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Cylinder drop 28 Mar 2020 21:07 #822077

  • jdsteph0897
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I need some advice. A have an 81 kz1000. I bought it as a basket case. The wiring looked like a rats nest and it was all apart. The guy I bought it off of told me that he just put a new (used ) igniter on it. I got it all back together and bought a new used harness. It started and ran good but dropped #1 and 4 cylinders. I tested the ignition and one side appeared to be bad so I ordered another used one. The coil tested good. Put on 2nd igniter and same thing. Started rN decent for a while and dropped #1 and #4. Tested igniter and one side dead again. Looked on here and found a thread that said some coils short out when they get hot. Inspected coil and it appeared it got hot at one time semi melted the end where the plug wire comes out. Light bulb went off. Thought I figured it out. I ordered a 3rd used igniter and new coil. Put them on and it ran on all 4. Took it out on maiden voyage today and other than a little carb backfire when cold it ran well. After about 2 miles it dropped at least one if not two cylinders. It came back after a few seconds. Rode about another 1/2 mile and it did it again. Again they came back. It did this several times and then dropped two cylinders (I think). I was about two blocks from a buddies house. I pulled the plug on #1 and it looked fine. Checked for spark and no spark. Was going to check #4 but it was so hot I decided to let it cool off a little. About 10 minutes later The weather took a turn for the worse so I decided to ride the mile home on whatever was firing. I fired it up and damn it ran on all 4 just fine all the way home. What the heck could be making just two cylinders come and go as it gets hot considering it has a new coil on that side? It’s got me stumped. Help!

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Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 05:15 #822085

  • hardrockminer
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I don't know those bikes well but if they have points you probably have a problem with the one providing spark to your 1/4 coil. If no points then the electronic ignition is probably bad and should be replaced. You should also check the wires from your timing to your coils for possible breaks or shorts.
I have several restored bikes along with a 2006 Goldwing with a sidecar. My wife has a 2019 Suzuki DR 650 for on and off road.

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Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 06:54 #822090

  • TexasKZ
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It will be electronic, not points. You can download a factory service manual from KZR for free. The manuals are located in the Articles section. The manual will have the proper procedures to test the ignition components.
1982 KZ1000 LTD parts donor
1981 KZ1000 LTD awaiting resurrection
2000 ZRX1100 not ridden enough

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Last edit: by TexasKZ.

Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 08:45 #822105

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It’s electro is ignition and the pickup coil tests good. They usually never go out. I have also had two different harnesses on it with the same issue.

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Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 08:47 #822107

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I did that and tested everything and it all tests good. It doesn’t make sense with the issue of it being hot when it does it. The only thing I can think of is the new coil I bought is bad but that doesn’t seem likely. It was a cheap one from eBay.

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Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 09:40 #822119

  • hardrockminer
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It sounds as if you have an intermittent spark problem.

You've changed the coil, checked the ignition wires and checked the pickup. Have you checked your plug wires?

If the plug wires look fine then next I would switch the 2/3 coil over to 1/4 side and vice versa. Remember to wire them correctly. This test is to see if the problem follows the coil over to 2/3 or if it stays on the 1/4 side. If it follows then it's probably a coil or a plug wire problem. If it stays with 1/4 then it's probably the pickup or possibly the plugs themselves.
I have several restored bikes along with a 2006 Goldwing with a sidecar. My wife has a 2019 Suzuki DR 650 for on and off road.

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Last edit: by hardrockminer.

Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 10:12 #822123

  • loudhvx
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The inline-fours basically have two ignitions systems, so like Hardrockminer described, you can troubleshoot by swapping parts around. You can even do it with the pickups.

Pickups have been reported to become intermittent with heat in the past on Kzrider... not often, but it has happened.

After you rule out the coils, swapping pickups is a bit more involved.

On the pickup harness, you swap the black wire with yellow, and the blue wire with red.
That puts your ignition 180-degrees-out.
To compensate, you flip your advancer rotor 180 degrees.
Now if the problem moves to the 2-3 cylinders, you know the 1-4 pickup is bad (pickup with black wire and blue wire).

If that turns out bad, you can replace just the pickup, or you can even use a 2-3 pickup (red wire, yellow wire) in its place. You can use the same pickups from pretty much any inline-four Kz from that era. So there are quite a few options if you can't find your exact pickup plate for sale.

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Last edit: by loudhvx.

Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 13:40 #822130

  • Mikaw
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I’d look through the harness. Could be a loose connection that is the problem. Corroded connection will carry a current until the load is increased and then they breakdown.
1976 KZ 900 A4 kzrider.com/forum/11-projects/613548-1976-kz-900-a4
1976 KZ 900 B1 LTD
1978 KZ 1000 B2 LTD
1980 KZ 750 E1
Kowledge Speaks, But Wisdom Listens.
Jimi Hendrix.

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Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 16:33 #822144

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I found the coil issue by switching them and I put the new one on the left side. I did not replace the plug wires but i wouldn’t think both would be bad. I also put new plugs in.

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Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 16:35 #822145

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I have tried two harnesses.

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Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 16:36 #822146

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What is the advancer rotor?

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Cylinder drop 29 Mar 2020 17:32 #822154

  • hardrockminer
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The advancer rotor is the timing mechanism. It's located behind the plate holding your pickups. Take your pickup plate off, undo the advancer bolt and you can pull the advancer off.

You say you changed your harness. Do you mean the wires from your pickups to the coils?
I have several restored bikes along with a 2006 Goldwing with a sidecar. My wife has a 2019 Suzuki DR 650 for on and off road.

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