Author Topic: Ongoing Electrical Issues  (Read 21915 times)

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Superchuck

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Reply #60 on: August 28, 2018, 04:52:06 pm
Parts are now ordered.

Got the PerTronix 3ohm epoxy filled coil, bison 7mm copper HT lead with unsuppressed cap, Motobatt 7ah AGM battery, Champion RN3C plugs, 2 blade type fuse holders with 15A fuses, wiring stuff to bypass ignition switch and in place use a discreet on/off toggle.

I'm throwing the baby out with the bathwater with the hope that this cleans it all up.  I'm prepared to add jumpers past any intermittent wiring in order to diagnose and get this running reliably. 

Once that is achieved, I'll order the actual replacement ignition switch, and rewire any portions of the wiring harness that may need attention.

Fingers crossed, and thanks for everyone's input so far,

Chuck


Superchuck

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Reply #61 on: September 05, 2018, 02:56:09 am
Parts arrived and today I dug into it in the humid 95 degree heat.  Goal was to try and fit everything, and see what needed custom bracket finagling, etc. 

That's when I noticed a broken wire at the TDI fuse box. 

That definitely explains my no-spark at the last go-round.  No love lost though...

I'm still very happy I got all these upgraded replacement parts.  All it'll do is increase reliability, which is the end goal.

Started making a bracket to mount my newer and slightly larger battery.  It goes up under my custom diy seat.  I'll tuck the pertronix coil up in front of the engine near the old one.  I don't run the stock side panels on my bike or that would be the no-brainer mounting spot for both of these bad boys.

I think the plug/coil cable should be here tomorrow, and I still need to splice in the beefier leads from TCI to coil, as well as the new fuse holders and on/off toggle switch which will bypass my ignition switch.  If everything runs well I'll be ordering a replacement key barrel from across the pond.

My current hypothesis is that my lack of running lights are due to a short in the RH control cluster.  I'll pop in the light switch bypass wire (Uncle Sam is always trying to protect us) and if that fixes it, a new control cluster will also be on order.

Hoping I can dig back into this tomorrow or the next day.

Guess I don't really have much to say, just recording my progress for the history books.

Chuck


tooseevee

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Reply #62 on: September 05, 2018, 12:57:30 pm

That's when I noticed a broken wire at the TDI fuse box. 

That definitely explains my no-spark at the last go-round. 
Chuck

          Do you have that little glass fuse holder with the spider web wires?

           You might think about a new blade fuse holder. Those microscopic wires are a bitch to work with, but it's worth it.

          Good luck.
RI USA '08 Black AVL Classic.9.8:1 ACEhead/manifold/canister. TM32/Open bottle/hot tube removed. Pertronix Coil. Fed mandates removed. Gr.TCI. Bobber seat. Battery in right side case. Decomp&all doodads removed. '30s Lucas taillight/7" visored headlight. Much blackout & wire/electrical upgrades.


Superchuck

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Reply #63 on: September 05, 2018, 01:21:37 pm
Yep, blade fuse holders were one of the items I picked up.  I'm surprised those needle thin brittle wires survived this long honestly.

Tonight will probably be indoor wiring work and battery bracket construction.

Can't wait to get this thing running!


Superchuck

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Reply #64 on: September 11, 2018, 03:16:34 pm
Working on wiring up my new parts, but I'm still waiting on the spark plug lead.

Tooseevee, when you ordered from Bison Motorsports did you have any issues receiving your package?  They marked it 'shipped' on Sept 1, but it's Sept 11, and the USPS tracking info still says 'pre-shipment, waiting for package from seller'.  I am reading some Yelp reviews of their business and there are a lot of testimonials like this, with many people never getting the items they ordered and paid for.

I emailed them, but I'm thinking I'll contact my credit card and have them cancel payment, will need to find a similar product elsewhere.

Before I do anything drastic, has anyone else experienced this if ordering through Bison Motorsports?

Chuck


tooseevee

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Reply #65 on: September 11, 2018, 03:27:12 pm
Working on wiring up my new parts, but I'm still waiting on the spark plug lead.

Tooseevee, when you ordered from Bison Motorsports did you have any issues receiving your package?  They marked it 'shipped' on Sept 1, but it's Sept 11, and the USPS tracking info still says 'pre-shipment, waiting for package from seller'.  I am reading some Yelp reviews of their business and there are a lot of testimonials like this, with many people never getting the items they ordered and paid for.

I emailed them, but I'm thinking I'll contact my credit card and have them cancel payment, will need to find a similar product elsewhere.

Before I do anything drastic, has anyone else experienced this if ordering through Bison Motorsports?

Chuck

           I don't know  ??? ???  What did I order from Bison Motorsports  ??? ???

            But no, I've never had Any problem with ordering and/or receiving Anything from Anywhere including England China India and the Good Ol' Yoo Ess ;D ;D
RI USA '08 Black AVL Classic.9.8:1 ACEhead/manifold/canister. TM32/Open bottle/hot tube removed. Pertronix Coil. Fed mandates removed. Gr.TCI. Bobber seat. Battery in right side case. Decomp&all doodads removed. '30s Lucas taillight/7" visored headlight. Much blackout & wire/electrical upgrades.


