trying to get a project running - need some help

long story short - i have a '84 zn700 i have been working on as a project. i got it put back together (bought as a real rat that needed help) and it had no ic ignitor.

i purchased a supposed "good ic ignitor off a running bike" for dang near what i purchased the bike for. I got it in and my job moved me to OK for a project. I just got back and want to get this thing running. i put the ic ignitor on the bike, double checked everything, and pushed the starter. thrum thrum thrum. no fire

the bike turns over fine but no spark. i pulled the spark plug and grounded it against the head and tried again. no spark. on any of the cylinders. so i started looking

first off, brand new battery - 13.5 volts at the battery tester. Checked the power to the ic ignitor (red and black/yellow wires) with ignition on 12.5 volts. Great on the the next one. Checked the two red wires to the coils. 12.5 volts, great on the next one. Checked the primary winding on the coils 2.6 ohms. Great. Secondary winding 11.5 kOhms. Great. Checked the pickup coils. 450 ohms.

everything seems spot on. no spark. I pulled the so called "good working ic ignitor" to the bench and put a meter on it. where it was to show 250ish kOhms it was reading 2 Mohms on several pin combinations. now the manual says only with kawasaki meter and some numbers but obviously i do not have that.

i then checked the continuity on several switches. its in neutral, the side stand is up (on center stand), the run/kill switch is in run, the clutch switch is pulled in. all verified by the continuity between wires and visually.

the carbs are putting fuel in the bike as there are signs of fuel on the plugs (they get cleaned off) but no spark. then a screwy thing happened. there was fuel and fuel vapors in the cylinders and i turned the key to on and the fuel combusted. it repeated this two or three times. no turning the motor over or rotation, jus the combusion of excess vapor/fuel in the cylinder from trying to get it started, and the key in the on position - NO cranking of the starter.

what do you guys think, screwed by the guy who sold me the ic ignitor? any advice? thanks for listening

Bat+ reaching coil primary terminal = good.

Other coil primary terminal is supposed to repetitively ground and unground through the igniter.

While grounded, the coil primary charges up (akin to points being closed).
When ungrounded, the coil fires through the secondary loop (akin to points opening).

If not already done, could disconnect igniter signal wire from coil primary terminal and verify ground-unground function with ohmmeter while hand turning crank with ignition switched ON.

Good Luck!

thanks for the response - i believe i have tried that but not 100% as i have looked at A LOT over the last two days. I will try again tomorrow. So if the ic ignitor grounds when the rotor moves through the magnetic field i need to check for continuity between the green and black coil leads and what while turning the points rotor / crank

sharkynrk wrote:

...So if the ic ignitor grounds when the rotor moves through the magnetic field i need to check for continuity between the green and black coil leads and what while turning the points rotor / crank

...and what... --- that would be to a ground such as engine or frame.

A reminder to all readers, always use the 17mm "fake" nut to hand turn the crankshaft. And NEVER the 13mm head on bolt into end of crankshaft.

Good Luck!

Forgot to mention -- there's a ground wire from the igniter, perhaps black/yellow, and would also assure it's reaching a good ground. And double check that connector fitting is clean and snug.

Good Luck!

ok thanks, I figured just going to ground, but wanted to ask to make sure there was not a better method (like grounding back to the common ground on the ignitor). I will give it a whirl when I get off of work today and see if there is any function from the ic ignitor

anyone else have any insight? any thoughts on what was cauing the spark to ignite the excess fuel upon powering the ignition

didn't get any positive sign from testing the ic ignitor to ground while turning over the motor -

My Dyna ignition will sometimes spark the fuel when I turn on the key. If the valves are in the right position this can happen. If it does it very frequently it could be something else. I for the life of me did not know why it did this untill I saw it mentioned on another thread.

it practically does it every time you unsuccessfully try to turn it over and then re-power the ignition. I looked at the bike again last night for a few minutes. I have 12V on the two coil spade tabs and it seems like the ic ignitor is not grounding to discharge the coil - I really am getting frustrated with it

If your pick up coils test good, you can do one of two things:

1. Contact www.z1enterprises.com and price a new Dyna S electronic ignition system.

2. Build a replacement using off the shelf GM electronic modules like this:http://www.geocities.com/loudgpz/GPZgmHEImod.html

I'd suggest using some silicon RTV compound to encapsulate the resistors and diodes in the external circuits from water and vibration damage.

I have thought about going a HEI method if all else tanks on me. I just can't seem to make myself purchase a $200 dyna setup as it is too expensive for a budget build.

part of the issue that gets me is, from what I have read, when you are getting proper voltage the OEM electronic ignition is as good or better than the aftermarket options so I would like to get it sorted.

the pickup ohms out correctly, I checked the gap on the magnet to rotor spacing for he pickup and its .4 mm or so. everything except the ic ignitor checks out. i have another one on the way to test - i can't throw money at it though unfortunately

Unfortunately, the 1984 ZN700A1 won't be able to use the HEI mod or the Dyna S because it's an electronic-advance ignition. At least according to the parts diagram at Kawasaki.

Well, I should say, it can't use the HEI mod or Dyna S unless you replace the pickups and rotor with an earlier KZ500/500/650/700/750 pickup and advancer unit. I've done this on a couple bikes, and it's not hard. It let's you get away from the expensive, e-advance IC ignitor, and use the cheaper, mech-advance IC ignitor or the HEI mod or the Dyna S. The conversion is reversible too, in case you come across a e-advance IC ignitor later.

I did a quick search on ebay and didn't see anything available now. They usually start to show up more in the fall and winter.