Electronic Ignition Tweaking Instructions

[Dr. Frankenstein]

Can anybody show me again where the posts/instructions are for adjusting the electronic ignition plates on a GL1000? I'm looking specifically for the instructions that tell you how to adjust the little black magnetic 'readers' (or whatever they're called) by loosening the little screw behind the baseplate. Things here have fallen into a kind of rhythm, so I'm finally able to spend a little more time on the garage and need to get that '78 with the no-spark problem I'm working on off the table.

I still don't get it; new plugs, 5-ohm coils, new spark wires and end-caps, I bypassed the ballast, rewired the coils to a "T" per cfairweather's instructions, fully charged battery, but still nothing. I'm beginning to wonder if some part is defective - but That defective part could be me! I've considered just going back to the hard-wired coils but really want to see if electronic ignition is as fantastic as everyone says it is.

[gltriker]

Can anybody show me again where the posts/instructions are for adjusting the electronic ignition plates on a GL1000? I'm looking specifically for the instructions that tell you how to adjust the little black magnetic 'readers' (or whatever they're called) by loosening the little screw behind the baseplate. NO
I still don't get it; new plugs, 5-ohm coils, new spark wires and end-caps, I bypassed the ballast, rewired the coils to a "T" per cfairweather's instructions, fully charged battery, but still nothing. I'm beginning to wonder if some part is defective - but That defective part could be me! I've considered just going back to the hard-wired coils but really want to see if electronic ignition is as fantastic as everyone says it is.

Hello John!

Why are you messing with the little screw behind the baseplate?
The usual complaint is, I can't rotate the baseplate far enough clockwise to adjust the static timing.

anyway, here's the answer to your question .

The original right side flat washer that clamped the points' baseplate into the cavity is now interfering with the adjacent Dyna module.
As long as the clamping screw, itself, touches and firmly secures the Dyna baseplate, all is well. Most likely won't though.
File off the edge of the o.d. of the flat washer so it fits under the corner of the module and catches the edge of the baseplate, too.

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[Dr. Frankenstein]

Hey, Cliff; yeah, I've had a busy legal summer, and am expecting even MORE 'fun' this Fall, if I can get through November without having my garage pillaged...long story.

But I have FINALLY found a little extra time today to go back out again and see if I can get a spark. Matter of fact I'm in the process of trying to print out the Dyna S instructions once again to make sure I follow everything to the "T".

"Why are you messing with the little screw behind the baseplate? The usual complaint is, I can't rotate the baseplate far enough clockwise to adjust the static timing."

That's exactly right, and I Have filed down the right-side screw and it fits fine. Everything is brand-new, I just have no spark; I'm pretty sure it's Me that's the problem, I just haven't figured out What yet. I want to check the grounds, see if I can get it to work with the Accessory box, and may even hack into the green/white wire, even though the instructions say I can use the Accessory panel.

I truly hate electrical stuff. Oh, I'll do it, but half the time I have no idea what I'm looking at. I sometimes wonder how it is that I rewired my KZ650B all by myself.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

This MAY be the problem - here you see the electrical stuff on the left side of the bike; note the red wire on the right from the electronic ignition attached to the Accessory panel on the bike...
DSCN2422 by Dr. Frankenstein1, on Flickr

Down in the lower-left you see the two female connectors just hanging there - those are green and white wires.
DSCN2421 by Dr. Frankenstein1, on Flickr

The Dyna instructions state "The white/green wire going to the relay carries 12 volts from the ignition switch". I did not disconnect these two wires. I also do not know why they would be disconnected - maybe I did when I took off the Vetter fairing, but I don't remember - but I don't think so. Could these have gone to something in the fairing that I may have disconnected and then forgot about? Possibly...the more I think about it the more I think that could be my problem...

If you look to the right of that (in the top photo), below the turn relay there are two what looks like white wires attached to another relay (the top one is gray), with the unconnected green wire behind them. The lower of those two wires is another green/white wire where I believe the instructions say to connect the Dyna, and where I DID (if I remember correctly) take off one of those Scotchlocks when I took off the fairing. If you look hard enough, you can see where I put some liquid tape on it there in the middle.

