Yesterday, I replaced the points and condensor. set the gap on the points. I did not (yet) replace the blue wire, though it was a bit chewed up (meter showed it to not be broken). The car started right up and ran well. I drove it to a local weekly show, then (almost) home. The car died suddenly while coasting to a light. After messing with the points some more I gave up and called AAA.
Today I rebuilt the blue cable with 16 gauge wire and new ends. I installed it - and the OLD condensor, just to see if it was still good. I redid the points gap. The car started up immediately. I let it idle for a while. no problem. I noted a wisp of smoke coming up from the engine bay, took a look, and found that the three wires that run from the engine to the rectifier were melting together at the connectors.
Here is an old picture of those wires.
Turned the car off, stripped the black wrap from the wires and found them fused together for a few inches going back towards the rectifier. I pulled the battery and tray and flipped it over to see the other ends of the wires (they will be replaced altogether). The rectifier is buried in YEARS of road crud - it's amazing the thing worked at all. I will be cleaning all of that up.
Why did the wires melt? Might the rectifier have an issue? Or maybe the connectors just corroded? Any maintainence to do on the rectifier other than clean it? What gauge wire should I use to replace the three bad ones? I plan to use weatherproof bullet connectors at the point where they meet the wires from the motor, rather than the spade-type that was originally there.
Steve
> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
> Steven
> Michelsen
> To:
> 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
> Sent:
> Sunday, August 10, 2008 12:36
> AM
> Subject:
> Re: [2cylinderhondas] Re: stuck
> in the middle of a tuneup
> Mike,
> I am pretty sure I had both wires in the center
> when I tried to start the car.
> No chance to reinstall the points or do any
> testing until tomorrow night at the earliest; I will pass along my > findings.
> Thanks,
> Steve
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From:
> > Mike and Tami
> > Speer
> > To:
> > 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent:
> > Saturday, August 09, 2008 11:07
> > AM
> > Subject:
> > RE: [2cylinderhondas] Re:
> > stuck in the middle of a tuneup
> > How did you have
> > them Steve?
> > I asked this over
> > at the Honda 600 Owners board but didn�t get an answer, how much spark > > should I see with these?
> > Mine is nice and
> > blue but the spark itself is very thin and hard to see, I had to turn off my > > garage lights to see it well as I could barely see it with the lights > > on.
> > I am used to
> > checking cars with a larger coil and those have a fatter > > spark.
> > Mike
> > From:
> > 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com [mailto:2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com]
> > On Behalf Of
> > Steven
> > Michelsen
> > Sent:
> > Saturday,
> > August 09, 2008 7:08 AM
> > To:
> > 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject:
> > Re: [2cylinderhondas] Re:
> > stuck in the middle of a tuneup
> > Mark,
> > I think you're right about the
> > condensor wire! I redid the wiring and will reinstall tonight.
> > Here is how it
> > is wired now
> > . Please let me know if this is
> > right.
> > Thanks,
> > Steve
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Mark"
> > > doc_coffin@yahoo. com
> > To: > 2cylinderhondas@ yahoogroups. com
> > Sent: Friday, August 08, 2008
> > 11:30 PM
> > Subject: [2cylinderhondas] Re:
> > stuck in the middle of a tuneup
> > > --- In
> > 2cylinderhondas@ yahoogroups. com
> > , "Mark
> > Kuran" wrote:
> > >> Check if you have a
> > spark coming out of the wires to the spark plugs
> > >> while
> > cranking.
> > >> Mark
> > > If no spark, check that you
> > have the condenser wire in between the
> > > proper washers and
> > insulators. This very small eror has messed me up
> > > several
> > times!
> > > Mark Coffin
> > ------------ --------- --------- ------
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> > Groups Links
> > > To