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79 SF ignition problem

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  • 79 SF ignition problem

    last year i rebuilt a 79 special and one of the big mysterys was why i kept loosing spark, bike starts bucking , cuts right out, comes back backfires.... after a lot of advice i got new coils, not the issue, and i replaced the fuse box with blades. Yes that solved it and i ran the piss out of it last summer. This spring i took it out and it ran fine for a while then the old symptoms started up again. I nursed it home as if i pulled in the clutch and revved the engine it would run again for a bit. I came home and let it sit a week. Today i took it for a short ride and the symptoms are still there, runs great , then bucks, cuts out compleetly , starts back up goes a bit, syptoms starts again. I came home and tied the ignition wires blade fuse into another slot and put in a new fuse. No change. same symptoms Any thoughts are appreciated ?

  • #2
    Originally posted by BigalG View Post
    last year i rebuilt a 79 special and one of the big mysterys was why i kept loosing spark, bike starts bucking , cuts right out, comes back backfires.... after a lot of advice i got new coils, not the issue, and i replaced the fuse box with blades. Yes that solved it and i ran the piss out of it last summer. This spring i took it out and it ran fine for a while then the old symptoms started up again. I nursed it home as if i pulled in the clutch and revved the engine it would run again for a bit. I came home and let it sit a week. Today i took it for a short ride and the symptoms are still there, runs great , then bucks, cuts out compleetly , starts back up goes a bit, syptoms starts again. I came home and tied the ignition wires blade fuse into another slot and put in a new fuse. No change. same symptoms Any thoughts are appreciated ?
    check the wires to your timing pickup under the left crankcase cover. They are always suspect if any are broken will cause the problems you are describing. Pull on each one to see if they are broken internally.
    2 - 80 LGs bought one new
    81 LH
    02 FXSTB Nighttrain
    22 FLTRK Road Glide Limited
    Jim

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    • #3
      You symptoms follow the problem Cajun described exactly.
      -Mike
      _________
      '79 XS1100SF 20k miles
      '80 XS1100SG 44k miles
      '81 XS1100H Venturer 35k miles
      '79 XS750SF 17k miles
      '85 Honda V65 Magna ~7k miles
      '84 Honda V65 Magna 48k miles (parts bike)
      '86 Yamaha VMAX 9k miles

      Previous: '68 Motoguzzi 600cc + '79 XS750SF 22k miles +'84 Honda V65

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      • #4
        BigalG This is a very common issue with the XS bikes. The pickup wires copper strands break inside of the silicon rubber insulation due to the flexing imparted by the vacuum advance assembly roll.

        https://xs11.club/forum/repairs/batt...il-wire-repair

        ---Bax
        80 SG, --- Slightly modified with EFI.....

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        • #5
          ok thanks guys, i will check them out, i did repair two of them last year as well, did not think to go back there. Much appreciated

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          • #6
            i checked the wires and the continuity at the cdi box of the wires.all seemed good. Does the bike need to be running in gear for the pickup wires to show symptoms? excuse my ignorance..

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            • #7
              The position of the vacuum advance assembly would be the variable. Some positions there may be continuity and it open circuits in another.

              Bax
              80 SG, --- Slightly modified with EFI.....

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              • #8
                so what do you recomend ?

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                • #9
                  The wires usually break where they are clamped to the P/U coil plate. I would undo the wires from the clamps and stretch them, if there is a break the wire insulation will stretch.
                  2H7 (79)
                  3H3

                  "If it ain't broke, modify it"

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                  • #10
                    not finding any breaks i ended up swapping my fuse box again and cleaning every wiring connection with contact cleaner that was in the area behind the fuse box. after re assembly it ran for about 10 miles flawlesly. I hope to get a longer ride to test it further this week. Thanks for the help

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                    • #11
                      The breaks are inside the insulation and hard to detect. You need to move along each wire, gently pulling apart to look for “stretch” in the insulation. Once found, clip at the break, splice in a 1” flexible wire. The very flexible braided wires found in voltmeter test leads work well.
                      John is in an anonymous city with an Alamo (N29.519227,W-98.678980)

                      Go ahead, click on the bikes - you know you want to...the electrons are ready.
                      '81 XS1100H - "Enterprise"
                      Bob Jones Custom Navy bike: Tkat brace, EBC floating rotors & SS lines, ROX pivot risers, Geezer rectifier, new 3H3 engine

                      "Not all treasure is silver and gold"

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