1979 atc110 only sparking sometimes

[atc90]

ok guys so i iinstalled a working coil in my 110 but now the problem is that sometimes it sparks and sometimes it doesnt actually most of the time it doesnt then all of the sudden it sparks "i know this because it shocked me hard" lol anyways what could it be im pretty sure i have my wiring hooked up right or else it wouldnt spark at all right?what can it be thanks everyone

[shortline10]

ok guys so i iinstalled a working coil in my 110 but now the problem is that sometimes it sparks and sometimes it doesnt actually most of the time it doesnt then all of the sudden it sparks "i know this because it shocked me hard" lol anyways what could it be im pretty sure i have my wiring hooked up right or else it wouldnt spark at all right?what can it be thanks everyone

Most of the time its bad points , even if they look good change them .

[atc90]

so if the points are bad could that make it spark sometimes and smoetimes not?

[rdlsz24]

Yep yep mine looked good on my 79 110 but no spark and on the advice of shortline I changed them and got good spark all the time. For $15 or so it's good to have them off the list as a possible culprit.

Rob

[atc90]

ok well i changed the points and im still heaving the same problem its only spaking one in awhile what else can it be guys

[atc90]

ok i changed the points and nothing, i took off the side cover where the pull cord goes and took out the part that goes over the magneto "sorry dont know the name" cleaned out the magneto and the "part that goes over it with the black and yellow wires coming out of it" anyways i cleaned all that stuff out with a rag and lightly sanded some of the rust, now i cleaned out all the connections in the harnness and nothing no spark yet o and i got a brand new plug for it , this is really driving me crazy i really need some help

[bigworm626]

maybe you have a bad plug wire? regapping your spark plug?

[atc90]

yeah already checked gap is there a way of removing wire from coil without breaking it?

[atc90]

after installing new points does the engine need to be timed?

[Texas 200x]

No but you did gap the points correct? If it fires sometimes it sounds like its grounding out somewhere along the way. Did you change the condensor? If its bad the spark will jump across the points when instead of sending the spark to the coil. Also check where your wires run out of the case. They can rub through the insulation and ground to the case. Good luck electrical problems can be a pain the .

[tri again]

Welcome to my psychosis.

I cant believe it but I actually took some advice and trimmed 1/4 inch off the plug wire and re screwed the plug cap into the wire for a fresh fit and gosh darn it! after 2 freakin weeks of overboard rocket science, I had spark in under 30 seconds.

Make sure the coil is grounded / bolted to the frame, no rust or paint in between (might also be a separate green wire that goes from the harness and wants to be pinned to the frame ground.)

and also a used plug can track spark down behind the insulator so you cant see it jump the gap.

I got so frustrated with an 84 es I just bought an 85sx that ran for 200$, so even failure has its merits.
Maybe threaten it with another trike?

[atc90]

ok, today i'm gonna trim some off my plug wire, next recheck gap on plug im pretty sure i gapped it between 24 and 28, and as for the ground my coil doesnt fit right i have an aftermarket frame a Bandito mybe if i uses some brakets i can gound it right or can i just bolt it on and will that be enough ground since the bolts will be touching the coil and the fram and as for that green wire do i attach that to the frame or to the coil? thank you

[shortline10]

Remove the spark plug cap off the coil wire and hold the plug wire about 1/8" off the head to see what kind of spark its got . this will eliminate the plug and cap from being good or bad .

[atc90]

i just whent out and tryied that, no lluck i actually just held it with my finger that also works right?