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Post by felkman on Mar 25, 2012 12:26:31 GMT -4
Ok, Anyone that knows me knows that I have ridden the crap out of my BMW. I do regular oil changes about every 1,000 for the past 35,000 plus miles, I check my valves every couple thousand miles, but other than that and tires, I don't do much to this old reliable machine. Well, she has been getting harder to start so I thought I would throw my pentacom points plate conversion that uses Chevy 350 points and condenser that I bought years ago. Easy enough, put the points plate on start the bike and go......... I put it on and now the bike has no spark. I went and bought another condenser thinking it was just a bad condenser and bike still has no spark. At this point, I am just venting a little. I think I may go stick the old points back on, but I have a feeling that something else is wrong.
When I removed the advance unit, if I remember correctly, it was almost horizontal. It only goes on one way as there is a little tooth that it slides over. When I went to put it back on, I lined up the tooth and it was not horizontal anymore. Maybe the engine turned some or maybe it was not on right to begin with and the timing was set to a different place. Even if this is the case, I should at least still get a spark just not at the correct time. GRRRRRR
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Post by felkman on Mar 25, 2012 13:10:38 GMT -4
So I put the original points plate, points and condenser back on the bike. One kick and she is up and running again. This is great.... but....
I have to figure out why this conversion plate is not working the way is should. I am not going to be able to sleep tonight thinking about it. Maybe the magneto timing mark was not cut in the correct location or maybe the points are grounding somehow but I have got to figure it out. Had I known that these original Bosch points would have ever lasted 30 some thousand miles, I never would have bought this plate to begin with but now that I have it, I have to figure it out.
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Post by novafrk on Mar 25, 2012 13:36:44 GMT -4
As an option you could sell them on ebay... or to roubenbird. :-)
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Post by felkman on Mar 25, 2012 14:15:09 GMT -4
LOL, I may sell it on ebay, they are like $109. I just took off the original again, put on this plate making sure the magneto lines were correct, set the gap again on the points and still nothing.
I now have the original back on again and the bike fires right up. In theory, this is the greatest idea since sliced bread being able to buy points anywhere instead of waiting for a year for some nos ones to show up for sale on ebay and also the ease adjusting timing with the bike running but if it doesn't work what good are they. It has to be just some bad points. I am sure the thousands that have used this kit can't be wrong but I am done messing with it.
Time for a bacon sandwich!
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Post by cb500bobber on Mar 25, 2012 14:54:54 GMT -4
Well atleast it still runs and you didnt mess up the old one.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2012 20:11:43 GMT -4
Why are you even trying to replace the points? From what I've hear/read, the only thing more reliable than a BMW /2 crankshaft are its points. You didn't do anything stupid like "upgrade" to a 12V system.
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Post by novafrk on Mar 26, 2012 7:04:04 GMT -4
Hey Felkman... take a piece of emery cloth or a fingernail board and run it through the chevy points. I may have a set or two in the garage from my Nova days. Sometime the material will oxidize from sitting around and won't make contact.
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Post by zilch56 on Mar 26, 2012 7:46:13 GMT -4
To test it after you could:
Remove the spark plug
Ground the outer shell to the engine with the spark plug hooked up.
Position the points cam so the point are touching
Energize the coil by turning on the key
Push the points apart manually
If the system is electrically sound you should get a spark at the plug.
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Post by hogsausage on Mar 26, 2012 8:46:54 GMT -4
My money is on a grounding issue somewhere. I though you Beemer guys didn't have these kind of issues. : 0
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550fi
Junior rider
75 CB 550 F1,79 CM 400 A,72 CT 70 K1,Unknown ct 70 clone 05 GY6 scooter ,70 CT 70
Posts: 624
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Post by 550fi on Mar 26, 2012 9:36:59 GMT -4
Is your BMW a 6 volt system? The Chevy points are 12 volt.Or you could possibly try one of those breakerless points conversion kits and go breakerless,Ive used them on old chevy points diributors and they are nice.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2012 9:51:08 GMT -4
Beemers are great old bikes, but we always have to remember they are 45+ years old.
I'm hoping to finally find and fix my electrical problem this week!
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Post by felkman on Mar 26, 2012 9:55:38 GMT -4
Why are you even trying to replace the points? From what I've hear/read, the only thing more reliable than a BMW /2 crankshaft are its points. You didn't do anything stupid like "upgrade" to a 12V system. After you put 35,000 plus miles on your set of points, Then you can say that.  I bought this kit 8 years ago and thought I would use it when I needed to replace my points, that time has come where they are pitted some so I figured I would put this kit on the bike. I am guessing the chevy points are grounding out somehow and that is why it is not working right. Thousands of people have used this kit with no problems. No, I would not change this bike over to 12 volt although it would have been nice this winter to have heated grips. |
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Post by felkman on Mar 26, 2012 9:57:22 GMT -4
My money is on a grounding issue somewhere. I though you Beemer guys didn't have these kind of issues. : 0 LOL, You don't unless you try to "upgrade" parts. |
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Post by felkman on Mar 26, 2012 10:01:18 GMT -4
Is your BMW a 6 volt system? The Chevy points are 12 volt.Or you could possibly try one of those breakerless points conversion kits and go breakerless,Ive used them on old chevy points diributors and they are nice. The BMW is 6 volt but the points is just a switch so it doesn't matter if they were for 6 or 12 volt. |
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550fi
Junior rider
75 CB 550 F1,79 CM 400 A,72 CT 70 K1,Unknown ct 70 clone 05 GY6 scooter ,70 CT 70
Posts: 624
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Post by 550fi on Mar 26, 2012 11:04:25 GMT -4
That suck that you cant readily get points,great that you got 35000 plus miles.I just replaced my original Honda points just shy of 20000 miles.
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I bought this kit 8 years ago and thought I would use it when I needed to replace my points, that time has come where they are pitted some so I figured I would put this kit on the bike. I am guessing the chevy points are grounding out somehow and that is why it is not working right. Thousands of people have used this kit with no problems. No, I would not change this bike over to 12 volt although it would have been nice this winter to have heated grips.