WG Coil Mod - How hard is it to accomplish?

HerrDeacon, great photo diary.

Awesome writeup! Just in time too, I will be installing the WG mod this weekend. Installing new 3ohm coils (Dyna) and spark plug wires (also Dyna). I can't wait!!

Herr Decaon:

From what I can tell this is at least the second pictorial you have completed. IMO this has added a lot of clarity around how to perform the coil mod.

Thanks for taking the time to document your work.

Gents, Herr has also done some fantastic work building his seat, and had also supported that work with a great photo montage.

In the future if anyone asks about the hard start up / sooty plugs symptoms - mention the WG Coil mod and send them to this thread.

I am going to the Canadian tire to try and find the necessay parts for this upgrade.

One last question before I endevour to complete this work, is the fin type auto fuse better or the traditional glass tube fuse ?

Any opinions?

I just did the coil mod this weekend. Very simple, took me about 1.5 hours to complete, from a complete novice when it comes to electrical.
B4 I started, I had 8.3V coming to the coils, and I had a heck of a time getting the bike to start, even when it was already warm. Forget using the start button; I'd kick it about 10 times to get it started cold, and 3-5 times when it was warm.
When I finished I have 11.5V at the coils, almost a 40% increase in voltage. And starting it this morning, I bumped the starter button and it fired right up! Oh my bike is so happy! BTW, it cost me about $40 altogether, since I had none of the wires or connections.

We don't have Canadian tire stores here. We have Autozone and Advanced auto. At Autozone he found a relay but said he didn't have a pigtail. Is there some part numbers available for the relay and pigtail?

Thanks!

harm wrote:

We don't have Canadian tire stores here. We have Autozone and Advanced auto. At Autozone he found a relay but said he didn't have a pigtail. Is there some part numbers available for the relay and pigtail?

I went to both places; neither had a pigtail. I used standard female plug-in connectors. The ones I got, the one end was the shrink tubing stuff so it makes a waterproof connection. I coated the female to relay connections with dielectric grease to give it better corrosion resistance. With this setup, I didn't even need to solder anything.

The following websites sell relays and pigtails for the WG relay mod.:
1. www.waytekwire.com
2. www.mcmelectronics.com
3. www.partexpress.com
4. www.delcity.net
5. www.alliedelec.com

Just a small listing of what is avaiable on the net.

super old thread, I know, but I am thinking I might need to do this on my '80 kz440 (sooty plugs). Anyone know what the results inded up being? With the age of the thread, maybe the guy's son could comment....

Thanks

Before you fiddle with a coil mod have you performed a full tune-up? When is the last time you replaced the points, checked the valves, synced the carbs, etc. ? Sooty plugs could be caused by any number of things. Ed

almost unthinkable that a new member would go 7 years back without stumbling on the more obvious reasons for rich mixture.

Ha...sorry guys, I shouuld have given you the low-down. I've done everything I can think of except for syncing the carbs. That's on the agenda for this weekend.

I got the bike in fantastic cosmetic condition but not running. It currently runs well after doing the following over the past few weeks:

- Set and cleaned points (they look good so I dind't change them) - checked timing and it was spot on.
- carb rebuild and cleaning (they weren't bad, actually) removed all jets and emulsion tubes, adjusted float height to within 5 mm, got
pilot screws adjusted as well as possible.
- replaced carb boots and clamps - no leaks when tested with starter fluid
- ensured that stock airbox was attached properly. I actually have to use duct tape to seal it on there as it was slightly damaged by a
P.O., but it is all original and I have an oil-wet foam filter on it. It draws pretty well through the two intake holes, so I think it's good.
- adjusted the valves
- checked tank / petcock / fuel line / filter and all was nice and clean and working properly. I put in a new filter and fuel line just in case.

Each step caused the bike to run a little better. As it is, the plugs, especially the right one, get sooty even though I think the bike is running fairly lean (will rev higher when choked even after warmed up). It's not smoking or anything.

I'm looking at other opetions for the sooty plug issue and for a remaining hesitation at 1/4 throttle or so. I'll start another thread on that though.

What I've accomplished so far is largely due to the guys on this forum, and I really appreciate having all this info available. Thanks so much!



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milesotoole wrote: Ha...sorry guys, I shouuld have given you the low-down. I've done everything I can think of except for syncing the carbs. That's on the agenda for this weekend.
...I'm looking at other opetions for the sooty plug issue and for a remaining hesitation at 1/4 throttle or so. I'll start another thread on that though.

It's good that you're going to keep looking. For what it's worth the coil mod is a bandaid solution to only one problem. That's voltage drop between the battery and the coils. Turn on the ignition | Check the voltage at the battery | Check the voltage at the coils | The voltage difference should be somewhere less than a half a volt.
If the voltage drop is more than a half a volt you've got two options, clean all the connections between the battery and the coils or do the coil mod. When cleaning the connections don't neglect the ignition switch.
The best thing about the coil mod is that it's easy to take off after you find it doesn't help.
Bill