Both great suggestions, thanks!
I did try cleaning the points, no luck, but the coil looks iffy on this anyway, I'd say it's original, and I've had my suspicions of it from the beginning.
As I've really always known, this needs a new harness period. I'll never trust it very far until it's been re-wired all the way. This summer's been a shakedown, had some fun for sure, but about every two weeks something new crops up. To be expected as it had barely been run for probably 20 years. I'm getting more used to that now and not so frustrated.
Not giving up, I knew this would ultimately be a multi-month/year project. I've got a friend who can probably help me a bit more on the current starting issue, then I'll see about sending it off for a whole electrical overhaul.
I've now decided I want to get it reliably running just for summer weekend jaunts of short range. Then I'll see how far I may want to take it cosmetically - It actually looks OK, kind of a "survivor", gets thumbs up from folks when I drive by. Not rusty and the chrome's shiny enough, although the pipes are a pretty big acid-stained mess.
My current thought is to just get the missing bits on (correct seat, chain guard (now have the lower), working speedo, better blinkers, maybe whitewalls), then stand pat and try to have fun riding it more.
Great place here, thanks for all the support!
Back to Dead...
Nope, not yet! WHEN this runs it runs pretty darn good.
SO, has anybody bought a new wiring harness, and if so, are the ones you see all over eBay from Thailand for around 60 bucks OK? I see used ones too, but that makes zero sense to me, I done got one of those and it's a bum! Also coils? I think there are new ones that work? Finally condenser (already have a new modern rectifier)? Any recommendations/tips from folks who have re-done their electrical would be most appreciated! Been too busy to do a thing for the last week or so, but went out to mess with this just for the hell of it last night and it started again. I'm glad, but baffled?
After acting like it had no spark, it now starts, although not as well as before, when it always started 3rd kick or less. AND it runs rougher, won't hold idle. Why the prolonged "dead" period? Might having blasted the points with WD, and then messing with them a bit subsequently have thrown the timing off? Why now all of the sudden running rough, but running? Somehow this was all triggered by that drenching, and I'm just too ignorant of engines to understand this. Haven't tried to ride it yet, maybe this weekend, but I think it will die at lights in the current state. Curiouser and curiouser...
Did you check to see if it has water in the gas tank and fuel bowl?? Although, I am not sure HOW it would get in there.... OH... and DO NOT start fooling with the carb screws. 99% of all carb problems are electrical! ;^)
This really sounds (to me) like it is a points problem. I suggest taking off the points cover and with the points CLOSED, KEY ON, Snap/flick the points with a tiny screwdriver open and closed to see if they spark. Clean them with a piece of FINE sandpaper... or file. These are a bit more aggressive than a piece of paper. Paper is good if they just have some sand/dirt on them. The spark probably won't be a BIG spark but you should have at least a small to medium spark. When it is running it will have a NICE spark. Also, next time you start it, have the points cover removed and watch the points to see if the spark is consistent or sporadic. Hope this helps. Jim
Now working/riding on my 1965 CA77 Dream... SOOOOO...
Started again last night, kind of rough, took a few kicks, wouldn't hold idle at first, but after revving it and re-starting it a few times it evened out. Took it out around the neighborhood, ... and ran fine?!!? Just went out now about 24 (hot, dry) hours later, literally started first kick, and held idle as it did when I first got it. Again, happy, but just baffled (poor choice of words since this bike doesn't have any!) As a friend of mine has said, he hates these kinds of problems worst of all, because they seem to follow no pattern. I just can't trust this bike to go very far, but it does seem that it has the potential to be a decent runner someday. I'll tell you, besides (before?) the re-wiring I'm sorely tempted to swap out the points for electronic ignition. Anybody reading here do that? It's usually a mistake to start throwing expensive parts at a bike in the hopes of solving a problem (aka 'shotgun approach').
Points are extremely reliable, inexpensive and, most importantly, very easy to troubleshoot. Check all your ground wires, check all the connecters from the ignition switch, etc. Unplug and clean/check all connecters. My junkyard Dream still has the original wiring loom, I just replaced a few bad connecters here and there. Ride it in the rain all the time, no problems. Still has original coil, condenser and points -- the same parts that were on it when I bought it for $150 20 years ago. Check that you've got good fuel flow from the petcock and out of the needle valve in the carb. Dirt can build up in between the copper needle seat and the carb, so remove needle seat to check. Check float level, etc. These things are dead simple. Get the basics right and they run like clocks. Rode mine to work again the other day, WFO on the freeway, as usual. Make sure you get at least some voltage rise at the battery when revving the engine. They run better with good batteries. The more you ride them the more reliable they become. Do what you've always done and you'll get what you've always had.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