Superchuck

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Reply #66 on: September 12, 2018, 09:03:43 pm
So the MIA package from Bison was the copper HT lead I needed to connect my new coil to the plug.  Reached out to them numerous times to no avail, so I had no have my CC stop payment. 

Everything else is pretty much put together.  New battery is mounted, on/off toggle is wired and hidden up above the fender, both fuses replaced with blade style fuses, new ground wire, the works.

I feel like I'm less than an hour of work away from riding again.  Just have to install the light switch bypass, ignition switch bypass, plug in a new tail light bulb, and mount up my seat overtop that rats nest of a wiring harness.

I'll be keeping with the stock coil, plug, and lead until I can procure a quality HT lead elsewhere.  I have much confusion on the topic because I don't want to order something that won't fit my coil, etc.  I'll be doing some more research tonight on it. 

Can't wait to get riding again!  Google is calling for a sunny weekend despite the hurricane down there in the Carolinas.  May have to fire her up Saturday.


tooseevee

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Reply #67 on: September 12, 2018, 09:33:09 pm

I'll be keeping with the stock coil, plug, and lead until I can procure a quality HT lead elsewhere.  I have much confusion on the topic because I don't want to order something that won't fit my coil, etc.  I'll be doing some more research tonight on it. 


          There's nothing special required for that Pertronix coil. It's just a coil. Any spark plug wire you like will fit.
RI USA '08 Black AVL Classic.9.8:1 ACEhead/manifold/canister. TM32/Open bottle/hot tube removed. Pertronix Coil. Fed mandates removed. Gr.TCI. Bobber seat. Battery in right side case. Decomp&all doodads removed. '30s Lucas taillight/7" visored headlight. Much blackout & wire/electrical upgrades.


Superchuck

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Reply #68 on: September 13, 2018, 03:21:23 am
Awesome, i just ordered a plug wire from lowbrow customs... Saw their YouTube video on how to crimp the wire ends and looked like exactly what I need.  7mm, it's black cloth with orange tracers (slick looking) and has a copper core.

Should get delivered early next week.

So it looks like we have success in the motorcycle!

Everything is all plugged in, mounted up, and screwed down tight.  I put back in the headlight switch jumper which bypasses the RH light control switch and now my running lights work!  So the culpret is definitely the RH control cluster as far as lights go, and that has honestly been wonky for years.  Probably a bad solder joint etc.

I'm positive my rectifier/regulator had been failing and frying my electrics though, and that new Chinese one gives me confidence for the new setup.

I didn't try to kick it over yet since it was late and I have neighbors, but I am confident it will run.

The ignition switch is now bypassed and I am relying on an on/off toggle hidden below the seat to cut power from the battery.  The Killswitch still works the same as it always did for engine shutoff.  To bypass the ignition switch I went inside the headlight casque, unplugged the plastic connector at the ignition switch, cut a small 1 inch piece of 14 gauge wire with both ends stripped, jammed one end in each side of the now disconnected plug, and taped it in place.  Elegant.  The connector from the ignition switch itself is now just dangling and not connected to anything.  The other end of the plastic connector contains the sending and receiving leads, and those are what I jumped together.

Once I get a new OEM ignition switch I'll probably keep the battery toggle installed just as a safeguard against leeching power when the bike is off.

Can't wait to get this thing on the road, and weather willing this weekend I will.

Next week will be coil installation, and lots of riding to see if I am in fact breakdown free.  (Probably just jinxed it)

That's all for now.
Chuck


tooseevee

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Reply #69 on: September 13, 2018, 12:43:38 pm
Awesome, i just ordered a plug wire from lowbrow customs... Saw their YouTube video on how to crimp the wire ends and looked like exactly what I need.  7mm, it's black cloth with orange tracers (slick looking) and has a copper core.

Should get delivered early next week.

So it looks like we have success in the motorcycle!

Everything is all plugged in, mounted up, and screwed down tight.  I put back in the headlight switch jumper which bypasses the RH light control switch and now my running lights work!  So the culpret is definitely the RH control cluster as far as lights go, and that has honestly been wonky for years.  Probably a bad solder joint etc.

I'm positive my rectifier/regulator had been failing and frying my electrics though, and that new Chinese one gives me confidence for the new setup.

I didn't try to kick it over yet since it was late and I have neighbors, but I am confident it will run.

The ignition switch is now bypassed and I am relying on an on/off toggle hidden below the seat to cut power from the battery.  The Killswitch still works the same as it always did for engine shutoff.  To bypass the ignition switch I went inside the headlight casque, unplugged the plastic connector at the ignition switch, cut a small 1 inch piece of 14 gauge wire with both ends stripped, jammed one end in each side of the now disconnected plug, and taped it in place.  Elegant.  The connector from the ignition switch itself is now just dangling and not connected to anything.  The other end of the plastic connector contains the sending and receiving leads, and those are what I jumped together.

