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Thread: Grounding the coil

  1. #1
    Senior Member brock's Avatar
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    Hey guys i mentioned this in a post in one of my threads but i figured that i would make this a seprate post so no one misses out.

    ok now as far as grounding the coil to the frame or neg batt terminal. can someone explane why this is a solution?
    Because i did a continuity test from each tab or prong whatever you want to call it on the coil to the steel cylinders where the coil is mounted to the bracket which is mounted to the engine. and im not getting any continuity which tells me that those steel cylinders are totally isolated from the coil, so there will be no ground path back to ground.
    i can not see why this will attribute to better grounding and less problems. Maybe i'm missing something.
    thanks guys.
    Mario

  2. #2
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    Its for redundancy. Buells have terrible grounding from the factory. Its creating a short additional path for eletricity to travel. Through gasketing, seals, lock tight, insulation, continuity through the engine to frane to battery could potentially cause resistance or complete lack of ground, in this case the idea i believe if to create a short path for the secondary ignition system. If your plugs/heads dont have a proper ground, you cant generate a spark. This is by no means a solution to any problem but it has solved issues related to mis-fires, ignition system issues. Worked greate for my Buell a light load cruising misfire cured by this action.

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    Senior Member Cooter's Avatar
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    I totally agree with what Theycallmecrash said.

    However...
    Brock is asking why grounding the steel coil cylinders does anything at all, he is saying they test to be completely isolated from the coil= no path to ground.
    You can ground them (or hell... run them to battery (+)) but he is saying they are still isolated.

    BTW, I am only going by what has been posted. I have NOT tested the coil cylinders for isolation myself....

  5. #5
    Senior Member konarider94's Avatar
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    i can not see why this will attribute to better grounding and less problems. Maybe i'm missing something.
    You are right on. Ive spent a lot of time diagnosing the ignition circuit and have done the same test you did. Not only is the coil itself not grounded, but none of the wires are connected directly to ground either. That happens through the ecm. People that claim running a wire to the bolt on the coil helped with something are incorrect. Ive read that too and even passed it on to people. After looking at the circuit and doing the same continuity test that you did I realized that I passed that information mistakenly in the past. My problem ended up being the ecm but thats not where you are going with this.

  6. #6
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    It is not the coil you are grounding. You are using the coil bolt as an easy-to-get-to ground path. The ground path for the coil is the spark plug's anode, or to keep it simple, the engine (cathode is the center tip, anode the 90-degree piece of metal that you adjust for gap). No or weak engine ground = no or weak spark. I can see where the semantics are important, but the net effect is that you are giving the coil a ground *at* the coil, but through the engine. The coil bolts are simply well-placed for such a connection.

  7. #7
    Senior Member brock's Avatar
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    Ah haaaaa. Ok I do see your points I was thinking for just the "coil" and yes I do realize the problems of the grounding system.

    Well cooter they are deff isolated from the coil but you defiantly can't run it to the positive batt terminal because they are grounded to the engine lol.

    That's the problem with aluminum, it's a great metal, very conductive but at the same time it corrodes very easily and the ground connections are compromised. I'm going to use a electrical compound (penatrox) that's what I use for aluminum connections out doors (I'm an electrician) and just dab a bit on the grounding points to stop or at the very least slow down oxidation/corrosion.
    Once again thank guys.

  8. #8
    Senior Member brock's Avatar
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    Not only is the coil itself not grounded, but none of the wires are connected directly to ground either.

    Konarider94 I guess we were thinking the same thing that it was for the coil instead of a extra ground path to add to the engine bolts.
    But one more thing the coil can not be grounded if it were this would create a short and the plug would never see spark, not to mention you would get one hell of a blast off that coil to the rest of the bike. The ignition of the coil has to be separate from everything, half the spark plug is grounded obviously to the engine. then the electrode is totally isolated from the rest of the plug. And after that coil sends out some 20-30k volts we have ignition or at least hope haha.

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    Thank God this is being cleared up!Misinformation is everywhere. Some people (including me sometimes) believe anything.

  10. #10
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    I didnt hear any mis information, maybe theres a huge misunderstanding about why the "mod" is done. Whether its to the coil or head, its simply another ground either for secondary ignition or redudancy.

    What is mis-information
    But one more thing the coil can not be grounded if it were this would create a short
    If you were stupid enough to attach the ground to the plug wires electrode yeah. But the "mod" suggest placing to the coils mounting bolt.
    People that claim running a wire to the bolt on the coil helped with something are incorrect
    I make no false claim, a poor ground can cause a weak spark, certain engine loads and fueling requirements create more resistance for ignition spark to occur. This means weak spark, high resistance, mis-fire. An additional ground, strengthens spark by creating less resistance through its pathway. Cures a cruising mis-fire. Teres all kinds of ****ty science ad physics im sure behind it, but the fact is the additional ground can and will benefit the motorcycle.

    Simple example of this, loosen your negitive battery cable while everything is on, the less contact the cable makes with the terminal, bet your lights will dim.



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