ID this ignition system.

[MacMcMacmac]

I assumed it was an XS Charge unit but i'd like to confirm if possible. I bought a new battery from Wallyworld and put it in not realizing the polarity was reversed from the original. I got a pretty good spark from a plug and a blown main fuse. Now I have no spark, so I'm assuming i have blown up this board. Pretty pissed with this bike, myself and the reference that told me the battery was for my machine.

Wild assed plan would be to use it to fire a GN igniter if it could generate a pulse with the permanent magnet. I would pull it apart but I don't know how the timing is set with this system. I think I might have all the original points setup in the box of miscellaneous bits that came with the bike, so it might go retro.

 

[Jan_P]

Well for thinking out loud And positive thinking it is not over and out just yet for the Ignition
The ignition circuit has more components Mainly coils

This being an aftermarket Ignition the jury is still out as to where the damage is

compare
Leaving the ignition key "ON" without the engine running can quickly overheat and permanently damage (or "fry") your ignition coils when using a Boyer Bransden system.

Not knowing the Physics on your setup Blowing a main fuse 20 A +
Is a power a bit High for a ignition " Brain " I would not be surprised if a coli have melted and then the fuse

Sure wrong polarity on electronics is a way to get into trouble Expensive trouble .. But the designer knows this that wrong polarity can happen
and can have built in protection. For the " Box " The smoke and flashes at the spots where high energy is.
Not definitive here but a check on the coils ... Someone else Chime In
If the coils fry .If connected with wrong polarity

 

[Jim]

Not definitive here but a check on the coils ... Someone else Chime In
If the coils fry .If connected with wrong polarity

Dual output coils such as these elec ignitions use have an isolated (floating) ground. In other words, they're not polarity sensitive. They'll function just fine powered from either lead.

 

[Its been a long time]

Looks like PAMCO? Or a copy?

Also I think there's an oil leak from the camshaft oil seal. That will not help the ignition system long term.

 

[willis]

Just an observation, but looks like the advance notch has been modified on it a little. They are normally just crescent shaped, but this looks like it has been extended a little.

 

[Wagner73]

Looks like PAMCO? Or a copy?

Looks like an original PAMCO.

 

[Its been a long time]

Looks like an original PAMCO.

That's what I thought, but I'm not really familiar with them, or the copies.

 

[willis]

The original Pamco units I have seen are marked (laser etched?) with the Pamco name on the circuit board. If you remove the nut off the advance rod and remove the aluminum disc you should be able to see if it is marked or not. Here are a couple of examples.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

She's original alright. So reading up a bit there should be a fuse protecting this, so I'll sleuth a bit more. Maybe some hope yet.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

Weirdness. No power on the Pamco red wire with the key on or off. I can crank the starter with the kill switch in the off position. No power on the red/white wire going to the coils from the harness. It seems like the safety relay contacts may be fused closed.

 

[Wagner73]

Pamco red wire should be connected to red/white wire downstream from the kill switch, so with the ignition switch on and kill switch on, there should be power.

I don't think the kill switch position should have any effect on whether or not the starter turns over, as the only circuit it controls is power to the coil(s).

Ignition switch or kill switch? Also maybe safety relay not resetting via alternator yellow wire?

 

[Its been a long time]

No power to the red/white, check the brown (?) wire into the kill switch for 12v. Either the switch is bad or there's no 12v going into the switch.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

Will do.

 

[Its been a long time]

Will do.

If there's 12v at the kill switch, then you need to overhaul the switch. I would do it anyway, it's overdue. They're surprisingly easy to strip and overhaul.

If there's no 12v into the switch then trace the brown (?) wire back to the ignition switch. 12v is getting lost somewhere and it'll probably be pretty easy to determine where.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

Well, no power at the kill switch. Turns out, the brown wire was being bashful and pulled out of the plug. Which was just as well, as the red/white wire next to it decided to snap off at the same time. I got it running again, but still no charging.

I think I know what that issue is though. I used the stock plugs and kept the green to green wire, and brown to brown wire. I hooked the brown wire to the center bottom plug on the regulator, and the green wire to the switched ground.

Unfortunately in the stock setup, the brown wire is sending 12v to the brush. Now it's connected to the brown wire going to the sense pin on the regulator. The green wire is coming back from the green wire on the brush. Ergo, there is no power going to the brushes. It's just one big circular ground.

So, I need to send 12v down the wire to the hot brush, and connect the black wire coming back from the ungrounded brush to the regulated ground on the upper pin of the regulator. Then I need to connect the sense pin on the regulator to a switched brown wire to sense system voltage.

Note to self. Ignore stock wiring colours and remember what your are trying to accomplish.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

Ha ha. First ride resulted in a 1km push in 30c sunshine after the bike lost all power. No 12v on the brown wire. Looks like the ignition switch supply has given up the ghost. Blown main fuse. Fun times. That's the third electrical fault. It was charging fine at least.

 

[Its been a long time]

Feed to ignition switch is red wire. Brown is switched 12v out of the switch. I recommend you strip and clean the switch. It's surprisingly easy to do, there's threads on here about it. After 50 years, it's due some attention.

 

[MacMcMacmac]

The bike was popping and backfiring while it was running. I suspected skunky fuel, then it just died. Seems like a break in the wiring to me. I'm having a hard time trusting this bike. My old 83 started out much crustier and gave me less grief.

I'm not bonding with this bike at all. I'll probably sell it on after fixing it. Bad case of the BTDTs I think. Might be done with biking altogether frankly.

 

[Its been a long time]

It's certainly a challenge running a 50 year old motorcycle, but rewarding. But it isn't for everyone. That much is true.

 

[Jan_P]

The bike was popping and backfiring while it was running. I suspected skunky fuel, then it just died. Seems like a break in the wiring to me. I'm having a hard time trusting this bike. My old 83 started out much crustier and gave me less grief.

I'm not bonding with this bike at all. I'll probably sell it on after fixing it. Bad case of the BTDTs I think. Might be done with biking altogether frankly.

I Think we know the feeling ... One ,time mine stalled ... I was in full black leather gear over 30 C pushing it ... If. I had matches that time with me I perhaps Would have opened the tank cap set fire to it. But give it a rest Now for a while ... it was charging and the Ignition switch can be a solution.
Problems Yes that is part of it ...