atc 70 points...

[buffalobill]

got this bike over the weekend, bought a new set of points, a condenser, and one of those ebay timing lights thats basically a continuity tester. just went out and put the new points in, put the new condenser in, and put the timing light to it. the circuit isn't breaking, even with me manually pulling the points apart with the flywheel off. what is going on? i wired up the condensor just as the last one was wired, and i figured that at least pulling the points apart would shut the light off. but i am getting nothing, the light doesn't even get dim. anyone do this before? is this a problem with the stator?

[atc007]

Put it together and run it. Drain the tank,new fuel and enjoy it. I wouldn't worry about the cheap timing light. What difference does that make if she purrs back together,lol. Set your points and ride : )

[wonderboy]

I'm not sure what bulb is in your timing light. The setup I use is a 12 volt taillamp bulb from a car, and a 12v battery. Put 12 volts to the bulb, connect the other side of the bulb to the wire coming out of the points, and ground the battery negative to the frame.

With this setup, the light will go bright and dim. You want the transition to happen right when you've rotated the flywheel "Fire" mark to the index.

So, the key to answer your main question is that the light should go bright and dim, rather than on/off.

You did connect the points to the condensor, right?

[tri again]

Not sure if this correlates but
I had a honda 50 and one side of the points NEEDS to be isolated from the main frame ground
or there is no circuit to break.
(points open, plug fires)


There's an insulator on one of the points side.

Major *&^^%$ with the 2 part points sets with the little washers and insulators.
that never seat right.

[Flyingw]

If the flywheel is off then the points will not work for two reasons.

1. The flywheel whirling around the exciter coils creates AC power. No flywheel, no power
2. The lobe to open and close the points is on the flywheel

[buffalobill]

well, thats the problem! i need the points to open for it to spark! the timing light is telling me it is not, and that the points are not breaking the circuit, therfore no spark.

[buffalobill]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Timing-Light-CL350-CB450-CB550-CB750-CA71-CL72-CB77-CB200-CL200-CA76-CA77-/221093792723?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item337a378bd3&vxp=mtr


here is a timing light from the same guy i bought mine from. I did notice that there was a small "dim" section when rotating the flywheel. but when the points open all the way, shouldn't there be no light at all?

[buffalobill]

the moving part of the points has insulators on both sides where the condensor wire hooks up, no grounding going on there, its all riding on the plastic arm of the points.

I dunno, i guess i am just confused as to why my points wont break the circuit, even when i physically pull them apart with something. I haven't had any time today, and i wont until tommorow night, so i guess i will let you know then!

[buffalobill]

the timing light i bought uses a 9v battery to power the circuit, so that way you don't need the flywheel in the way of adjustment.

thats why i dont understand why when i pull the points apart with something, why the light doesn't go out, or at least dim.

[wonderboy]

but when the points open all the way, shouldn't there be no light at all?

Nope, only a dim bulb. The light shouldn't go completely out. If you do get a dim spot when you rotate your flywheel, you are on the right track. It just means your gap is way off. You need to use a large flat blade screwdriver and with the flywheel still on, you can engage a slot next to the points. One edge of the screwdriver will grab the backlpate, the other edge of teh screwdriver catches the base of teh points. Now if you twist, you'll adjust the points gap. You'll need to have the points hold-down screw just a tad loose (but still tight enough to hold the gap steady while you check it).

Via trial and error, you should be able to tweak the point gap, either open and closed, until you get the bulb to go dim just as the flywheel "Fire" or "F" mark passes the timing notch.

[tri again]

the timing light i bought uses a 9v battery to power the circuit, so that way you don't need the flywheel in the way of adjustment.

thats why i dont understand why when i pull the points apart with something, why the light doesn't go out, or at least dim.

Frustrating, for sure.
Is the points set pre assembled? or do you have to put them together?..
with tiny fibre washers and insulators.

In other words, if the points were sitting on your kitchen table with each side hooked to your
test light, would it act like a sqitch if you open them?
If not, they're shorting across somehow.

With the capacitor (condenser) in the circuit, it may go 'dim' instead of off
or on because the condensor is trying to hold a charge like a battery.

There is a condensor test in almost every book. "charge" it by putting voltage to it.
and see if the pigtail wire throws a spark when touched to the condenser case.

That's actually the trigger current that tells the coil to fire when the points open.

so if it was me? I'd make sure the points act like a switch all by themselves.
Test the capacitor (condenser) by itself and them hope everything else (coil, grounds,
kill switch etc) are good.

It's amazing that this technology is what made flight across oceans possible.