Ignition / Coil problems (1983 Suzuki GS550L)

[godmachine81]

Got some good news here! I finally got ahold of the guy that's got my bike!! I'm going to pick it up today. I will post some pics on here as soon as I get home with it. Well maybe not as soon as I get home, gotta have some time to toy around first!! Pics will be coming soon folks. I can't wait to get her home!

[Calvin Blackmore]

Godmachine:

Your bike and its engine can be viewd negatively as bastard children.
They were produced at around the height of the greatest global economic downtunr after 1929. This was a time when HD got vile protectionist tariifs to insulate its POS product line from real competition form real manufactuirers.

I recall way back in the early 80s a prediction that tow of the big four producers form Japan would be driven out of production so things were very bad indeed. The annual product line form each vendor dropped dramatically.

You guys recall those cool Honda posters with what looked like a hundred or more bike trikes scooters and mopeds from the 70s?

well anyhow the gs 550 from 83-86 was an is a quite remarkable offering.
your current difficulties are readily addressable.

There are several long standng members on this forum who have shoe- horned Dyna ignitions onto the machine although I think they could not place the timing cover back on.

I very much advise you to download the manual for this bike at repairmanualclub.com it is this machines holy grail and contains all break down and reapir information in great detail.

The carbs are not complex and a good cleaning is easy to do.
check the diaphraghms and other componets as per the manual and after a proper cleaning and reassembly you will have removed carbs as part of the equation in any troubleshooting scenario.

The coils can be tested as well easily with a meter for primary and secondary resistance cant recallt he specs but this test will determine of the uniots are bad in and of themselves.

WE really do need a dedicate forum on here for the bastard model
its a great bike in all iterations L or E or ES

Skreemer, Nerboro who has trhe lowdown on the ignition issues?

I cant stress enought he need for the manual and the need not to trust others to do work for you who have only general knowledge.

[godmachine81]

Ok I'm just wondering how I am going to get my ignition cover back on, I tested the old ignition and it was the problem. I was getting signal from 2 of 3 wires. Both Igniter boxes I have seem to be bad. I have the Dyna S on the way with an mechanical advance unit. I have no idea how I will get the casing back on. This unit comes with 2 Andrews coils as well. I will probably use those instead of the stock coils I have. I have 4 stock coils. I just can't find any pics or specs of the coils I'm getting with the Dyna-S. All I know is that they are Andrews Coils. Here is a pic to all the stuff I'm getting.


If anyone might know of a cheap homebrew way around getting my ignition cover back in place please let me know! I also will have to do some modding to the Dyna-S ignition plate because as stated above the '83 model was a bastard child and only had 2 bolt holes holding the original ignition plate intact. The Dyna-S requires 3. I seen a thread where a guy got his to work, but it wasn't very detailed as to how he done it. I'm really stressed about the situation now. I just hope someone else with a 83 model 550L has added the Dyna-S DS3-2 ignition to their bike and can give me some pointers / advice! Thanks everyone!

[chef1366]

The dragbike guys drill a hole in the cover. The decal should still keep the dust out.

[godmachine81]

The dragbike guys drill a hole in the cover. The decal should still keep the dust out.

Drill a hole in the cover? That would be quiet a big hole wouldn't it? What kind of decal keeps the dirt out? I was thinking more of going a route by using like a thick gasket material cut to the size of the cover and going that route.. I don't think drilling a hole in the cover sounds too good, but it may be an only option in the end. I'll use that as a last resort though.

[godmachine81]

Anyone on here that has performed a Dyna-S mod on a 83 - up GS550 please help me out here. I haven't got the Dyna in yet, but I do know that it is possible I just have to add the mechanical advance and the backing plate has to be modded. I don't know how far off the Dyna mount holes are from fitting my 2 factory mounts, but I'm hoping I can do this mod without having to make my own backing plate just for the sake that I don't want to disorientate the pickup coils on the Dyna-S. The guy in this thread: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=122723 done the mod on the exact year and make as my bike. Look at this pic where he used 2 mount holes instead of 3:

Anyone here who has done this mod on an 83-up bike please give me some pointers so I will be prepared for this. What tools I might need. How to set the timing with the mechanical advance, etc. etc... Thanks

[chef1366]

Drill a hole in the cover? That would be quiet a big hole wouldn't it? What kind of decal keeps the dirt out? I was thinking more of going a route by using like a thick gasket material cut to the size of the cover and going that route.. I don't think drilling a hole in the cover sounds too good, but it may be an only option in the end. I'll use that as a last resort though.

I have a hole drilled in mine and you can't even tell.

[godmachine81]

I have a hole drilled in mine and you can't even tell.

Have you done a similar mod? I don't see any reason for you having a hole drilled in your ignition cover unless you have a different bike listed than the one in your post signature. Please explain why you drilled the hole in your ignition cover.

[chef1366]

The chrome cover I got from a dragbike guy had one drilled in it already.

[godmachine81]

The chrome cover I got from a dragbike guy had one drilled in it already.

Anyway you can ask the dragbike guy if he had a modified ignition put in the bike and find out exactly how he did it. I have a good idea about how to go about all of it, I just don't know about mounting the pickup coils back on how they will need to be set. I guess I could just do like the one guy said and drill out slotted holes that way I can find a happy "medium". Anyone know if the actual plate has to be metal, if these dyna-S coil's ground by it being metal or how it works, I've seen some pickup plates on some bikes that were made from non-metal material but I'm wondering if it has something to do with grounding the pickup coils. I was thinking about cutting my factory ignition plate out so that i could use the original hole mounts and then soldering or welding the other center part of the dyna plate in the center of it, then I started thinking well I might be able to self tap into the original backing plate and mount the pickup coils pretty easily and just drill out those slotted holes so I can adjust from advance to retard. Actually getting the cover on is the last thing I'm worried about right now, I'm more worried about getting a spark to my coils and getting the bike running!!

[chef1366]

He had a Dyna 4000. Good luck. I hope someone comes along that has done this to ease your pain.
Sorry I couldn't be more of a help.

[chef1366]

[Calvin Blackmore]

I wond if the mounting nut and bolt in the pic could be susbstituted for a thinner nut and an allen bolt

the depth of the OEM cover for the 572 cc 16v 550 is c. 30mm

no decal on it its got SUZUKI molded into the face of it.

I recall the guy whose pic you show was running the bike without a cover with no apparent negative impact.

I dont tinki id like doing that in the rain or in the prescence of a lot of road debris.

[Matchless]

Looking at chef1366's picture I am sure you can find a specialist welder that can cut out the round end part and weld in a small ring to extend the cover a bit.
I thinks your challenge is first to get it running. I assume you have checked the voltage at the coils or tempory bypassed it directly to the battery? Old wiring and connectors can cause some funny electrical problems.
Good luck.