Hi guys,
A bit of a newb here. So i am adjusting my points for spark, and when i got my bike to idol, i noticed that i was generating a spark at the points. I have never seen this before, and when i googled it, i could not find a remedy for this situation. I have attached a GIF an a Youtube link.
You guys seem to know everything about two strokes, what is causing this? Is this bad (I am assuming so)? Also, how can i fix this?
Thanks
Bad condenser.
Classic fried condensor issue. And if you've been running it like that you'll need to replace the points.
ran it like that for like 30 seconds yesterday. THe condenser is fried? I just replaced it like 2 months ago. i even took it out of the mangeto and placed it on my ignition coil. Could that be an issue?
Yes I am with Hendrik. It is normal to maybe see a intermittent spark at the points but that is like a motion picture.
If that is a garelli you can remove the flywheel and snip the condenser wire deleting it from the system. Then you can add in a automotive style condenser out on your HT coils steel body where it mounts to the frame. I also recommend running a ground wire from the condenser mounting area back to t clen bolt on the case of the motor.
Or FIRST just try the grounding wire from the body of the HT coil to a clean bolt on the motor case and see if that cures the rampant light show.
Here is a example of a vespa condense delete. The condenser is mounted directly to the body of the HT coil. the condenser wire which goes out of site, joins with the signal wire of the HT coil.
Note the two black grounding wires that come off the body of the coil. Those go back to the engine case to provide a clean path
OK, so this is what i did. I removed the Condenser from within the flywheel. I then bought a new one, and mounted that directly to my ignition coil. Since i am still in repair mode, i grounded it to the frame of the engine with an alligator clip. Ill take a photo of it later to explain it better.
Follow up questions for the team:
Do i need to buy another OEM Condenser or can i order one off of amazon or go to the auto zone to pick one up? Secondly, did i not wire something correclty that caused me to fry my condenser?
Any condenser works 71 VW or 70s Chevy ECT..
I was still typing when you posted that you had moved the condenser.
I still recommend a nice grounding strap going direct from the components, (coil,condenser) to the motor case. The ground path from the frame to the engine case can often be muddled and dirty having to travel past painted surfaces or rustey bolts and flat washers.
I bolt external condensers to the frame using the same bolt that the ground from the coil goes to. Scrape off the paint, nice clean ground.
Depending on the coil, I use a spade connector on the condenser wire to hook into the coil, or into the points wire to the engine.
I also hook up an external spare to all my bikes, whether they have an internal condenser or not, so if it fails, I can just clip the new one on and keep riding.
And no, your bike shouldn't be strobe lighting like that. Any condenser will work. But I've found newer condensers have a higher failure rate from the ones made twenty years ago. Probably cheap Chinese manufacturing. I bought five from a vintage tractor supply for $2 each that had the internal mounting style for the V1, and the all failed within a week or two. Put one in from Italy and it's still working after a year.
Remember that the frame "ground" is just another wire. Make sure all the connections are clean bare metal, and test it with a meter if you have any doubt.
OK GUYS, as promised see the attached photos. First of my makeshift setup as i work on the bike.
So you will notice that i hooked up black wire from the generator to the ignition coil, mounted the condenser to the ignition coil, and ran ground to the engine frame. I now realize this is wrong. I drew a diagram to make it easier to see.
You will notice that i did not wire the black wire out of the engine to the condenser but only to the ignition coil. After reviewing your comments, i see that i must do the following
You will note that i am intending on splitting the connection off the black wire that is coming out of the engine to go to the condenser and to the ignition coil, whilst still grounding the ignition coil. Please let me know if this is right or wrong. or do i run everything through the condenser first and then have that lead into the ignition coil?
I know totally newb question, but that is why i am here.
Yeah, the housing of the condensor needs to be grounded, while the lead out the end has to intercept the feed from the internal coil to the HT coil.
Without that in there, the condensor does nothing.
So basically this
FLywheel--->condesner---->Ignition Coil.
Right?
You had it right , provided the black wire comes from the points terminal :
Be sure the bases of the HT coil and condenser are grounded to the magneto .
Sorry a bit lost here, i thought the charge coming off the points had to go through the condenser first then the ignition coil....is that not the case?
> Johnny C Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Sorry a bit lost here, i thought the charge coming off the points had to
> go through the condenser first then the ignition coil....is that not the
> case?
Both diagrams show the same thing. In both cases you are wiring the condenser in parallel. The condenser is just a capacitor
sorry, let me break it down by component to make sure i do this right, i am very close to finishing up the bike, and i dont want to have to delay a bit more or break more parts.
My condenser has two wires coming off of it, i am assuming to plug my black wire off my condenser and the other to connect to my ignition coil. I will ground the condenser and coil to my frame.
Sorry, i know this is overkill...jsut got it ideling, just want to make sure i dont ruin my points/system.
Is one of the wires ground? Do you have a multimeter to test for continuity?
here is a picture of my condenser.
You will notice two wires at top. Both connect to the condenser, so i am i wrong to assume one is for the points to go into, and the other is to connect to the ignition coil? Ground will be accomplished by connecting the unit to the frame right?
Let me know.
the new one is the one with green wires.
> Johnny C Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Sorry a bit lost here, i thought the charge coming off the points had to
> go through the condenser first then the ignition coil....is that not the
> case?
The condenser is in parallel with the ignition coil and the HT coil, not in series.
Those two wires are the same node of the circuit; one side of the condenser.
So yes, you can wire it as you have suggested. And yes, the frame "ground" is the other node of the circuit.
The only way you could wire it wrong would be if you soldered a new wire on to the side and had one wire going to the points and the new wire going to the coil, cause then the condenser would be in series. Both of the wires on the condenser now are connected to the same point and to each other
Cheetah what if it’s a Puch maxi internal only ignition coil that is self grounded to the wings? Do I go wings to frame or wire to frame and if it’s wire to frame, i won’t screw anything up with solder hear the coil?
Some good leads from folks in my currently active thread on same. Cheetahchrome grounding stuff sounds promising. Pay special attention to the video posted on how to actually test a condenser. https://www.mopedarmy.com/forums/read.php?6,4466027
> roots to wings Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Some good leads from folks in my currently active thread on same.
> Cheetahchrome grounding stuff sounds promising. Pay special attention
> to the video posted on how to actually test a condenser.
Shit I made a video on how to test condensers but I don't think I ever edited it or posted it...
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