My question is, are those two green/white wires on the LEFT supposed to be connected?? Could that be why I'm not getting a spark, if (as it says) the green/white wire carries the 12 volts to the ignition? And what would have been plugged in there? The inside metal connector of those two are pretty dusty, they look like they haven't been connected in a long time...and what about that unconnected green wire next to the relay? Where/what is that supposed to go to?

[Dr. Frankenstein]

Well, I connected those two green and white wires and went through the factory installation instructions again line by line, and my test light stayed on all the time. The instructions say if the light stays on there is "a bad connection in the wiring."
Which Wiring?? The Dyna or the bike?? I have 12 volts at the red wire...I should go back to the coils, maybe...?

No Idea.

[cfairweather]

Since you have a 1978 model, did you connect the two wires together that went to the ballast resistor? They are both female so you will need a short jumper with male blade connectors on each end.

[gltriker]

Well, I connected those two green and white wires and went through the factory installation instructions again line by line, and my test light stayed on all the time. The instructions say if the light stays on there is "a bad connection in the wiring."
Which Wiring?? The Dyna or the bike?? I have 12 volts positive DC at the red wire...I should go back to the coils, maybe...? NOPE. THE STATIC TIMING LIGHT WOULDN'T ILLUMINATE AND STAY TURNED ON IF THERE WASN'T A COMPLETE POSITIVE DC CIRCUIT, INDEPENDENTLY, PASSING THROUGH THE IGNITION COILS, ON THE WAY TO THEIR RESPECTIVE DYNA LEADS' PLUG-IN CONNECTION UNDER THE RUBBER UMBRELLA

"the wiring" includes the ground path connection where the Dyna baseplate mounts into the points case cavity.
Scroll down to bottom of VOLTAGE TESTING section in this document

DYNATEK DynaS_Testing.pdf

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Occasionally, Dyna S installers have discovered, during a * Full Revolution Of The Crankshaft,* Too Loose Dyna modules' baseplate clamping screws can cause the static timing light bulb to continuously, 'stay on' ;

try this -
SECURELY TIGHTEN both clamping screws onto the edge of the Dyna modules baseplate, turn on the key switch and handlebar RUN switch, AND turn the crankshaft a full revolution.

If the static timing light does turn on and off while you are rotating the crankshaft a full revolution, there's your answer.
there was a substandard ground connection into the modules' baseplate because the clamping screws were loose.

IF the static timing light doesn't turn on and off while you are rotating the crankshaft, run a temporary ground jumper from the negative post of the battery to make contact with the Dyna baseplate. Repeat the timing procedure. A full revolution of the crankshaft is always required.

IF the static Timing Light bulb correctly turns on and off now, find where the corrosion ( or paint, etc.) exists between the cylinder head and the groove the dyna modules' baseplate mounts into, and scrape down to clean metal.

note: Although the heads of screws that fasten the points housing and cover are painted externally, the hidden screw threads can be corroded, too.
Especially, where they screw into the cylinder head. There is a small round gasket in the way, too.
(Look at the parts lists breakdown)

Screw threads are not a Best Practice to rely upon to send an electrically clean ground path through, from the cylinder head to the ìgnition's ground switching components- breaker points OR Dyna modules- on their baseplate

Here's an enhanced extract from the DYNATEK Dyna S Testing pdf document

Screenshot 2022-10-15 211437 Dyna S troubleshooting snip.jpg (120.55 KiB) Viewed 1420 times

[gltriker]

Dr. John, Yes, I voided the Dynatek Warranty

I wanted you to see the underside of a dyna module. A metal grounded surface that has to have a 'solid ground connection' to the dyna modules' mounting (base?) plate; which has to have a 'solid ground connection' to the engine, too. savvy ?

The Red wire in, and an internal connection to the grounded surface operate the electronic switching section of the dyna module.

