Fatman,
Yes, that is essentially correct. The PAMCO is just a switch. Turns the coil on and off in response to the position of the magnets on its rotor. The advance mechanism can create some unique symptoms due to loose springs, worn out weight tabs, binding advance rod etc. I have had a couple of cases where the locating pin for the advance plate was missing and that did create a lot of misfiring for obvious reasons.
So, might be a good opportunity to list the main causes of a PAMCO failure:
1. Bad voltage regulator. Especially the old relay type that can fail and cause the alternator to produce a very high voltage.
2. Bad contacts on the kill switch or ignition switch. The kill switch especially may have not have had its contacts cleaned since the bike left the factory 40 years ago.
3. Binding advance rod bushings, especially with the later '80 to '83 models that did not have the bushings from the factory. Pressing them in by hand can result in them being cock eyed and binding the rod.
4. Missing locating pin for the advancer. This usually happens with a new advancer.
5. Plug wires not making contact with the coil internally. Do a resistance check from cap to cap to ensure all is making contact. The Ultimate coil will actually jump a 1" gap, so you can have plug wires that are not connected to anything and the coil will produce enough voltage to jump the gap, but you will get a very poor spark that could result in poor starting backfiring, missing etc.
6. Bad spark plugs. It's amazing how a badly fouled plug can really screw with your mind. I had one the other day on my CB450 with a PAMCO and I just about had the whole ignition system torn apart because I was not getting any action on my strobe light. Finally, I just changed the plug on the offending cylinder and the lights came back on.
7. Bad plug wires and plug caps. The plug caps especially self destruct over time. Just replace them, or start with new ones when you install your PAMCO.
So, I hate to admit this, but in many cases people buy a PAMCO because their stock ignition system has some of the problems listed above. After they install the PAMCO,they still have the problem, so check these items first before you decide to replace your stock ignition. (What? What did I just say? Huh?....
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