Question about timing.

So I was trying to time my 79' KZ400 H1 using the static method and a light bulb connected to the battery and I noticed that the light doesn't go out when the points open. It gets a little bit dimmer when the points open but it doesn't go completely out. I thought maybe the condensor was bad and grounding out so I disconnected that from the points and no dice. Then I took off the wire that sends a signal to the points and it started working like I expected. Points open no light. Points closed, light. So I timed it without that wire connected but I'm now wondering if my coil is bad and that is what is giving me problems. It tested about 4.2 ohms across the terminals and 12,000 ohms across the spark plug wires. Is this normal??

Becker wrote:

So I was trying to time my 79' KZ400 H1 using the static method and a light bulb connected to the battery and I noticed that the light doesn't go out when the points open. It gets a little bit dimmer when the points open but it doesn't go completely out. I thought maybe the condensor was bad and grounding out so I disconnected that from the points and no dice. Then I took off the wire that sends a signal to the points and it started working like I expected. Points open no light. Points closed, light. So I timed it without that wire connected but I'm now wondering if my coil is bad and that is what is giving me problems. It tested about 4.2 ohms across the terminals and 12,000 ohms across the spark plug wires. Is this normal??

Static timing is really only useful to 'get your motor running.'

I've static timed mine a few times and it'll start, but once you use the dwell meter and timing light, you'll see how off you were (and how much more nicely it runs).

PS: I don't know enough about your model to make any specific comments.

Sam

Becker wrote:

So I was trying to time my 79' KZ400 H1 using the static method and a light bulb connected to the battery and I noticed that the light doesn't go out when the points open. It gets a little bit dimmer when the points open but it doesn't go completely out. //// Is this normal??

Not sure how you have this bulb connected?

Then I took off the wire that sends a signal to the points and it started working like I expected.

That's not a signal wire to the points, it's the wire to the negative side of the coil's primary winding. The other end of the winding goes to +12V. If you are bleeding off current to ground through the primary winding, that doesn't sound good.

IMPORTANT:

Does this thing run the stock ignition or does it have an aftermarket electronic ignition?

If the latter, you need to disconnect the blue "points" wire before doing your bulb test. In an aftermarket CDI that line goes to the gate of an SCR or some other semiconductor device inside the electronic ignition module. When you connect the bulb test thing to it, you are basically forcing that line to go up in voltage when the rest of the circuit is powered down. That can possibly damage it so I don't recommend it. It also would explain the dimly glowing light since that path won't handle much current.

That's perfectly normal

When you apply power from a test light to the points the power feeds back through the coil to anything that is tied into that circuit. There's a lot of resistance to current flow going that way, so the light dims.

steell wrote:

That's perfectly normal

When you apply power from a test light to the points the power feeds back through the coil to anything that is tied into that circuit. There's a lot of resistance to current flow going that way, so the light dims.

I think that's right if the test bulb is tied to the +12V battery and the +12V to the ignition is not energized (ignition key off). Any bulbs or stuff hanging on that non-energized 12V feed line which is also tied to the plus side of the coil would allow current to flow to ground.