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Message started by Watnys on 08/01/04 at 09:44:07

Title: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Watnys on 08/01/04 at 09:44:07

On my ignition coil I have an orange wire with white stripe and a black wire with yellow stripe. I need to find the negative wire on the coil and I am only assuming that it is the black/yellow wire, but wanted to confirm this with you all first. Does anybody know? BTW i am installing a tachometer. If anyone has done this, what would be good locations on any wires to tap into for positive and negative feeds. So far I have taped into the wires for the speedometer light and have burned out both the speedo light and tach light. Also when I turn on any blinker, the tach needle will fluctuate by 2000rpm in tune with the blinker lights. I think I have done something wrong and would appreciate any advise, thanks.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by gitarzan on 08/01/04 at 15:53:17

I tapped my wires right on the coil itself. I removed the wire, pushed the tach wire thru the hole in the tab and pushed the wire back on over it.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Watnys on 08/01/04 at 16:49:48

Thanks Gitarzan, but what wire did you put where? I have a 4 wire tach, one to the coil, one ground, one positive, and one positive for the light. I spliced the two positives together and tapped to the speedo light. was this wrong? should I have tapped one of the positives to the positive side of the coil? Also does your needle fluctuate with the turn signal on?

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by gitarzan on 08/01/04 at 18:11:39

Yeah, you wired it wrong. :-/

I put the + wires on the + side of the coil.
I put the - wire on the - side of the coil.
I loosened the screw on the bracket that mounted the coil and slipped the ground wire under that.

You are going to have to take the tank off to do this. :o

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Watnys on 08/01/04 at 18:31:22

That makes more sense. I knew something was wrong with the way that it behaved. Thanks for the info. I just hope that I didn't blow anything in it besides the bulb.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Greg_650 on 08/02/04 at 13:30:23

The O/W wire is your positive. Thye B/Y is the negative....it is a 3 wire setup, right? One positive is for the light and the other for the meter, if it is like mine.

You need to connect at the coil like others said too....and I recommend some wire wrap to keep from wearing through a wire and shorting the ignition

I also put the chrome mount into the front of the handlebar clamp on the left side. Tightened down the front clamp bolt first and it was good to go. It isn't "centered", but I didn't want the universal rubber mounting clamp on the handlebar.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Watnys on 08/02/04 at 14:25:30

Mine is a four wire tach. I'm sorry about the bad quality picture (wish I had a scanner), but basically it shows one negative wire(green) to the negative side of the coil, one negative wire(black) to the ground, one positive wire (blue) to "lamp on", and one positive wire (red) to "ignition on DC 12V". It is the last two positive wires I wasn't sure about, but it seems like according to you all, I should at the very least move the red wire to the positive side of the coil, if not both red and blue. As you can see the instructions didn't really show anything going to the positive side of the coil. I'm glad you guys were able to help me out, thanks. I will rewire this weekend and let you know about the results.

http://www.geocities.com/peterstar@sbcglobal.net/tach.html

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by gitarzan on 08/02/04 at 14:28:30

Thr 4th wire is for the light. Hook it up with the pos wire as if it was a 3 wire setup.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Greg_650 on 08/03/04 at 13:07:35

Gitarzan is correct.....

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Greg_650 on 08/03/04 at 13:30:28

Wait a minute....now that I look at it with "2 cylinders" and the little sketch of the distributor....

First of all the "distributor" is solid state on your Savage. Secondly, the Savage fires on both the compression and the exhaust stroke which is once per revolution (I forgot this). That is one of those little EPA things to rid any unburned fuel (probably helps backfires too :o) There are a lot of bikes that do this.

But the CDI pickup on the rotor doesn't care what stroke the engine is on. That is all setup with the cam position and it fires on both strokes. Therefore with my tach, the internal electronics just senses each pulse as an RPM which is correct.

But your tach is connected to the ground side of the coil which then outputs to the "distributor" and to each plug on the positive side. With the Savage single the physical order is reversed.....Hmmmm.

You know what I'd do? Warm the engine quickly to fill the carb(not too hot), remove the tank, and connect the ground wires, and then start the bike briefly. While the engine is running touch the positive lead to the O/W wire connector using a pair of insulated pliers. If it works the tach will read ~1200 RPMs. Then you can shut it off, and either finish the wiring or take the unit back.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Watnys on 08/03/04 at 13:59:49

What brand tachs are you guys using? Mine is a Drag Specialties Mini Tach.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by gitarzan on 08/03/04 at 16:30:53

I have Barons Mini Tach.

...perzact same thing

Drag Specialties:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/accessoriesandgear/TACH-DS-sm.jpg

Barons:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gitarzan/tach/TightLeft.JPG

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by gitarzan on 08/03/04 at 17:03:08

Here's a link to my earlier post regarding mine :

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=RubberSideDown;action=display;num=1086316659;start=0#0

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Greg_650 on 08/04/04 at 03:02:43

Looks very much like mine, but mine must be "generic" since it has no label.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by gitarzan on 08/05/04 at 16:20:22

I'd suspect there's one manufacturer who puts labels on for whoever orders a crate of them.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Greg_650 on 08/06/04 at 02:07:09

Or one manufacturer that doesn't put labels on them :P

I suppose that I could contact the guy that I bought it from to see if he knows...if necessary.

All that I know is that it works.

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by gitarzan on 08/07/04 at 06:07:50

Maybe, but I used to work in electronics retailing, and I know that badging an item to order is very common.

-Look at the Kawasukis.

-One guitar company makes over half the guitars in the world. Their guitars are made to spec and relabeled for epiphone, fender, dozens of smaller marques, and who else knows who...

-Kenmore is made by Whirlpool.

-In Asia there are these little factories who make stuff for different companies, today it's Sony, last week it was Hitachi, a month ago it was RCA.

!!! A small market item like an electronic Tach could not have that many factories making them, and making them to be dead ringers except for the logo on the dial. Even the number font is the same.

:-*

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Watnys on 08/07/04 at 16:29:45

Well guys, here is the update: I rewired the setup like you all have it and replaced the burned out bulbs. Unfortunately the symptoms are still the same. The bulbs burned out again, the needle flutters at times +-1000rpm(flutters +-3000rpm with the turn signals on), and I think it is measuring wrong. It shows between 5200rpm and 6000rpm in 5th gear @ a steady 60mph. I thing I’ve got a dud. At least now I know this for sure. I'll scrap this unit and go without for a while. I may get a handlebar mount clock now to install in its place to cover-up the scratches that the cheesy bracket made. I wish I have purchased a tach from http://shadowstuff.com/
They have the no-brand name tach like you do Greg plus a great looking mount (a couple styles to chose from) at only $52 instead of $78 like mine. Well, if my store will not accept the tach back, I’ll crack it open to see what makes it tick. Maybe I can convert it into a beverage holder ;D

Title: Re: Coil wires and Tach install
Post by Greg_650 on 08/08/04 at 02:34:47

Sorry that it didn't work out, especially since I know how much work you had to do for that effort. It does sound like the wrong tach...something about that connection to the distributor in the drawing. Also, with an 800 rpm fluctuation at 60, it isn't working right. Mine reads 3500 @ 50 mph in 5th. I hope the sales guy that sold you that unit has the understanding to take it for a return.