Bonneville Tech Question

[DaveM]

[quote author=CarlS link=topic=5305.msg30065#msg30065 date=1240660768]
You can order these from newbonneville.com
[/quote]

I had no problems getting stuff from them. It did take a bit of time but it got here no problems :y18:

 

[The Seeker]

Chris,

To be clear.....we've been referring to the "crank position sensor" which is sometimes also referred to as the "pick-up sensor" or "ignition sensor". It's inside the lower round engine side cover.

Here's the URL for Nology: http://www.nologyhotwires.com

Once you locate the correct ignition coil for your bike, be sure to try searching eBay for a cheaper price. I would suggest their "Nology Pro Fire Coil" for the Bonneville or Thruxton.

I'm not sure if this holds true with a Bonneville, but sometimes you will need to change the ends where the leads attach to the coils because they are different.

 

[CarlS]

Here is the link to Nology coils on newBonneville.com. The coils are about the same price where ever you buy them.

http://www.newbonneville.com/html/nology_profire_coil.html

If you have any questions about the coil, email Brent (at NewBonneville). He is a biker and owns a Bonneville. He is quite knowledgeable and very helpful.

Seeker is right about the pickup sensor; I should have called it by its real name. My bad. NewBonneville sells the coils to which The Seeker referred. Thanks, AJ, for the clarification.

 

[Chris J]

Hi , Is this pickup sensor accessible by removing the R.H. cover (Timing cover on old Triumphs ) ??

Are the alternator windings attached to the removable cover ?
Can the sensor be " cleaned " & got working again or is it electronic stuff that may be fried ??
I will try everything as it will be very annoying to fit new coils & find no improvement.

Thanks for all the input , I finally managed to join when the computer eventually told me that 8 letters were needed for a password !!

Regards , Chris J

 

[The Seeker]

Not having ever owned a new Bonneville (only old ones which had no such thing as a crank position sensor)....I can't tell you exactly where it's located.

It would HAVE to be down low on the engine behind a cover which exposes the end of the crankshaft. I would guess it's on the right side. There will be a black plastic-covered wire coming out of that cover which goes to the sensor. The other end should have a plug which plugs into the wiring harness. It wouldn't be up high around the valvetrain.

I'm sure someone who owns one will tell you exactly the right cover to remove.

It cannot be cleaned and made to work (it shouldn't be dirty inside there!). There is an air gap that should be correct. The proper way to test if it's defective or not is to check the resistance with an ohm meter and seeing if it's within range. To do that you'll need to unplug it from the wiring harness and put your ohm meter probes on the two leads inside the plug end. Again....I don't know the correct range since I don't own a new Bonneville, but someone who does would be able to look that up for you.

Normally, an ignition sensor which is beginning to go bad will allow the bike to start and run normally when the sensor is cold and begin to fail when it warms-up. One "side of the road" check is to pull the cover off when it's acting-up and spraying cold silicone or brake cleaner on it to make it cold again seeing if that stops the problem. But that depends on how badly it's out of range and isn't a positive test.

 

[CarlS]

Chris, I am not at home and I don't have my bike to look at. If I remember correctly, it is under the right engine cover. It involves a coil; thus it can go bad. The most frequent problem I have read is the air gap being too great or too small. I do not remember the range not what I set mine at. I would recommend that you purchase a Haynes Service Manual for the Triumph Bonneville. It is better for amateurs like me than the factory service manual and half the price. Check Ebay; they come up regularly there. NewBonneville.com also sells them.

Your dealer should be willing to tell you what the air gap should be and what the ohms reading of the pickup coil should be. The box with my manuals is in storage so I cannot look it up for you.

I will email another member of this forum who is a superb mechanic on the Bonnevilles. He can, no doubt, give you the air gap specs and the ohms specs.

 

[The Seeker]

I'd highly doubt that your problem is with the air gap since the bike was running OK before. There is no wear involved, so the only way the air gap could change would be for it to move. It's held in place by a allen head screw and lock washer so it's hard to imagine it moving and changing the gap.

Your ignition coils can also be tested with an ohm meter to see if they are defective. I am leaning toward that being your problem so I'd look into the proper specs for a good coil (there's also a process to follow when testing them to get the right reading and also so you don't short out your electrical system while doing it).

