in a shop we see this quite a bit and some guys have cement in the brain so we have them drive around till it starts to kick out close to the shop, then we use the garden hose on the cone and all is well again --

while an ignition / coil is fine on a collectable you dont depend on as a day rider it is time to drop the BIG bucks and buy a new system

 

What would you recommend as a reliable system? I don't want to spend anymore than I have to and I don't want a dragster. But, I'd like to not have to fix it again for a while.

I have a buddy that has the same bike I have except, his has over 300,000 on it. He always scrounges parts when he can find them. He's still on the stock system but, I know for a fact that he has replaced the module a couple of times over the years, always with old parts someone "had laying around." When he takes a road trip, and he takes some seriously long road trips, he always carries a spare ignition module. He may carry a coil too but, I can't remember him mentioning it.

 

falconbrother,

Put the ignition module in right now. It's a quick and easy way to get you back on the road today!

I still suspect your ignition module. This is a whole lot less work than many of the other suggestions here.

If you drill out the rivets, you must have the precise rivets to reinstall, they are a specific length. I tapped threads into mine and found perfect sized bolts to re-install it with.

Your re-manufactured engine would not have come with a new timing plate, the old one was most likely re-installed. And yes the part is still available.

First time I had this issue I wound up starting with the timing plate, then the coil, then borrowed a working ignition module and that finally fixed it. Last year I was trouble shooting another issue and checked the timing plate and the replacement timing plate, which was an updated style, had overheated and the coolant grease was oozing out. The original plate has a tiny bar magnet and a magnetic sensor switch which are separate, but I wanted to update it to see if it would fix my issue. I feel the original was actually a more reliable unit. But, at that time I was "throwing parts at it" starting with the cheapest first. All because it was so damned intermittent.

There's a lot you can read about here on the forum about updating the ignition module. Even an HD replacement today will require rewiring the new style connector into the system. I'm pleased with my Crane Hi 4E which I believe is being manufactured by S&S now. Also there is another replacement made by Dyna. One of the reasons to update would be for addition performance settings. The stock HD unit is preset, and aftermarket is adjustable.

 

I installed the swap meet module this am. Took like, ten minutes. Bike fired right up so, it works in the short run. This afternoon I will take the bike out for a couple of rides, without wandering very far, then bring it home to shut it off and see if it will restart. I think I will go ahead and drill those rivets and tap the holes too. My Heritage was like that. I'm ordering a coil too since they are cheap. Thanks a bunch. I really appreciate everything. I need to ride..

 

Where abouts are you in NC?

 

Update: I was warming her up for a ride and noticed that as I cut the handlebars back and forth at a certain point the bike would cut out. I really believe I have a short in the wiring someplace at this point.

I drilled out the rivets in the nose cone and looked at the sensor. It basically looks like a new one. The screws that hold the cover plate on looked a little goobered up so, someone was in there before me. I put a heat gun to it and got the sensor hot and the bike still started just fine. I'll pull the cowling and take a real close look at those wires. I have a service manual so I'll play very close attention to anything related to the ignition system.

2manyhobbies75, I'm in High Point NC. I do some of my HD business at Smokin in WS although, I'm very aware that they don't love me much. The last major time this thing wouldn't start was in their parking lot. I sat there for about two hours messing with the thing. I went to the service department to see if I could roll the bike in and let a mechanic look at it. They basically said no. I'll bet if you had an old Ford or Chevy and broke down in the dealers lot they would at least let you pay them a small ransom to look at it. If you own an older Harley you're own your own in the world. I bought a Heritage from Smokin a few years ago and paid too much for it.

I do some of my HD'n at Greensboro HD. I bought two brand new, off the truck, bikes from them in 2001. They have said that they would work on my bike if I needed it but, they wanted $330.00 for a back tire and were unaware that the bearings would need to be repacked. The price and the bearing issue scared me into mounting my own tire and packing my own bearings. I do all of my parts shopping from the American Heritage museum in Asheboro. That guy really knows his stuff about EVOs, Shovels, Pans, Knuckles and Flats. He says he knows squat about TCs and don't want to know about them. Great place to take your business. Plus, as you probably know, they have one heck of a great breakfast there. It takes me about a half hour to get there from my house.

 

Sounds like another issue to deal with.

Did you replace your bars, or did the grips get changed? Quite possibly loose or shorting wiring in the engine kill switch now needs a close inspection.

You are right about the dealers. Last time my '86 was in for a rear tire change and had rear brakes done at the same time. They may even still change the oil and filter on our Evos, but I do that myself. But anything major is do it yourself or find a good indy.

 

If you rotate the ignition cover plate 90 degrees, you can use screws to reattach it. Or just get the correct rivet, which is a blind rivet. That means that the end that goes in is solid, not open like "regular" pop rivets. You should be able to purchase a box of them for what a dealer will charge you for two.

 

Here's what it looked like under the nose cone:



I used two pop rivets to put the cover back on. I guess I should drill those and get some blind rivets. I was going to tap the holes but, I didn't have a tap that small. I will pull the outer fairing tomorrow. Tonight is football..

 

You don't need to tap the holes if you just rotate it 90. But then the plate won't read properly. I use a generic chrome plate, visible here:


Besides the Screaming Eagle module and extension cord, my ignition is stock.