The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
Technical Discussion => BMW Technical Q&A, Primarily R65 => Topic started by: jusgus on October 12, 2008, 10:47:22 AM
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I am unhappy with the yellow/orange spark that Billie is producing, and I am contenplating replacing the coils. I would prefere to keep her stock with 2 new bosch coils but I was wondering about the alternatives.
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My R65's original coil has been replaced at least 3 years ago with a coil from a Honda CD 200 - it works perfectly.
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IT's not a "stock" BMW ignition coil but it does bolt right in and is better than the "Crack-O-Matic" it replaced. Call Rick Jones and get one of his Dyna coils. More economical than Beemer bits, too.
http://www.motoelekt.com/index.html
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2FBMW%2520R65%2FDyna02.jpg&hash=4b03865120f17e4695d05d85b6345b1e6b23bd1a)
Monte
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may be need for caution, according to 'snowbum' non stock coils may be a threat to the primitive ecu on our R65 s. Details of characteristics required from coils appear on his website, just google snowbum.
If the worst happens, however, an adequate and very cheap substitute for the expensive stock ecu can be found on older 1980s Volkswagen and Audi cars. This is also a source of replacement Hall effect triggers and it seems logical, therefore, that you could even substitute the coil too, if it'll fit ;) .
Many years ago I squeezed a couple of auto ignition coils onto an R65 while when the original coil went open circuit a LONG way from, home. All worked well for a few thousand miles then the ecu died. So who knows?
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Although Gus left out the year of his bike a stock 2 Bosch coil setup would b3e 79-80 and use points so his coil options are not as limited as the ones with electronic ignition. The Dyna "Brown" coils have the proper resistance to keep the ECU and Hall-sensor happy...
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Dog gone, I made another post and got careless on the second. The coils are for my 1980 R65. She has two Bosch coils with points and condenser in a can. By the way, what is meant by ecu?
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I found the Bosch Blues a little heavy - As they broke the coil frame mounts on both my R65 and my R100 - as well as the clamps.
On my 1979 R65 I am using a second hand black twin output coil off a BMW K100. Works a treat. Although there was a littel bit of 'hack and bash' on the coil mounts to fit it.
I still have a points ignition.
Steve H
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I found the Bosch Blues a little heavy - As they broke the coil frame mounts on both my R65 and my R100 - as well as the clamps.
On my 1979 R65 I am using a second hand black twin output coil off a BMW K100. Works a treat. Although there was a littel bit of 'hack and bash' on the coil mounts to fit it.
I still have a points ignition.
Steve H
I was told about the K100 coil from Motorworks as a replacement coil for my R65LS so i bought a used one from them and it's been fine,i used part of the original bracketing and fabricated a very sturdy mount for it,it fits in the same position :)
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Gus, ECU=Electronic Control Unit...
I would hesitate using a coil from an electronic ignition on a points system as it may draw enough current through the points to damage them. From experience on 4 wheeled hot-rods I can verify that if your coil's primary draws much more current than designed for the points arm will distort to the point where the "gap" goes away and the engine quits.
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Justin,
Can't remember when I changed my last set of points. Think I did it 'on spec' about 3 years ago. Nothing really to be worried about. Nothing really wrong with the set I took out. I still have them as spares.
I have enjoyed such great reliability that I have no plans whatsoever to go electronic.
I mounted my K100 coil off the bottom of the 'relay tray' near the front coil mount.
The coil was significantly cheaper than any after market jobie. And kicks out a great fat reliable spark.
Cheers
Steve Hawkins
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Thanks all, I am cogitating (that is the second best thing in the world) and will report results when aquired.
PS, I assume that no Electronic Control Unit is required for a breaker points system?
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Thanks all, I am cogitating (that is the second best thing in the world) and will report results when aquired.
PS, I assume that no Electronic Control Unit is required for a breaker points system?
It's needed but won't work until you upgrade the rest of the ignition system to electronic ignition. ;D
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Omega ignigion has a good reference on coild and viable substitutions:
http://www.stephenbottcher.net/~omega/faq.html#coil
In summary - the older points type ignition took a higher resistance coil (over 2 ohms) the newer electronic ignition can handle the greater current of a lower resistance coil.
I picked up an older used goldwing coils with dual leads to use as a spare. Haven't tried it yet so I can't report. At 2.1 ohms it should be suitable to both systems.
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Where do you spot cracks on stock coils? I guess they must be of the hairline variety?
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This cracked coil is from a 1982 R65. Hall effect ignition trigger, and I believe, typical. Way bigger than hairline, yet the coil still works good, though, too risky to put it back on a bike.
However, sometimes, I guess, cracks are just internal in the windings. (https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi212.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc60%2Flarstorders%2FDSCF2421.jpg&hash=a5e8250cd77e69b5adffe568ac91553804f1c87f)
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Lars has a big crack! ;D
They can also be tiny little bastids hiding under a layer of dust... like mine. Note the small circular cracks on the end of the coil. Missed 'em on the forst exam because the cracked end was tucked up close to the steering head.
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2FBMW%2520R65%2FOrigCoil01.jpg&hash=a447270ec5268e3d44ba4a6c971f625f7143d9b3)
I did not "touch-up" the cracked area for visual. That's exactly the way it looked after a wipe down. Odd how the crack has a lighter coloration to the coil body.
Dyna coil is the bomb! Monte
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Yes, the coils generally crack at the front end. The cracks on my coil that I replaced last year were even smaller, and while the bike hadn't let me down yet, even when riding in the rain, it was only a matter of time when they widened enough to let a tiny bit of moisture in and totally ruin my day. I think that the cracks most often appear in the front in a circular patter because they are stress fractures from the mounting bracket location and the metal
tab that goes into the plastic body. We've seen "holes" and hairline cracks appear at the back of the coil too, though.
For more reading entertainment:
http://suraklyn.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1195434246/2#2
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Yes, the cracks can vary greatly. Mine was even less noticeable - even little burn holes.
Here's some more reading on the same subject...
http://suraklyn.com/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1219495960/11#11
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+1 on the single Dyna and the Omega ignition for the 1980 points R65. Nothing like being draged into the modern day! :)