Question about points

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cmyoch
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Question about points

#1

Post by cmyoch »

My points system was replaced a few years back from a new unit I had purchased from a local indy shop. I've had issues getting them adjusted perfectly according to the service manual but adjusted well enough to ride. Last night I spent the better part of the evening messing with them to absolutely no satisfaction. I set both points gaps perfectly to 0.016. I set the 1-2 cyl timing perfectly. I could not get 3-4 timed at all no matter how far I adjusted the points plate. In order to get the 3-4 points adjusted, that gap ended up set at 0.011 which is on the extreme opposite end of the range.

I'm wondering if my points setup is just flawed. I may ditch any chances of making this work and either shop for a replacement set or see if I can find a reasonably priced electronic ignition. Anyone else have issues like this? How do you think this can be resolved?
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low-side
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Re: Question about points

#2

Post by low-side »

As I recall, you can play with the points gap a bit to get them more even. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me. You can get a Dyna S ignition for around $125 if you shop around.
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tlbranth
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Re: Question about points

#3

Post by tlbranth »

Timing the GL1000 is a tedious, thankless job. As you've found, 1&2 time easily because the plate is a pretty good fit in the casing and there's not much slop. When you get to 3&4 things get nasty. There's so much slop that when you try to move the points, the gap changes. All I can say is: what you're experiencing matches my experience. You just need to persist. If the adjustment just won't go any further, gap adjustment is necessary just as you found. Get it timed, make sure your capacitors are good and if you've got a few bucks to spare, put on a Hondaman box. You'll never fuss with it again.
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cmyoch
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Re: Question about points

#4

Post by cmyoch »

$78 seems like a cheaper fix to me if I don't get this sorted out.
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Whiskerfish
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Re: Question about points

#5

Post by Whiskerfish »

If you have not, use something between the contacts of the # 1 2 set while adjusting the timing on the # 3 4 set. The electricity will flow through the 1 2 contacts and give a false reading when you are adjusting the 3 4. A piece of match book or writing paper folded up a couple times. Just something break the electrical contact.
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Re: Question about points

#6

Post by cmyoch »

I used the ohm setting on my meter to set the timing. Will the paper trick affect this the same way.
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Re: Question about points

#7

Post by Whiskerfish »

I don't know. I suppose it would depend on the scale it is set to.
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Re: Question about points

#8

Post by flyday58 »

I hunted a bit on ebay to find NOS Honda points and it still took a lot of aggravation to get them sorted. There was a seesaw thing going on between the two sets, i.e. get 3/4 sorted and the opening point changed on 1/2. Back and forth but finally got it.

I use a timing light that I bought about 10 years ago for my enduros, it takes a 9 volt battery and has alligator clips. I also do like el presidente says and isolate the opposite set of points with thick paper.
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cmyoch
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Re: Question about points

#9

Post by cmyoch »

I did a little searching on the internet this morning. Although I can buy a new Dyna S ignition to mate up with my new Dyna green coils, that's another larger bill. I can get replacement points off of the Randakk site for approximately $20. I'm wondering if I may be better off going this route?
1976 GL1000
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1984 Harley Davidson XLH1000
1969 Camaro Z28
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tlbranth
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Re: Question about points

#10

Post by tlbranth »

If your Dyna goes bad in the Utah desert, you'd better have triple-A and good cell service. If your Hondaman box fails in the same place, you can bypass it in 5 minutes and go back to straight points.
I'm sure this will stir the hornets' nest.
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Re: Question about points

#11

Post by BlueThunder »

tlbranth wrote:If your Dyna goes bad in the Utah desert, you'd better have triple-A and good cell service. If your Hondaman box fails in the same place, you can bypass it in 5 minutes and go back to straight points.
I'm sure this will stir the hornets' nest.
+1. That is the reason why I went with the HondaMan box.
Last edited by BlueThunder on Tue Jul 23, 2019 8:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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dontwantapickle
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Re: Question about points

#12

Post by dontwantapickle »

I have never had an electronic ignition box go bad on me, in the desert or anywhere else.
(that's including the old crap boyers for brit bikes.)
Realistically, any component on a bike can fail, if it's not the black box... it might be a coil (better carry a spare one of those), a wheel bearing, a crankshaft......
Man, I'm gonna have to get some bigger saddlebags.

I should add, I don't have any problem with points, when set up correctly,,,they definitely get the job done.
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Re: Question about points

#13

Post by pidjones »

I plan to experiment with 2 Ford TFI modules connected up like the Hondaman setup.
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Re: Question about points

#14

Post by ericheath »

Carry the points plate assembly, rotor for cam, leave condensers in place but bypassed and if the Dyna fails, your in business with a little labor.

I wonder if the new “cheap” points can be adapted to grease like originals. Mike Nixon has a pretty good write up as to why the TEC were superior. Having the rubbing blocks wear down quickly was the downfall of the cheapies.

I have a new set of TEC but I’m keeping them as a backup. I got them for $50 a few years back, after reading Mike’s post.
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Re: Question about points

#15

Post by kenai »

Unless your sure the points are FEC or TEC they may not be setable. some aftermarkets are so bad they can't be set. If they are goods ones pull everything off and start over per Mike Nixon' s sequence. Sometimes it seems unbolt all and rebolt really helps.
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