TOPIC:

Riddle me this...

If both the contact lead and the condenser lead are installed on the same side of the insulation washers (effectively wired together, against each other) what would that mean? Does it mean, like I suspect, that the points are bypassed?

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!

Whoever had the bike before me must've screwed up big-time on that particular installation. I went to replace the points, compared it to the installation diagram and was shocked.

So I'm hoping that that was causing my plugs to foul after 30 minutes? Sound right?


-m2f

I'm not sure what you are saying, but the condenser does hook to the wire from the coil to the points.

After reading your post again, it sounds like the condenser was wired properly. If the points were "bypassed" it wouldn't foul the plugs, it just wouldn't run at all.

Post edited by: steell, at: 2006/10/23 21:06

hehe, yeah i know, confusing. maybe a diagram...


what i found when i went to change the points:

h = contact lead
H = condenser lead
| = washer or insulator washer
b = base of points

-||hH||b|||--

meaning the wire coming into the bottom of the contact breaker case is wired directly to the condenser. meaning (if i am looking at it correctly) that the contact Breaker never actually Breaks anything because the current is flowing past the actual points that complete the circuit.

what the assembly diagram shows:

-||h||b||H|--

the "h" and "H" being separate and the current only flows when the points are together.

the only reason I'm not sure if I'm right is that I can't imagine how the bike would even run at all with this mistake!

The wire coming in the base, the condenser, and the moving arm of the points, are all supposed to be hooked together. Current does not flow through the condenser to ground (DC current don't anyway, and that's what we are concerned with), it just charges the condenser.

What we used to do back when all cars had points was to charge a condenser and then toss it to someone. Better than a cup of coffee for waking you up in a hurry

If the points are not breaking then the coil will not fire and the motor will not start.

Do you have (or have access to) a multimeter?

Check the points and make sure they are closed (turn crank as needed), turn on ignition, open points using a small screwdriver to move the arm, watch the points spark.

Post edited by: steell, at: 2006/10/23 22:13

steell wrote:

The wire coming in the base, the condenser, and the moving arm of the points, are all supposed to be hooked together. Current does not flow through the condenser to ground (DC current don't anyway, and that's what we are concerned with), it just charges the condenser.

What we used to do back when all cars had points was to charge a condenser and then toss it to someone. Better than a cup of coffee for waking you up in a hurry

If the points are not breaking then the coil will not fire and the motor will not start.

Do you have (or have access to) a multimeter?

Check the points and make sure they are closed (turn crank as needed), turn on ignition, open points using a small screwdriver to move the arm, watch the points spark.<br><br>Post edited by: steell, at: 2006/10/23 22:13

i took one of these to the hospital with me when i got my 1st pacemaker.told em the insurance company said we had to cut costs wherever we could so i had to bring my own pacemaker! the nurses thought it was funny but the doctor was having trouble with it.so i asked him what are you so streessed out about, you do this everyday is there something youre not telling me?