ZX550A1 Igniter Pinout

It´s a zx550A1 (GPz550) 84. It only works when connected the wrong way but just barely like 3.5cyl.worth but answers to throttle. (it was connected like this when I got it and it wasnt running at all or barely. Since then i renovated the top with new valves and the clearence is as it should be as the cams.
If I connect it as it should be according to Clymer and Haynes (the left illustration) its dead (with an occansional bang).

One odd thing is that testing pos. and earth on the IC when ignition on the left one lights up on pos. and nothing on neg. (as it should be) but the right one lights up on both pos. and neg.!

I wrote it in swedish so a short translate here:
Gul/röd = Yellow/Red
Grön = Green
Sv = Black

Here are some notes I made. The left coil should be 2-3 with the green wire. Right coil is 1-4 with the black wire.

The + and - labels on the coils shouldn't make much difference if the coils are good. Since they are affecting the operation, then I suspect it may be because the coils are damaged slightly. The high voltage spike on the primary wants to leak to ground. When the polarity is a particular direction, it leaks easier since the path may be closer (wherever the insulation is partially broken down).

Well that would explain the wrongful connection being mirrorimaged, no? Ill try it tomorrow. Although the two images you uploaded have diff. connection on the numbers 7 and 8.

Just came in from testing what you said and no go. It just doesn´t start with the wires correct..it only starts with the wires crossed. And I´m guessing that is just what is the problem..it was wrongfully connected and driven this way and that killed the ignition coils. Only way it works now it that having the + connected to impulse all the time means it "ignites" all the time and that´s the reason it starts and goes but not good.
That makes sense to you guys?

Looking at what you first posted, where the green and black are firing the wrong coil. It looks to me like since your ignition rotor can't be disassembled like a mechanical advance unit, that someone actually timed the crank to cams at the 2-3 "T" instead of the 1-4 "T". Basically putting the Ignition 180 out, but that's all. Unless the reason for it running bad is the cam timing to crank is also incorrect. Definitely worth a look. Loudhvx has several links in his signature for timing, and a warning about the tensioner.

OR the Igniter doesnt work?

Put your #1 cylinder to the Compression stroke, look at the marks on the right side end of the crankshaft timing plate and rotor. It should have the Bump/ notch or the Rotor pointing to the rear of the bike, when 1-4 "T" mark is lined up.

Thanks but I quadruple checked the settings to be correct. Cyl 1 the lobes pointing away from each other and piston 1 TDC (and4) Ignition timing mark T as it shoud on the mark (at 11.30) with several revolutions by hand of the engine. Still the same. The cam/pistons should be correct.

Have you done a compression test? If out of spec, would also lead back to possibly cam timing incorrect.
With your original post/ diagram of your wiring, it looks like the ignition is 180 out. Which really is no big deal, as like you have done, you just move the coil primary wires to compensate.

Ok I´ll do a compression test tomorrow but doesn´t the switching of the coils + and - make the spark plug ignite all the time? I don´t understand why it starts with 95% good running one way (the wrong way according to manuals) and is dead the other way around (the correct way)!? I´m confused..but comp test will tell if the timing is off and if so the rough idling gets its explanation and I wont bother with the electrical until I set the timing 200%!

Spark plus will not ignite all of the time. If they were, the engine would not want to turn, as the fuel air mix would try to ignite way early, once cylinder pressure increased. Way before TDC and the burn would cause backwards rotation.
The switching of just the + and - on any one coil will change the direction of spark travel. Since its a wasted spark system, where both plugs on one coil fire at the same time, it shouldn't make a difference, unless the coil is damaged like Lou said.

Paroxyst wrote: Well that would explain the wrongful connection being mirrorimaged, no? Ill try it tomorrow. Although the two images you uploaded have diff. connection on the numbers 7 and 8.

Yes, the image from the factory (lower image) does not match how the bikes came from the factory. The upper drawing is how they typically came from the factory.

However, obviously, it does not matter which side the coils are physically mounted on. What matters is the color of the primary wire (green or black) and which spark plugs the coils go to. Notice both images show that the black wire goes to the 1-4 coil, and the green wire goes to the 2-3 coil.

The ZX rotor is one-piece and is keyed to the crank, so it can't be 180 out from the crank unless maybe it was damaged at some point and somebody machined another groove in the rotor, or drilled a new hole in the crank for the roll pin.

As Motorhead said, the tooth on the rotor should point to the rear pickup when 1 and 4 are at TDC.

Your description of the cams seem to be right, as it would come from the factory.

If all of the above is correct, then it would have to be a wiring mismatch on the pickup wires or the primary wires, or as you said, possibly a damaged igniter, though I find that unlikely.

On a KZ, something like this could happen if the pickup magnets get flipped, but I don't think the ZX magnets can be flipped.

A timing light might show something. If the timing is way off, due to a broken bias circuit or something, them maybe the opposite pickups caould fire the coils in such a way that it could run, but badly.