Once I get a new OEM ignition switch I'll probably keep the battery toggle installed just as a safeguard against leeching power when the bike is off.

Can't wait to get this thing on the road, and weather willing this weekend I will.

Next week will be coil installation, and lots of riding to see if I am in fact breakdown free.  (Probably just jinxed it)

That's all for now.
Chuck

         Good for you! Your progress and confidence made my morning  :) :)

         I can't wait to hear how you make out with the new Pertronix coil.

          I hope you can some day do away with that headlight jumper so you don't have to have it On every time you start the engine.

          Having a hidden toggle switch on the ignition is never a bad idea although if they want your bike, they''ll just throw it in a pickup truck; gone in 30 seconds.
RI USA '08 Black AVL Classic.9.8:1 ACEhead/manifold/canister. TM32/Open bottle/hot tube removed. Pertronix Coil. Fed mandates removed. Gr.TCI. Bobber seat. Battery in right side case. Decomp&all doodads removed. '30s Lucas taillight/7" visored headlight. Much blackout & wire/electrical upgrades.


Superchuck

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Reply #70 on: September 14, 2018, 01:42:34 pm
She purrs like a lion.

Spark plug wire gets here Monday.

Planning on a long day ride this weekend, and will mount up the Pertronix and Champion plug next week.

I actually like having the lights always-on since it's a reminder that I still need to switch the power off after killing the engine.  Definitely would have forgot it last night, which probably would have killed my brand new battery.  Although, on the other hand it's good to be able to go stealth mode with no lights.  Such as for robbing a bank.  Or for tooling around in the dirt under power line easements.  Not that I've done that sort of thing of course.

Can't wait to ride.

Many thanks to all of you great people for your help along the way.  Fingers crossed this is the end of my electrical worries for a while.

Cheers,
Chuck


Superchuck

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Reply #71 on: September 17, 2018, 02:33:05 am
Did about 150 miles today with a friend- he on his Harley and me on the Enfield.  no issues, and it ran like a dream!  Twisties, highway, and some in-town riding.

At one point my front right blinker wasn't working, but then later in the day it fixed itself.  Also on rare occasion the ammetter would pin hard left but in a few seconds it would fix itself also.  When running it would normally be just right of center, and that's where it was 99.9% of the day.  So yes, still some loose wires in there.  But the essentials are working, and that's my priority.

Wednesday I may be able to install the new coil, weather permitting.

Feels great to ride again!
Chuck


tooseevee

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Reply #72 on: September 17, 2018, 01:40:38 pm
Did about 150 miles today with a friend- he on his Harley and me on the Enfield.  no issues, and it ran like a dream!  Twisties, highway, and some in-town riding.

Chuck

        :) ;D :) ;D :) ;D
RI USA '08 Black AVL Classic.9.8:1 ACEhead/manifold/canister. TM32/Open bottle/hot tube removed. Pertronix Coil. Fed mandates removed. Gr.TCI. Bobber seat. Battery in right side case. Decomp&all doodads removed. '30s Lucas taillight/7" visored headlight. Much blackout & wire/electrical upgrades.


Superchuck

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Reply #73 on: September 26, 2018, 09:38:40 pm
As an update, the Enfield is still going strong.  I've logged about 200 miles or so on it - mostly highway commuting miles.

I received my spark plug wire, but have yet to install the new coil.  It's been a monsoon for weeks and the few dry evening we do have get dedicated to other projects.

I was gearing up for a solo ride from the DC area to Ocean City, MD this weekend (+/- 150 miles each way), but it looks like friday we may see some thunderstorms, so that trip is off. 

For the moment I'm happy running with my ignition switch bypass and light-switch jumper.  I want to stop messing with things and log some miles.  Those sound like good winter projects though, and shipping time won't matter since the bike is currently functional.

I still plan on installing the PerTronix coil, new plug and HT lead, but I've been so damn busy.  I'm happy to be able to ride again though, and I finally have some proper rain gear arriving shortly to make the commutes a little bit less wet. 

Autumn riding is my favorite riding, and I'm psyched to get out for some long brisk afternoons in the saddle.

Chuck


Karl Fenn

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Reply #74 on: February 27, 2021, 01:32:45 am
What a trip down memory lane this takes me back to my brishsh singles of the 70s many with similar wiring circuits, one thing l did learn during that time many ills were in fact a cause of vibration, back in those days all terminals were crimped, quite poorly l might add even though they were done by the factory, my prognosis was the wires came loose in the connection, my solution was to solder them in place and test each wire for continuity, however that solution was not a cure for the bulbs they often used to shake out filaments bikes from that era do that it's known, l must say a new harness may appear to be a magic bullet in the short term, but soon those terminals will vibrate loose again,  a more permanent solution is new terminals and solder which will cure the problem, l must admit back in those days l had to spend a lot of time repairing my bikes, but that was just   accepted as perfectly normal, and of course as we know RE have a very close relationship  to those old Brit bikes built in may ways to similar production methods.