Wet CDI ,can it be dried ?

Henshooter · Oct 27, 2014

Yes yes it finally happened ,I always pull my ride in out of the weather but a surprise storm caught me off guard at 1 am and pelted rain all over my belle ,she got a good drying and such and I took her for a run ,yep fired up as normal and all was sweet until she stalled ,I know this issue , although all precautions were met the small heat shield had wicked some moisture into the CDI .

Now my question is should I try drying the coil and reuse it or is it simply not worth it and purchase a new one ,if the latter is so my spare unit was used in my last build and I'll have to purchase a new one .

I'm going to try and fire her up soon and will post results as soon as I can

Regards Henshooter

Kioshk · Oct 28, 2014

CDI? Coil? D'you mean your MAGNETO COIL? Check its ohms (should be about 330). They don't like water. I've tried everything in my power to resurrect MANY coils without luck. Finally came to the conclusion of very diligently waterproofing mine with PlastiDip (spray). Then I use Permatex the wire-hole and cover-gasket (both sides), screw it down, and coat the cover (screw-holes) with PlastiDip. Be sure to fill the heat-shield with Permetex too to avoid wicking. Also, always have a spare coil in your bike-bag.

Henshooter · Oct 28, 2014

Kioshk said:
CDI? Coil? D'you mean your MAGNETO COIL? Check its ohms (should be about 330). They don't like water. I've tried everything in my power to resurrect MANY coils without luck. Finally came to the conclusion of very diligently waterproofing mine with PlastiDip (spray). Then I use Permatex the wire-hole and cover-gasket (both sides), screw it down, and coat the cover (screw-holes) with PlastiDip. Be sure to fill the heat-shield with Permetex too to avoid wicking. Also, always have a spare coil in your bike-bag.

Yep I mean the mag coil ,so once they get wet their stuffed ?

I've got no spare atm because I used it on my last coil dilemma ,think I'll buy a few spares tomorrow for sure ,I did waterproof it but it seems not diligently enough as water got in somehow ,I used silicon but this plastidip spray sounds like a great idea , greatly appreciated for your input mate now it's out with the soldering iron and shrink wrap sigh

Regards Hen

Kioshk · Oct 28, 2014

I feel your pain...I've gone as far as unspooling the wire to find the defect (it boils down to a single break in that hair-thin wire) without success. I've learned to always have a spare. Haven't needed one in a while, but the inconvenience of being without one in the past sucked bad: ten miles pedaling home, and one-week wait for delivery afterwards.

Dan · Oct 29, 2014

Might be OK, Hen.

I had put a MB with a chinaGirl on a bike rack on my car. It rained for 3 days and I drove with the bike like that the whole time. The bike was well soaked.

Oddly enough, it would not start up. Pedal, pop. Pedal, pop. for about 20 minutes in a large parking lot. I knew it was dead but was working out another issue.

The thing growled, gurgled and caught. Lit off with a bit more coughing and then was fine.

I forget what did kill that engine but it was a good long while later.

Dan · Oct 29, 2014

Opps, I missed she ran then stopped, Hen.

Kioshk · Oct 29, 2014

All due respect, Dan; isn't likely the kill-switch was water-logged?

Dan · Oct 30, 2014

Absolutely Kioshk, I'm sure. Thinking about it now, don't think the kill switch occurred to me. The thing was truly soaked. At the time I was so surprised she lit off and not giving it much thought, did believe it was a multitude issues.

Dunno and this was about 4 or 5 yrs back. Am sure your right.

Davezilla · Oct 30, 2014

There might be one way to save a mag coil if it gets wet like sitting outside in a rainstorm or being transported and getting stuck in the rain, as long as there's no attempt to start the engine you could put it in toaster oven set just above boiling temp for a few hours which would evaporate out any moisture or if you can get creative with a vacuum pump and a small chamber to put the coil in and let it sit under vacuum for an hour or so.... the vacuum method would be the safest for the coil but the heat method will work as long as you don't raise the temp too far beyond boiling... being patient should save one as long as no engine starts or start attempts that could short it out were made.

Slogger · Oct 30, 2014

My girlfriend once dropped a cell phone in the dish water.
I took the battery out and put it on top of the hot water heater for a couple days.
Dried out, no harm at all.
You just need a warm, dry place and a little patience.

maniac57 · Oct 30, 2014

While you might get a wet coil to function again, it will never be reliable. I've tried everything from baking at low temp for days to bowls of rice to WD40 baths to dry them. You get them back sometimes, but they tend to be spastic and failure prone forever afterwards, usually miles from home.
Just buy a new one and seal it up properly this time.
Save yourself the headache. Once it's wet, it's a paperweight.

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Wet CDI ,can it be dried ?

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