Right Hand Ignition Coil Replacement.

[Eldrick]

 Last year I replaced the Left hand Ignition coil and that was easy. This year, I am replacing the Right Hand one (as you sit on the bike). I have a problem, the only coil I could find was ‘aftermarket’ and designed for fitting on either left or right side. This Coil does not look like either of my coils but it is described as for the CB400f.


Specifically, the issue I have is the wiring, the new coil has a Positive and a Negative terminal on it and it comes with a cable that has one Yellow and one Black wire. My right hand coil connects a Black&Yellow wire to Black and a Blue wire to Blue. The black one must be missing the normal connector as it has been soldered onto the Black&Yellow one.


I need to know which terminal (on the coil) to connect the nice new Black and the new Yellow wires to and then where to connect them vis-a-vis the Black wire and the Blue wire. As ever, pictures are more helpful, please see below.


New Coil
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]


Old and New Wires
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Bryanj]

+ve connection to power in (black/white)
=ve connection to points (blue or yellow)

[Johnny4428]

Some dicey looking wiring there! But a work in progress of course!

[Eldrick]

Some dicey looking wiring there! But a work in progress of course!

I am tempted by a new loom... 

[Johnny4428]

Some dicey looking wiring there! But a work in progress of course!

I am tempted by a new loom... 

Wise move! 😜

[Laverdaroo]

Some dicey looking wiring there! But a work in progress of course!

I am tempted by a new loom... 

I concourm its not worth the hassle with that lot!...............no offence mind.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Some dicey looking wiring there! But a work in progress of course!

I am tempted by a new loom... 

I avoided the DS 400 loom as some of the colours are different- I'm not the most competant Sparky so bought one from this firm.
All the colours were the same as my original.
.https://www.electrexworld.co.uk/acatalog/Wiring-Harnesses.html

[Multiman]

FYI I've just fitted a DSS loom and there was only one cable that was the wrong colour.
It didn't matter as the cable was in a connector to connector run so not possible to get wrong anyway.
Just me recent experience.

[Athame57]

FYI I've just fitted a DSS loom and there was only one cable that was the wrong colour.
It didn't matter as the cable was in a connector to connector run so not possible to get wrong anyway.
Just me recent experience.

Lucky you! They must have changed the product or supplier because I had issues with the one I got a few years back.

[Multiman]

I can't imagine anything more frustrating than a wiring harness with wrong colours. Chocolate teapots etc etc
But good that they appear to have got it right now.
I would have bought the Electrex loom had a I known about it, correct and cheaper.
Note to self, ask the forum first!

[Eldrick]

I just ordered the Eletrex one so expect me back when I am ftting it.

[Multiman]

+ve connection to power in (black/white)
=ve connection to points (blue or yellow)

Does this make any difference?
In my very limited understanding, the primary is just a coil of copper wire with two ends, so how can it matter if the "signal" interrupt is going +ve or -ve.
I only ask as I've just fitted two new coils from DSS and have the wires the other way round to the above and thew motor runs ok.
Happy to be corrected though.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Back in the 1960's early Minis were negative earth I think it was so when upgrading to fit an alternator you had to change to positive earth as most car alternators were like that. Also you would switch the coil wire at the same time.

The debate back then was to do with the spark starting at the spark plug centre electrode and jumping across to to the outer contact.
The argument was that if you did not switch the coil polarity the spark would start at the outside plug contact and jump inwards affecting the ignition burn. It might have been the other way around I forget.

The direction of current flow in terms of electron flow was the reason iirc it is negative to positive. In reality most people did not bother they were more concerned about the Radio wires needing reversing!

Personally I would just make sure they are both the same - I followed the coil markings - iirc I made a new mini loom to get the connections to reach in a tidy manner. Its seems a popular subject of debate.
https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/461742/what-is-the-direction-of-the-electricity-flow-in-a-dc-circuit
.
For me its a bit like when you started to learn Chemistry - Elements were made up of just three indivisible sub-atomic particles - Electrons, Neutrons & Protons - the reality is somwhat different. I am happy with the 3 constituents for my grasp on the world never seen a quark, neutrino, positron to name but a few never mind the Higgs Boson.

[Multiman]

Interesting points there Ted.
I live and learn

[Johnny4428]

You know what? I have read a few posts this morning and I am feeling mucho thick. I’ll maybe read a few times yet when the “brain fog” clears.

(Some very wise and clever people on this forum)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk