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For the second time I've had a gremlin turn my bike off while running down the road. Seems like after an hour or so cruising for some reason it just up and quits. I mean dead no firing at all. Both times after just 5 minutes or so it will start back up and run for short distances(so far enough to get me home with multiple cut offs). This last time I made it home,kept it running ,placed a fan in front of the motor and tried my best to simulate highway rpm's hoping it would do it again so I could do some resitance reading on the coil. You guessed it,after quitting 6 times getting home it refused to shut off in the garage. I'm using a 12v. repica coil,original points and condenser. Coil seems a bit hot to me when I touch it. Is it possible that the condenser(original for 6v system ) could be the fault. Heck I thought they were just a capacitor. Anyway if someone out there has some thoughts on how I can trouble shoot this thing or a similar experience that they solved please let me know. I'm beginning to think the little thing has an attitude. Always starts first kick unless there is a group watching and now it doesn't want to leave the air conditioning for more than an hr. at a time. Chris
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More Info
Typical of me. Left out much important info. Bike is a 47 WL with original (NOS) breaker system and components but 12volt coil and other electics. Once in awhile it will bark and backfire etc. just before going dead. Not always tho.and sometimes just quits firing. Could the coil be breaking down or is it that original 60 yr. old condenser? Chris -
Over the years I've two condensors go bad and they both acted like that.Comment
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Chris: I had a similar problem last summer. 1942 WLA with original 6 volt system. Bike would run fine for about an hour, then it would die. No spark, no lights, nothing. Let it sit for 15 or 20 min, and it would restart and run for another hour.
Turned out to be the battery. I replaced it with another one and havent had problem since. Something was breaking down or shorting inside. Something else you might check.....RodComment
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check the resistance of the coil. and again when hot and it dies on the road. A coil will short to ground or the body clamp if damaged internally. A plastic insulator around it (in clamp) will solve this.
A condenser/capacitor has a 7-10yr life span. It can be tested also.
THe coil leeds can also become disconneted inside the coil. A very small broken wire in the ****.Comment
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Gremlins
Thanks for the ideas guys. Looks like I need to ride around the neighbor hood for awhile and hope it shuts off. This time I'll have multimeter in hand . Did some preliminary readings and came up with the following. Cold coil/pts open/switch off. 2.4 ohms term.to term; + to grd. infinity; pts term to grd infinity. I did notice a weird deal with the oil pressure light. Pulled the fuse to my battery. Turned switch on and repeated the same readings. This time I got + to grd. 6.4 ohms: - to grd. 8.6 ohms: term. to term. 2.4 ohms. Certain I was reading thru the light to the switch so I disconnected the wire to the oip pressure switch. Sure enough back to my original readings. Does that sound normal to youall or have I goofed in my wiring? ChrisComment
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Chris my freind
Lot's of times people make simple tasks complicated. I joke and say they are turning it into a science project.
Your ingnition system has only three parts. (points, condenser,and coil) Replace the condenser (cheapest part). If that doesn't fix it then its the coil.Comment
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Your readings sound OK. When the switch is on and the battery disconnected you're completing the circuit to ground through the pressure switch, which is closed when the engine has no oil pressure. I agree with rousseau, change the condenser. There's no really good test for them. They can behave differently at various temperatures, and they're dirt cheap. Those are the main reasons why it's recommended that they be changed at each tune-up.Comment
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Grmlin
I love the way you guys think! Actually first thing I did yesterday was order 2 condensers ,pts,and a coil. Plan to replace condenser and keep the other parts as spares for the road. Been raining here so I was kinda just making work but really wanted to be able to find the problem for sure and fix it. Alas sometimes the shot gun approach is better(easier). Replace the cond. hit the road and pray it's fixed and doesn't shut down in the middle of an intersection. Wow now thats a scary thought. Thanks again guys. ChrisComment
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