Max had a stroke

[madmax-im]

Alright I am seeking out an electrical guru who might be able to make a house call...if so then he will save me some bucks as well so hopefully he can make it this weekend Beer and /or lunch will be on me...not literally...

[Axel]

Hey

Are you posting on the XJ-Owners group list ?

[TopCatGr58]

Primary 2.5 ohms plus or minus 10% at 68 degrees F
Secondary 1k ohms plus or minus 20% at 68 degrees F

They are from the XJ manual . Caps off .

Hey Axel,

You may need to get your glasses checked!

Secondary is 11 k ohms, not 1 k ohm!

The replacement coil...complete was a spare known working one from my 81SH that I had left over from my MikesXS coil upgrade. I haven't re-read the Surrender thread, so I can't remember the specifics regarding the replacement, but I think I found low specs on the suspect bad coil!?

T.C.

[Axel]

Omg

Sorry - my bad

[madmax-im]

No surrender thread

TC page 2 post 21 ...we found all 4 wires OL then you pulled the caps off and tested the wires after cutting them back wires 1-4 were 15Kohms and 2-3 were still OL determined 2-3 coil was going or already gone...and then you swapped it out with one of yours.

[dbeardslee]

Are you sure that didn't say 10k ohms with the caps removed? What kind of manual?

Sorry - everybody's typing at the same time - I guess I'm the slow poke .

[DGXSER]

BNE,

I have the same issue with Thunderstruck after a bath. Runs like junk for the first mile or so then clears up and no trouble at all. Have not gotten caught in a good rain yet though. But your description sounds like it just coincided closely with a failing coil, or failing pick-up coil perhaps.

I would tend to agree that the 2-3 coil sounds suspect. I would also agree that you can pull the tank and switch leads to the coils and switch plug wires between 3-4 and 1-2. If you just switch the leads the bike will not run, you essentially throw your timing out. I have seen this happen when someone replaced the timing assembly and got the coils miswired. We switched the leads and she fired right up. If the problem then switches to 1-4 you know it is coil related. If it stays with 2-3 then I would suspect the pick up coil.

I do seriously doubt this is fuel/carb related.

[madmax-im]

BNE,

I have the same issue with Thunderstruck after a bath. Runs like junk for the first mile or so then clears up and no trouble at all. Have not gotten caught in a good rain yet though. But your description sounds like it just coincided closely with a failing coil, or failing pick-up coil perhaps.

I would tend to agree that the 2-3 coil sounds suspect. I would also agree that you can pull the tank and switch leads to the coils and switch plug wires between 3-4 and 1-2. If you just switch the leads the bike will not run, you essentially throw your timing out. I have seen this happen when someone replaced the timing assembly and got the coils miswired. We switched the leads and she fired right up. If the problem then switches to 1-4 you know it is coil related. If it stays with 2-3 then I would suspect the pick up coil.

I do seriously doubt this is fuel/carb related.

Well at this point your analysis seems to be accurate...I cant fathom it being in the carbs...both 2 and 3 cyls going at the same time due to carbs? I think not...I just ran out and bought a cheapie DMM but forgot the freakin batteries...aw tmrw is another day...

[Axel]

Confused

I may be remembering this wrong but I thought that when I changed the triggers but not the spark plug wires - the bike ran . Although on a different two cylinders . In my case the coils were good . The TCI was bad .

[TopCatGr58]

BNE,

I have the same issue with Thunderstruck after a bath. Runs like junk for the first mile or so then clears up and no trouble at all. Have not gotten caught in a good rain yet though. But your description sounds like it just coincided closely with a failing coil, or failing pick-up coil perhaps.

I would tend to agree that the 2-3 coil sounds suspect. I would also agree that you can pull the tank and switch leads to the coils and switch plug wires between 3-4 and 1-2. If you just switch the leads the bike will not run, you essentially throw your timing out. I have seen this happen when someone replaced the timing assembly and got the coils miswired. We switched the leads and she fired right up. If the problem then switches to 1-4 you know it is coil related. If it stays with 2-3 then I would suspect the pick up coil.

I do seriously doubt this is fuel/carb related.

Hey DG,

I think you meant to say that he needs to swap 1-4 with 2-3 cylinders locations when he swaps the coil power/trigger connectors.
T.C.

[DGXSER]

TC,

I think we said the same thing in essence, I figured (and intended to suggest, but may have been misleading or unclear) switching plug wires between 3 and 4 and then between 1 and 2 would basically be switching the coils. As in take the plug wire from 3 and move it to 4 and from 4 to 3, then move plug wire from 2 to 1 and from 1 to 2. Keeping the trigger wires firing the same plugs, but moving which coil fired those plugs.

Axel, I just know that when a very talented and knowledgable person swapped out the pickup coils the bike would not start or run, he then thought about the fact he may not have confirmed his routing to keep the pickup coils assigned correctly, we switched the grey and orange leads to the coils and it fired up nicely.

[Axel]

Still confused

Could you please explain to me what this test proves ? Its late here and I'm confused .

[dbeardslee]

It tells you if the problem is in the coil or somewhere else.

[DGXSER]

Axel,

As Doug stated, this will isolate the coils as the issue. You basically switch the incoming wires so the TCI fires (or removes voltage) from the opposite coil when it gets a signal from the pickup coil for cylinders 1 and 4, and 2 and 3. So you also switch the plug wires so the appropriate coil fires the correct plugs when that pick up coil hits. If your problem moves it has to be in the coil as that is the only thing that changes really. It couls also be in the high tension leads, but it is doubtful both went south at the same time.

[WMarshy]

Axel,

As Doug stated, this will isolate the coils as the issue. You basically switch the incoming wires so the TCI fires (or removes voltage) from the opposite coil when it gets a signal from the pickup coil for cylinders 1 and 4, and 2 and 3. So you also switch the plug wires so the appropriate coil fires the correct plugs when that pick up coil hits. If your problem moves it has to be in the coil as that is the only thing that changes really. It couls also be in the high tension leads, but it is doubtful both went south at the same time.

I thought I had a problem with my coils, sounded really close to your problem, I encountered rain at the time and thought it had something to do with it... I did what DGXSER described and found out that I had a bad connection from the incoming wires that tells the coil to fire. The brass connector was broken... Easy fix but caused a lot of trouble, look closely for an ark (not a boat). Good luck.