Shovelhead not wanting to run right. Only fires on one side of coil....advice?

[chopandbob]

What's going one everyone, having an issue with my shovelhead.... some back story.
Picked up this 80 shovel a few months ago and it's been a problem from day one. Fucking love it! Fried a regulator on the way home from picking it up cause I just had to ride it home...so fixed that and was riding to work and no fire from the front coil. Got her home and replaced the coil, points system and nothing. Shes timed and fires up very easy but only on one plug. Cam and advance are sending the signal to fire on both cylinders but it's only firing out one plug wire. You can swap the wires on the coil to the plug and she'll fire up either cylinder. Plugs and wires good, coil good, points condenser good, timed, battery charged...I'm stumped.

Also not my first bike. Daily rider is a full faring kz1000. Kz1000 chop on the back burner, and a rad xs850 chop I just finished. I'm no stranger to bikes in any aspect. It's all I ever been into was bikes. But this one has got me.....any help would be awesome!!

Thanks D

[Tattooo]

Fried a regulator on the way home from picking it up cause I just had to ride it home...so fixed that and was riding to work and no fire from the front coil. Got her home and replaced the coil, points system and nothing. Shes timed and fires up very easy but only on one plug. Cam and advance are sending the signal to fire on both cylinders but it's only firing out one plug wire. You can swap the wires on the coil to the plug and she'll fire up either cylinder. Plugs and wires good, coil good, points condenser good, timed, battery charged...I'm stumped.

What does having to ride it home have to do with frying the regulator?

More info needed..... So you have two coils???? You said it wasn't firing on the front coil.....

[chopandbob]

Hey bud thanks for the quick reply. I wouldn't think the fried regulator had anything to do with my current issue other than it
being the start of my issues. Ment to say stop firing on front cylinder. It's only one coil. But only getting output from one
spark plug wire. Wire from points to coil good, sends the signal to fire both but only to one. Not both.

[chopandbob]

[Guest]

well fit a new coil,.... they do go tit's up, fuck all lasts forever

[TriNortchopz]

You can swap the wires on the coil to the plug and she'll fire up either cylinder

What is the coil ya got? Sounds like one side is dead. Did you use your ohm meter to test it?

[Tattooo]

It's sounds like the coil....... Try that first then get back with us....

[chopandbob]

Coil ohm out at 13,000 across plug terminals. Smaller terminals ohm at 3.0. From bottom plug terminal to either smaller terminal shows 13, move to the top and its dead... plug wires at 7000 for the front and 2500 for the rear. Looks like a dead coil right out of the box

[chopandbob]

I'll get some new parts on order, fuck thanks guys

[BuddhahoodVato]

Coils toast

[farmall]

Get a spare and hang it on the wall if you're keeping the bike. Every HD owner should have complete spare ignition and charging systems ready to go because those parts will eventually be used. That also leaves them available for "swaptronics" troubleshooting.

Solidmount frames vibrate and coils fail internally. Perfectly normal and worth remembering.

[DustyDave]

I'd probably swap the coils and see if the problem moved with the coil. Cuz I don't got nearly enough patience to wait on a spare to arrive,
Dusty

[Tattooo]

I'd probably swap the coils and see if the problem moved with the coil. Cuz I don't got nearly enough patience to wait on a spare to arrive,
Dusty

Dusty I think he only has one coil....

[farmall]

When that style coil only produces spark out one coil tower that indicates internal coil failure since there's no external fault which can cause that problem. The non-firing side of the secondary windings is still in circuit but arcing internally instead of across the spark plug since electricity follows the path of least resistance.

OP could swap in a Kawasaki coil to test but I wouldn't disturb it if it were mine.

[JBinNC]

C,

If yer running points, you need a 5 ohm coil, not 3 ohm. With a 3 ohm coil, it will run but the points won't last (too much current).

Jim