Points help needed...

[birkeloc]

I've got a 1979 gs 550 EN, and I'm trying to set the timing on it. I replaced the points and the condensors, but I'm having kind of a wierd problem. As I understand it, if you connect a continuity tester to the wire coming from the coil to the points (either left or right), there should be no continuity when you pull the points apart. Well, when I do this, I get continuity as long as either the right or left set is closed. If I pull the right set apart, there is still continuity unless I also pull the left set apart. The same thing is true for the left set. What on Earth could be going wrong? Is it a bad ignition coil? That's about the only thing I can think of. Help will be most appreciated!

[earlfor]

My best guess is you have installed the pointsets incorrectly. On the end of the points, there is a small nut and bolt for the electrical connection/wires from the coil and condensors to connect. You could only get continuity through both sets of points at the same time if the electrical isolator on the wiring bolt for the points is not isolated as it should be. The isolator isolates the bolt from the point baseplate. There are fiber washers that fit on the ends of the bolt and the wiring connection should make contact only with the bolt and the inner spring of the pointset. (the inner spring is the part with one half of the points on the end,

Earl

I've got a 1979 gs 550 EN, and I'm trying to set the timing on it. I replaced the points and the condensors, but I'm having kind of a wierd problem. As I understand it, if you connect a continuity tester to the wire coming from the coil to the points (either left or right), there should be no continuity when you pull the points apart. Well, when I do this, I get continuity as long as either the right or left set is closed. If I pull the right set apart, there is still continuity unless I also pull the left set apart. The same thing is true for the left set. What on Earth could be going wrong? Is it a bad ignition coil? That's about the only thing I can think of. Help will be most appreciated!

[birkeloc]

Thanks for the tips, Earlfor, unfortunately, I'm pretty darn certain the points are connected right. The insulator washer is between the wires and the backplate; the only thing the wires are touching is the bolt and the spring. Perhaps you could post me a picture (I don't have a camera, otherwise I'd post one), beyond that I'm still at an impasse. Thanks!

[earlfor]

OK, check something for me. You have two coils. The coil on the left fires cylinders 1 and 4. The right coil, cylinders 2 and 3. The left coil will have an output wire the goes to the left (1,4 side/cylinders) pointset. Usually the left wire is black and consequently the power supply lead to the left pointset should be black. The right coil output wire to the 2,3 pointset will be white.
Sometimes, people have been known to reverse the leads. This will make it impossible to set the points since it leaves you adjusting one pointset with the power going to the other set of points. LOL Check that you actually have the wire from the left coil going to the left pointset.

That done..................

I dont normally do it this way, but...................... try this

On your left pointset, disconnect the condensor and black power supply wire. Leave the condensor wire disconnected. Connect your test light to the black wire and the other end of the test light to the small, isolated bolt on the points (where the black wire was previously connected). This puts your test light inline on the hot side of the circuit. The pointset baseplate is grounded through the engine. With the ignition on, the light MUST come on when the points touch. If it comes on with the points open, then the only possibility is the connection at the points is grounded and not isolated as it should be. Assuming the light only comes on when the points make contact, you can now set the points normally while using the breaker plate rotation adjustment to get them timed correctly. the timing is correct when the light starts to flicker on. If the light is full on bright, you have gone too far. Once the 1,4 pointset is correctly set, snug the breaker plate bolts down as you no longer have the option of rotating the breaker plate. For the 2,3 pointset, the half plate must be loosened and the half plate base moved. You will see two small tabs and a notch on the half plate base for inserting a screwdriver blade to accurately move the plate a slight amount at a time. you will need to remove the white wire and condensor wire from the 2,3 pointset and hook up the light inline as you did with the 1,4 side. Once you have the timing set, reconnect the condensor wires, black and white power leads to their correct pointsets.

Earl

Thanks for the tips, Earlfor, unfortunately, I'm pretty darn certain the points are connected right. The insulator washer is between the wires and the backplate; the only thing the wires are touching is the bolt and the spring. Perhaps you could post me a picture (I don't have a camera, otherwise I'd post one), beyond that I'm still at an impasse. Thanks!

[birkeloc]

Well, I checked the wiring from the coils, it turns out the wire that goes from the left coil to the left pointset on my bike is white and the right wire is black, and they are connected properly. I don't know if this might be causing problems, but I'm using an ohmmeter to check continuity, not a light. I tried putting the points on the bike with no wires connected to them and seeing if the bolt that the wires connect to was isolated properly. I put the ohmmeter on the bolt and to ground, and the points worked exactly as they're supposed to, continuity when the points touch, no continuity when they don't. So I figure if both points are grounding out when just one is closed, it must be because of the coil. I then took both points off the bike, so I could check just the wires coming from the coils. It turns out that if I ground one of the wires to the breaker plate, the other wire (without touching anything) also grounds. Is this supposed to happen? I also noticed that with the ignition switch on (I'd been doing everything with it off, so far), both wires coming from the coils show continuity to ground even if they're not touching anything. Don't know what that means, or if it's even relevant, but it seemed odd to me. Anyways, the fact remains: the wires coming from the coils are going to the correct pointset, the bolts on the points are properly isolated, but the points are still showing continuity if just one of them is closed. Hope some of the info above can point us in the right direction.

[earlfor]

Of course there is continuity to ground when you connect either the black or white wires (which are 12+) to the breaker plate (which is 12v-)

Just time the points as I asked previously.

Earl

\

Well, I checked the wiring from the coils, it turns out the wire that goes from the left coil to the left pointset on my bike is white and the right wire is black, and they are connected properly. I don't know if this might be causing problems, but I'm using an ohmmeter to check continuity, not a light. I tried putting the points on the bike with no wires connected to them and seeing if the bolt that the wires connect to was isolated properly. I put the ohmmeter on the bolt and to ground, and the points worked exactly as they're supposed to, continuity when the points touch, no continuity when they don't. So I figure if both points are grounding out when just one is closed, it must be because of the coil. I then took both points off the bike, so I could check just the wires coming from the coils. It turns out that if I ground one of the wires to the breaker plate, the other wire (without touching anything) also grounds. Is this supposed to happen? I also noticed that with the ignition switch on (I'd been doing everything with it off, so far), both wires coming from the coils show continuity to ground even if they're not touching anything. Don't know what that means, or if it's even relevant, but it seemed odd to me. Anyways, the fact remains: the wires coming from the coils are going to the correct pointset, the bolts on the points are properly isolated, but the points are still showing continuity if just one of them is closed. Hope some of the info above can point us in the right direction.