[Coco]

Hey Fam,

I am new to the forum and fairly new to being a "bike mechanic." I recently purchased a 1968 Honda CB450 K1 and have been poking around on the forum to try to figure out a solution to a problem I am having with the right cylinder not firing. I switched the standard plugs out with NGK Iridiums and didn't have any luck. I then traced it back to the coil to find out that I wasn't getting anything from it. I tried new Dyna coils and still didn't have any luck so now I am thinking it has to do with the wiring from the pamco electric ignition throtteler. The left cylinder of the bike fires right up every time and I can even get the right one to spark if I ground the right negative ignition coil wire to the frame but I can't figure out why that would be the case. Please let me know if anyone has experienced this issue before and if you know how I could go about fixing it.

Thanks,

Michael Coco

 

[JamesPal]

MIchael, welcome to HondaTwins.
The problem is either on the primary (low voltage) side of the coil or the secondary (high voltage) side. Try swapping the primary wiring from left to right and see if the problem follows. I doubt if there is a problem with the coils, but they are new and it is not unheard of to get a bad one. If it follows then get the PAMCO CB450 wiring diagram and trace out your wiring. There is no telling what the PO did. Look for tape balls and make sure everything checks out. If that is good there might be a problem with the PAMCO unit. If it was incorrectly installed there could be a broken wire. The PAMCO does not like any tension on the wires. Good luck with that 450, it is nice to see another enthusiast keeping it going.

 

[Coco]

Thanks for the advice Jim! I tried switching the left with the right coils and I couldn't get it to turn over or create a spark on the right side The minute I put them back the left cylinder fires right up. I am assuming that means I have issues with my wiring but potentially the wiring and the right coil. I went through all the connections and they all look good and I didn't see any indication of the Pamco Ignition Wires having tension on them. I even took the plate off the e-advancer and everything looks like it should.

Is there any reason I would only be creating a temporary spark when I ground the negative wire attached to the right coil? If it helps I wasn't previously getting a spark when I grounded it after I first noticed the problem but I am now. I reached out to the PO and he tried to help me troubleshoot it but I'm not sure he knows what to do next either. Please let me know if you guys have any other ideas.

 

[Coco]

I also forgot to mention that it was running perfectly when I got it from the previous owner a few weeks ago and as far as I know I didn't do anything that would have caused the right side to stop firing.

 

[Lefty]

If you pull rest the spark plug tip against the motor and hit the starter, you should be able to see if it's sparking. Darkness helps, make sure the plug is touching so you don't do any damage and don't touch it.