Author Topic: Could someone post how to replace ignition coil wires and spark plug boots???  (Read 23896 times)

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Offline brettster26

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Could really use a bunch of pictures on how to do this aswell as what is needed for a 1975 CB550K

Thanks!

Offline ronnie

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I just did this on my 350f.. I had no previous experience before doing it. It's not as hard as it seems.

If you have the stock coils I don't think you can change the wires since they are integrated. Thats how it was on mine at least. I would recommend getting a new pair of coils from DCC and be done with that. Also you can either get one of their wire kits which includes coil boots, clips and sparkplug boots. Or you can get wires and the accessories from somewhere else. That being said, on to the how to..

First, mount your coils in the desired location. From there you need to run your wires how you want them and mark the wire about a inch longer than where you want it. Cut it. Repeat to other wire. From here you should have two wires with the spark plug boots on one end and a cut end on the other. Slide the coil boots on (you can use some silicone or spit like I did to help them slide) Now you have to cut the rubber and insulation back from the cut end. Trim this to about 3/8". There is the rubber then a white layer(this is how my wires were) and then the copper or graphite wire in the middle. Do NOT CUT that, so be very careful especially with the graphite core! I used a brand new razor blade to cut mine, that way i didnt have to put much pressure on the rubber for it to cut I just slide it over the rubber and it slices away.  Next you want to bend the wire core over and onto the rubber, then you want to slide the metal clips on the folded over core. Use the opened up side not the side that is a complete circle cause this end goes into the coils. Once you have the clip over the wire core bend the tabs over with some pliers just enough to it will stay on and the coil doesn't slip out. Then get a pair of good wire crimps(then kind on the handle side of the big electrical pliers that is for big crimping) and crimp the clip on to the rubber so it is nice and tight. DON"T over do it! Also, make sure the part on the pliers that has the hump that crimps, put that on the side that isn't the open part on the clips.

From here you can take the coils off and push the metal clips in and slide the boots up and remount or if you can get to them with out taking the coils off do that.

Hope this helps, good luck.
If your going to do something, do it right. - My pops

Offline vames

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A lot of people have been successful swaping the wires in the original coil using various similar methods. http://tinyurl.com/429al8t

1) I clipped my wires right at the coil
2) Used a drill bit with the same diameter as the wire and drilled out about 1/2" of each old wire below the outer shell of the coil
3)  Made 1/2" double-sided spikes of copper out of some 14g romex wire
4) Stuck one end of each spike in the core of the old wire inside the coil
5) Slathered some epoxy on the end of the new wire
6) Pushed the core of the new wire onto the other end of the spike and into the hole where I'd drilled out the old wire. The epoxy sets up and holds it in there.

I used my old plug caps on the other end. It all works great.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2011, 04:21:09 am by vames »

Offline johnny

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Personally, I'd just buy a set of replacement Dyna coils and wires and be done with it. You'll spend far less time installing those than "Frankenstein-ing" your old coils.
(I know your original request was for a how-to tutorial. The Dyna coils come with complete installation instructions. It's VERY easy.)
1976 CB550K
1974 CB350F http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=81781.0
1974 CB550K
1972 CB350 Twin
1965 Lambretta
196(?) Honda S90
1975 Ford Bronco

Offline brettster26

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How much are the new Dyna coils and which ones do i need for a 75 CB550k?  And where is the best place to get them?  Getting paid on Friday so may be able to spend some cheddar on the bike!

Thanks again for all the info!

Offline WarwickE36

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+1

Quote
Personally, I'd just buy a set of replacement Dyna coils and wires and be done with it. You'll spend far less time installing those than "Frankenstein-ing" your old coils.
(I know your original request was for a how-to tutorial. The Dyna coils come with complete installation instructions. It's VERY easy.)

I replaced my coils with Dyna and Dyna wires.  Super easy and great knowing how easy it will be to replace wires whenever I want.

140 from Dynoman Performance, 17 for the wires.  Make sure you get 5.0ohm replacements unless you are aware of the charging system taxation of using 3.0ohm or less. 

http://www.dynoman.net/ignition/dynacoils.html#dc1-1

The Part # for the 5ohm is DC10-1
" Why does anyone get offended by what someone does to their own bike? I dont get it. "

You made me think about it after I cheered knowing someone else would like to know what these control freaks are up to.
 Every time any owner strips whatever precious Honda part the horrified purists parts go up in value. That's not the part that bothers them.
 What bothers them is they sat up late at night, their breast full of wonder and estrogen, unable to sleep, dreaming about their lovely darling and all her glory... and next thing you know someone else doesn't share their emotional deluge and their reaction is they must spread their mind museum as far as they possibly can, taking over as much of the real world as possible.

Drink fast, drive slow, but ride it like you stole it

1974 Cb550 with style
2004 SV650s

Offline 78whiteorbs

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Fyi- coils for later dohc. Inline four bikes(night hawks,cb750dohc bikes,etc) have screw off connectors for replacing wires,they are not hardwired like earlier bikes.find some of a parts bike and buy some new caps and wires and done.

