Black tar..CDI boxes

[tuna boy]

After I saw the above post about the ballast resistor with picture I went onto eBay and looked at
OEM coil packs for 1100s. I did find several sets with the ballast attached to coil pack. I went into my basement to look at the original OEM coil pack that I replaced about 2 years ago and first had ignition box melt out. And the coil looks fine and no cracks and NO BALLAST resistor!
I still need to pull the bike apart and look at the coil pack that I bought from EBay. I am willing to bet that there is no ballast resistor there either. I compared the 2 sets before I installed the replacement , they were identical or I would have questioned what was the extra thingy was on the EBay unit.
Thanks for the help

 

[mcgovern61]

It is more of a mystery to me than fact, but when I swapped out my '81 engine for my '83 engine, I kept the '81 coils and they have no ballast resistor. My ignition system runs like a clock. I did change out my spark plug wires to the Dyna wires and I do not think there is a resistor in them. To my surprise (not planned) my CDI units have not melted yet. Do we have any idea other than cracked coils as to why they heat up?

 

[joedrum]

you said it bad wires and bs rasitors cause coil on back problems ..this is where the backlash heat starts and back through iggy system

 

[tuna boy]

For me it looks like the coils from a 1500 may be the way to go. When I look at the pics above of the 1500 set up I don't see a ballast resistor. Do the newer 1500 coils not need one? I have new copper wires and NGK spark plug caps, can I reuse them? I see that the 1500 units have smaller compression nuts for the spark plug wires so maybe I need different wires too? Should they be the same copper wire units called for on the 1100 only smaller diameter? If the 1500 coils are stronger can I open up the gap on the spark plugs?

 

[dan filipi]

Though I probably should, I'm not running a resistor right now.
I can't answer if the 1500 runs a resistor. Maybe someone else knows.

The stock 7mm wires will fit the smaller compression nuts.

I set my plugs to 32. Spark looks pretty good.

 

[IBAJIM]

dan filipi » Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:45 am[/url]":339jua5j]
Though I probably should, I'm not running a resistor right now.
I can't answer if the 1500 runs a resistor. Maybe someone else knows.

The stock 7mm wires will fit the smaller compression nuts.

I set my plugs to 32. Spark looks pretty good.

Dan : What's the verdict since you made the change ?? I have a pair of MP08's that I plan to install this spring w/o the ballast, also.

 

[dan filipi]

IBAJIM » Sun Jan 04, 2015 11:39 am[/url]":zkvsffqm]

dan filipi » Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:45 am[/url]":zkvsffqm]
Though I probably should, I'm not running a resistor right now.
I can't answer if the 1500 runs a resistor. Maybe someone else knows.

The stock 7mm wires will fit the smaller compression nuts.

I set my plugs to 32. Spark looks pretty good.

Dan : What's the verdict since you made the change ?? I have a pair of MP08's that I plan to install this spring w/o the ballast, also.

I'm running the C5 ignition with it's included coils so no answer for you, sorry.

 

[IBAJIM]

Does the GL1100 have a OEM CDI ( capacitive discharge ignition ) ?? I thought it had a transistorized ignition ........

With using a ballast resistor, is the reason I think it has a transistorized ignition.

 

[zman]

I thought the deal was that 80-81 have no ballast and measure out at 2.5-3 Ohms, 82-83 have a ballast in order to reach the 2.5-3 Ohm mark.
The thing I have read about the ignition modules is the epoxy degrades over time+heat and just melts, not so much anything is wrong just that some kind of decomposition occurs with the mix..Not saying something wrong will not cause them to melt, but most I have heard of are just re filled and run.
If the 1500 coils measure out at 2.5-3 Ohms that should be all you need, if they are .7-1.0 then a ballast will be required.
I think this is right, never done it just repeating what I have read.