Hey, last night after lots of cleaning and jiggering with the points on my GT80 I finally got spark from the plug! I have owned this bike 2 years without spark, and the last couple owners never got it to spark either so I'm pretty proud of myself!

But now I need help.

When I kickstart the bike, not only do I get spark at the spark gap.. but I am also having sparks zap from the ignition coil to the frame.

Does the coil need to be properly grounded to the frame? I don't have a mounting bracket for the coil yet.

Or could this be because I found the ignition coil for $12 with free shipping from China...

Also I was confused about how to hook up the kill switch. Just in circuit with the ignition wire?

I have a feeling this wild spark is something to do with the ignition coil being a dud.. I even saw it arc between the metal mounting right into the plastic case.

Congratulations!!!!

Yes. the coil "frame" should be grounded.

If your coil ends up being bad, the universal Emgo coil is cheap and many have used it with success... a lot of the others are questionable and defective brand new.

Here's a thread that I should have links: yamaha-enduros.com/index.php/forums/mini...ion-coil-help-please

The kill switch simply tees into the points wire that runs from the stator to the ignition coil. The other end is connected to ground with a switch in between. When the contacts in the switch are closed, the points wire get grounded and kills the spark.

Here's a diagram from Yamaha manuals:





...

Thank you! I just went out and bought myself some feeler guages! I was wondering if anyone knew the proper points gap? I haven't been able to find anything on it so far looking on google or through the forums.

There is only a "range" of gap... not a specific number. That's because the the TIMING is set by adjusting when the points just start to open. After you have the timing correct, you check... NOT adjust... the points gap to make sure it's within range... usually 0.012" to 0.015". If maximum gap is not in range when the timing is correct, you need new points.

Service Manual should be in the Tech Library... might be for a GT80... same basic bike for many years.

Let me say it this way... if you set the timing to where the points were opening exactly when the piston is the specified distance BTDC and then went back afterwards and adjusted the maximum point gap, the timing would now be wrong...

You might still have an unmolested timing tab under one of the stator coil screws and a corresponding timing mark in the flywheel window that lines up with the tab... if tab is there and not bent up you can use these marks to adjust timing pretty close if you don't have a dial indicator to do it right. Points should just open when marks align... hard to see points opening by eye though. Search forum for lots of posts on timing.

Or I'm sure RT325 will be along with his "set the points to "X" gap and you'll be close enough" method... Not a method I'm inclined to use but will get you running and the smaller bikes are more tolerant to having the timing off a little than the bigger bikes.

Haha, i'll keep out of it or i'll give you bad ideas. Earth the coil & give her a kick & she might light up. Good little bikes 'those'.

Found the specs, will adjust as neccesary tomorrow. 1.8mm BTDC and gap should be .3-.4 mm

What would be causing the metal frame of the ignition coil to spark at the frame? I get a nice blue spark at plug but also big orange sparks coming from the coil mounting? I just wanna know if there's anything I can try to fix this before I buy another coil. The thought of those big sparks flying loose so close to where the gas tank would sit makes me nervous ahah!

pictures would help... first thing that comes to mind is coil frame is not grounded to frame. Sand the paint off the frame at the mounting points.