Just a weak battery?

[plattey]

I have a 1982 special heritage and it has an ignition problem (i think). When it's running, it idles fine until i open the throttle. It'll rev up to about 3000 rpm and will start to misfire (kinda sounds like a semi with the jake brake on) and will continue to misfire until the whole electrical system gets 14 volts (i mounted a voltage gauge that connects to the blue wire on the ign. switch and the ground wire for the turn signal in the headlight bucket). I have also noticed that when it's cool outside, the problem goes away. But when it's hot and humid the problem is at its worst. I have checked the rotor, stator, and pickup coil and they checked out good. I also took out the wiring harness and took out some of the wiring that went nowhere and replaced the fuse box with an ATO style. I took out any crimp connections and soldered and heat shrinked them. Also, when i'm at an intersection and have the brake and turn signals on and take off, it has the same misfiring problem, until the voltage gets up to 14v.
Kinda thinking that it might be a weak battery but it's only a little over a year old and is at 12.5 v when it's just sitting there. But, could the tci be at fault somehow? I'm out of ideas. Sorry that this post is so long, but i just trying to describe the problem the best i can. Any help is really appreciated! I've been riding with this problem ever since i got the rotor rebuilt and it's been annoying as heck. Thanks again for any help!

[pamcopete]

plattey,

If you are running the stock TCI ignition system, try disconnecting the reg/rect and see if the problem goes away. If so, it's a case of the strong magnetic field from the rotor interfering with the tiny magnet that triggers the TCI.

[plattey]

Crap....that's what happens. When the reg/rec unit is unplugged, the problem goes away. I paid good money to have that rotor rewound. Could i drill out that old magnet and press/jbweld a stronger magnet in its place? Thank you Pamcopete.

[pamcopete]

plattey,

Well, doing that quick test tells you what the problem is, but fixing it is a different story. It is either a weak magnet in the rotor or a defective TCI box or pickup. Could also be as simple as a loose ground wire to the TCI box or a bad connection in the plug from the pickups, so try all of these possibilities before you look at the magnet in the rotor.

If it the same rotor that you had but just rewound, then it is more likely that the problem is in the TCI box or the wiring. It is possible to drill out the magnet in the rotor, but you have to replace it with a magnet that is not too strong and it must have the same polarity as the one in the rotor.

It can also be noise from the regulator, bad brushes or dirty slip rings, so fix all those things as well. As a last ditch fix, you can try installing a condenser wired to the green brush to eliminate "hash" from the regulator. Just use a generic condenser used in old points system cars, like a 1967 Camaro or such.

But I would still bet on a weak magnet in the rotor.

[plattey]

Thank you Pamcopete,
I'll check over the connections and the tci box. That magnet though....gosh. I'll recheck everything else, like you said, before i go and hack up the rotor lol. Thanks again!

[pamcopete]

plattey,

If you got that rotor from Gary at Custom Rewind in Birmingham, AL, he will make good on it and sent you another one.

[plattey]

yeah, I sent it to Gary. All i would have to do is just send him my rotor and he'll send me one with a good trigger magnet?

[pamcopete]

plattey,

Call Gary and work it out. He is a very reasonable guy.

800 798 7282

Check the other things first so you can tell him that you checked everything else and the problem started when you installed the rotor.

[plattey]

Thanks Pamcopete, i'll contact him this week.
Joe

[plattey]

I cleaned the connections from the RR unit and TCI box to the main wire harness, also cleaned the connections from the pickup coil to the main wire harness and the problem still persists. I was wondering though, what rpm is the ignition suppose to advance at? And about that condenser, just wire one lead to the green wire and ground the body? Thanks.

[pamcopete]

plattey,

I think you have done your due diligence. The capacitor idea is above and beyond that, so time to call Gary and see about a replacement.

[plattey]

Ah, alright.....don't know what I'm gonna do without the 650 for a week or two lol!

[plattey]

Success! Pamcopete, you were right on the money! The trigger magnet was too weak. I bought a pack of 1/8'' dia. rare earth magnets, sanded the magnet and the trigger magnet, cleaned both surfaces, and jb-welded the rare earth magnet onto the trigger magnet. I made sure that there was enough clearance between the magnet and pickup coil by rotating the crank before the jb-weld set. I let it cure overnight and started it up after work and now there's no more sputtering or miss-firing!!!!!!
The magnets were only $2.10, and they're 1/16'' thick. So happy that this problem is fixed ;D Thanks again Pamcopete!

[pamcopete]

plattey,

Well, now you are the resident expert, so keep your eye open for other members who may have a similar problem, but they should also do what you did to eliminate the other possible causes.

Pass it on.

Ride. Enjoy. Life is simple

[plattey]

Don't know about resident expert lol, but i'll try my best! Thanks again Pamcopete.