Foot wrote:The points I have now look just like the points I took out.
TDC verified, yes.
Foot, I've lost track here. Do I understand that your bike ran poorly with the old points, but did run? And your bike has never run with the new points? If so, how about putting the old points back in the bike, set the timing statically at the "S" mark and see if it will run then?
For now I wouldn't be concerned about a loose timing chain and worn sprockets. That would make the timing erratic but wouldn't prevent the bike from running.
Ken
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There's no such thing as too many airheads
I think it is time to sit real still and think on this.
Foot, do you by ANY chance still have the old points? (A long shot for sure!)
AND just after they were replaced, did by chance, the bike run better than it does or did now?
AND NOW.....Jean will ask the famous question.....
Did you replace the capacitor? It is possible the NEW capacitor is no good.
AND if you didn't replace the old one, why not try replacing it?
Tim is right. NO way the chain will be stretched enough to not allow the light to go out if the points are set correctly and the plate is rotated all the way from one end of the slot to the other.
The reason I asked about the old points was so you could compare the physical characteristics of the old ones to the new ones. Filed OLD points that WORK are better than new points that are not working too good. Do the old points have noticable metal deposits on the moving arm contact?
Jean, the bike ran the same slightly better maybe. I probably didn't replace the capacitor but I will. I've already removed timing chain cover and have ordered new chain and tentioner from ReCycle. It wasn't all that expensive. We will see what happins
All of this can be tested, more or less. I lost track of the many posts of this thread and have been traveling, so I am lost as to where you are.
This is a very simple system.
I my 10 years as a BMW dealer, we didn't find 10 bad capacitors. New ones may not work, or may fail quickly. Nothing wrong with having a spare, but to just replace it as standard procedure is very risky. Don't ask how we learned that lesson.
Ask the Indians what happens when you don't control immigration.
Foot, Duane and I have this going "thing" about the capacitor.
If you don't replace it and the bike starts acting funny, you probably should have replaced it. If you did and the bike starts acting funny, you should have kept the old one.
How the points LOOK when you decide to replace them is an indication of how well the cap is doing it's job. It's function is to prevent damaging arcing when the points open. The arcing causes the points to degrade...a significant mound on one side and a burned-hole on the other says there is something wrong with it.
Likewise, if the bike idles OK and then misses and looses power after it's been ridden a short time, the capacitor is certainly suspect. They can act fine when "cold" and short when they get hot. When the bike has been sitting a while, it'll run again, long enought for you to get further from home.
And Duane is RIGHT...It is a VERY SIMPLE SYSTEM. Beats a lot of fancy electronics that you have no prayer of fixing if you are out on the road somewhere...
Jean wrote:
And Duane is RIGHT...It is a VERY SIMPLE SYSTEM. Beats a lot of fancy electronics that you have no prayer of fixing if you are out on the road somewhere...
Amen!
Ken, affirming from the choir loft in Oklahoma
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There's no such thing as too many airheads
Foot, in case you had trouble finding the ignition write-up on Duane's site, go here: http://w6rec.com/duane/bmw/points/index.htm
You'll have to cut-n-paste but that should take you directly to the page you want.
I just read my article on the ignition system. I saw a couple of sentences that might confuse one, but for the most part it seems to be to be complete.
Any suggestions?
Ask the Indians what happens when you don't control immigration.
I thought it was very complete and the pictures/wiring diagrams of the coils showed things quite plainly.
If Foot reads the article and doesn't understand something, we can address that at the time.
Don't fix it...it ain't broke!!
The hard part was getting past your 60th birthday!!
