Coils??

[roach25681]

I took the timing cover off before I ever posted about this because I had read so much about them. The wires looked and felt brand new. I searched today for damages or breaks in the pickup coil wires from the timing cover all the way to the harness and found nothing. The ground wires on the shift cover that MRO spoke of...what exactlt are they? I searched on more than one occasion down there and couldnt find anything but a wire loom clip. And TopCat...my Mac Tools multimeter has alligator clips for leads already. The slight spark activity was when I unbolted my TCI and flipped it over...for some reason I got spark right then. As soon as I turned it back over and bolted it in, I got no spark. Unbolted it and turned it back over and over and over and over again and have been unable to get any sort of spark what so ever since then. Im stumperfied.

[Axel]

no spark ?

I started at theTCI and tried to eliminate parts of the system . Randy's cranking test can show you if the problem is between the TCI and the coils OR TCI to the pickups (inc the TCI). Should have voltage and wide swings (meter with a needle) on the orange wire and then the grey wire . I tested continuity from each coil to the TCI orange and grey and red/white wires .I had only one coil not working so I pulled all the plugs and switched coil plugs to see what happened . Test continuity between pickups and TCI going along the whole harness bending if you can . At least check resistance of each pickup . I had a TCI go bad on me recently but I had to eliminate everything first . It was a good excersize. I bought a dremel tool and cleaned all connections on the way . I also protected them with die-electric grease . I took my old TCI apart and re-soldered every point I could see . When this didnt work ,I de-soldered the plug connections and looked at the underside of the PCB . More soldering and I am about to try it out . I did get another TCI and am running it in the meantime.
So , you have no spark what so ever ?

[GtrMn]

That's what holds the "outside" pickup coil wires...on mine that's where the break turned out to be....just another possibility.

And it can drive you crazy....It did on mine!
Also...since you took off the shift cover....could be it.

[Bud Manley]

Kill switch off on the handlebars?

Kickstand switch in first gear?

[Axel]

ground wire

I had a bendable harness holder on a oil pan bolt along with a ground wire attached . The ground wire (light blue) continued up the harness with the pickup wires . Do you have a ground wire down there near where your toe would be ?

[GtrMn]

The ground wires on the shift cover

Ooops there's a green wire from the pick up coil assembly that grounds to the allen screw on the bottom..to the right of the wire holder.

[Axel]

RED/white wire

I think if you have current from TCI to coils on the Red/white wire , all emerg switches are GO

[roach25681]

There is a solid white wire underneath the bottom of the shift cover that looks to be a ground...or maybe Oil Pressure? Whatever it is, its still hooked up like it was. I only have a digital meter but I do get wild swings when checking Ohms at the coils and when checking the TCI connections. I did find today that the bottom wire in the second row on the 8 plug connection of the TCI (red/yellow) goes a short way up the harness, has a connector, but isnt plugged in anywhere. Although it ran before when it was not plugged up though so I dont know what it has to do with it? The only emergency switch I have left is the kill switch on the bars and yes, it is in the run position. Bike turns over like mad but no spark from the wires.

[GtrMn]

That wire may be your neutral light ground. I would try wiggling the pickup coil wires that are outside the cover and see if it fires.

[Axel]

its all coming back

The only resistance check is the pickups (ohms) . The test at the TCI has the meter set to volts and the leads on the black ground and one of the coil wires (orange or grey). Now crank and voltage should drop a lot and go back and forth IF everything is good from the pickups to the TCI . Pickups should test at 600-800 ohms .ignition coils 1to 2 ohms-primary and 15000 ohms -secondary(plug wires).
I have an XJ11 so my values are different . Feel free to check these amounts with someone with a service manual.
Of course I use the ohms scale to check continuity of wiring harnesses. There should be little or no resistance .

[roach25681]

Tried that. Worked on this bastard for 5 hours today doing nothing but trying to get some spark. Its annoying me so much that I take time out from my other work to try to fix this. I want to ride so bad I cant stand it. If the bike was at my house it would be different because I could just go to the basement and fiddle with it, come back up and post, etc. But I have to get all my ideas and suggestions lined up for the next day (bike is at my shop) and wait till I get home to ask questions. It gets very frustrating especially when i think I have it figured out and it turns out it doesnt work. I can cut and weld the frame, get Harley parts to fit, make my own exhaust, do my own custom paint (i do that for a living) and damn near everything else.....but wires....kiss my ass.

[roach25681]

Axel, failed to mention that the test I ran on the TCI was using the volts scale on the multimeter. Like I said its a digital but I do get a wide range back and forth.

[roach25681]

I just cant figure out why it crunk and ran fine after sitting for 5 years, then all of a sudden will not spark. I bet I crunk the bike 30 times and rode it once. Only problem I had before was the tipover switch installed sideways. Removed it and everything was good to go. I have NOT tested the resistance at the plug wires. I can however tell you that I have brand new caps from MIKESXS. I trimmed the ends of each plug wire before installing new caps.

[Axel]

maybe

I'm thinking more towards the shut off switches . Even if you have eliminated some of them . Is there a place you had to short a wire connector out to eliminate the switch ? Maybe the shortwire (paper clip) fell out > the fact that you have absolutley no spark seems like one of those switches is working(STOP).
Just an idea
That wire that goes no-where sounds funny to me

[roach25681]

All the switches I took off, the wires were completely removed from the harness. This was one of the first things I did after getting the bike stripped down when I got it. I took every wire I and connection I didnt need out of the harness completely. Figured if I had something wrong, then the bike wouldnt have ran and produced spark so easily like it did before. Just took the shift cover off and now NOTHING. I will check again tomorrow for a loose ground wire around the shift cover and will check the pickup wires again. I went over and over everything so many times today to eliminate everything I could that I doubt I'll find anything. This has been 2 weeks without spark(excpet for the moment I unbolted the TCI)so as you can tell, my patience is past thin. If the bike didnt look so mean like it could kick my ass in a second if I pissed it off I would have already kicked and hit it a time or two.