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Well crap! I went to order the high top throttle cables from Economy and they are out of them. Crap!

Of course, my '75 had the tall caps on the carbs. Because they are so tall and difficult to get out when working on the carbs, I switched to low tops with the curved adjusters.

I have the low tops with straight adjusters as well. Would you go ahead and order the new cables that they have and change to the straight adjusters? Or would you just wait until the others come in and keep the curved adjusters?

The ones on there now work, I just don't care for them and the amount of adjustments they have left.

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Well, if reliability is questionable with the Tytronic, then that WOULD be an issue.

But the Tytronic is available for a lot of different bikes and I don't read about any more failures than I do with some of the other conversions. If I am missing something, please let me know.

One more question please; I don't like the throttle cables that someone put on the bike and plan to replace them. I would appreciate recommendations on whose to get.

Thanks...............AGAIN!

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So, it ONLY replaces the points while retaining the charging coils?

I wasn't aware of that. Then that would fly for me.

I understand the value of being able to build a curve, but the stock ignition doesn't and I am happy with the level of performance the bike has with the Bassanis when it runs right. I can live with leaving those extra ponies on the table for the cost difference.

The cost per horsepower does come into the equation for me with systems like the Vape.

Thank you once again for the insight.

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I thought so. Not something that would work for me on my street bike.

Although, if I could rent someone's as a test to see if it cured my problem, I would LOVE to do that.

It would just be a waste to buy one as a test knowing that it would not get me where I want to be.

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Not to be argumentative, but does it actually make any kind of measurable difference for anything other than racing?

I have had big block and Hemi Mopars all my life. I still have a '70 HemiCuda with a 540" Hemi. And one thing I have always done when I tore something up was to do forensics. I wanted to know what happened. I have learned far more from that than most anything else. That is what I am pulling against in this. I really hate to give up. Wanting to know what is actually wrong is driving me as much as just plain wanting it to run right. Otherwise, I would have moved on last year. Which might have been the smart thing to do.

BUT! Maybe I am whipped on this one and it's time to move on.

Does that Ebay ignition have battery charging? It doesn't look like it.

The Vape would be my preference based on the collective experience here. I guess if I had tore into the engine to change the labyrinth seal, that would have been over half the cost of the new ignition, been a LOT more work, would not have fixed the problem, and it would still have points ignition.

So A HUGE THANK YOU to you guys: THANK YOU!

I am not on any kind of a budget. But it is difficult for me to spend $800 on an ignition for a $4,000 +/- bike. But then, compared to Hemi stuff, that is pennies on dollars.

So, I guess I am going to tinker with this a little bit more. The bike is still with Rodney who looks at it a little here and there as his energy and time allows. Maybe something will show up.

Meanwhile, I am going to review the threads here and the youtube videos on the Vape install.

 

$800 for Vape. OUCH!

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I guess I would be a happy camper if I got rid of the points and all was good. But if I bit the bullet and that wasn't it, I am not sure I could show my face here again.

Lots of you guys keep telling me that it may well be the ignition and have your own horror stories to back it up.

I guess I am hard headed, but I just have a hard time accepting that the stock ignition on a stock bike just will not work right no matter how well sorted out it may be. But, I highly respect the knowledge and experience here.

IF electronic wasn't so expensive, IF I hadn't read several posts here on their failures, and IF I could test one to see, it would be a much easier decision.

I may look more seriously at the Vape. Seems you all think it is worth the coin over the others.

I will spend some time with the search function and would look at any particular threads that you would recommend.

I appreciate all the input.

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I have a lot of spare parts and have changed the points and condenser (more than once) and have also swapped the points between cylinders. I have tried probably 6 or 8 different combinations of points and condenser. I also test the ignition components. The point resistance is very low. I file and clean them, then check for resistance until I get it as low as I can. And the different condensers all hold a charge.  But I haven't tried new ones, and I don't have a way to test run them on another bike.

