TCI box - a successful repair, electronic ignition, ignitor

Sorry, I'm not sure what voltages you should be seeing on these contacts. My bike is completely torn down now, so I wouldn't be able to give you any readings.

Kent
 
does anyone know if i can use this stock TCI box with a pamco green monster ignition coil?

To decide whether you can use a coil or not, try this. Somewhere find the primary resistance of a stock coil. If the new coil has about the same or higher primary resistance, then it's okay.

There aren't any specs for the output transistor that anyone can find, so you can't know what the actual lowest primary resistance it could handle is. But if it's the same or higher than original it follows that it's okay. The lower the resistance, the more current the output transistor is required to handle.
 
I hope this one get's sticky!
my 81 box:

opened up: cover , dirt shield, board

box: D1, D2, D3, D4 in upper right side of board

I need to remove the four screw's on the corners. You checked all the soldered area's and replaced the four diode's. 1N4004 1 AMP Rectifer Diode's Cat. #276-1103 or similar. This is a Great Post with a lot of info. xjwmx Thank You. Is there any other parts that would need looking into on this box? rawxs
 
The stock TCI coil has a 2.5 ohm primary. The green monster is a 3.3 ohm. Mike's Ultimate High Output coil #17-6903, is a good replacement for the stock TCI coil.
 
stopped by Radio Shack on the way home and pick up those parts. Now eat dinner and finish snow removal. I'll look into that coil. thank you!
 
When I pick up the bike it was running on one cylinder. I thought it was due to that side carb leaking gas and the spark plug lead sparking to the motor. As I look into it and search here, I'm finding some easy fix's and some info that can be helpful to my Bobber Build. As long as it is all part, I want to check everything as it goes back together. rawxs
 
xjwmx, could you explain the diode test for me. I have my tci box on the bench and hope this will be the end all ignition fix er up. Can I do this with a little fluke meter that has standard functions?

'They're easy to test in-circuit since they just run out to the cable'
 
That just means you can test the diodes without unsoldering one end, because when the cable is unplugged, one end of them already is not connected to anything. It just means you can test them as is without unsoldering.
 
Great info gents, that site is now bookmarked in my favorites...and open in another window right now:thumbsup:

From my test in OHMS mode I found resistance in both directions on the diodes, this I believe would indicate that they are bad.....unless, from what I just read, I have a resistor in parallel which might give that sort of reading, is that correct or possible?

Second test I ran in diode test mode. This test indicated OL in one direction and values of
.53 -.46 in the other direction....this test, I believe, shows that the diodes are good.

So what do you think?...besides the fact that I have no clue what I'm doing....btw, I did these tests on the component side of the board placing my test leads directly on either side of the diode 'egg'...good procedure?

thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!!
 
There's nothing in parallel with them; that's what I've been saying :)

When I tested mine, I just read the same resistance in both directions on a couple of them. I didn't read the rest, just replaced them all. A long time ago there was a diode like these inside a relay and the clutch switch would make my neutral light come on. It read the same way, a couple thousand ohms or so in both directions.
 
There's nothing in parallel with them; that's what I've been saying :)

Well then there is no freakin way I'm putting it back together without replacing the little buggers. I have a nice little mom n pop electronics shop down the street and pop is a motorcyclist...think I'm heading to Radio Shack now so I can bring him a bit of work tomorrow.

I'll post up soon as she's back together....THANK YOU SIR!!!
 
The best way to check most any parts on the board is to unsolder one end and lift the end up away from the board. When you test the part this way you are testing just the part. With it in the circuit, you can get a connection through the other parts on the board.
My cheap meter from Harbor Freight has a diode test and a transistor check built right in. Your fluke may have too.
 
A friend soldered in 4 new diodes for me but it still is skipping. He said that ZD4 looked like it got hot, the conformal coating was messed up there. Is this a zener diode? Does anyone know the value of this part? My card is exactly like the one below

SDC11912.jpg
 
If it's not too messed up to read, it might have the zener voltage printed on it. If the number on it is one of the standard voltages, that's probably it. They don't always have their voltage identified on them though. There's a chance the voltage is silk screened on the board near it. You or your friend could look up test procedures for a zener and see if it's bad.
 
This component seems to have 'B9' or something like that printed on it....does that sound like a familiar ZD value?
 
The closest standard value is 9.1. I think you can test a zener for short or open like a normal diode. You say it's still "skipping." Be sure your problem is the tci box. Like I said before, I'm glad I had a good spare one to test against.
 
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