The 'Monster' lives and breathes.

[Lord Flashheart]

Well it has done, !  -----breifly.
Why is it that these machines are so difficult to re-awaken ?  ( in this case from a 30 year slumber.)

Following a partial re-bulid (lower engine and gearbox excepted) which incorporated all the usual 'upgrades/improvements', the bike is back in one piece,and with a few cosmetic touches.
Unfortunately the bike is proving to be all 'show' and no GO !.    It has run briefly on a few occasions, sufficiently to get the engin hot at standstill, to check oil-flow,
and to set tickover. whereupon engine stutters to a standstill and refuses to re-start. ( with no spark at plugs  )
Time to take stock, breath deeply, and -----------------------throw a fit.!
more when i've calmed down.

Not so Flash !

[muskrat]

G'day LF. Sounds like magie. Does it restart when she cools down?
Cheers

[Lord Flashheart]

 Sounds like magie. Does it restart when she cools down?
Cheers.


Hi Muskrat,
Thought i'd preempted that one by doing the electronic mag conversion, (along with dynamo belt drive - to give 12v) .ignition switch and protection fuse check out,
so supply to ignition module is good. She is running rich on correct pilot jet, which may have explained the 'stutter' but not the subsequent absence of a spark.
She ran very crisply for first couple of minutes, then went 'sick' and wouldn't rev-out before dieing.

'Nil desperandum'!
Flash'

[KiwiGF]

I had a similar problem, it was the carb needing cleaning, but the curve ball in my case was the tickler, which also acts as an air vent  for the float bowl was blocked, as well as the idle jet being blocked, and the petrol supply to the idle jet was blocked,.........insects had crawlef up every hole it seemed.........if you have a monobloc you can see whats going on by removing the side cover and make a temp cover with cling film and an elastic band, that way you can see whats going on with the petrol level........good luck you will work it out in the end......

[muskrat]

I have Boyer on both mine, and belt dynamo with DVR2 regs to make 12v.
What condition is the battery? Try disconecting the charging system and hook up a good fresh battery for the ignition only. A 4Ah battery should give about 1 hour running. The only time I've had ignition troubles was when a reg died and the belt needed dentures. Both caused the battery to drop. I know they say the ignition will run on 10v but I've found once it gets to just under 12v it plays up.
Cheers

[Lord Flashheart]

muskrat & KiwiGF,
Some good suggestions there to roll into my next 'love-in'.
Battery showing 12.2 Volts ( digital meter switched accross battery) So should be good enough. ( 11v min stated from memory but take your point about 'playing up')

KiwiGF - an interesting use for clingfilm (i'll add that one to the list too ! )   You make some interesting points about blockages too, although carb was cleaned, and all passages blown through tank debri could be to blame. Fuel level is rather low and one cock (90turn) feels tight.   What do you make of the richness on/around pilot ? I'm
thinking I should check the pilot air channels again for your 'beasties' being sucked-in ever tighter.

All that said,-- no spark yet so i'll try to get that back first.
I'll post again in a few days ( in a busy patch at pressent. ----Oh what it is to be retired 

[A10Boy]

A couple of observations.

I think you have a duff battery. It should be 12.7, anything less after a charge up and it probably has a dead cell.

If you don't mind me saying that the clingfilm thing is a recipe for disaster, have you got a fire extinguisher? A better way to read you float/fuel level is to remove the small cap from the pilot jet which is the small brass cap at the bottom of the carb, then fit a clear piece of 3mm petrol pipe over the end of the jet, hold it up the side of the float bowl and read the level against the tit. You don't have to remove the float bowl cover.

Regards

[bsa-bill]

11v min stated from memory but take your point about 'playing u

Depends who's ignition as some will tolerate a bit lower ignition than others.
I have Pazon, which is good at lower voltage then others but then you have to factor in how near you get to the BTC point.(electronic ignition goes full advance if the voltage is low so as it approaches the low point your initial timing may tip the balance a bit)
I had trouble with it as the battery would not hold a charge above about 10.5 volt so lots of kickbacks
I've now fitted two Burlen type cells and so far it starts first kick even after a fortnight standing

[Lord Flashheart]

Every thing checked through again on the 'ignition front'.----  All connections check-out 'good', all earths strong, good neg.supply to Boyer Bransdon 'blue box'.
Kick-over with and without plugs and caps ,----Not a hint of a spark between HT lead and 'head (at any distance)
Interesting comment from Boyer B, ---" Your NKG Iridiums (BR8EIX) are suppressed. These in combination with a suppressed cap have too much of a weakening effect on the spark, - change one or the other."   ----- Well , you live and learn !
However still no spark so looks like 'blue box' and twin coils will be on there way back to B.B..    But before I do that,;       Can anyone tell me the 'correct' way to fault-find the coils. ( Can I do a simple continuity check ? - my multi-meter's down at present.).
Cheers
Pete

[KiwiGF]

Ref the fire and cling film post, just to be clear there is no need to start the engine doing a test with the cling film in place!

In my case the tickler was blocked and the carb was flooding even though the cling film showed the float bowl was only reaching less than half full, the head pressure from the tank was pressurising the float bowl and hence forcing fuel through the jets but the odd thing was it would run for a few secs then stop as if it had run out of petrol, it took me ages to figure out the source of the problem, and it was only using the cling film method that finally revealed the problem.

Kudos to the forum as thats where I got the cling film idea from 

[Lord Flashheart]

GF,    I'll follow up this line of enquiry while electronics are winging their way south.
I have a sheet of 6mm acrylic from which I could make a temp. bowl cover. Have placed a small sample in fuel to see how long before deterioration sets-in. If ok i'll prob. go down that route ( would rather use polycarbonate but have non.  .)

Pete.

[Butch (cb)]

I think that to fault check coils you have to run them under load - whatever that means.

[Lord Flashheart]

I think that to fault check coils you have to run them under load - whatever that means.om


Quite right  Cyclobutch,  just had reply from Boyer B. saying much the same thing.  They refer to testing insulation strength under the same high voltage conditions of found in use.     
That acceted, I'm sure I have seen ref.to a simple 'indicator' of coil integrity vis.  continuity- a) between the two primary terminals, and b) between primary neg. and each secondary in tern.    Not sure if i've remembered it correctly though ?????          If that does turn out to be correct, then i've got two 'duff' secondaries.

Pete

[A10Boy]

Ref the fire and cling film post, just to be clear there is no need to start the engine doing a test with the cling film in place!

Kiwi, I'm aware of that, I'm just suggesting that a better way to read the fuel level is to put a pipe on the pilot jet. You don't even have to remove the float chamber cover. It's very simple and less messy.

Regards