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Converted to the SV coils last year. And have tested with the bike's wiring harness completely bypassed by using jumper wires.

I currently use a relay to power the coils. That way I have bypassed that part of the harness and keep full battery voltage to the coils. Before, I was losing just over a volt through the harness.

Now, one thing that I haven't done is to monitor the voltage to the coils ALL the time. The battery is new and the lights are bright so I don't think I am dealing with low voltage. It runs the same with the lights off as it does with them on.

Keep the ideas coming. I MUST be missing something.

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I have read through some of the ignition threads. But I didn't find what the Vape does over the HPI given it's higher cost.

Are there recent threads with more details on each and maybe why one over the other?

I have worked on my fair share of ignitions both points and electronic and just cannot grasp how changing every single part of the system still leaves me with the same symptoms.

BUT! I greatly respect the experience here. So, i am seriously thinking about dropping the coin for an electronic system. Frankly, the biggest down side is the cost. Seems exorbitant to me given what I am used to spending for car ignition systems. If it weren't the cost AND the possibility that it won't fix my issue, I would be all over it. But, it is what it is.

What about the rr on the HPI? Other than MORE money. This is a street bike. Is there a recent thread that details? I guess I would stay with DC, right? So, I also need a rectifier?

And there are several threads on HPI failures. Is that a product problem or operator error?

I would very much prefer to just stay with the points. I understand what electronic ignition brings, but unless my point system is broken, for the cost, the electronic just doesn't bring enough to the party. But, if it is the ONLY way to resolve my bike's issue, then I have to go that route.

Thanks again for putting up with me.

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As always; Thank you.

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I was an Evinrude mechanic years ago and I can attest to what you are saying. Using factory test equipment, many times I have seen ignition components that were in spec but wouldn't work and vice versa. The ONLY true test was with known good components.

If it were the ignition on my bike, I just don't understand how every piece that tests good from my stash would do the exact same thing on my bike. And I have tried several different pieces at each juncture. Now I don't have a way to run the pieces on another bike to test, but still, the same problem with different parts?

I am stumped. And have been for some time. But with this guy's help, I will keep trying different things.

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Okay then, the lab seal is not the problem. The engine is quiet. No bottom end noise.

I have repeatedly tried the above suggestions. Original cylinders had about 100lbs compression on std bore. As part of the 'no stone unturned' path, I have new ebay cylinders sets on. Again, with about 100lbs comp.

I have completely disassembled the carbs including the emulsion tubes and have put on other carbs that I have.

Every single piece of the ignition system has been changed, swapped side to side, and changed again. I have even bypassed the bike's wiring harness and jumpered the ignition directly from the battery. I have the ignition on a relay as I was losing just over a volt through the harness. I can pull the carbs AGAIN and either inspect or swap the reed blocks, but they look fine. 

I have done just about everything I can imagine multiple times. We will spend some more time with it. I don't know how I feel about it not being the lab seal; On the one hand, I wasn't looking forward to spending the time and money to tear down the engine. But I sure would have been happy to put this saga behind me.

Oh well.............................

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It doesn't seem to be fouling nearly as much as it was. The Iridium plugs seemed to help a lot. But now the right cylinder is a bit weak. Comp is good on both; 100 or so. The big problem now is that the bike just doesn't run as good as it should SOMETIMES. And sometimes it runs good. It always starts good; two or no more than three kicks cold and first kick hot. And I can't find anything that changes. It is the most aggravating thing I have ever encountered.

I went ahead and changed the left crank seal just because it wasn't difficult and I was just not wanting to leave any stone unturned.

I also have a '73 250 Enduro that had running problems when I got it. I found it's issue straight away (the lobe for the points was dry and pitted causing the points to wear very quickly) and now it is a joy to ride. Starts and runs good and the same every time I throw a leg over it.

Rodney is going to try and find his testing equipment to test the lab seal before we do anything major. Meanwhile, we will test ride it and continue to check and recheck everything we can think of.

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