Offline johnrdupree

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Before starting this be sure you really need to replace the wires.  Is the cover brittle and cracked?  Are they becoming detached from the coil or some such weirdness?  if not, then you probably don't need to replace them.

The boots are easy, they just screw into the end of the wire.  The top of the boot has a little screw in it that threads itself into the center of the wire.  To replace a boot just unscrew the old one and screw in a new one.  The problem is getting a correct new one.  The 550's used 10K ohm resistor boots whereas the 750's used 5K ohm.  The 10K versions seem to be non-existent but 5K ones will work fine. (I put 5K boots on my '75 550K1 last night and I can't tell any difference, but I do want to pull the plugs to see if the color has changed.)  If you have a multimeter you can test the boots to see if they have the correct resistance.  If they are within a couple hundred ohms of 10K then they are OK.

What most people do when installing new boots is clip about 1/4" or so off the spark plug wire before screwing in the new boots.  The wires get stretched out over time and may not have the best contact with the screw in the boot, leading to a potential loss of spark power.  On mine, I could see that the end of the wire had a bugle at the end where the screw threaded into the wire.  I just clipped that bulge off and screwed on the new boots.  Obviously this can only be done once or twice, after that the wire is too short to reach.  At that point you will have to replace or extend the wire.  I was planning on doing that and made up a method, but it turned out to be unnecessary.  I'll take some pics of how I was going to do it, if you want.  It's a pretty simple method but untested on an actual bike.

~john
1975 Honda CB550K1
1991 Honda ST1100
1989 Suzuki GS500E
1954 NSU Lambretta 125 (long term project)

Offline brettster26

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When i disconnected the coils it was cold and the wires were brittle, and it kinda broke the plastic / rubber housing coming off the coils, i am not sure if this had any affect on the actual wires as I havent wired it back up yet but i will soon find out i am sure.

Offline johnrdupree

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The wires have an outer rubber cover (the thing the spark plug number is printed on).  Is that what cracked or was it the insulation on the wire itself?

~john
1975 Honda CB550K1
1991 Honda ST1100
1989 Suzuki GS500E
1954 NSU Lambretta 125 (long term project)

Offline brettster26

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Right where the wires connect into the coils cracked, so i am not sure if this affected the wire itself or the connections, maybe not we will see when i get her all wired and fired up.

Another question, anyone know what gauge wire was used for these bikes?

Thanks

Offline lone*X

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A picture of the coil pack would really help us to visualize where the breakage is.  If you use the search feature you will find that various processes that can be used to replace the wires has been discussed numerous times.  You also should search how to test the coils to ensure you are not wasting you time with the wires.

And I support trying to save the original coils if they are working properly.  No need to throw money at a problem that can be corrected on the work bench.
Lone*X  ( Don )

75 CB550K1  
VTX1800C for two up cruisin.
Several others have come and gone but whose keeping track.
52 years on two wheels and counting.....
"The best safety feature of any motorcycle is the one God put between your ears.  It's also the least utilized"

Offline vames

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And I support trying to save the original coils if they are working properly.  No need to throw money at a problem that can be corrected on the work bench.

That's what I say. Why spend more than $150 when you could spend about $10.

Offline lone*X

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Vames, yes we are in complete agreement.   But it does seem like a lot of members have missed out on the joy of "rebuilding" instead of just "replacing".   Too many just jump at replacement parts instead of taking something apart, fixing the broken bits, and putting it back together to make a working part again.    I much prefer rebuilding vs replacing when at all practical.
Lone*X  ( Don )

75 CB550K1  
VTX1800C for two up cruisin.
Several others have come and gone but whose keeping track.
52 years on two wheels and counting.....
"The best safety feature of any motorcycle is the one God put between your ears.  It's also the least utilized"

Offline vames

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True. Almost seems like someone could design a very cheap piece -- receptacle on one end, copper spike on the other end --  that converts these coils into replaceable-wire coils. Clip the wire down to the shell, put some epoxy onto the spike end, push it in, let it dry, then plug and unplug new wires to your heart's content.

Offline johnny

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Vames, yes we are in complete agreement.   But it does seem like a lot of members have missed out on the joy of "rebuilding" instead of just "replacing".   Too many just jump at replacement parts instead of taking something apart, fixing the broken bits, and putting it back together to make a working part again.    I much prefer rebuilding vs replacing when at all practical.

I agree to a point. However, the method described above utilizing epoxy and copper "spikes" not only seems like alot of work but I would question how well it will hold up over time. Personally, I'd rather not find out when I'm stranded on the side of the road. It seems to me if you're going to go through the effort / expense of replacing plugs, why not replace the coils properly? Besides, if you ever have to replace the wires in the future, it will then be a 5 minute job (OK, maybe 10). I realize some folks have more time than money and the method above might be done out of necessity and I salute them for their creativity and thriftiness. Me? I'd rather be riding as much as possible rather than wrenching - even though a certain amount comes with the territory.

