wheel wont spin

[fatdaddy]

i didnt know the wire just screwed in. theres nothing to it then?

You got it bro. You dont hafta buy an entire CDI just to replace a wire and boot. It kinda looks like the sharp end of a wood screw. ya just make sure the replacement wire is centered on the screw and drive it home. BUT I have seen a few GLUED in. If so, Carefully dig it out and screw on the new one.NO GLUE needed
fatdaddy.

 

[captain zeldacoon]

oh i see now the screw comes out of the box and screws into the wire so you dont have to splise anything any old wire can just get screwed on there. thats awesome. im totally going to get a cord and boot tomorrow then.

 

[fatdaddy]

Yes grasshopper,Life is sometimes only as complicated as you need it to be.
fatdaddy.

 

[2door]

Fatdaddy and I usually agree on 99.99% of things but here is where we have a different opinion.

Fact: The kit spark plug wire is better than what you'll get from most any auto parts stores today. What they sell is 'resistance wire'. It doesn't have a metal core (conductor) but instead a carbon impregnated thread. This type of wire was introduced by the automotive industry back in 60s and was designed to lower interference, static noise in car radios.
Today's cars with all the computers and electronics rely on resistance wire to keep down RF interference. Automotive ignition produces gobs of voltage and the drop in current delivered to the plugs due to the resistance of the plug wire is negligible.

Our little weak ignition systems need all the help they can get to fire the plug. Therefore a solid core, metallic conductor wire is better than what you'll buy most anywhere today.
Yes, some folks sell "High Performance" spark plug wire but all you need to do is use an OHM meter and check the resistance compared with an equal length of kit plug wire to see the difference in resistance. The higher the resistance, the lower the voltage to the plug.

If you must replace the kit plug wire, don't know why you would unless it is too short for your application, then look for copper core wire. Not the resistance stuff that is sold today at most auto parts stores.

Tom

 

[captain zeldacoon]

well if the issue with my bike is that the wire's bad i need a new one regardless

 

[brown]

I have serious doubt that your spark plug wire is bad. If the wire is still glued in the cdi leave it alone. Unscrew the 90 degree plug wire cap. Cut a 1/4" off the wire and the reattach the spark plug cap by re-screwing in onto the wire. you should be good to go.

Buy a cheap volt-ohm meter. You can find them everywhere for under $10 and it will be a good investment. Then test your magneto coil. Save yourself a lot of guess work. You will also be able to test your cdi and plug wire for that matter.

If you buy it at a auto parts store the sales person will likely be able to give you a short lesson on how to use it to test ohms of resistance.

 

[2door]

I have serious doubt that your spark plug wire is bad. If the wire is still glued in the cdi leave it alone. Unscrew the 90 degree plug wire cap. Cut a 1/4" off the wire and the reattach the spark plug cap by re-screwing in onto the wire. you should be good to go.

Buy a cheap volt-ohm meter. You can find them everywhere for under $10 and it will be a good investment. Then test your magneto coil. Save yourself a lot of guess work. You will also be able to test your cdi and plug wire for that matter.

If you buy it at a auto parts store the sales person will likely be able to give you a short lesson on how to use it to test ohms of resistance.

Ditto: Listen to this member. His advice is sound.

Tom

 

[captain zeldacoon]

well... i removed the cap, cut offa quarter inch, put the cap back on and i was not good to go. no spark still. looks like im off to get a volt- ohm meter.

 

[fatdaddy]

Fatdaddy and I usually agree on 99.99% of things but here is where we have a different opinion.

Fact: The kit spark plug wire is better than what you'll get from most any auto parts stores today. What they sell is 'resistance wire'. It doesn't have a metal core (conductor) but instead a carbon impregnated thread. This type of wire was introduced by the automotive industry back in 60s and was designed to lower interference, static noise in car radios.
Today's cars with all the computers and electronics rely on resistance wire to keep down RF interference. Automotive ignition produces gobs of voltage and the drop in current delivered to the plugs due to the resistance of the plug wire is negligible.

Our little weak ignition systems need all the help they can get to fire the plug. Therefore a solid core, metallic conductor wire is better than what you'll buy most anywhere today.


Yes, some folks sell "High Performance" spark plug wire but all you need to do is use an OHM meter and check the resistance compared with an equal length of kit plug wire to see the difference in resistance. The higher the resistance, the lower the voltage to the plug.

