condensers

[mikeyboy1]

anyone have trouble w/condensers going bad? my F was running great then suddenly was sputtering,missing,etc. managed to get her home.had banging spark on one set of points ,barely any on the other.remembered this  from last year so put on a condenser from my K & have all kinds of spark.also have some carb issue I will deal w/today-sticking float as she overflowed fuel last nite. put those condensers on my K-she runs but poorly.

[TOOLS1]

Condensers do go bad. That is why you replace them with the points.
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[rich]

Had one go on my 78K but only once it got hot. Just assumed it was the coils. But it still died when it got hot with new coils.

[Re-run]

This is a the limitation of points. life span isn't very good, not with stock points anyways. People have swapped on different model points and have had them last longer, but I don't know the numbers.

I think they were corvette points though.

[shinyribs]

Rerun, was it Vette points, or just Vette condensers? I can see Vette points being a good choice over any standard Chevy points. Due to the higher spring rate needed to cruise at the rpm's these bikes do. I'm interested in this. Thanks for bringing it up.

[TOOLS1]

You mean one of these?






This is the only ignition that is better than both stock points and electronic ignitions. Why?
1) Timing accuracy. The built-in timing light allows you to set the timing, in under 3 minutes, at any rpm up to 9,000 rpm, while observing both 1.4 & 2.3 ignition timing. No ordinary timing light can do that. Most electronic ignitions have no provision to set timing separately between 1.4 & 2.3. All electronic ignitions retard at least 1 degree for every 1,000 rpm the engine turns. This Maxi-Dwell does not retard at all.
2) Dwell is pre-set. A dwell meter is not necessary for a tune up. When the timing is right, so is the dwell.
3) High rpm spark strength. No point bounce nor float until 16,000 rpm. Stock points bounce at 2,000 rpm.
4) Long life. This ignition uses the highest quality, nickel plated, ventilated, heavy duty, GM V8 type automobile points with stainless steel springs, phenolic heels and screw terminals. They are designed to operate 8 cylinders for over 25,000 miles. So, running only 2 motorcycle cylinders each, this ignition should last 100,000 miles.
5) Space Age Capacitors. Ordinary wax paper/aluminum foil condensers lose capacity as engine heat soaks into them. Maxi-Dwell Space Age Capacitors do not contain wax that can melt and lose capacity. Points will not burn when the engine heats up, like ordinary "can" condensers do.
6) Weighs only 4 oz. Lighter than stock. Lighter than electronic.
7) Instant 3 minute tune ups. No need to pay a mechanic $80 for a tune up. Do a better job, yourself, in minutes. You don't need a timing light, dwell meter or even a feeler gauge. Tune your ignition any where, at any time of night or day. No mechanic's tool kit needed; just the adjusting wrench included.
8) RELIABILITY! What is the first thing any mechanic does when he looks at an engine? He pulls a sparkplug cap off to check the spark. BANG! An electronic ignition is fried. End of story. Go buy a new one. The reverse voltage from the ignition coil raises when the sparkplug wire is disconnected from the sparkplug. When the voltage goes up, the driver transistors in the electronic ignition burn out: INSTANTLY. They can not be fixed. Don't let this happen to you. Do you want to be on the side of the road wondering what happened? The same happens when a sparkplug wire comes lose. This will never happen with a Maxi-Dwell. Never!
9) Extended spark plug life. A weak spark fouls otherwise good spark plugs, cutting spark plug life to a fraction of what it could be. In the good old days, I used to race my Z-1R Kawasaki at the drag strips across the MidWest. Back then the Gerex CDI was considered to be the top ignition. It was certainly the most expensive, at about $400.00 when $400.00 was real money. At most races the pit areas were littered with new, fouled spark plugs. The racers had to change the plugs after each pass. Why, because the Gerex didn't have enough spark to burn the fuel and fouling resulted. Gradually, racers changed over to the Maxi-Dwell. It was always rewarding to hear someone come up and say that they got every bit of the performance that the Gerex offered, when it worked, with the Maxi-Dwell, for a whole lot less money. At one race, in Bowling Green KY, the guy who won Pro Stock was the only guy without a Gerex, because none of the Gerex guys could get their ignitions to work.
10) Aluminum backing plate. Your OEM point plate is steel, but your engine is aluminum? Aluminum expands more than steel, when heated. So, each time your engine heats and cools, your OEM ignition plate is forced to move or distort due to the difference in thermal expansion between the two different metals. The Maxi-Dwell II has an aluminum backing plate, so it expands at exactly the same rate as your aluminum engine; so your Maxi-Dwell II does not have to move nor distort with each engine heat cycle. Now, consider that aluminum conducts electricity much better than steel and you have the making of a far superior ignition system for your motorcycle; one that delivers the most accurate and the most powerful spark.

This patented Maxi-Dwell ignition can replace stock points style ignitions. Your engine will start easier, have more low end torque with less pinging (due to correct timing), and a lot more top end power. Big bore kits, big cams, blowers - no problem. You'll have the spark you need, when you need it.

Maxi-Dwell II (points, condenser, and timing light) more than replaces OEM points on:

M-DIIH – Honda vertical four cylinder, 2 valve motorcycles CB350, CB400, CB500, CB550, CB750, and CB750F SOHC motorcycles ('69 - '78). It will not fit any CB750 DOHC motorcycles.
M-DIIK - Kawasaki Z-1, KZ900, KZ1000, Z-1R ('73 - '79)(also replaces electronic ignition in KZ1000 & GPZ-1100).
M-DIIK6 - Kawasaki KZ650 (also replaces electronic ignition in KZ750 & GPZ750).
M-DIIS - Suzuki GS550, GS750, GS850 & GS1000 ('77 - '79)(also replaces electronic ignition in GS1100 & GS1150 ('80 - '83)).

Here is a new one for you on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Ignition-CB750-CB550-CB500-CB400-CB350-SOHC-Built-in-Dynamic-Timing-Light-/251849373756?hash=item3aa364783c
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[Re-run]

Could be. I never bothered, went with a dyna S probably 10 years ago or so and have only removed the cover just to make sure nothing was building up, corrosion, ect.

[mikeyboy1]

well thanx Tools-I never heard of those but have ordered on for my F.sound real good.

[TOOLS1]

I am saving that original 1970's one for my K-O diecast engine. But now that I know they are available again, I am going to get them for all my bikes. BTW. The guy that invented the Maxi-dwell did it while while attending college here in Kansas City, and I know a guy that has a bike shop here that helped him develop it.
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[mikeyboy1]

not sure if they are "available again" or that guy has some NOS

[TOOLS1]

That's a good point. I got an impression he was making them, since he is also making a new exhaust system (I actually think it is the guy that invented the Maxi-dwell selling these).
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