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How do I stop the spark?

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  • #1

    How do I stop the spark?

    Odd question maybe, but how to I stop it from sparking? I want to do a compression test, but I've heard it's bad for the coils to crank the bike if the plugs aren't grounded, so what's the proper procedure for a compression test on these bikes? Normally, I'd just turn the key on, and the kill switch to "stop", and crank the engine, but on this bike, the engine doesn't turn over if the kill switch is off.

    Thanks!
    Brian
    '80 SG with motor from a '82 XJ
    Tags: None
  • #2
    I put the plugs in the wires and lay them on the head making sure they touch metal. Also as you may know be sure to hold the throttle wide open for the test
    79SF
    XJ11
    78E

    Comment

    • #3
      That's like saying turning off your light switch at home is going to hurt the transformer on the pole. This sounds like the same people that tell you it will burn up the electrical on a bike to jump start one from a running car.

      Electricity isn't like a liquid. Volts aren't going to pool and dam up behind the coils. Just like it won't hurt to have the electricity behind your light switch wating to be turned on, (Grounded) it doesn't have your coils charged waiting for the potential to spark. Your TCI will send the signal to the coils.. and really doesn't care if it fires or not after that.

      So.. warm the motor up first, pull all the plugs, hold the throttle wide open, and with a compression tester installed, crank away for a few seconds or until the needle quits moving.

      Won't hurt a thing.. but make sure you don't leave a wire attched to a spark plug right next to the hole. It may spark and give a nice little flame-thrower demonstration... but even that is a slim chance.


      Tod
      Try your hardest to be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

      You can live to be 100, as long as you give up everything that would make you want to live to be 100!

      Current bikes:
      '06 Suzuki DR650
      *'82 XJ1100 with the 1179 kit. "Mad Maxim"
      '82 XJ1100 Completely stock fixer-upper
      '82 XJ1100 Bagger fixer-upper
      '82 XJ1100 Motor/frame and lots of boxes of parts
      '82 XJ1100 Parts bike
      '81 XS1100 Special
      '81 YZ250
      '80 XS850 Special
      '80 XR100
      *Crashed/Totalled, still own

      Comment

      • #4
        I figure the only cylinder that could pull fuel in will be the one with the tester screwed in.
        79SF
        XJ11
        78E

        Comment

        • #5
          Could also unplug the 4 wire connector at the tci if it makes you feel better. That would stop the coils from firing.
          79SF
          XJ11
          78E

          Comment

          • #6
            It won't be straight air/fuel mix from the carbs, but the intake valve is open. The majority of air going into the cylinder will be from the spark plug hole, but you could still get some mix coming in also. Even with the fuel off, it'll draw from the carb bowls for quite a while.

            Like I said.. slim chance.. but doesn't hurt to be safe.


            Tod
            Try your hardest to be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

            You can live to be 100, as long as you give up everything that would make you want to live to be 100!

            Current bikes:
            '06 Suzuki DR650
            *'82 XJ1100 with the 1179 kit. "Mad Maxim"
            '82 XJ1100 Completely stock fixer-upper
            '82 XJ1100 Bagger fixer-upper
            '82 XJ1100 Motor/frame and lots of boxes of parts
            '82 XJ1100 Parts bike
            '81 XS1100 Special
            '81 YZ250
            '80 XS850 Special
            '80 XR100
            *Crashed/Totalled, still own

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by trbig View Post
              That's like saying turning off your light switch at home is going to hurt the transformer on the pole. This sounds like the same people that tell you it will burn up the electrical on a bike to jump start one from a running car.

              Electricity isn't like a liquid. Volts aren't going to pool and dam up behind the coils. Just like it won't hurt to have the electricity behind your light switch waiting to be turned on, (Grounded) it doesn't have your coils charged waiting for the potential to spark. Your TCI will send the signal to the coils.. and really doesn't care if it fires or not after that.

              So.. warm the motor up first, pull all the plugs, hold the throttle wide open, and with a compression tester installed, crank away for a few seconds or until the needle quits moving.

              Won't hurt a thing.. but make sure you don't leave a wire attached to a spark plug right next to the hole. It may spark and give a nice little flame-thrower demonstration... but even that is a slim chance.


              Tod
              That reminds me of an old snowmobile we used to have, it had a leaky float valve and would fill the cylinder with gas if you forgot to turn the gas off. One day we went to start it and it wouldn't turn, hydro locked with gas. So being the super intelligent 14 year old I was I quickly unscrewed the spark plugs, pushed them into the boots and put them down on the head, figuring I could then pull the starter and pump the gas out the spark plug holes. Well it worked, scared the crap out of me though when that spark plug lit a 30 foot jet of fire coming out of the flooded cylinder on the second pull.

