I'll be happy to revive this thread. :) In addition to my CA77 (more on that later), I have a CA160. The 160 ran well, but I screwed up and left the ignition on......for days. Yes, I'm an idiot. I can't even remember why, but it happened. Anyway, the bike has no spark. I'm sure some of you know off hand what the problem is, but I don't. Is it the coil? I tested it, and the secondary is basically open - no reading on the meter. Primary reads 3.4. So my guess is it's the coil. But I'm not an expert on these things by any means. Also, I thought I heard one can fry the rectifier by leaving the ignition on - yes?
Topic 2 - 6v to 12v conversion - So it's as simple as swapping out bulbs, coil, and battery - that's it? Twelve volts won't fry the starter?
On the CA77 - lost my one and only key. Arghh. That's what moving does. I'm sure it will turn up some day. But for now I have two beautiful vintage Hondas not running because I'm a dumbass. One as simple a fix as being able to turn it on. I could "hot wire" it, but I really hate to do it. Any suggestions?
Thanks. It's good to be back. it's been a long time. I've been through many, many bikes, but these two little Hondas are staying with me.
CA160 Electrical Help!
Leaving the key on is a crapshoot. If the points are open, nothing bad should happen. If they're closed, constant current will flow through the ignition coil until the battery discharges. That said, it's possible your coil has survived the trauma. If your coil is fried, then the primary would likely fail before the secondary would because of the much higher current that results from lower resistance. Did the coil leak wax or smell burnt? I'm not sure of the exact spec, but the secondary resistance should be several thousand ohms. Is your meter set to the correct range? Most continuity beepers on digital meters won't indicate resistances that high. How about the points? Leaving the key on could damage them from heat. Verify your points are not burnt/corroded and gapped correctly. Did you verify that there is 6 volts on the positive primary lead of the coil? If all test are okay, you may want to try a known good coil in its place. It is entirely possible to have a bad coil with satisfactory resistance tests.
As far as the rectifier, it is safe because current only flows through it when the engine is turning and the stator is producing voltage. In fact, on most old bikes the rectifier "+" is unswitched to the battery anyway. As for the ca77 key, Try posting the key number on here in the wanted section. It's possible on of us has one laying around. Ebay is another good source to try. On the 12v subject, There's nothing wrong with the 6v systems on these old bikes. However, with 6 volts you have much fewer choices when it comes to electrical components, bulbs, batteries, and chargers, etc. The very best option when it comes to doing the swap is to find 12v equivalents to every part if you can. The hardest part may be the headlight, as far as I know no equivalent exists. Some members here have improvised and fitted replaceable bulbs to their sealed beam units after carefully removing the old bulb inside. I've known of many bikes, cars, tractors, air cooled VW's, etc. that have been converted and retained their starters without a problem. Will 12 volts fry a 6 volt starter? Simple answer: No. You must however use common sense and never crank any starter for too long. Heat is the enemy of the enamel insulation, not voltage. You can keep the heat down by cranking in short bursts and allowing it several seconds to cool down between. The obvious best choice for charging 12 volts is a stator designed for 12 volts, but in my experience the 6 volt unit should be sufficient, but beware of headlight wattage. Newer halogen bulbs in the 55-65 watt range can be too taxing on old systems (6v or 12v) intended for 25-35 watts or so. You will need to experiment and verify your battery is keeping charged with whatever combination you choose. Also, if your bike has winkers, you will need a 12 volt flasher unit to allow the bulbs to flash at the proper rate. I hope this information helps with both your projects. Regards, Doug "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." Red Green
Thanks Doug - it helps a lot! I'll probably just stay with 6V for now. To answer some questions - Yes, I have 6 volts at the coil. The points are fine. I checked condition and gap, so no burning or pitting. The coil itself looks perfect - no leaking. In the end, I had a bike that got spark, I left the key on, and now I have bike that doesn't get spark. Obviously I made sure the battery is up to par. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and get a coil to take it out of the failure loop. I hate to just throw parts at a problem, but I'm at the end of my diagnostic abilities. On the Dream key - would I get that number off the ignition? Thanks again!
I forgot one key component to check: the condenser. A shorted condenser can mean no spark at all. I don't think it would fail because the key was left on though. Try substituting a known good condenser in its place. It does not have to be specific to your bike. Just about any auto or small engine condenser should work.
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." Red Green
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