no spark

[johnnyfire]

Ok,now this,Vl,new plugs,new coil,condenser and pts.Had spark to the plugs for a few kicks,now nothing.Did I mention new battery.I have spark at the pts,but not at the plugs.I tested the new coil at the end of the spark plug wires for ohms and have 17-18,which I read it should be.I thought maybe I hadn't pushed the new coil wires down on the pins all the way,but I did have spark and do have continuity.I pulled the circuit breaker off the cam shaft and spun the shaft around,then put back on,still no spark at plugs only at pts.I'm at a loss what to do next except to take a sledge hammer to the whole bike---HELP

[36 knuck man]

try opening points, turn on ing, bridge points with screwdriver, check fire 1st thru plug wires, then thru plugs

[Sargehere]

Assembled correctly, with ignition on, you should get spark just by snapping open points that are stopped on a 'closed' place on the points cam. If there is no ground, all along the circuit, you should have fire at the plugs, if grounded against the head. If you got spark at the points and not the plugs, your new coil is crapped out (a fairly common occurrence)

You don't mention, but if this is a repro v-twin Harley coil, their low-tension coils are also wired opposite the stock ones. You'll see a "+" on the back, not the front terminal on the side of the coil, looking closely. It will still fire like that, for a while, but the reversed magnetic field will eventually break down the primary coil, ruining it. For your immediate problem, you could do a diagnostic by wiring a known, good coil in place of the one you suspect, and see if it works.

[johnnyfire]

no spark

thanks,it is a repop coil,vtwin

[c.o.]

Best of luck with that repop coil johnnyfire. I don't know how many miles you plan on putting on that VL but I'd suggest having something for backup just in case.

[rwm]

you can fix that repop coil real easy.the best thing to do is this. and you wont find this fix in tedds directions. just place the coil in your right hand. open your front door with your left hand.take 2 steps and throw that thing like your peyton manning and never look back at the damn thing again.

[Steve Slocombe]

Dear Johnny, it does sound like the coil. Pull the spark plug wires out, cut off say a quarter inch of insulation, bend out the bare wire, then push well down into the coil. Also check your ground wires from circuit breaker to gear case cover, and from ammeter to frame.

[D.A.Bagin]

double post

[D.A.Bagin]

Throw it like Super Bowl MVP Eli. Peyton is history.

[johnnyfire]

Yeah,atleast one!!!

[johnnyfire]

no spark

turns out the whole circuit breaker is hot,that can't be right.Its kind of screwy in the back where the wire goes,I think something like a insulator must be missing.

[diesel55]

hello probaly the coil it self. we send china our scrap.they send it back as scrap repo parts. try finding a old hd coil and fixing it.

[t-jacobs]

Not to be a wise ass but it's kinda funny a guy with the name Johnnyfire can't get no spark.

[johnnyfire]

JohnnyNoFire

Yeah,I guess it would be if I wasn't so frustrated,I really wanted to have it running for this Florida meet in a few days! JohnnyNoFire-hows that

[tfburke3]

probably stuff you already know ,but you said you had spark at points.,which are just a switch for coil ground wire,but then you said entire circuit breaker is hot.
The easiest way I know to quick check the coil is just takeoff the wire ,or jumper from coil that goes to dist.and touch to ground and release,should spark.
The wire to the dist.,disconnected from coil,hooked to a continuity ohm meter,the other lead to ground,should show the pionts breaking the circiut.
good luck
Tom