62 electric failure

[krb]

after many years as a member i need some help, made the mistake of finally putting on a horn under the cowl, did not lock tite it like a fool, horn freed up came down on terminal block complete failure of the system, have the system fused at neg bat to frame, fuse blew, replaced fuse blew 2nd then realized the horn, got it off and have not since been able to get the old girl to run, have a unilite checked power from module none present, replaced module can only get a sneeze out of it, this has been a easy start kicker for 30 yrs. i am baffled, have run test all wiring, coil everthing electrical has been checked or replaced and timing is spot on , any suggestions are welcome

[Magic]

First off I'll just say repairing what you stated has happened I think you may know the answer already. Having a metal object completely come down over the open terminal board is disastrous. You have replaced fuses telling you an electrical short. Being unable like anyone else say where to look without actually being there hands on is difficult. If your wiring is all wire loomed up as it should be then you may have to go through the process of undoing everything and inspecting each wire and connection completely. No one wants to hear that or deal with the time consuming work involved but from what you stated it may be the only resolve you have. Here is what I would do. Disconnect every connection point from the terminal board and other points of connection. Start reconnecting from the battery with power on and a charger connected because this will take awhile. Disconnect the ignition points & coil for now and Generator wiring and start reconnecting the switch and light wiring as well as that troublesome horn with the power on through the switch. This may show what you can't see in the wire looms as a short. Checking with power off and a Ohm meter between connections only shows it's travels and doesn't always show wire shorts. Electrical issues can be tough but it's symptomatic in nature. Good luck and Patience is key I'm sure you'll get ideas and responses from several people on here and elsewhere.

[Lyle Manheimer]

I am not sure what you mean by a module. Maybe the ignition switch. Having your bike fused should have protected it from serious damage.
A test light does not test the system under load, neither does an ohm meter. You may have a high resistance connection on the terminal board or the ignition switch. Very likely if you have original wiring. Look for blue discoloration at all of the terminals, copper sulfate, this is indicative of a high resistance connection. Lightly tug on any discolored connections and if you find anything loose, crimp or solder on a new terminal. Make sure to clean all connections with scotch brite.
Also a '62 Pan has a dual point timer if you have lifted the wires at the coil and landed them bass ackwards the bike will only sneeze when kicked because now the timing is slightly off. Ask me how I know.

[duffeycycles]

Unilites are prone to failure if there is a short in the bike..ANYWHERE..I discussed this in depth with the owner of Mallory.They had the same problem with the car units[same module inside]I also pointed out that if a regulator failed and the bike overcharged the modules failed[they don't come back]anything over 15 volts would kill them.I told him that an overcharging HD genny only put a few more than 15 volts out if not regulated & they should hold that.Also in exterme heat my brothers car module would die[115deg in Vegas]To his credit he lisened to me,especially when I told him that is why the MSD units that did not fail easily had run him out of most car distributor sales.He redesigned units to be tougher.He has different units available now that are much better.My brothers bike is test bed,no problems for many years.Get a new one,the module inside is replaceable.The mallory is the easiest to start and the advance brings a Panhead to life!!!!

[krb]

module refers to unilite distributor, have had a unit for 20 years in the bike no problem, after failure had no juice from module o coil so replaced it , tried going back to in my case my bike was single point still same issue, like a battery low sneeze, have rewired ecteven to the point of remote battery through the coil, missing something i guess

[krb]

mallory is what has been in the bike, great unit no trouble, has been a very easy starting bike compared to my 50, i suppose the replacement unit could be defective, hate to think so but after rewiring there is not much left, all is timed correctly got fuel have spark just not enough for the front to wind the rear for start up thanks to all who responded