Hey all...

I have a 73 850 Commando. I just put in a Boyer Electronic Ignition. I'm getting a healthy spark and she's acting like she wants to kick. I'm getting pops and bangs, a little smoke and a lot of rust dust from the muffler. She's been sitting for almost 30 years. I have rebuilt the carbs, put in the EI, rebuilt the clutch pack, put in a new throttle cable, removed and cleaned the oil tank and lines and a lot more. Any ideas why she's not firing. I'm starting to lose my patience and my foot, leg, and back are killing me because of all the effort put into the kick start. Please help!

Be sure you have a fully charged battery, And then recheck your install of the ignition. If the battery is low the ignition won't want to fire at the right time. Good luck you'll get it. Chuck.

have you checked the static timing tosee if it is close to correct before you try and set the ignition s final position?
Did you carry out a compression test as after sitting for 30 years it may well have damaged/bore rings!!!
What about tappet settings as well, did you check those before trying to start as well?
Regards Mike

Has a new battery. Compression seems good. I set the timing as specified in the instructions for the EI. Not 100% if I did it right though. I don't know what tappet setting is?

The nick name tappet is used commonly for the gap between the end of the valves and the threaded adjuster with a lock nut off the rocker arm that is used to open the valves
Regardxs mike

Oh ugh, when my past Boyer black beauty has done that and battery was fine I'd usually find I'd switched trigger leads sequence on assembly. If too advanced will back fire, if starts too advanced pipes will turn cherry red in seconds and if too retarded makes couging wheezes to start and if runs very suggish to throttle. Its possible there's fouling of magnets or coil poles on back side, ugh, damhik. But would it help to know most are able to get their Boyers spot on 1st time every time : ) I usually did. But just as often knocked something else loose to fool me it was even Boyer related, ugh.

Not kicking enough.

SierrasCafe530 wrote:Hey all...

I have a 73 850 Commando. I just put in a Boyer Electronic Ignition. I'm getting a healthy spark and she's acting like she wants to kick. I'm getting pops and bangs, a little smoke and a lot of rust dust from the muffler. She's been sitting for almost 30 years. I have rebuilt the carbs, put in the EI, rebuilt the clutch pack, put in a new throttle cable, removed and cleaned the oil tank and lines and a lot more. Any ideas why she's not firing. I'm starting to lose my patience and my foot, leg, and back are killing me because of all the effort put into the kick start. Please help!

The pops and the blowing of rust from the silencer plus you don't say its kicking back at your foot sounds to me you may have a grossly retarded spark.
Any chance you don't have the choke functioning since that can make a cold one hard to start.
After a lot of kicking I'd check plugs. If wet the choke would be working but if dry then choke not.

Are you using the correct mark on the rotor? There are 2marks on there. Check TDC and note which mark corresponds, then mark it.

My money is on incorrect timing. That's a classic symptom. Keep in mind that Boyer's are notorious for timing errors with low voltage. I realize you said the battery is fine but are all the connections fine as well? You can have a good battery but low voltage due to corroded connections, bad grounds, etc.

But the first thing to do IMO is to recheck the static timing.

The second thing I'd do is get rid of the Boyer.

Check the voltage across the ignition switch. A 30 year old switch is probably going to be iffy. Or you could just hot wire it.

Dave
69S

Nudge the pick up a little in one direction and see if it goes or improves. If not, go the otherway. Not to much at a time, you don't want to over advance it or your pipes will blue up before your get the timing light in place.

Ok, I'll go there.
Are the plugs wet? If not, with the air cleaner off (of course) lift the slides and squirt a little fuel down the manifolds.

And, If it isn't starting after a half a dozen kick, stop and access. Don't needlessly stress the gearbox as some may incourage.

I'll bet Hobot has it - the trigger wires (black/yellow & black/white) are reversed.

marinecommando wrote:Are you using the correct mark on the rotor? There are 2marks on there. Check TDC and note which mark corresponds, then mark it.

There are two marks with red paint on them. I was guessing it was the big marker. My husband just tried it with the other marker. Still no life... We are out of ideas.

grandpaul wrote:I'll bet Hobot has it - the trigger wires (black/yellow & black/white) are reversed.

No there not. I may be a girl, but I got that part right.