What happens when a TCI starts to die?

[Incubus]

I'm running out of things to check. Other that just not running, what will my XS do if the TCI starts having problems?

Patrick

[John]

Run like crap? Start dropping mated pairs of cylinders? Do you have a spare TCI? Need to borrow one? If Webbcraft doesn't have a spare, I have a couple.

[Incubus]

I have another. I don't know if it's any good, but it's worth plugging it in and finding out...

[rfaass@yahoo]

here is a tci rebuilder symptoms...

[rfaass@yahoo]

http://members.aol.com/ddenowh/TCI/symptoms.htm

and here is the link... ahum...

[HobbyMan]

Randy does all that work. You can pop the cover and take a look for yourself. Usually there will be some corrosion on the solder joints going to the plug. Brush that off and resolder those joints. Most of the time, good as new.

[webbcraft2150]

Yes, I have one. Came off a 79 to. Hey, maybe I should make you a hot smokin deal on my coveted box-o-parts.

All kidding aside, I know you are gettting frustrated. I do have a box off a 79 standard. If it is the same as the one my 80g (someone slide in here), I can plug it in tomorrow and see if it works. If it wont plug into my rig, or will let all the smoke out if I do, you can always try it out. I was going to donate it to the TCI rebuild guru to let him experiment on it anyway. I know you have been thru those carbs a bunch of times, but your problem sure sound like a carb issue. It ain't that hard to swap carbs from my rig to yours. I am guessing the linkage is the same? You still runnin the stock airbox?

[randy]

78, 79, 80 TCI's are the same. Change came in 81 when advance was built into the TCI, no centrifugal advance on the crank.

[Incubus]

The only things I have not changed out or rebuilt on this bike are the CDI and the coils. Everything has been checked, rechecked, pulled and unpulled, cleaned or polished....

I don't believe my problems stem from the carbs. The carbs I got from you were in good shape, WC, and I've always been pretty successul getting carbs tuned in. No matter what I've done to these, though, there has been no change.

The plugs are burning poorly. One is burning just right, two are very sooty and the number one plug doesn't really look like it is firing at all, at least at idle. This is all just sitting in my garage, however, not under riding conditions, so I kind of expect it to be running a bit rich. When I rev the engine the number one pipe gets hots, though, so that plug fires at least some of the time.

I've come to the conslusion that my problem must be with the spark. Since I get spark at all I don't expect it is the coils and I didn't think it would be the TCI. When coils have gone bad on me they've gone completely bad. Working one minute, nothing the next. And I've been over and over the pickup coils and advancer, so I think they're OK.

That leaves the TCI or a connection somewhere. I hate the "some connection somewhere scenario," and I think everyone would understand why. I plugged in my backup TCI last night (late night Ebay $10 purchase - they swore it was good until I got it for $10, then they just swore). It started right up and seemed to be idling well. Tonight I try to find out more.

Sorry about the random stream of consciousness, but when I was young and was playing on my Honda 175 and racing my Bridgestone 200 I had a regular circle I would hang with and we would talk about the bikes and the motors for hours on end. At some point someone would always have an inspiration that pinpointed the problem. It was the process of talking that provided enough clues to lead to that inspiration.

That, plus I'm at work right now and this is allowing me to appear busy while not actually working.

Patrick

[randy]

Patrick,

TCI troubleshooting is fairly easy if you have an analog meter and the know-how. The know-how is on my web page, see the link in my profile.

The meter you have to supply yourself!

BTW, you've synced your carbs, right? Many wacky symptoms can be traced to out-of-sync carbs.

[Incubus]

Yeah, I synched them, Randy. I had to hold the idle at 1,000 with the throttle because the bike wouldn't idle below 2,000 rpm on its own, but the needles on all four gauges were rising and falling together very nicely when I revved it. It was real pretty.

I'm going to synch them again after I get it running right, but it should be either deadon or very close right now. That's part of what is proving to be so vexing about this....

Patrick

[DELL82]

Succubus! You mentioned that the #1 plug did not fire at idle but did when running higher in RPM, Right? well I had a similar problem and traced it to the 5K Ohm resistor in the #2 spark plug cap. When I disassembled the cap. easy. the resistor was black because the spark was jumping around the resistor by the carbon buildup. I removed the resistor and replaced all of the cap resistors with shorts. My spark went from dark blue 1/8" long to 1/2" and white. No problem since,no 5K Ohm resistors either. Number 1 and 2 needed to be routed out and shorted with high temperature solder. Number 2 and 3 needed short brass rod same length as the resistor. I have pictures of conversion if needed. Good Luck