Closing date for April issue -> February 17
No sparks…
Well. Where the real baby boomers have a house in Tuscany, a sloop, a cool convertible, a classic and a big Harley of Having a BMW… I'm a third world country there.
To my complete satisfaction, by the way. I get nervous about owning too much. The only thing that seems a bit off is the vintage motorcycles.
But on the plus side: when I was around twenty years old, I rode old, cheap motorcycles. Half a century later, I have classics. Honestly lived-in classics, that is. In my opinion, you should be able to tell from motorcycles and people that they've lived.
But with age comes ailments. Mine. And my motorcycles. If I were a dog, my owner wouldn't put me down just yet. But if I were a car, I'd be looking forward to the next MOT with some concern.
One of my motorcycles is a never-ending story. I've been riding old Soviet Rabbits for thirty-plus years. These days, Urals and Dneprs are cult or trendy. They deserve that bit of appreciation. The quality of the equipment and the knowledge about it have grown considerably, and there's the Ural Dnepr Motorcycle Club, whose members are pleasantly helpful to each other.
In the early days, Ural or Dnepr riders were looked at with pity. People were eager to see how dirty your hands were and to know how many roadside assistance workers you knew by their first names. That was a silly question. Because as the owner of such a clunky three-wheeler, you did all the repairs yourself. Including replacing a loose cylinder on the side of the road.
Such old Russian (IMZ/Ural) or Ukrainian (KMZ/Dnepr) stuff is just like a wooden ship, a house or a relationship: you are never done with it.
So, the current state of affairs is that my Ural/Dnepr hybrid is equipped with a Chang Jiang engine. That's also a 750cc side-valve engine with just under twenty horsepower. But the engine has a starter motor. And I have a worn kickstarter knee. A different engine was the easier option than replacing the knee.
In the BMW R71/KMZ-IMZ sidevalve and Chang lines, the components are interchangeable between brands. That's a sign of character. We're talking about a construction period (not a development period) of around 85 years. Installing the Chinese pickup was therefore simple. Only the upper engine mount required some improvisation. Then the wiring could be installed.
For this I called in the help of friends Thijs W. and Ernie W. (no relation), because I am an old Wtb'er and get nervous about any wiring with more than two ends.
Battery/coil wiring is basic. You need a spark from the battery, to the starter switch, to the points, and to the coil. I even understand that. What really struck me was that my two friends installed a car ignition switch and pulled the wiring completely neatly. I was deeply impressed. From under the workbench came a freshly charged car battery...
Well, the starter motor whined happily. But sparks at the spark plugs? A full 12 volts was present at all critical points. But no spark came from the coil. A new 2CV coil was installed. The carbon-core spark plug wires were replaced with copper-core ones. We hung my jumper across the battery terminals. Just to be safe, some extra ground wires were added...
I pulled out some other spark plug boots from the stash…
Another starting attempt was made.
But sparks? No sparks.
Meanwhile, it was late.
We had grown cold.
We stopped doing it.
That was very wise!
But if anyone knows why the spark plugs are not sparking?
Hi, maybe test the capacitor and the coil? Good luck, I'm curious.
When I read it like this, I honestly think of a break in the zero. 😀
Most of the possible causes have already been discussed.
If 12V is present on the coil when the contact points are closed and not when they are open, then that's probably fine, and the capacitor isn't shorted because it's blown. This doesn't necessarily mean the capacitor is actually working. Disconnect it for testing. Even without the capacitor, sparks should still come out (although the sparks will be shorter and weaker).
If there's voltage on the coil, does current flow through it? It's a matter of measuring. If that's the case, but no sparks when the voltage is interrupted, then the high-voltage side may simply have tripped. So, there's plenty to try and measure. Fortunately, it's not rocket science. A case of a "between the soup and the ashes" job. Hang in there!
You could also try NGK spark plugs.
I have experienced that the original BOSCH spark plugs on a BMW R67 were worthless.
Put in a set of NGKs and start running.
Capacitor can also be a factory failure.
Check the value to what it should be.
And graphite spark plug wires: if you kink them you already have a problem.
But first there has to be a spark from the coil and then you can continue building.
All old school.
Basic concepts of ignition points and understanding the primary and secondary parts, i.e. the structure of the primary current to the coil from the points/capacitor.
So when the points are closed, the PRE-voltage is built up and after opening the points, this voltage is converted into a KVolt voltage, depending on the number of windings of the coil.
The capacitor is a very important part in building up the primary voltage.
A capacitor is a dielectric.
The capacitor outside the sheath must of course make ground.
Just Google it for:
How does a contact point ignition system work?
BOSCH technical course used to have that in a thin hardcover too.
Still available at the BIEB perhaps?
I (currently) have a 2CV. Initially, I had some trouble with the resin-filled Valeo coil. If the engine got too hot during the summer months, you couldn't get the car started after a short stop. So, let it cool down for an hour.
I now have a high performance coil from Burton and since then the problem has been solved.
It's funny, though, that in the duck world everyone idolizes Harley coils. They turn out to be really good. And they're also quite affordable.
I have had this coil for over 40 years on a Horex Imperator 400 cc 2 cyl and it works fine
With good points and capacitor it should spark well
Test the coil with a wire to the battery and tap it and there should be a spark
Install both spark plugs
Did you plug in the spark plugs? Jawa riders in the '80s sometimes forgot to do that too. No power... no power, right?
Isn't this by any chance a 6 volt coil? (from an old type of duck)
Is a coil from a 2CV6, so 12V
Buy a box of spark plugs! We used to send interns away for that.
My car had the same problem. After replacing everything, the (new) rotor wasn't working. It simply wouldn't let any current flow, so no spark...
Dear Dolf, good suggestion; join Putin with a good running Dnieper, bottle, cigar, and cannon on top.
In response to Kees: I would have made his last suggestion first, after which…
Greetings Jan
Dear Dnieper people,
I have read everything new, incl. spark plug cables, ground cables.
A new ignition lock has been installed on a car.
Is there actually voltage when it is switched on?
And what is the condition of any existing wiring to the contact points/capacitor and coil?
Greetings and good luck, Peter.
Well, to be able to spark, we need a coil, contact points, and a capacitor.
And 12 volts.
Do the points open and close properly, are they still a bit greasy from mounting, or do they have a protective transport coating?
Capacitor still intact, they don't break often, but from my Zündapp days I remember them sometimes wanting to spend an afternoon "diagnosing" it because... well... that's what it was.
Duck coils are generally very durable, but there could be a disabled person among them.
Last suggestion... maybe the spark plugs fell on the ground at some point? That won't fix them either.
I'm curious what the cause will ultimately be.
And: bonus tip… find a willing person with a 2CV, then you can swap things one-on-one!