Coils? Points? Amplifiers? Help!!!

[CDoeg9589]

Hey all,

New owner here. I have a 79 1000. A little love and she fired up after sitting for ten or more years. Here is my big problem.....

Only the right side ("passenger" as a car would be) side is the only side firing. The left side is just dumping raw fuel out of the exhaust. Any idea where to start? It came with a "spare" coil but two of the four wires were cut at the packs on one of the coil, so I'm lost here.

I believe I understand that each coil pack has one of the two spark plug wires going to one side of the engine, and the other wire on that pack to the other side. So. How would only one side fire? Am I missing something? Could points or spark amplifiers be at fault here?

[DenverWinger]

You are correct about the coils going to both sides of the engine, evidently both coils are working.

Sounds like if the left side is dumping fuel out the exhaust that those two cylinders may be too rich to fire. Probably needs carburetor service.

[CDoeg9589]

I like that, I am fairly good at carb work and have a decent size ultrasonic cleaner. Electrical and I are on a different level.

[CDoeg9589]

Here is what I found. I was wrong with my assumption. I have one cylinder in each side getting spark. Firing off may be a different story. But let's start with spark. What I have is my forward cyl on the left getting spark and my read on the right getting spark. So these both go to one coil. The spare that came with the bike happens to be that pack with the wires still attached.

So. I took a picture of a random wore left off what I believe to be a spark amplifier?

Also. Can I take that one pack off the pair and just replace the one?

[spleenatis]

Hi,

Strange, one coil fires the front cylinders, the other the rear cylinders. So if you have spark front left and rear right, both coils are good.

Really no spark for the two others ?

[CDoeg9589]

I worded things wrong. One cylinder on each side is getting spark.

I replaced the coil that sends spark to the two cylinders not getting spark. Still nothing.

Anyone have any ideas where else I could check?

[cfairweather]

One coil fires 1-2 and the other fires 3-4. The front right cylinder is #1, the left front is #2, the rear right is #3 and the rear left is #4. Make sure the connections are clean and tight where they plug into the coils, condensers, and points/electronic ignition. Verify the spark plug wires are connected to the correct spark plugs. Your first picture is of something I don't recognize and it is not an original GL1000 part. The middle picture of the coils and ballast resistor are original. Verify you have voltage on the black wire with a white stripe on the coils using a volt meter. This wire provides power to the the coils. Check the timing with a static timing light. If the light does not come on while doing this test you need to troubleshoot and figure out why.