specs and procdure

* Ignition timing correct for 1/4 & 2/3 timing...
BTW, you running Points/condenser or Dyna type EI...?
havent checked timing yet and Im running the stock electronic ignition

* Clean & SYNC carbs.
not yet

* Voltage to Coils to spec...
Left side I got 10.5 -- Right side I get .3 this is different from a few days ago I had 10.8 at both

"crankshaft looks like it moves side to side just a little bit when I rev it up"...
How much is a little bit (in mm or inches) are you seeing...?
maybe 1.0/1.5 millimeter


What's the condition of your spark plugs (carbon, burned white, 50/50 on the gap) etc...?

123 look ok 4 looks black n sooty

I didnt get to mess with it much since I posted this lack of time, but today I was running it and cylinder 4 wasnt firing right it was way cooler than 123 and I noticed oil/gas coming out around the exhaust port im hoping this was just from not firing? Also I found this by luck when checking the volts to the coils. with engine off the oil pressure light was on when I turned the handle bars to the side the oil light went out when I turned em back the other way the light come on then when off along with all this the tach is acting wierd almost like its back wards its holds or drops with throttle increase then jumps or raises when throttle backed off.. I realize the valves,carbs and timing should and will be checked and set but Im pretty sure that isnt what I need yet its not running like it needs a tuneup you know what I mean, its running like somethings wrong lol and with tthe lack of volts to the right coils and the oil light thing kinda makes me think harness?

You could Temporarily jump the Positive side of the coils from the battery, to test if it will fire on all plugs.

If I hook up the meter to both the red and green primarys(rightside) I got nothing,, until I engage starter then I get erratic voltage if I do this on the left side I get the 10.8 consistantly
also the right side if i use the poker to the red wire and ground the black poker to the frame I get 11.2volts so this tells me the red wire is hot and ok but the ground side is flakey,,can I jump the - neg wire to batt?

Edit:(can I jump the - neg wire to batt?) <---lol ignor that it was a thought that happened without thinking :blush: ok looked around a bit found a diagram and from it I have the red's come from the run switch, the green and black come from igniter does this sound right right? if so then looking like the igniter? or the wires/connections coming from the igniter right? or how does that work?

With normal battery positive voltage being received at a good coil's primary wiring terminal, the coil's primary winding reaches ground via the signal wire (through closed points, for example), and the coil "charges" while the primary winding remains grounded.

When the primary wiring's connection to ground through the signal wire is broken (such as when the points open), the primary winding becomes ungrounded, which ungrounding is the event that cause the coil to "fire" through the secondary loop, provided the secondary loop is a completed circuit (not broken by some issue such as a bad plug wire, cap or spark plug).



Good Fortune!

5150BOT wrote: If I hook up the meter to both the red and green primarys(rightside) I got nothing,, until I engage starter then I get erratic voltage if I do this on the left side I get the 10.8 consistantly
also the right side if i use the poker to the red wire and ground the black poker to the frame I get 11.2volts so this tells me the red wire is hot and ok but the ground side is flakey,,can I jump the - neg wire to batt?

Edit:(can I jump the - neg wire to batt?) <---lol ignor that it was a thought that happened without thinking :blush: ok looked around a bit found a diagram and from it I have the red's come from the run switch, the green and black come from igniter does this sound right right? if so then looking like the igniter? or the wires/connections coming from the igniter right? or how does that work?

As Patton has explained, the ground to the coils is momentary when the engine is rotated. With your set up, it is the Pick-up coils signals through the Ignitior, transmitted to the - neg side of the coils. So measuring the ground as you did it will be "flakey"

So with the meter hooked up to left side primarys red&black I get 10.8 and then hooked up to the right side primarys red&green I get nothing or very lil .3 isnt that telling us that the left side is closed or grounded all the time?

Let me see if I got this right, if I rotate the engine so the lobe is signaling/pointing at the correct/left side pickup coil then the left side ignition coil should read with close to 12 volts at the primarys and right side has nothing and then vice versa correct?

The coil primary winding is supposed to become ungrounded as the rotor lobe passes the pickup.

Good Fortune!