If you must replace the kit plug wire, don't know why you would unless it is too short for your application, then look for copper core wire. Not the resistance stuff that is sold today at most auto parts stores.

Tom

So now I guess we agree on 100% of things. After further investigation, Turns out, Yer right AGAIN. How many times did I tell people " listen to Tom" Now I find I must take my own advice.(listen to TOM) The boot is a genuine POS. The wire is actually a quality item. which is suprising as H3!!, considering where it came from. I think the main reason I changed the boot AND wire is because thats how it comes off the old car, with the boot and wire already together. Just easier to cut to size and screw it on. I do have some copper core wire I use on my personal bikes. But that Stuff is too expensive to give away to customers and most wont pay $10 for a 8 or 10 inch piece of wire.
LISTEN TO TOM!!!
fatdaddy.

 

[fatdaddy]

well... i removed the cap, cut offa quarter inch, put the cap back on and i was not good to go. no spark still. looks like im off to get a volt- ohm meter.

You should have a meter anyway, BUT I would almost bet the farm yer coil is bad. If you put the wire back together right and you have a solid ground on the plug when checking for spark You should see FIRE. If no spark, about all thats left is the CDI and coil. I have seen bad CDI's but 99 out of 100 times its the coil.
fatdaddy.

 

[brown]

For sure the magneto coil is a much more common failure when compared to the cdi. Probably a 100 to 1. LOL.

 

[captain zeldacoon]

well since i still have the spark plug wire i got a hold of yesterday would it be a good idea to just switch the boots then? get the best of both worlds? i'll try to figure out how to use the volt meter tomorrow after class

 

[2door]

well since i still have the spark plug wire i got a hold of yesterday would it be a good idea to just switch the boots then? get the best of both worlds? i'll try to figure out how to use the volt meter tomorrow after class

Just to clarify. You don't want to check 'voltage'. You want a meter that can measure OHM, or resistance/continuity. What you want is called a 'multi-meter'. They will typically measure voltage, ohms and amperage. There are very inexpensive ones available but as with any tool, the cheaper they are, the less accurate and reliable they'll be. Buying tools is an investment. Buy good ones and they won't let you down.

Tom

 

[captain zeldacoon]

i got one that does ohms for like $5.50

 

[fatdaddy]

i got one that does ohms for like $5.50

I got one out of the discount bin at a auto store around 5 years ago for about $3. The leads came apart but a little new wire soldered on and a couple finishing nails soldered on the ends made it good as new. Dont know how accurate it is but I mainly just use it to check for continuity. It seems to work well enough to check for dead cells in a battery too. I'm suprised it still even works at all. If it took a dump today I think I got my money's worth from it
fatdady.

 

[2door]

This old beast cost a little more than $5.00 but it's dependable.

I'm a dinosaur and have never liked digital meters. This old analog Simpson 260 has served me well for a long time. There isn't much it won't measure. I like the solid reading provided by a needle as opposed to digital displays that never seem to settle down to a firm reading. But that's just me.

Tom

 

[fatdaddy]

This old beast cost a little more than $5.00 but it's dependable.

I'm a dinosaur and have never liked digital meters. This old analog Simpson 260 has served me well for a long time. There isn't much it won't measure. I like the solid reading provided by a needle as opposed to digital displays that never seem to settle down to a firm reading. But that's just me.

Tom

Compared to mine, yours is a marvel of high tech, The one I have works OK if ya dont mind smacking it once in a while to unstick the indicator needle. I would show you a pic of it but I really hate getting laughed at.

 

[2door]

Hey, as long as it tells you what you need to know, doesn't matter what it looks like.
I've owned a Simpson meter for over 40 years and have come to know and trust them.

If you have a $5.00 Wallyworld special that works, you're golden. Whatever, a motorized bicycle owner needs a multi-meter. It's as essential as fuel, and maybe a torque wrench.

Tom

 

[captain zeldacoon]

ok so i have my meter and i pulled out the magneto. now what exactly am i testing it for? current or resistance or what

 

[fatdaddy]

To tell the truth bro, I never bother testing them, except to lay the plug on the head and give it a few kicks. NO SPARK= BAD COIL. Yeah, I know, just plain lazyness on my part, But so far, I've been right 99 out of 100 times. I have been fooled a few times, sometimes you get spark but its not strong enough to fire the engine.
fatdaddy.