Triumphrat

Kem770

It has points. I was riding at about 65 mph when it started sputtering and then died. I got it started but it wasn't running very good; Sputtering, no power and it died several times during the last 5 miles home.

Kem


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DAVE M

Dodgy coil?

swap the coils and see if the problem moves

henryanthony

Have you checked for proper fuel supply? Might be a poor connection or partially broken wire that is hidden inside the insulation.

Mr.Pete

The plot thickens.It sounds like you have a distributor and single coil.Is that the case?

Was the bike running well for a reasonable time,before this dying and sputtering started?

Triton Thrasher

Wouldn't hurt to post pics of the ignition system.

If it's distributor and coil, those symptoms could be a battery not getting charge.

loctitekid

I'm thinking about an intermittent spark problem. Could be wrong, but easy to eliminate.
Distributor or magneto?
If it's a distributor, check the thin wires to and from the coil and distributor. Pay attention to any connectors - they might have vibrated loose (nuts fall off) or they might have oil on them.
If it's a magneto, try removing the HT pickups and cleaning the carbon brushes. Use a cotton bud or similar to clean the armature where the brushes run.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Neil.

ARTY

Have you checked the condirion of the points - asre they pitted ? is the gap correct ?.

Ohio-Rider

The reason I asked about which ignition you’re using is because two years back I had my front cylinder quit on me. The set screw for the front points had come lose and the points closed up killing just that cylinder. Check the simple things first.

Snakeoil

What about the condenser? I would think that a failing condenser would give you spark during a test but poor performance when running. If points, coil and plug are good, then condenser might be at fault. Mr. Pete mentioned you have a distributor. Any chance the the post for that cylinder is damaged?

Locktite mentioned this. First, make sure you have continuity to all your termination points, the terminations are good and you have power where you need it. After that it is proper function of the system (timing, advance, points gap, etc.) and proper function of the components (points, condenser, coil plug cap, etc) that determines the proper operation of the system.

Maybe I missed the comment, but I know you said that the compression blows your finger off and someone said that is not necessarily a good test. I agree with that and you need to do a proper compression test. That will prove out the integrity of the engine bits and let you eliminate them from the list of possible causes.

Troubleshooting boils down to isolating and eliminating.

regards,
Rob

Kem770

Here is the wiring diagram for a 1953 6T. I'm heading to the shed later on to try some of your suggestions.

Kem

__________________
A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
Mark Twain