350x Issues (Saga III)

[ps2fixer]

Nice, was also going to mention last I knew Mike's cdi's had issues with the 85 style stator, unless he worked out a solution on that, my guess is the CDI needs a smaller capacitor inside, but I don't know the design well enough to know 100%.

The 400ex CDI I tested with did work on my machine for idle and med rpm, but high rpm it cut out like a rev limiter, ok if you drive the machine easily and never go above like 4000 rpm, I tend to run my stuff hard, so I want it to hit the high rpms lol.

No experience with Risk's, but I suspect there's a possibility that they would also have the issue with the 85 style stator.

From my old testing, the only good CDI was OEM.

Btw do you still have the bad CDI's? I have one bad 350x CDI that can't be turned off, would be interesting to get the ones off you and mess around with them some day. I doubt I'll be getting into the CDI reproduction side of things, but I have the experience for like 80% of the process. I've had custom circuit boards made, can solder connectors, have a 3d printer for a housing, I just haven't done the epoxy potting before. If I ever did anything like that, I'd defo want to have a solid way to measure ignition timing and energy transfer (aka how much energy goes into the CDI, and then outputs to the coil). Since it's all analog on these machines, I'm pretty sure everything is balanced out in design but would be nice to validate that's the case. I've done similar with the voltage readings before but that doesn't tell the whole story.

[ATC King]

Is there an obvious bad part in this? What fixed it?

[ps2fixer]

I could be wrong but pretty sure OP just put on a known good working CDI and it just works. I suspect that means the other ones he had issues with were bad or about to fail and had bad luck.

Guessing the replacement CDI is for the orig machine the OEM CDI came from.

Btw worth a mention, even though 85 and 86 style stators are different, the OEM CDI is the same for both.

[patriot1]

Since I fixed everything at once-I never isolated the issue.

Could have been 3 bad CDIs that worked but then didn't?

Engine wasn't grounded?

Chinese switch?

Runs good now though.

I have not tested the Chinese 400ex cdi on the donor bike but Rick's showed up today so hopefully donor will run off one or the other.

[ATC King]

At least you got it running.

That's a lil bit of a load off.

[Dirtcrasher]

Nice, was also going to mention last I knew Mike's cdi's had issues with the 85 style stator, unless he worked out a solution on that, my guess is the CDI needs a smaller capacitor inside, but I don't know the design well enough to know 100%.

The 400ex CDI I tested with did work on my machine for idle and med rpm, but high rpm it cut out like a rev limiter, ok if you drive the machine easily and never go above like 4000 rpm, I tend to run my stuff hard, so I want it to hit the high rpms lol.

No experience with Risk's, but I suspect there's a possibility that they would also have the issue with the 85 style stator.

From my old testing, the only good CDI was OEM.

Btw do you still have the bad CDI's? I have one bad 350x CDI that can't be turned off, would be interesting to get the ones off you and mess around with them some day. I doubt I'll be getting into the CDI reproduction side of things, but I have the experience for like 80% of the process. I've had custom circuit boards made, can solder connectors, have a 3d printer for a housing, I just haven't done the epoxy potting before. If I ever did anything like that, I'd defo want to have a solid way to measure ignition timing and energy transfer (aka how much energy goes into the CDI, and then outputs to the coil). Since it's all analog on these machines, I'm pretty sure everything is balanced out in design but would be nice to validate that's the case. I've done similar with the voltage readings before but that doesn't tell the whole story.

If anyone could, I know you could reproduce them, everything you make is sweet, and those parts are just mechanical connections. I wouldn't let the epoxy hold you back at all, that's the easiest part of it all. I'd probably pour the epoxy and then place it in a small vacuum chamber.

Nice to you you still kickin around!

[Dirtcrasher]

Just to clarify my statement on the fly wheels for future reference for anyone. If you have ever had to deal with the Goki starter kits you will discover that the 86 fly wheel is closer to the centerline of the engine than the 85. The starter gear for the Goki will either bind or miss the ring gear because of it if you have the wrong Goki kit. If the taper on the cranks are the same, than the taper on the fly wheel is in a different location . The stator has to match the fly wheal you are using. The 86 fly wheel will fit over an 85 stator but have a weak spark because there is too much of a gap. The 85 will not fit over an 86 stator. I believe you can swap fly wheel / stator combo between the two years, but they have to be a matched combo.

"The 86 flyweel will fit over the 85 stator" - That is EXACTLY what I did one time many years ago, I'm sure there's a post here about it. I had multiple new take out motors, and somehow I mixed up the parts. As you said, I had a real weak spark and it would try to fire, but never fire. I bet that has stumped quite a few people in the past. That issue haunted me for quite awhile. Everyone kept saying sheared flywheel key, but I had changed the flywheel because I lightened one. That was my clue.

I would guess it's the flywheel that chages that depth, I don't believe there's any differnce to the taper cut on the crankshaft.

And yes, it caused lots of GOKI issues for people too. IDK why Honda messed with the stator, but they are/were always striving to improve anything and everything 1mm at a time...

[patriot1]

Yes crasher: I actually read about your ordeal when I was investigating this!

PS2: You should be receiving the box of CDIs any day now-let me know when they arrive.

The Ricks CDI works great on the donor bike (as far as I can tell)

A little progress:



Waiting on a clutch cable before I can test ride it. I actually had a new motion pro cable for an 85 but this is an 86 engine so I ordered the proper one.

I'm not sure what direction I will go with the tank? Trying to get everything mechanical worked out first then I will figure the tank out.