1986 Suzuki LT230 - Interesting Problem~Not Getting Spark

kfwa · January 13, 2013

Hello

I have an '86 LT230s.

recently I put a new top end in. Took it out for a test drive after the rebuild and the screw holding the cam chain tensioner was loose and fell out. When I stopped the motor I couldn't start again. Fearing the cam chain jumped the timing I pushed it back, reset the timing by using a screwdriver in the spark plug hole to determine the top end.

Bike still wouldn't start where in the past it would start on the first kick. I was pretty confident I hadn't screwed up the timing so I pulled the spark plug to spray some starting fluid in the chamber and noticed the spark plug wasn't getting any spark.

I tested the ground, the usual suspects. I had a donor bike so I replaced the coil and the CDI. Still nospark.

So here is where is gets interesting.

I take the stator cover off, wipe down the flywheel and coils and I guess what you'd call the magneto because they all had a light layer of oil on them. In order to take the stator cover off of course I had to drain the oil. So after wiping it down, putting the stator cover back on I get a strong spark.

In my haste, I start the motor and let it run for about 20 seconds before I realize I didn't put the oil back in.

I put the oil back in...and you guessed it - now I'm back to having no spark.

I'm trying to figure out if I need to replace something - clearly I can't run it without oil.

any ideas would be welcome.

Edited January 14, 2013 by kfwa

oxidized_black · January 13, 2013

i'd try a new pick up coil. fairly cheap part, 40 bucks. stator is probably still good but pick up is a hit or miss ... and usually the only part that fails 80% of the time ...

http://www.regulatorrectifier.com/catalog/1985-1989-Suzuki-LT230-QUADSPORT-Stator-Pickup-Pulser-Coil

Edited January 13, 2013 by oxidized_black

kfwa · January 13, 2013

thanks for the response - I have one from the donor bike - I'll use that and see if its consistent.

JustRandy · January 14, 2013

I had a problem like that. Sometimes it would spark and sometimes not. Turned out to be a broken wire on the coil inside the stator. Any loose wire not held down will vibrate until it breaks. You'll have spark when it touches and no spark when it doesn't. This sounds like your problem.

kfwa · January 14, 2013

thanks - either way - looks like I'll be taking the cover back off. I can't get to it tonight but I'll look at it tomorrow and follow up with what I find.

kfwa · January 19, 2013

well I swapped out various coils and I'm still without spark.

This has to be a ground problem or a bad switch or something.

I need to read up on the best way to put a meter on it and find out if its giving me power.

oxidized_black · January 19, 2013

look at your wiring harness close, look where it has been worn or pinched or rubbed ...

kfwa · January 26, 2013

just wanted to give some closure to this thread. Finally got so frustrated at just guessing so I put a meter on the connectors coming from the stator. The pulse was sending signal thru the two connector black plug, however the whitish plastic plug was not. This was the "checkered" wiring that went to the upper coil, the smaller one that went inside the flywheel. I had a spare stator and replaced it using a soldering iron.

Went over all the wiring again, put it back together and go spark. I've been driving it around the yard in the snow.

Honestly I'm still not 100% certain that was the problem, it may have been a loose connection that I just shored up while doing the wiring but at any case, I attempted to use a methodical approach to isolating the problem.

At this point I'm not sure there isn't too much about an LT230S I can't fix. This thing was a basket case.

Edited January 26, 2013 by kfwa