When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Installed a new oil pump, see previous posts. and had her all back together to fire her up but the front cylinder fires intermittently. Have spent last day checking everything from compression to electrical and fuel. The only thing I have found is that the stator resistance test yields a .3 ohms reading which is above the .1 to .2 stated in the manual. Will a higher than described ohms reading at the stator crankcase measurement cause the front cylinder only to fire every other time it is supposed to fire? I have performed every other test in the manual except the one which calls for the use of a .33 capacitor because I do not have one and this is the only thing so far that I have found. Have I found the answer? Is there a way to check to see if this is the cause? Also, the test wherein one attempts to make the plugs fire from the ignition module i.e.,(I believe it is called the ignition module resistance test bypassing ignition sensor, I believe failed to make any fire at either spark plug so I discounted this factor as probably me performing the test incorrectly as the manual is just not clear to me on how this test is to be performed. Thank you for the help.
Will a higher than described ohms reading at the stator crankcase measurement cause the front cylinder only to fire every other time it is supposed to fire?
...
Have I found the answer?
6 weeks ago I changed spark plug wires because the ones I had looked shabby. I looked in the coil where the 1st plug wire sits and there was very little green corrosion which I quickly cleaned. The result was the same.
However after much more prodding I have found a continuity which the manual says should not exist. At the rear of the ignition switch three wires travel to the circuit breakers. The red/gray and red/black have continuity between them and that is not supposed to happen according to the manual and the diagram in the supplement. I unplugged the first connector from the ignition switch and the continuity does not exist. However the other end of the switch(towards the circuit breakers and the starter relay the continuity exist. The starter relay has a diagram on it but I do not understand it. I have found continuity between certain posts but I do not know if they should exist.
Does any one have an understanding of this diagram? It is attached as a photo.
Yeah, I understand the diagram. There should be continuity between 30 and 87a with virtually 0 resistance. There should be continuity between 86 and 85 with low-ish resistance, like maybe 100 Ohms or so. However, that is not why your bike is missing at the front cylinder. It is missing because the plug wires are bad or the coil is bad or the plugs are bad or something mechanical or fuel. You are wasting your time running down relays and switches.
Thank you for the direct guidance because that is what I need at this point. I just bought another brand new set of iridium plugs so hopefully will do it. Which test on the coil is most definitive? I tried the one wherein you are directed to turn the ignition on and unplug the connector between sensor at cam and module and then touch two plug pins together to see if the plugs would fire and how much fire there is but I could not obtain the results described in the manual for either plug which tells me that I was doing something wrong.
On another point if the end of the spark plug wire which goes into the module is not perfectly fit for the female part will that cause the problem described? How would you insure that the male part is correctly contacting the receptacle? any other advice is welcome.
Do you still have your old plug wires? Swap them back. Spark plug wires don't go into the module. They go into the coil. They should fit in there properly.
Pull the plugs. Put them on the head or someplace grounded. Crank the motor. Got spark on both? If so, you don't have an ignition problem. If not, fix it.
You can also get a little pen gizmo at the auto parts stores. It will light up when held next to a firing spark plug wire. It is a handy way to tell what's going on without pulling a plug wire.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.