That electronic switching section is controlled by the dynamically rotating dyna rotor. As the rotor rotates, its magnet aligns with a module, and similar to breaker points opening, the switched ground connection heading to its respective ignition coil's primary wiring circuit, is interrupted. that is- Electronically switched "make and break."

A continuously interrupted primary ground circuit- specifically while the crankshaft is spinning full 360 degree revolutions- is the condition that leaves the static timing light bulb, continuously, turned ON

snip- I'm beginning to wonder if some part is defective - YOU HAVE ENOUGH STRESS IN YOUR LIFE. CONTACT THE SELLER OF THE DYNA S clone. FRAZZLED IS NOT HEALTHY.

done

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[Dr. Frankenstein]

Cedric - yes, I jumpered the two wires from the ballast resistor - -here's my setup - note the black wire looped/jumpered where the previous ballast resistor wires went; please check my work here and let me know if this looks right:
DSCN2321 by Dr. Frankenstein1, on Flickr

In the bottom pic here, the blue and black wires and the black and yellow wires are inserted just as they were in the connector coming from the original coils; the two black cloth-covered wires in the middle are the wires from the ballast resistor - here's another pic of the connector before I jumpered it and replaced the old coils with the new ones and the new wires:
DSCN2306 by Dr. Frankenstein1, on Flickr


Cliff: thanks for the tips, I'll get out there ASAP and double-check all that. We had a bit of an exciting weekend here, but all is okay.

[gltriker]

John-
Based upon the telephone conversation you and I had several months ago, and multiples of photos you had posted, I have confidence your bike's individual ignition coils' primary circuits ARE wired correctly; my statement is based upon your confirming, after unplugging both dyna leads first, that approximately 1 positive volts dc Less than the actual battery voltage was measured with a voltmeter at both double socket primary terminals, located under the rubber umbrella.

If you hadn't confirmed those all telling voltage readings, before our phone call was cut off, I wouldn't confidently state the static timing testing light bulb will have the ability to be continually turned on during a dyna clone module timing session, IF the ignition coils' primary circuits were to have been wired, incorrectly. They are correctly wired .

The dyna clone modules, themselves, are responsible to cause the static timing light bulb to turn on and off; "Making and breaking " their primary circuit ground connection to the respective one of the two ignition coils.

The "wiring" integrity of the dyna s clone assembly is where your bike's ignition issues exist.
The dyna ignition clone assembly, itself, may be internally faulty.
anyway.....
I happened to find this attached thread link while I was looking around in the Forum. It was in a Similar Topics list.

Easter's post #9 kinda rang a bell about the 2 white/green wires you had questioned this past Saturday afternoon.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=61462s

AND - added 10/24

SNIP- It seems counter-intuitive that no power to the Dyna would cause the static timing light to remain on continuously but that was the cause.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

Interesting post there - so apparently I must clip into the green and white wire coming off the blinker relay...? (If so, why do the instructions say I can get the necessary power from the Accessory panel...?)

He says "So I followed the Dyna instructions and spliced into the white/green wire going to the blinker. This caused the static timing light to go out."

I will get back out there and double-check the plate ground as soon as possible, hopefully before it gets too cold to hang out in the garage. So, bottom line is, clip it into the wire coming from the blinker relay, yes...?

Also, that timing plate Randakk sells - you cannot use that on the '78 models, right? It says it's only for the '75 - '77 models? Would it do me any good to get one?

[cfairweather]

I would use the accessory panel to power the Dyna on a 1978 model.

[gltriker]

snip-
Also, that timing plate Randakk sells - you cannot use that on the '78 models, right? It says it's only for the '75 - '77 models?

Would it do me any good to get one?

no.

Done

[Dr. Frankenstein]

Cedric - and to measure that, you check the voltage between the Accessory panel and the sensor plate, yes...?

[cfairweather]

Yes, you could check the voltage on the plate. Red lead on the accessory panel and the black on the plate which is ground. You might compare that reading with the voltage on the battery itself.