So last fall I tried going for one final ride. The bike started up first kick, warmed up fine, ran like a clock with a perfect tick over. I took off and went 20
yards when she died, and I mean dead, right now, no skips or anything. I changed plugs, still nothing. Checked the fire with a a spark tester and there was nothing. So I put her away for the winter, I went over today and checked it again, still nothing. I ran emery cloth between the points and cleaned them with white gas. Still nothing. The plug wire is fine, nothing broken. My question is could the pickup be the problem? I haven't removed it yet but am wondering if it could kill the fire that abruptly? The mag was completely redone and barely has 1000 miles on it. Anything else I should look at before assuming catastrophic failure?
Sam as you've cleaned the points and changed the plug (you could try yet another NEW plug) The only things left to check before removal of the mag, is the HT lead inside the pickup which might need cleaning of verdigris and then the pickup itself......But can you get to them on a 16H? Will removing the tappet cover help?
The same thing happened to Pete The Jeeps M20 which was in my workshop for a month or so. It was firing up no problem until the day I delivered it back to him.....Absolutely nothing. So the mag came off and was given to my mag bloke for testing....Not a glimmer! He recons it's probably the condenser has just given up. So the mag needed to be rewound with new condenser. Not a bad thing in Pete's case as it was a post war slack wire mag and obviously on its last legs anyway. So we found a correct mag and got that refurbed. Ron
Thanks Ron, I'm quite sure it's not the plug as I tested the spark with a tester and it's dead. Nice bright solder on the pickup end of the HT lead. I'm going to take the pickup off and have a look, I guess what I am wondering is if a problem with the pickup could lead to such an abrupt kill, it was as if someone cut the HT lead with a pair of snips.
Sam, you've obviously checked for mechanical damage at the points end ?
The HT pick-up can be jiggled out on the Norton if you have the original slotted hex. screws but it is a fiddle and requires using odd screwdrivers in ways that weren't intended.
Condensation or oil on the slip ring don't tend to make them stop suddenly, but if it stalled for another reason it could prevent it starting again....Remove the pick-up and the spark plug, stick your finger in the aperture and get someone else to give a good swinging kick :stuck_out_tongue: ...Be careful there actually, not only will you get a belt, you'll skin your knuckles on the fins !
The earth brush is also worth checking. Carbon brushes can break (although they shouldn't). Pattern parts can be a problem. You can just get the earth brush cover screw out using an angled screwdriver.
Hi Rik, yes the points are fine, I'll get the pickup off and see what is going on there, I'll get the earth screw out too, you never know. Although they are not the problem( or I don't think they are) I'd like to replace the points. I'll let you know how it goes. Cheers!!
Well, I took a few minutes today and took off the pickup and the earth brush. I cleaned the brushes and the inside of the mag (through the hole where the pickup goes,spun it while holding a clean rag in there) I also cleaned up where the plug wire contacts the inside of the pickup with emery cloth. Put it back together and voila, nice hot spark! Thank God! I didn't feel like taking the mag off. Just goes to show how little it takes to affect things. I was assuming the worst due to how it stopped running abruptly. My past experience has been that issues like these happen after it sits for awhile without running and doesn't produce spark when you try to start, then you clean the points and it goes. Anyhow, I think I'm in business now. I have never oiled that wick in the points, is this something which should be done?
Cheers!
Sam,
good that you have sorted it out.
Just to complete the whole story; isn't there also an earth brush that can easely be checked in case of trouble ?
