Dyna Ignition

[Bill Dudleston]

Going through this 1981 CBX, I found that it had a bad coil, no spark.
The way I check for spark is the way I learned back in shop class on trouble shooting car motors.
Pull the plug wire off, stick a screw driver in the plug wire and turn it over, if there is spark you will know it.
I looked at replacing the stock coils util I ram across the Dyna Ignition,
I liked the sound of the high voltage coils, so I decided to go that route instead of just replacing the stock coils.
On the stock coils, both sides of the coils are hot, when the reluctor passes the contact for a coil group, it grounds out causing the coil to fire.
On the Dyna ignition, only the top of the coils are hot, when the reluctor with a magnet this time passes the contact for a coil group, it fires hot this time at the coil causing it to fire.
Both work, you can replace the stock coils with the dyna only coils and the bike should run, if the coils were the only problem, without going to the Dyna ignition, getting the higher voltage to the plugs.
To time the bike, I used a test light, after pulling all the plugs, turning the engine over by hand until the reluctor fired at the coil, that is where I tightened up the ignition back plate.
The timing did work as the bike fired right up after setting everything up.
When I get the CBX off the lift, I have the CB750 Limited that I need to do the same thing to, the 750 has weak spark and it does not idle well running on 2 cylinders.

[CBX-tras]

Dyna pick-up plates are KNOWN to be out of phase with each other and need to be checked/verified for accuracy.

Many of us had gone to the Ignitech, programable ignition that has many options besides firing spark plugs. Smaller, plug and play.
You could still utilize the green coils or Honda MP08 or MP10 coils if you wanted to.

[Bill Dudleston]

I have not heard that one, of being out of phase, I am sure there is a quality inspection, like most all manufacturing companies.
The only thing I heard about the Dyna ignition that is used on the CBX, is that it was made for a Kawasaki 2 stroke engine, to me that would be the Kawasaki 500 or 750 back in the day, I think the 900 was a 4 stroke.
The back plate needs to be modified to fit, means take a little off the outside so it will turn to time, and the 3 slots that hold it in place, needs to be elongated, to retard enough to get the 10 degrees BTC,
The bike runs very smoothly with the Dyna ignition.

[Jeff Bennetts]

Dyna pick-up plates are KNOWN to be out of phase with each other and need to be checked/verified for accuracy.

What JR said, it’s been a known problem since Tim’s began selling them. It’s not a given that the pick-ups are out of faze but it’s not that hard to check.

I believe there is a thread here on the forum that addresses it.

[Bill Dudleston]

I will check it out when a warm day comes around, 8 degrees this morning, the shop is a bit cold this time of year.
My oil lines are at the PO waiting for me to pick them up, they can also wait for a warmer day.

I went on line to find out some information on Ignitech, there is a lot of stuff out there on that name.
What was the product description, that is being used on the CBX's?
I always like to know what is out there.

[Jeff Bennetts]

Bill, start here!

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=12543&p=104549&hil ... on#p104549

[Dynamohum]

Would a full dyna ignition on a 79 cause the old wiring (under the side cover for example) to be warm to the touch? Hazardous?

[daves79x]

I doubt it, but loose, corroded connections sure will.

Dave

[Larry Zimmer]

What Dave said about "loose, corroded". About as certain as taxes the connectors from the alternator under the right cover need to be cleaned -- both the male and female. Then packed with silicone grease. Often they will become warm enough to melt the plastic holders. Not to even mention how it affects electrical performance, including battery charging.

[Dynamohum]

Thanks, much appreciated.