Installing new Dyna coils | GTAMotorcycle.com

Installing new Dyna coils

Matt Rain

Matt Rain

Well-known member
Site Supporter
So after experiencing the same coil/spark plug wire/plug cap issues a bunch of times, I decided to upgrade everything. Got a Dynatek kit.

These Dyna coils have two issues:


  • They're too big to mount in the original bracket
  • The mounting holes are at a 90-degree angle from the OEM coils.

I asked the Interwebs and some guys just use hose clamps to secure the coils to the frame. Seems like a reasonable solution, but the one concern I have is the ground wire that used to be attached to one of the coils' mounting posts. Can I just relocate it to one coil's primary lead, i.e. one side of the 12v connector? Or is this a bad idea?

I don't know about these things.
 
What was the ground wire connected to / coming from?

Chances are, it was a "chassis earth" for the wiring harness and not actually related to the ignition coil operation itself, in which case, it needs to be securely connected to the bike's frame - somehow; doesn't matter how. A shorter bolt of the same thread as previously for holding the ignition coil (probably M6x1.0 threads, you choose the length) will work fine to hold that ground wire in place in its original location.

The ignition coils on your inline 4 cylinder bike should not need any connection to chassis ground. It uses two ignition coils, each with two outputs from the secondary - one of them for each cylinder that the coil operates (one coil is for 1 and 4, the other is for 2 and 3). The primary on such an ignition coil is invariably connected to +IGN on one side and the ignition-fire signal (to the ignition "box" or ECU) on the other side. Ground has no business being connected anywhere to that type of ignition coil. Some of them might have the frame of the coil grounded, but it's not functionally necessary.
 
Hard to trace where that wire is coming from, just a small piece of it is sticking out of the main harness. I'll have to find a smaller bolt and nut to secure it back to the frame.

Thanks a bunch, once again. :thumbup:
 
that wire is probably for the tach, have the same on my old gpz.
 
Oh dear.

So, coils changed, everything tests out okay. I've got spark on all 4 wires.

But get this, the bike runs just as crappy as before. It sounds really rough and I have to fudge with the throttle to keep it running - too little or too much and it dies. There's also a bad exhaust smell coming out.

I'm thinking bad gas at this point. *facepalm* I'm still on the last tank from last year. I put Sta-Bil in there in November, but not the red Sta-Bil, the blue-green "Ethanol Treatment" thing, which is supposed to stabilize fuel as well. Maybe it just doesn't work as well as the red stuff?

What's weird is that, when I manage to get the bike running for more than 5 seconds, the inside 2 cylinders are running much hotter than the outside 2, which are practically cold to the touch. That's what initally lead me to believe that a coil had gone bad once again.

Spark plugs look a bit wet when I pull them. Not wet per se, more like humid.

What the eff?

Yeah. I'm thinking bad gas.

On the upside, I've got a pair of brand new coils. (The old ones both test okay.)

I'm going to drain the tank and carb bowls tomorrow and replace all four spark plugs, see what happens.

Any other ideas?
 
Last edited:
Sounds like carbs need a good clean
 
Update - it was 100% the gas that went bad. Drained all of it and filled her up with Esso 87 and she fired right up as if nothing had happened. Doh!

So here's a PSA - Sta-Bil Ethanol Treatment Marine Formula doesn't actually stabilize gas.
 
It spent about five months under a cover. But I was able to run it for about the first third of the tank (~100kms) before it started sputtering.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Matt Rain said:
Update - it was 100% the gas that went bad.
Click to expand...

No, no it wasn't. Was able to ride for no more than 15 minutes before it started bogging down again.

Carbs were serviced a year and a half ago, so I'm going to keep ruling them out until I've gone over all the electrical stuff.

I think that that ground wire that used to be attached to a coil post is a bigger deal than I originally thought. I believe it is the common ground for all the instruments.

Need to get me a bit of wire to try running it straight to the battery's negative.
 
Duh. Petcock is clogged. Fuel barely flows even in the PRI position.

Rebuild kit ordered.

That was a lot of time and money wasted in the wrong spots.
 
Matt Rain said:
Duh. Petcock is clogged. Fuel barely flows even in the PRI position.

Rebuild kit ordered.

That was a lot of time and money wasted in the wrong spots.
Click to expand...

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt! Ain't learning fun? :D
 
Hehe. I actually enjoy wrenching. That'll teach me skipping the simpler stuff. I guess I always fear the worst when this 30yo thing starts acting up.
 
Yeah, there's been times when I feared the worst, began way over thinking things. Ever freaked out cause it wouldn't start, only to realize the kill switch is off? Lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom