Another Dyna Ignition problem

[mgmark]

When I picked up my '85 Lemans the PO had a Dyna ignition installed, with green coils. Or should I say coil because he had one dyna and one stock coil. I thought it was a mounting problem by the way things were installed, but the bike ran fine.
   I have since torn down the bike for a remodel and a year later have a no spark problem on one side when I tried to start it for the first time. I should add I have mounted two Dyna coils using the second from the box O stuff that came with the bike.
No spark on one side. Nothing. After swapping componenets side to side to "check with a known good unit" I have determined that one coil is indeed bad. Why do people save bad parts? Especially electrical parts.
   So I then reverted back to the setup that was on the bike when I received it; one Dyna and one stock coil. Still dead on one side. So when checking leads from the black box to the coils I found the green wire has a steady signal, while the other side pulses with the spark trigger. The steady side doesn't fire of course.
   Am I looking at a total system replacement? The unit is dated coded from the 90s so it is 20 years old. Just buy an entire new system?
thanks,
Mark

[guzzista]

At this point it maybe cheaper to buy the entire setup than get Dynatek to sell you a  Control box separately. The preferred coils nowadays are the 5k ohm (black coils )so you may want to think about that. I have a similar setup I am working with ( 20+ year old Dyna with stock coils). Will post something as how it works once I get the engine running

[rodekyll]

Dyna is much more reasonable and understanding than you are.  Call them up and ask if they can do anything for you.  Be sure to tell them that despite their product running for some unknown portion of 20 years on mismatched coils and goddess knows what other abuse, you're calling it "another dyna problem" on a public forum.  They'll get a kick out of it.  I know I did.

[Triple Jim]

The preferred coils nowadays are the 5k ohm (black coils )so you may want to think about that.

It's probably just a typo, but I think you're referring to the black Dyna coils with 5Ω primaries, rather than the 3Ω version.

[rodekyll]

It could be a poorly worded title I'm reacting to, since the story doesn't bear out "another dyna problem".  It indicates poor stewardship of the bike by the PO, which shouldn't reflect on dyna at all.

[Tom]

 :1:

[redrider90]

When I picked up my '85 Lemans the PO had a Dyna ignition installed, with green coils. Or should I say coil because he had one dyna and one stock coil. I thought it was a mounting problem by the way things were installed, but the bike ran fine.
   I have since torn down the bike for a remodel and a year later have a no spark problem on one side when I tried to start it for the first time. I should add I have mounted two Dyna coils using the second from the box O stuff that came with the bike.
No spark on one side. Nothing. After swapping componenets side to side to "check with a known good unit" I have determined that one coil is indeed bad. Why do people save bad parts? Especially electrical parts.
   So I then reverted back to the setup that was on the bike when I received it; one Dyna and one stock coil. Still dead on one side. So when checking leads from the black box to the coils I found the green wire has a steady signal, while the other side pulses with the spark trigger. The steady side doesn't fire of course.
   Am I looking at a total system replacement? The unit is dated coded from the 90s so it is 20 years old. Just buy an entire new system?
thanks,
Mark

If you have a bad Dyna coil send it back to them. They will test it and sell you a new coil at wholesale price. If your box is bad same thing. They will test it and sell you a new one at wholesale price.

[centauro]

When I picked up my '85 Lemans the PO had a Dyna ignition installed, with green coils. Or should I say coil because he had one dyna and one stock coil. I thought it was a mounting problem by the way things were installed, but the bike ran fine.
   I have since torn down the bike for a remodel and a year later have a no spark problem on one side when I tried to start it for the first time. I should add I have mounted two Dyna coils using the second from the box O stuff that came with the bike.
No spark on one side. Nothing. After swapping componenets side to side to "check with a known good unit" I have determined that one coil is indeed bad. Why do people save bad parts? Especially electrical parts.
   So I then reverted back to the setup that was on the bike when I received it; one Dyna and one stock coil. Still dead on one side. So when checking leads from the black box to the coils I found the green wire has a steady signal, while the other side pulses with the spark trigger. The steady side doesn't fire of course.
   Am I looking at a total system replacement? The unit is dated coded from the 90s so it is 20 years old. Just buy an entire new system?
thanks,
Mark

I also had the module fail so that no spark was present from one side. I called DynateK and Larry said to send back the module to check it out. After finding it defective, he offered to sell a replacement Complete system for 50% off. I took the offer and I also bought their 5 Ohm pair of coils. No problems since then.

[rodekyll]

I too was treated very well by the company when I had a failure.  I even told them that it was probably my fault for miswiring it.  They still went out of their way to help.  IIRC, they shipped out the replacement without waiting for the failed one to arrive and didn't even charge postage.  That was some years back, but the feeling that they really want to stand behind their product remains.

So I'll repeat that contacting them is the most productive thing you can do.

[Guido Valvole]

My Le Mans started running on one side intermittently. The Italian Left on strike, imagine that�� I checked coils (stock) and they seemed ok. Emailed Dyna to ask how to check the box, they said send it in. So I did.

It came back a few weeks later tested OK. I retested the coils and whaddya know, the left one was bad this time. New black (5 ohm) ones and some time making brackets and now I need to get a new battery, get the beast running, and it'll probably need to go to a new home.

I paid shipping to send the box to Dyna, they paid shipping back. Tested the box for free, no complaints from me at all. It's old, I'm not the original owner, etc etc etc, and still great service from them.
cr

[mgmark]

No, I wasn't blasting Dyna as a company. All three of my previous 80s Lemans' have had Dyna ignitions mounted from delivery day with no troubles ever. I did do a forum search for previous troubles like I am experiencing and didn't find the same problem I have. I meant "another" as in different.
Since my original post I have mounted the stock coils (from the same box O stuff) and they both throw a nice spark, although this is using the "good" side trigger wire on each coil individually as a test. The green side is still sending a steady signal to the coil so no spark.
  I think I'll be calling Dynatek on Monday and ordering up a new control box if that is what they recommend, or send them the original one if they feel it is worth looking at. Maybe even a new pair of 5 ohm coils too.
thanks for the advice.
   

[redrider90]

It's probably just a typo, but I think you're referring to the black Dyna coils with 5Ω primaries, rather than the 3Ω version.

Jim,
Do you think I would benefit from adding 2 ohms to my 3 ohm green Dyna coils? I have had 3 failed dyna coils over 35K miles. (not to mention those 3 bad stock Guzzi coils.... 2 of which I gave to you thinking they were good.... )

[Triple Jim]

I decided that adding 1 ohm was better.  With an external resistor, some heat is generated that's outside the coil itself, rather than it all being inside.  If you work out the numbers, the heating of a 3 ohm coil with a 1 ohm resistor in the primary circuit is about 1/2 of what it is without the resistor, which is slightly better (cooler) than the 5 ohm coil with no resistor.