Author Topic: CB550 coils with polarity?? Help?  (Read 423 times)

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Offline LoganBoatwright

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CB550 coils with polarity?? Help?
« on: May 01, 2019, 10:42:16 AM »
So i picked up my 76 CB550 a week or 2 ago.  I decided i did not like the tank or the seat so I swapped it with my GB250 clubman from japan and i also changed out the regulator and rectifier with a regulator rectifier combo and removed my wiring harness and made a simpler new one.   Everything works and the battery is charging correctly.  But it runs like crap.  I cant go more than 10 MPH and is backfiring.    I noticed my coil packs have +and- and ive never had coil packs that have polarity.  Im guessing the wires from the motor go to the negative side and the switch power goes to the positive??.   Please help!!!!   Ive dialed the timing in right/ new spark plugs and checked valve clearances.  I also broke the carbs down and cleaned them out. 

Offline Deltarider

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Re: CB550 coils with polarity?? Help?
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2019, 10:45:36 AM »
Well, you have changed a lot at the same time, which now makes things a bit more difficult to diagnose. The + is supposed to be connected to the B/W wire coming from the kill switch, the NEG goes to the switches, be it breakerpoints or transistors. Sure you connected the right plugwires to the right plugs? Intermittent grounding breakerpoints (when they shouldn't) and faulty condensers also can cause problems. In case you have the stock ignition setup, I'd first check breakerpoints and condensers. Open the ignition cover. First check if breakerpointgap is still correct and also that the forked connectors at the back of the breakerpoints are not accidently touching the plate. Then, with engine running, see if there's excessive arcing at the breakerpoints. A tiny bit of sparking is normal, excessive sparking is not good. See In this vid left condensor (1+4) is bad, right condensor (2+3) is good.
Was the advancer taken apart by any chance?
« Last Edit: May 01, 2019, 11:08:34 AM by Deltarider »
CB500K2-ED Excel black
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