ignitor box replacement options 1980 gs450ET

[surviverguy]

The 1982 GS750 did have mechanical advance- at least some of the models. I just looked at some of them...flyweights and springs!

[surviverguy]

as far as the impedance...I don't know...It'll either go or blow!

[pete]

Haha yep indeed!

Watching with a timing light is a good call, although I think you're probably right... I think most stuff still had mechanical advance until '83 or thereabouts.

If it does have electronic advance, you can remove the springs and lock the rotor in place, but you'd need to check the advance spec's to make sure it's still appropriate for the 450 which you can do comparing the manuals.

In the meantime, good luck!

[koolaid_kid]

Haha yep indeed!

Watching with a timing light is a good call, although I think you're probably right... I think most stuff still had mechanical advance until '83 or thereabouts.

If it does have electronic advance, you can remove the springs and lock the rotor in place, but you'd need to check the advance spec's to make sure it's still appropriate for the 450 which you can do comparing the manuals.

In the meantime, good luck!

Depends on the bike. I know the 1100G models had electronic advance. All you have to do is go to a parts fiche and look at the signal generator. If it has a double spring loaded advance there, it has mechanical advance. If it just has a large cylinder with a bolt going through it it has electronic advance. Easy-peasy. The 82 750s had mechanical advance, BTW. All you have to do is figure out the wires.

[pete]

Depends on the bike. I know the 1100G models had electronic advance. All you have to do is go to a parts fiche and look at the signal generator. If it has a double spring loaded advance there, it has mechanical advance. If it just has a large cylinder with a bolt going through it it has electronic advance. Easy-peasy.

Yup that's it... the rotors appear to be very different too.

The mechanical advance ones have two distinct chunky lobes on them, wheares the electronic advance ones I've seen are more like a disc.

[koolaid_kid]

Well, the rotor is actually part of the charging system and sits behind the stator on the left side of the bike. If you are speaking of that cylinder (it has no listing on the parts fiche) then yes, it is different.

[surviverguy]

might be the same boxes?

I compared the pictures of the 1982 GS750 and the 1980 GS450. The pictures of the parts looks identical. The part numbers are different. I suspect the black boxes are the same- just different plugs attached. I wouldn't bet my life on it....but at $59.00 what the "heall"! They both have mechanical advance. They both have identical looking signal generators and identical looking boxes with the same number of wires- the pugs attached to the boxes are different...

[surviverguy]

Well, the rotor is actually part of the charging system and sits behind the stator on the left side of the bike. If you are speaking of that cylinder (it has no listing on the parts fiche) then yes, it is different.

OOps- not rotor then...the "signal cam" for the signal generator looks the same.

[koolaid_kid]

I compared the pictures of the 1982 GS750 and the 1980 GS450. The pictures of the parts looks identical. The part numbers are different. I suspect the black boxes are the same- just different plugs attached. I wouldn't bet my life on it....but at $59.00 what the "heall"! They both have mechanical advance. They both have identical looking signal generators and identical looking boxes with the same number of wires- the pugs attached to the boxes are different...

Yeah, I have seen where the plugs are different, hence the different part numbers. I suggest getting the wiring diagrams for both bikes and figuring out what color wires go where, then adapting the connectors or replace them with spade connectors or trailer connectors.

[surviverguy]

I'm just gonna solder and heat shrink my connector to the "new box". I suspect the wire colors will be IDENTICAL....That way the bikes "original harness" remains unchanged...if it doesn't work out for some reason...then plan "B"...find a box that works!

[surviverguy]

The GS750 igniter box arrived yesterday. It had six wires. The GS450 box also had six wires plus a box ground. The wires were all colored the same except one. I checked the schematics and soldered my connector to the "new" box. Tested for spark. Right side #2 sparks good. Left side #1 no spark.
More testing....tried just using one coil, tested right side- works. Tested left side, doesn't work...problem is not a bad coil.
More testing....tried using just one signal generating coil...right side sparks,,,left side no spark....problem is not the signal coil...either signal coil will spark the right side...neither one will spark the left side.
Looks like my "new" igniter has only half working. Tried the ohm meter connect/disvonnect trick for triggering the igniter- ohm meter won't trigger the igniter.
Opened the igniter box to look for obvious flaws-melted parts..everything looks good...it just won't work the left side (#1) ARRRRRRggggggHHHHHH!!!!!!!
I need a good/cheap electronics tech to check/solder parts? Any ideas?