SR650 coils questions

Hello everyone,
Well, last weekend I finally began the dreaded valve adjustment on my 1979 SR650. While disassembling my bike in preparation of doing the valve adjustment I found something I did not expect...both of my ignition coils had splits in the casing! These splits are quite wide, about a 1/16th of an inch wide along the bottom seams from front to back on the bottoms of both coils and I could clearly see the windings of the coils through the splits. Obviously this is unacceptable as-is, although both coils were working when I put the bike away last fall I think, since the bike was running at that time. (This may explain why the bike ran so poorly last year when I was riding in the rain, not always but sometimes when the rain was really bad the bike would misfire and occasionally stall. I had thought then that moisture was getting into my points chamber and usually after some work and adjustment to my points everything seemed to be fine. Ive had the coils off previously but I never noticed any cracks in them until now). For the record, my bike has 22K miles and is completely original, points ignition, which I prefer due to the simplicity.
So...I have a couple questions for all you knowledgeable KZers out there:
Has anyone ever had this happen to them? Any guess as to the cause? (I assume the coils are original) so could this simply be age-related? Or over-heating? Or maybe due to the previous issue of moisture in my points and misfiring? Any guesses?
I checked the dealership and they want $185.00 each per coil PLUS the plug caps, dust-boots, etc. I also checked Z-1 and they want $120 each PLUS wires, etc. Not only is this wayyyyyyy too expensive for me but I fear even if I do replace these units that the original cause may burn out or split the new coils.
Anyone out there have good coils for the KZ650 that they want to sell for a reasonable price?
What are your opinions of stock vs. aftermarket coils?
Although I assume that my cracked coils still work (I will check them tonight with an ohmmeter) would anyone recommend repair of the existing units? I had thought that I could repair the casing with a di-lectric rubber and electrical tape but I prefer a more permanent repair and really don’t want to hack this up. Cost is a big concern but so is reliability.
I am open to any suggestions.
Thanks,
Dave

No clue as to what the cause could be. Is there any pitting on the points?? How many volts are the coils getting when the key is turned on and the bike isn't running. Either way This site has coils for the KZ650 (is that the same as an SR??) $55.

www.regulatorrectifier.com/catalog/kawas...ion-coil-p-1629.html

I had a similar problem with my bike slowly dying in the rain. It totally died, and when I pulled the tank off, my coils were dripping with water. I dried them off with a towel and was on my way again. Luckily it wasn't raining much at this point.

My coils were not cracked, but something was obviously shorting out. I sprayed the coils and all the wires under the tank with an electrical sealer. This helped, and I didn't have any problems for the rest of the season.

I also got rid of the short front fender I was using, which let water spray up under the tank.

Maybe with taping or some plastic or ruber sealant, and spraying the coils with an electrical sealer, you could get some more miles out of them.

davenkids2001, I would think a combination of old age and overheating.

Becker,those are nice looking coils, especially for $55 each with wires! Looks like factory mounting and plug ins. And yes, a 650 is a 650 weather in a KZ,CSR,LTD,etc.

Your right they are really nice coils but I can't take credit someone else showed me the website (forget who). I got one for my KZ750B and it works great and was easy to install except that it was way to short so i had to put an adapter plate in to fix the problem. Other then that they are working great.

Bluemeanie wrote:

davenkids2001, I would think a combination of old age and overheating.

Thanks Blue...yeah..I resemble that remark.
Oh! You meant my COILS!!??

To everyone: Thanks to a fellow KZer here, I now have replacement coils for my bike, although Im still concerned about the cause. I guess I will assume that age and other factors damaged these units, can't complain too much as their nearly 30 years old. I hope the next set last as long.

Thanks everyone for your replies!
-Dave

I doubt anything really caused it. My 1000ST has cracked coils on it and doesn't hurt a thing although I never ride it in bad weather. Those coils Becker pointed out part numbers all cross to early KZ1000 coils. What the difference in 1000-650 coils is I have no idea, probably very little.

Well, I hate to resurrect a dead thread, bit it applies to my situation.

Those look like the coils I will be getting, since I haven't found a better price out there anyplace, but where do I get the part that connects the coil wire to the spark plugs?
I have found several @ Z1 enterprises (found on pages 2 and 3 at www.z1enterprises.com/catalog.aspx?pid=KZ650-D1-1978-EL0 )
but I can't tell if they will connect to these coils, or if they will fit on the OEM plugs (the tip of the plug is not removable like some are - it's formed on, not screwed on)

Thanks in advance,
Ol'Timer

OLTIMER wrote:

...where do I get the part that connects the coil wire to the spark plugs?
I have found several @ Z1 enterprises (found on pages 2 and 3 at www.z1enterprises.com/catalog.aspx?pid=KZ650-D1-1978-EL0 )
but I can't tell if they will connect to these coils, or if they will fit on the OEM plugs (the tip of the plug is not removable like some are - it's formed on, not screwed on)....

Click here > Plug Wire Splicer from Z1E

Am thinking OEM plugs are NGK with screw-on tops (not the other plug style without screwed on tops).

In any event, the Dyna plug wires come with caps already attached, which fit either type plug (i.e., the no-screw type or the screw-type with the screw screwed on).

Dyna Plug Wires from Z1E

Good Luck!

Welcome OLTIMER! We're glad you're here!