 

[Chris J]

Thanks for all the info , I have been trying to locate a workshop manual locally but no joy so far. A chap who works at the small airport near here has a Bonnie , will check if he has a manual.

Regards , Chris J

 

[The Seeker]

Please just be sure the ignition switch is OFF when you are messing around testing stuff unless a manual tells you differently. You could ruin an ohm meter at the least and your whole electrical system at the worst.

 

[Chris J]

Well my manual arrived today & I removed the coil & tottered across the road to my American neighbour who has a digital multi meter and the coil has bad readings across the primary winding. Should read 6 ohms but reads 0.6 ohms & yes he is absolutely sure that it is 0.6 !!
So I will order the new coil & a bigger gearbox sprocket from newtriumph in a couple of minutes.

On a different tack : is it possible / safe / hassle free to remove all that " Secondary air induction system " and plug the various holes and hopefully render your spark plugs accessible for a change ???

Thanks for all the assistance so far ,
Regards ,
Chris J

 

[DaveM]

That was one of my first mods I did and have not looked back on it. I ordered the kit from here http://www.newbonneville.com/html/ai_removal_kit.html. It took a while to get to me in SA but I had no problems getting it. If I recall I paid via PayPal :y18:

 

[devo]

yup, like Dave said
gets rid of that deccell popping you get with modded pipes,and reduces the bluing on your pipes. :happy:
:y18:

 

[Lonzo]

One other thing- While you have your right side cover off, Triumph changed the air gap on the pick up. Original spec was 1mm, they changed it to .8mm. Prevents ignition module failures.

 

[CarlS]

Yes, you can safely remove the AI (air injection). I t does not affect performance; but it does cause the headers to get much hotter. Everyone I know with a Bonnie has removed the AI.

You can either totally remove it (which I did) or you can take the lines off of the air pump (valve) under the tank and plug the lines. Some guys have done it that way for quick reconnect if they have emissions inspections. I removed the whole thing. If you remove the whole thing, you will need two bolts to plug the holes in the head, two vacuum caps, and a plug for the hole in the airbox when you remove the intake hose. You can buy an AI removal kit from newbonneville.com or bellacorse.com; but it is cheaper just to go to a hardware store and get the two bolts and plug for the airbox and go to an auto parts store and get the vacuum caps..

Some guys just use a piece of vacuum tubing and run it from one of the carb vacuum ports to the other. I did this at first because I had vacuum hose; but I did not have the right size vacuum caps.

 

[Chris J]

Thanks for all the info , I removed the left float bowl as well & found discolouration but no significant dirt , blew the main jet through to check that all the small holes are clear. Bought ss cap screws & fitted them to both carbs ... waiting for the parts from newbonn.com.
Will disconnect the AI also.
Does " Frank " , Forking by Frank , supply fork tubes for the Bonnie ?? I believe it is cheaper to import new tubes than to have my tubes hard chromed here.

Many thanks , Chris James.

 

[CarlS]

I do not know the answer to that. I do know that the cost of chroming has gone out of sight over here.

 

[DaveM]

[quote author=Chris J link=topic=5305.msg30461#msg30461 date=1241458329]

Does " Frank " , Forking by Frank ,
[/quote]

Sound like a swear word :ya2: :ya2:

 

[Chris J]

Well , Frank replied to me, [email protected] , and he does make fork tubes for Bonnies. He uses a thicker wall tube & you need to change the springs.
Tubes $199.00, Post to S.A. $86.30 , Springs $60.00

What thread is the AI fitting to be removed from the head ?
In the pics it looks like the spark plug thread M12. Is this correct?

Mamy thanks , Chris J

 

[CarlS]

I believe it is a spark plug thread. I bought the AI removal kit and did not check the threads. I remember reading on a nother forum that some guy actually used spark plugs to plug the holes until he got bolts the right length.

That is not a bad price for springs and I am surprised the tubes are only $200. What weight oil did Frank recommend for the forks?

 

[Chris J]

I didn't ask Frank about oil. The manual gives a volume and a measurement from the top of the tube to the oil surface.
Christmas is coming real early for me this year .... on Saturday I should be getting a 48 Panhead that I have been after for 7 years ..... Should change my name to Patient Boy !!

Cheers , Chris J