Lifan CDI on a Suzuki LT230E

[ps2fixer]

Interesting on the CDI, however how do you plan to wire it up, do you have a connector source that matches the CDI plug? It isn't a standard plug that I can think of, at least not for a CDI. I guess you could buy the harness and chop the plug off and splice it into the oem harness, I wouldn't think the harness will match the lengths of your machine quite right, but maybe it will, never know I guess.

If the CDI works when you wiggle it, sounds like bad solder joints for the soldered on plug on the CDI, or worn pins in the plug/harness plug. If you don't mind the cutting and resealing the box, you can open it up and resolder the cracked joints, and I suspect it would work again. Not sure what could be used to re-seal it, maybe scratch it up and epoxy it with some screen reinforcement.

Careful how hot you get it, it has caps inside and around 400-450F they pop (at least they do on a xbox 360). Solder re-flows at something around 360-420F, so the only way to safely fix loose pins is with a solder iron.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Yes on the bad solder joint.. My grandfather had a friend with a little experience with electronics open it up and he found there was a bad/cracked solder joint in the CDI. I don't remember the details being as it was 20 years or so ago, but he deemed it unlikely to be fixable, possible some sort of collateral damage from being run with the bad joint for so long... The new CDI cured it and it runs fine to this day.

[TwiZ]

Well i put the old cdi back on and fired right up!!! With the aid of a 200x carb of course. She has never idled so smooth. I had to move the airbox back about 1/4", and the heating of the cdi helped. I am still gonna try the lifan cdi when i get it. A buddy of mine has a 230 sittin at his place and i can grab the harness ends i need and ill solder/ heat shrink em to the lifan harness so i can see if it works,if it does im keepin it in my tool kit. This quad started actin up after we were out and got stuck in a rainstorm now that we look back on it,so im gonna clean it up real good and try and epoxy or silicone or somethin to see if i can get it sealed back up good...but im still waitin for the mailman to bring it and will let ya know how it goes.

[TwiZ]

Ok,like i stated in my last post the heating of cdi worked,temporarily.Went to start it and wouldnt hit a lick.So,i wired in the Lifan CDI,and whalla,fired right up,BUT,when trying to rev the engine it pops thru carb,idles ok with a slight "miss"to it.Starts real easy and idles ok but like i said it will start poppin thru carb.Timing comes to mind for advance,or the pickup coil may not be sending a proper signal.Tried a brand new coil and did the same. The lifan pickup coil is cheap enuff and easy enuff to swap so im gonna try one,and in the meantime im thinking of slightly elongating the mounting holes on the pickup coil to give me some back and forth movement(scribe the original placement first) to see if that changes anything. I have looked everywhere for the readings the p.u coil should be sending and cant find anything and output numbers to the primary on coil to see if there is any differences between the lifan and suzuki. Also im going to monkey with a 4 prong chebby module and a duraspark ign. Was also wondering if a capacitor on + side of coil would bump up input. I just cant figure what would be the deal,seems like if it starts n runs it should be good to go,or it wont run,period.Any input would be helpful,thanks...p.s.,got the battery and led lights and regulator/rectifier working on the 200x,and it works beautifully!!! Nice to be able to finally see good at night

[RIDE-RED 250r]

WOW! Nice work thus far!

The only thing I wonder about is if the jetting of the 200x carb you are running is compatable with the LT230?? I don't recall, did you ever dial in the jetting after you switched to that carb?? Has it run properly with that carb before the CDI swap?

If you haven't dialed in the jetting with that carb, it's likely to be the cause of the symptoms you are describing.

[ps2fixer]

First thing comes to mind is, does it pop or anything at all like the new cdi, but when the OEM one was in it? If it ran perfect with the old CDI, then the new CDI's timing curve is too far off from OEM, adjusting the pulse generator might be able to off set it enough to run alright though.

I had the exact same thing happen on my 350x when I tested a Chinese CDI on it. Put the OEM back in and idled perfect, and reved out fine.

Generally the pulse generator coils are tested by checking their resistance, never seen specs of what they put out while running since it would change with RPM quite a log I suspect. Generally the Honda ones run somewhere around 60 ohms of resistance give or take 30 ohms or so either way.

I think it would be interesting if you could get enough adjustment out of the pulse generator to fix the running issue, not sure if possible, but if so maybe the china CDI on my 350x would work fine if I adjusted the ignition timing some. It would give hope of a non-oem cdi in them at least .

[TwiZ]

Stator puts out 70-75v running and pickup 2.5 to 3 v ac on both. I was considering a adjustable cdi box as well,and thought of a ford duraspark from mid 80s or a 4 prong chebby module...got to lookin on the net and seen it has been done successfully so i wasnt the first to think of it,and ironiclly one was a 230 quadrunner,but were a little vague as to how it was done. I also thought of switchin it to a dc cdi,that would be easy,also changin the stator and pulse coil from a floating ground to a earth ground type,that would open up even more options. Im fortunate to have a spare stator n p.u.coil for it,along with a bunch of 4 prong chebby and a duraspark box layin around. I just cant see spending $300+ on a cdi that are problematic to begin with,even if i had a $100 in to figuring out one that would work and more readily available

[TwiZ]

Yea it ran freakin great with the 200x carb on it,better than the factory one,never started so easy as it does with the x carb,and ecellerated just dandy. I found a grade 8 washer with the hole was the same i.d. as the x carb. I then lightly clamped the washer to the mating surface and marked the bolt holes,then drilled em out,cut the heads of 2 1/4"x20 bolts and welded them in drilled holes,making mounting studs like the intake has(before that tho i used a sanding block on mating surface to smooth it). Then i took about 3/4" of 1" sch 40 black pipe and welded it on other side of washer,skippin around with welds to avoid warping. Then i had to redrill mounting brackets on air box about 3/8" of a inch to move it back to take kink out of air intake cuz the carb was slightly longer, bolted it up,and i had to grind down the threaded cap on top of carb to same lenth as zuki and put the throttle cable in the x slide....boom done,fired right up n purred like a kitten

[TwiZ]

Just thought of this,that carb was tempermental off the x. I bought a new one for my x and set it aside.it would run good sometimes then start actin up....that was 2 yrs ago and its just been sittin there rapped in a wal mart bag so i grabbed it n threw it on(memory goin in my old age) The air mix screw is froze up in it also. Just for the heck of it ima snatch the one off the 200s bonecrusher just to see if the poppin goes away,if it does ill order one like i have on my x now...damm,makes me wanna go out n try it right now...lol

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Well, your electrical knowledge base certainly out-does mine... I just suggested double checking jetting as it would be a shame to go right into the ignition system and find out down the line it was a fuel issue.


Carry on my good man! Still watching this thread with interest.

[TwiZ]

Had it out today and boy was my son a happy camper. A buddy of mine had a cdi sittin up his place (a case of beer later it was in my hand) and i got t on and she fired right up,and my son could not believe how much more power he had to climb hills. The x carb definatly made a difference(I tried the carb off the 200s bonecrusher and it did the same poppin so it was cdi ) I will continue to work on a cdi alternitive for this,and the duraspark looks viable,also found a site where you can make your own,seems fairly easy,ya have my word if i make somethin else work ill do a write up on it... goin out in the mornin to tinker with it