The pickup coil is located under the right front cover. Just follow the wire from there up to the wiring harness and you'll find a two-wire connector plug.

The pickup coil is a constant-energy device that isn't directly affected by idle speed or battery voltage. It always produces a pulse but the amplitude and duration of the pulse vary with rpm -- higher rpm, shorter, higher-voltage pulse.

The failure mode on these is thermal. It heats up, an internal connection opens and the ignition shuts down until the part cools and the connection remakes itself.

It's possible that there are shorted turns in the winding and a reduced output voltage, but improbable that it would cause stalling at an idle. The pulse is processed within the ignitor where there's a regulated voltage as a reference, so if the pulse amplitude was low the bike wouldn't start at all.

Likewise, an intermittant would cause misfiring at all rpm ranges.

The pickup coil resistance should be 530 ohms +/- 10% when you check.


I just took a quick look at the mounting on the igniter and don't have a clue how it comes off! I checked Haynes and the Triumph manual but found nothing there.

Jim

__________________
My NEW Photo Album: http://s279.photobucket.com/albums/k...0Head%20Stuff/

Kyre...,
if you can't find a thinwall, drop me a note. I can turn a standard socket down on a lathe and send it to you.

i dont know if you have an Ace Hardware near you ,but there brand of 18mm is thin walled enough to fit down that hole...it does on my 96 t-bird ....Tom

__________________
Ward...dontcha think you were a little hard on "the beaver "last night!!!

also a little ky or vasaline on the socket helps get it past the valve cover seals

__________________
If you love it , let it go . If it comes back to you , you've highsided ;-)

Originally Posted by tnsen

i dont know if you have an Ace Hardware near you ,but there brand of 18mm is thin walled enough to fit down that hole...it does on my 96 t-bird ....Tom

Sears sells thin-walled sockets and other specialty bits.

__________________
Anthony

'Honey, I never drive faster than I can see, and besides that, it's all in the reflexes.' - Burton

Have you checked the sidestand switch and cables?
Try a by-pass and see if it helps.

Until you get the socket and change the plugs I think we will be chasing our tail. I would have thought some of the shops you put the problem to would have done that but in case they haven't then change them and then see what that does.


--------------
Ride on !

To Bbogie, tnsen, Woody, CrazyCroc, Tbirdnz and the rest...thank you for the input on finding and using the right socket...I finally got to check my plugs for the first time. The plugs looked perfect and the gap was dead on. Your feedback is much appreciated.

To Jim...to get the ignitor out...I just cheated and pulled the entire battery box. The ignition sensor tested at 600 ohms...which is just above the 10% leeway, but it checks out...what is that sensor that sits in the trough right next to where the ignition sensor wire comes out of the right hand side cover? Is it worth checking out? Are there any other sensors that could be causing the problem?

To Swedish Hedgehog...sidestand relay was disconnected two years ago and didn't make a bit of difference...thanks for mentioning it though.


*So today I threw the plugs and battery back in, rigged the aux fuel supply, and fired the bike up. I idled it on it's centerstand for a good 20 minutes and it didn't stall out...in the past it would usually stall in the first 10 minutes if left stationary. I'm not at all convinced that this means that the problem is solved.....I've gotten my hopes up soooo many times before and I don't see how anything I've done to the bike so far could clear up a problem that has been prevelant for near six years. Tomorrow I'll put the tank back on and hit the street, 'trying' to get it to stall just like it used to. I'll be back on in about 20 hours to say how it went, but my guess is that nothing will have changed. If it does stall, then the only thing left for me to try is replacing the Gill coils (which seem to be fine) and replacing the plugs (which seem to be fine.) Are there any other options other than that? Anything else that I haven't checked already? The test ride tomorrow will be the deciding factor. Stay tuned.....

I'd still change the plugs, even a bad plug can look good, preferably do it now with the tank off. At least it will eliminate suspicion of them if you change them. If it still fails then you have a good set of spare plugs !


--------------
Ride on !

...didn't even hit the streets....it stalled 4 times in the first 7 minutes of warming up... I've ordered the Nology coils and some plugs... I'll say my prayers while I'm waiting the next few days for the new parts to show up.