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    #1

    Disassembled plug wires?

    My "81 GS450L will not start. I was working on it today when I decided to check the spark for the one billionth time. I took the boot off the plug and a small, light blue rod about one half an inch long fell out. 8O A threaded brass nut with a hole through the center and a wire clip was still attached to the plug. I took the threaded nut off the plug and found that it was slotted and would screw back into the plug boot. The small blue rod went in a recess behind this nut. What else I found was that both were heavily covered in carbon. I disassembled the other plug wire and it too was heavily carboned. I cleaned all four pieces with some fine sandpaper and now the bikes "burps" when I try to start it. :? I'll wait for the battery to fully recharge and try it again. Has anyone ever mentioned disassembling plug wires and if so, is the blue rod an insulator? It doesn't appear to be metal and the spark is much stronger now.
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    #2
    the blue rod you mention is the resistor, there should have been a spring in there as well to keep the plug cap assembly tight, sounds like yours is not making the spark "jump" . get some new caps the are cheep.

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      #3
      Since it's Turkey day, can I just get some small springs from our local mega-chain hardware store that'll work?

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        #4
        I've never seen these springs before but I'd have a look inside your ballpoint pens.

        Steve

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          #5
          Damn... I didn't think springs would be so expensive.
          Great idea, srivett! They fit okay, I wonder if they go in before or after the resistor? I don't think it'd matter, right? :?

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            #6
            The blue is needed.

            You should have a spring, tiny flat copper disk, and the resistor in each one. The Spring goes in first.

            You cant clean the resistors. That blue stuff under the carbon is needed for the resistance. Once you sand it off the resistance will be too high. A good stock plug boot is about 10k ohm. Once you sand the resistor it will go up in the high teens. like 19k ohm. The resistor is now garbage.

            Go and get yourself some some new NGK boots. the 5k ohm are recomended for our bikes, and are better than stock. All 4 should be about $15.00 from the dealer or Den Kirk.

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              #7
              But now I'm getting much better spark. Should I still get the new boots? I'll check with the dealer here in town, maybe I'll get new coils and wires and boots and such, if they're open.
              The other question...how do the stock boots come off the wires to replace them?
              Oh, and I have two vacuum lines coming off the carbs that don't seem to go anywhere. I've got the one that goes from the carb to the petcock hooked up, are the other two vent lines?

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                #8
                The two vacuum lines are probably just the carb vents, they are not connected to anything. The spark plug caps unscrew from the coil wire

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                  #9
                  Most old coils are ok.

                  Most old coils are ok. The wire is probably still good too. Just cut 1/2" off the end of it. Or you can replace the old wires and save your coil. Den Kirk sells a 70" roll of new copper core wire for $3.00.

                  Once you remove the old boots you can test them to see what I mean. If you get 9 or 10 K ohm from them they are still good. The ones I sanded went up as high as 19k ohm.

                  Replacing the caps is better becouse it will reduce the resistance down to 5k ohm. Right where it should be. anything higher than 10 is beyond the service limit.

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                    #10
                    SHE RUNS! 8O

                    Hit the ex-suzuki dealership and got the 5 ohm plug caps and a set of NGK BR8EVX platinum plugs. Went home, screwed it all together and hit the start button. She started first try! \/

                    The caps were less expensive than I thought, at 3.50 apiece, but the sparkplugs ran 10.00 each, but who cares...IT'S ALIVE!

                    Now all I have to do is get my motorcycle endorsement.

                    Profuse thank you's to all who helped get my first motorcycle running again! Chrisdnoel,SqDancerLynn1, srivett, deano, my hat's off to you for your input.

                    catnthehat

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                      #11
                      The stock NGK B8ES plugs usually cost about $2.50 ea.

                      Earl

                      Originally posted by catnthehat
                      SHE RUNS! 8O

                      Hit the ex-suzuki dealership and got the 5 ohm plug caps and a set of NGK BR8EVX platinum plugs. Went home, screwed it all together and hit the start button. She started first try! \/

                      The caps were less expensive than I thought, at 3.50 apiece, but the sparkplugs ran 10.00 each, but who cares...IT'S ALIVE!

                      Now all I have to do is get my motorcycle endorsement.

                      Profuse thank you's to all who helped get my first motorcycle running again! Chrisdnoel,SqDancerLynn1, srivett, deano, my hat's off you for your input.

                      catnthehat
                      Komorebi-The light filtering through the trees.

                      I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion. H.D.T.

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                        #12
                        So I have a platinum fetish.
                        This is the same place that charges $50.00 for a trickle charger, so $10.00 for plugs is probably in line with their 300% markup. I don't buy a lot of stuff from them.

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