Igniter Box Question

[dw200]

I have been given a 82 GS 650G that the previous owner said would not start one morning. I have put it back together and done most of the testing and it is looking like the igniter box has gone bad but I still have a couple of things to go. Not having a lot of luck finding one. Dyna was not a lot of help except for "not saying" that the igniter boxes off of a 84-88 GS1150 were the same box and would work (along with another bike but my notes are not in front of me).

Has anyone else tried this?

Great site. Been a lot of help so far. I hope I can get this thing running.

[Billy Ricks]

If the 1150 igniter sockets are the same as yours it should work. The timing should be close to the same on both. They really don't have a curve, just one setting below a certain rpm then full advance beyond that.

[blowerbike]

this is the 1st ive heard of an 1150 box being the same as a 650 box
8 valve bikes have more total advance than a 16 valve.
i can say one thing for sure...
the 83-86 550's that have the igniter problems take a different box than an 1150 even though they will plug in.

[tas850g]

get me an oem part number and i can cross reference all other bikes that will have the same igniter.

[dw200]

That is what the tech guy at Dyna "did not" say. The other bike not mentioned was the GSXR 750 (86-88). Like I said, I am still troubleshooting but this is looking more and more like the cause and am lookng for options to get it running.

[blowerbike]

i have a 86-87 GSXR 750 box also...
its totally different than the 1150 box.

[tas850g]

If this is the part number then this is what i came up with.

Part # = 32900-34210
Part Description = IGNITER UNIT ASSEMBLY
Model Count = 7
GS650GD 1983 673 GS650G KATANA STREET
GS650GLD 1983 673 GS650GL STREET
GS650GLX 1981 673 GS650GL STREET
GS650GLZ 1982 673 GS650GL STREET
GS650GTD 1983 673 GS650GT STREET
GS650GTZ 1982 673 GS650GT STREET
GS650GX 1981 673 GS650G KATANA STREET

[dw200]

The OEM number appears to be 32900-34210 for the 650 igniter box

[dw200]

I'll pull it when I get home and make sure that is the right number but it seems to be.

[Nessism]

The 650 has a mechanical advance, so the ignitor is totally different than the an 1150 ignitor which has the advance curve built into the ignitor circuitry.

My understanding is you can install a Dyna S into a 650 but a hole will have to be cut into the base place because the oil pressure switch is in the ignition cavity and will hit on the base plate. I've never done such a swap but several people has mentioned it here before so more details are available in the archives.

[terrylee]

Have you cleaned the connections to the ignitior and signal generator? Wifes' 450 wouldn't start, turned out to be bad connectors-relaced them all to both and started right up. terrylee

[dw200]

I have not yet. I also need to check the kill switch and voltage to the coils and igniter box also. Fuses are good and the batt is new. The bike has sat in a storage room for about a year. The previous owner said it just wouldn't start one morning. He had an airplane mechanic look at it ( who did nothing other than take stuff off of it).

The bike is in great shape for a freebee. Even if I have to buy a new box from the dealer (he has one), that is all I will have in the bike but the rest of it will still be 28 years old. Like I said, still stuff to check before that happens.

[Nessism]

I have not yet. I also need to check the kill switch and voltage to the coils and igniter box also. Fuses are good and the batt is new. The bike has sat in a storage room for about a year. The previous owner said it just wouldn't start one morning. He had an airplane mechanic look at it ( who did nothing other than take stuff off of it).

The bike is in great shape for a freebee. Even if I have to buy a new box from the dealer (he has one), that is all I will have in the bike but the rest of it will still be 28 years old. Like I said, still stuff to check before that happens.

Factory ignitors are insanely expensive if you purchase from a dealer. No way I'd buy one when you can install a Dyna S for $120. Another thing to try is an ignitor from another GS bike, as long as it used a mechanical advance unit the ignitor should work (but you may have to switch over the plugs).

[dw200]

If it comes to it I will probably try to mod the Dyna S. I still have to see exactly what ignition I have. Is that an easy swap? It seems to be from what I am reading. Notch the plate for the oil pressure switch and wire it in? Toss the old box. I was beginning to lose hope in getting the bike running at a reasonable cost but now...just maybe.

[Nessism]

If it comes to it I will probably try to mod the Dyna S. I still have to see exactly what ignition I have. Is that an easy swap? It seems to be from what I am reading. Notch the plate for the oil pressure switch and wire it in? Toss the old box. I was beginning to lose hope in getting the bike running at a reasonable cost but now...just maybe.

Everything can be fixed, you just need to figure out how. Some people have even used GM HEI modules to build their own ignitors for cheap. Check for Matchless's tutorial on the subject. There is tons of info in the archives so keep digging.