              Anyways, I don't think it would harm anything to just remove the plugs, done it plenty of times and my coils still work. If your really worried about it you could unplug the power wire to the coils, its the one they both share.
              1979 xs1100 Special -
              Stock air box/K&N Filter, MAC 4-2 exhaust, Bad-Boy Air horn, TC fuse box, Windshield, Soft bags, Vetter Fairing, Blinkers->Run/Turn/Brake Lights, Headlight Modulator, hard wire GPS power

              Short Stack - 1981 xs1100 Standard - lowered for SWMBO.

              Originally posted by fredintoon
              Goes like a train, corners like a cow, shifts like a Russian tractor, drinks like a fish, you are gonna love it.
              My Bike:
              [link is broken]

              Comment

              • #8
                But, if you pull that coil plug, won't it hurt the TCI to be sending a pulse to nothing?


                Sorry, couldn't resist.. lol.

                Tod
                Try your hardest to be the kind of person your dog thinks you are.

                You can live to be 100, as long as you give up everything that would make you want to live to be 100!

                Current bikes:
                '06 Suzuki DR650
                *'82 XJ1100 with the 1179 kit. "Mad Maxim"
                '82 XJ1100 Completely stock fixer-upper
                '82 XJ1100 Bagger fixer-upper
                '82 XJ1100 Motor/frame and lots of boxes of parts
                '82 XJ1100 Parts bike
                '81 XS1100 Special
                '81 YZ250
                '80 XS850 Special
                '80 XR100
                *Crashed/Totalled, still own

                Comment

                • #9

                  ok, but isn't the TCI in the ground side of the circuit, so it isn't really sending a pulse, but rather providing a ground, but there is no current to go to the ground because you unplugged the +12v lead to the coil, so no harm, just like it doesn't burn up the TCI to sit with the key on, but the bike not running.

                  Wait I already know what your going to ask next, I use 10-1000 dunlop brand oil on my spark plugs.
                  1979 xs1100 Special -
                  Stock air box/K&N Filter, MAC 4-2 exhaust, Bad-Boy Air horn, TC fuse box, Windshield, Soft bags, Vetter Fairing, Blinkers->Run/Turn/Brake Lights, Headlight Modulator, hard wire GPS power

                  Short Stack - 1981 xs1100 Standard - lowered for SWMBO.

                  Originally posted by fredintoon
                  Goes like a train, corners like a cow, shifts like a Russian tractor, drinks like a fish, you are gonna love it.
                  My Bike:
                  [link is broken]

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    At home I have those little plastic doohickeys 'outlet protectors' that plug into the unused outlets. Keeps the electricity from leaking out.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      What trbig said, just pull the dern plug caps, remove the plugs, insall compression gauge, open throttle ALL the way and crank. ABSOLUTELY nothing your concerned with is gonna happen! Someone not from this site must of pump you full of it trying to get you to flinch!....Gotta admit, is kinda funny, don't care who you are.......
                      81H Venturer1100 "The Bentley" (on steroids) 97 Yamaha YZ250(age reducer) 92 Honda ST1100 "Twisty"(touring rocket) Age is relative to the number of seconds counted 'airing' out an 85ft. table-top.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        This is pretty funny, so thanks for brightening my last hour of work before I'm allowed to go and ride!

                        What "spooked" me was actually something I read on a site that sells aftermarket coils about how the coils would be instantly destroyed if they tried to fire without a grounded plug. I don't remember if it was something on Mike's XS, or maybe Ignitech.

                        You joke about those little plastic plugs to keep the electricity from leaking... one time, I had a smoke detector leak on me. First, it alarmed, and I didn't want to hear it, so I turned off the breaker (they were wired in). Then water started leaking out of it. No, I didn't have a sprinkler system, and there was no fire. It also wasn't raining, or installed in a roof.

                        Had a friend who lit his skidoo on fire like that once, and I've probably been close with my XS considering how many times I've had a carb leak fuel out through the air pods (fixed now).
                        '80 SG with motor from a '82 XJ

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Come on now, you all know you HAVE to plug the wires some how or you will let all the smoke out!!!! It is the smoke after all that really does the work in all electrical systems.
                          Life is what happens while your planning everything else!

                          When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt.

                          81 XS1100 Special - Humpty Dumpty
                          80 XS1100 Special - Project Resurrection


                          Previously owned
                          93 GSX600F
                          80 XS1100 Special - Ruby
                          81 XS1100 Special
                          81 CB750 C
                          80 CB750 C
                          78 XS750

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Dern.....and all this time I though it was the smell of burnt plastic/wire that indicated things were working properly....
                            81H Venturer1100 "The Bentley" (on steroids) 97 Yamaha YZ250(age reducer) 92 Honda ST1100 "Twisty"(touring rocket) Age is relative to the number of seconds counted 'airing' out an 85ft. table-top.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Originally posted by randy View Post
                              At home I have those little plastic doohickeys 'outlet protectors' that plug into the unused outlets. Keeps the electricity from leaking out.
                              That's freaking hilarious!
                              1980 XS1100G
                              Tulsa, OK

                              Comment

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