BTW - these are the coils you'll want:
https://www.denniskirk.com/dyna/5-0-ohm-dual-output-coil.p20907.prd/20907.sku

And here are the wires you'll need:
https://www.denniskirk.com/dyna/suppression-plug-wire-set.p200230.prd/200230.sku

I agree with the above posters. If it ain't broke, no need to fix it.
1976 CB550K
1974 CB350F http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=81781.0
1974 CB550K
1972 CB350 Twin
1965 Lambretta
196(?) Honda S90
1975 Ford Bronco

Offline lone*X

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There is an accepted solution to bad wires as long as the connection at the coils is still good.  You need a small stub of good wire.  NGK makes a wire splice just for this purpose.  Of course if the wire is separating or broke at the coil this is not a solution.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=ngk+plug+wire+splices&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=12565713759755783260&sa=X&ei=cp9eTpTaEJSnsQKs-bGRDQ&ved=0CFYQ8wIwBA
Lone*X  ( Don )

75 CB550K1  
VTX1800C for two up cruisin.
Several others have come and gone but whose keeping track.
52 years on two wheels and counting.....
"The best safety feature of any motorcycle is the one God put between your ears.  It's also the least utilized"

Offline vames

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There's no question of dependability -- these are the same coils that have been on the bike since the day it was made. As for holding up, there is a solid metal-on-metal sealed connection -- nothing to break there. Yes the coils are 37 years old -- but that's my point: there are no moving parts and they'll keep sparking forever. 

If you're that concerned with being totally assured that you'll never break down, you need a newer bike. And even then......

Took me less than one hour to replace the wires and would take me less than 15 minutes to replace them again.

Offline camelman

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Re: Could someone post how to replace ignition coil wires and spark plug boots???
« Reply #18 on: September 01, 2011, 08:26:10 am »
Check the FAQ and also do a search on the forum.  There were some good write-ups on here a while back, including one I did with pictures: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=68424.msg760760#msg760760

My coil repair has held up great, and I've ridden in heavy downpours, etc.  I think I have put 5k on the clock since I repaired them with no issues.

Camelman
1972 350f rider: sold
1972 350f/466f cafe: for sale
1977 CB400f cafe:sold
1975 CB400f rider: sold
1970 CB750 K0 complete bike: sold
2005 Triumph Sprint ST 1050 rider

We've got to cut it off... and then come down on rockets.  (quoted from: seven minutes of terror)

Offline bert96

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Offline johnrdupree

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Re: Could someone post how to replace ignition coil wires and spark plug boots???
« Reply #20 on: September 01, 2011, 09:20:19 am »

BTW - these are the coils you'll want:
https://www.denniskirk.com/dyna/5-0-ohm-dual-output-coil.p20907.prd/20907.sku

And here are the wires you'll need:
https://www.denniskirk.com/dyna/suppression-plug-wire-set.p200230.prd/200230.sku


Those coils will work, but the wire is wrong.  For points you'll want a 7mm non-suppression wire.  Available by the foot at NAPA or any decent parts store.  If you've converted to a digital ignition then the suppression wire is required to keep the ignition happy.

brettster26, do you have pics of the break in the wire?

~john
1975 Honda CB550K1
1991 Honda ST1100
1989 Suzuki GS500E
1954 NSU Lambretta 125 (long term project)

Offline brettster26

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Re: Could someone post how to replace ignition coil wires and spark plug boots???
« Reply #21 on: September 01, 2011, 09:28:00 am »
i will post a picture tonight. Thanks for all the help!

Offline johnny

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Re: Could someone post how to replace ignition coil wires and spark plug boots???
« Reply #22 on: September 01, 2011, 12:41:29 pm »

BTW - these are the coils you'll want:
https://www.denniskirk.com/dyna/5-0-ohm-dual-output-coil.p20907.prd/20907.sku

And here are the wires you'll need:
https://www.denniskirk.com/dyna/suppression-plug-wire-set.p200230.prd/200230.sku


Those coils will work, but the wire is wrong.  For points you'll want a 7mm non-suppression wire.  Available by the foot at NAPA or any decent parts store.  If you've converted to a digital ignition then the suppression wire is required to keep the ignition happy.

~john

Sorry. I also have the Dyna electronic ignition. These wires have worked fine with that.
1976 CB550K
1974 CB350F http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=81781.0
1974 CB550K
1972 CB350 Twin
1965 Lambretta
196(?) Honda S90
1975 Ford Bronco

Offline bjatwood

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Re: Could someone post how to replace ignition coil wires and spark plug boots???
« Reply #23 on: September 01, 2011, 07:31:03 pm »
There is an accepted solution to bad wires as long as the connection at the coils is still good.  You need a small stub of good wire.  NGK makes a wire splice just for this purpose.  Of course if the wire is separating or broke at the coil this is not a solution.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=ngk+plug+wire+splices&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=12565713759755783260&sa=X&ei=cp9eTpTaEJSnsQKs-bGRDQ&ved=0CFYQ8wIwBA

I have used this splice kit numerous times on my rebuilds. It just plain WORKS!
Brian
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