Author Topic: 1978 CB550 running issues (Read 4555 times)

Kcanela · « **on:** May 22, 2020, 02:01:29 PM »

Was riding the bike normally then randomly started popping and eventually died on me, now my head light and running tails don’t work. All fuses are good ignition timing keeps arching at 1/4. I have a brand new battery, ricks regulator rectifier and timing plate condensor thing I thought I timed the bike right and it’s still breaking up on me on start up, could there be something else beside ignition timing holding me back?

bryanj · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2020, 10:41:45 PM »

You say new battery and reg/rec but is it charging, dont forget with lights on thes dont break even on charge till 3000 rpm

Kcanela · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2020, 10:02:07 AM »

Basically all charging system would be new after my ignition coils come in but why would my headlight and running tails not be working if the fuse hasn’t blown ?

Kcanela · « **Reply #3 on:** May 25, 2020, 08:10:04 PM »

Has this not happened to anyone before?

bryanj · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2020, 11:18:24 PM »

Ignition switches can go out, also you need to methodically check the charging. There is no "common" problem you can jump to its all down to testing

Kcanela · « **Reply #5 on:** May 26, 2020, 09:22:38 AM »

My ignition switch works tho the bike starts, just runs really rough which is because the ignition coils are toasted and headlight doesn’t work because filament got burnt out on lo- beam I’m just trying to figure out why the running tails don’t at this point

bryanj · « **Reply #6 on:** May 26, 2020, 09:36:07 AM »

Sorry but as i said you need to be methodical and fix known problems first, there is no "magic" fix for electrical problems

Kcanela · « **Reply #7 on:** May 26, 2020, 11:16:52 PM »

Can someone link me to a field stator coil assembly? I don’t know if it’s my search bar or keywords but I legit cannot find anything new

bryanj · « **Reply #8 on:** May 26, 2020, 11:25:05 PM »

You wont get anything new only used and i doubt you need one, yet again i say in 40yrs+ i NEVER seen either go duff electrically only damage after accident

Kcanela · « **Reply #9 on:** May 27, 2020, 01:43:31 PM »

So I was doing some diagnosis today and all of a sudden one of my ignition coils started spewing out and bursted into smoke. Could this have been my culprit the whole time?

Kcanela · « **Reply #10 on:** May 29, 2020, 10:37:46 AM »

Got the stator out to inspect it and it kindve smells burnt is there a way to test this outside the bike?

scottly · « **Reply #11 on:** June 12, 2020, 07:11:30 PM »

Quote from: Kcanela on May 27, 2020, 01:43:31 PM

So I was doing some diagnosis today and all of a sudden one of my ignition coils started spewing out and bursted into smoke. Could this have been my culprit the whole time?

You sort of shoot yourself in the foot when you start a new thread for the same problem.

It's like starting all over for anyone trying to help.
What were the conditions when the coil went China Syndrome? Ignition on? Ignition on and running? Were you using a battery charger?

Kcanela · « **Reply #12 on:** June 12, 2020, 08:01:49 PM »

Kill switch was on and power was on and ignition coil bursted, looked old to begin with

scottly · « **Reply #13 on:** June 12, 2020, 08:03:47 PM »

What about when the battery fried?

Kcanela · « **Reply #14 on:** June 12, 2020, 08:36:45 PM »

With the lithium ion battery in the ignition coils fried, ordered a new set and then tried to start the bike and got nothing in regards to bike turning over then few seconds later the battery went up in smoke. Someone said the regulator rectifier I got is too power fuel for a lithium ion battery because it’s the first version so I’m assuming that’s why that got fried. I’m contemplating buying a lead acid battery again but I don’t want to buy a new battery then have that one blow up on me if there’s an issue somewhere else which is confusing me because I did nothing but replace all electrical parts and my harness was bone stock beside relocating the kill switch and I left the push button the way it is wired from factory

scottly · « **Reply #15 on:** June 12, 2020, 08:44:13 PM »

Was the bike running when the battery melted?

Kcanela · « **Reply #16 on:** June 12, 2020, 08:55:31 PM »

Yes it was running perfectly fine

scottly · « **Reply #17 on:** June 12, 2020, 09:03:07 PM »

Quote from: Kcanela on June 12, 2020, 08:36:45 PM

tried to start the bike and got nothing in regards to bike turning over then few seconds later the battery went up in smoke.

So it wasn't running??

Kcanela · « **Reply #18 on:** June 12, 2020, 09:33:52 PM »

Yea it was running fine before the whole charging system blew out

scottly · « **Reply #19 on:** June 12, 2020, 09:41:21 PM »

My head hurts... Was the engine actually running, as in rotating under it's own power in the few seconds before the battery blew, or did the battery blow a few seconds after pressing the starter button?

Kcanela · « **Reply #20 on:** June 12, 2020, 09:59:10 PM »

Prior to the whole incident with the bike shutting down on me. I replaced all the charging system with new parts then the bike never started no cranks or anything that when ignition coils blew then replaced those and battery blew. Prior to all this before something shorted out the voltage rectifier the bike was running perfectly fine

scottly · « **Reply #21 on:** June 12, 2020, 10:52:34 PM »

I'm going to take a guess and suggest that you wired the starter solenoid incorrectly, so that one of the big wires was connected to the battery positive terminal, and the other to the battery negative terminal. With the starter button pressed, this would put a dead short across the battery terminals, which would explain the battery meltdown.

Kcanela · « **Reply #22 on:** June 12, 2020, 11:00:30 PM »

I’m confused, I thought the starter solenoid one ground that comes out of the motor didn’t matter which side of the starter solenoid because it’s both positive sides. Are you suggesting I rotate the solenoid 180 and swap the connections on the solenoid ?

scottly · « **Reply #23 on:** June 12, 2020, 11:10:30 PM »

Please post pictures of the wiring to your solenoid and battery.

Kcanela · « **Reply #24 on:** June 12, 2020, 11:11:39 PM »

Going to get a new battery in the am and post pics of the set up

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Author Topic: 1978 CB550 running issues (Read 4555 times)