One side of coil bad?

violentvintagecycles wrote:

How are you all? Have a question.. Is it possible for one side of a coil to go bad?

Maybe. The output of the coils (going to the plugs) is the secondary winding of a transformer with either end of the winding going to a spark plug. Since the two plugs are in "series" across the winding to ground, it's designed to have both plugs spark at the same time. If either plug is fouled open like coated with oil, neither plug fires. If a plug or plug wire is shorted or arcing to ground, one plug can fire (on the good end of the winding) but the other plug won't fire because the short is across it to ground.

Patton, ive been thinking that weak spark has been one of my problems and im trying to back up and rectify that.. My battery WAS good, 12.6 and up before starting, but i have stator issues and dont have a charging system. Battery always kept on a tender until last couple days wind blew the tarp off during a thunderstorm and my tender no longer works. Bummer. I also seemed to have broke the post of the negative terminal from trying to tighten too much i guess. The closed loop of the post is now an open loop, but taking a volt reading from the bolt, not the post, gives me good voltage.. Another problem is the fuse box, which at one time was being melted from one thing or another, disconnecting the stator seemed to have solved that problem. (Didnt work anyway). Also couldnt find them damn one inch fuses anywhere so i had whatever fuses in there. Decided to change the fuse box. o boy. Now i have so much power that the lights go on without the key in. heh heh.. Did i mention this bike is nickle and diming me to death and im so frustrated that im gonna sell it and buy a kayak.. Girlfriend was sitting behind me while i was cursing at this thing plucking the grey hairs out the back of my head that i didnt even know was there.. Im 37 dammit..
Patton, i do believe the problem in the whole is electrical, its a stumbling, hesitating, but oh so close to "catching" problem, at a stady throttle in any range. Its not a 1/4 throttle,1/2, or full its all of them. Uh, i also have to roll on it, not dump it wide open cause my clutch is slipping so bad it wont let me.. But thats another problem. Mannn, this was just supposed to be a quick reply, so sorry.. Ill describe the fuse box problem in another post. Tomorrow maybe i gotta get up at 1:30am..Time to make the donuts..

It was the fuse box... No more stuttering.. Adjusted the clutch and that stopped slipping too.. Pretty happy at the moment but still some bugs to work out.. Thanks for the help..

Thanks for the progress report.

Glad to see bike's up and going!

Good Luck!

violentvintagecycles wrote:

It was the fuse box... No more stuttering.. Adjusted the clutch and that stopped slipping too.. Pretty happy at the moment but still some bugs to work out.. Thanks for the help..

Can you provide a bit more detail about what it was with your fuse box that was causing only one plug not to fire?

Thanks,
Paul

Actually bud if ya look real close, i said it stopped the stuttering problem, didnt say it fixed number 4.. However, #4 started with a weak/intermittent spark, so i changed plugs, wires, and eventually fuse box. Now #4 fires, but its still not up to par. Still need to follow Plummens directions, compression test, ring test.. I should note that taking it off the kickstand kicked that #4 back in, but not up to par. Still gotta check that float level.