1981 GPZ550 Ignition Magnetic pickups weird failure, firing 60 degrees advanced.

Folks, super weird failure of the ignition, firing 60 degree'ish advanced.   And yes, it is installed 100% correctly, verified many times.  I've been chasing this problem for months and months, maybe years.  Hardest part was that it actually was working, firing.  Since it is the electronic one, I figured it could never fail like this, I mean can it even fail?   Finally out of desperation I put a timing strobalator on it and figured it out. I bought a DynaTek replacement and bingo she fired first button push.  For the LOVE OF PETE this drove me bat shit crazy!   I thought it was the head, then cams,  then the rings, then ever other part of the ignition from the switch down.  So, my advice, for a mire 230.00 bills replace that 46 years old ignition system with a modern new one, and save yourself some headache.   

Hopefully I have the bike finally on the road and get some picks up.

577Nitro-  
 

Have the wires to the pickups ever been worked on, I only ask because I have just gone through the same thing with my 1000 (see last post in my build thread) If the wires for the pickup are connected the wrong way round they still pulse but out of sequence -" I feel your pain" it was a bitch to sort out

Interesting, oddball symptom.  Good that you found it.  Thanks for sharing.

'Computerized' ignition.  Wisdom from the earlier days of consumer computing:
"To err is human.  To really foul things up takes a computer."

   We read in the OP, "... out of desperation I put a timing strobalator on it ...".   slmjim, being a hopeless tool junkie, thinks to himself, "Hmmm... never heard of a strobalator.  Maybe some new variation of a computerized timing light?  Could be very useful!  Let's see what the googly AI search has to say about that ! "

Ummm... we're reasonably sure those aren't new gadgets to test ignition timing... 

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

slmjim+Z1BEBE wrote:

Interesting, oddball symptom.  Good that you found it.  Thanks for sharing.

'Computerized' ignition.  Wisdom from the earlier days of consumer computing:
"To err is human.  To really foul things up takes a computer."

   We read in the OP, "... out of desperation I put a timing strobalator on it ...".   slmjim, being a hopeless tool junkie, thinks to himself, "Hmmm... never heard of a strobalator.  Maybe some new variation of a computerized timing light?  Could be very useful!  Let's see what the googly AI search has to say about that ! "

Ummm... we're reasonably sure those aren't new gadgets to test ignition timing... 

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

I had wrongly assumed that "it just wouldn't work" if connected incorrectly so didn't give it much thought - oh how wrong I was !!!!

Strobalator=Timing Light 

Sorry, me being a goof.

577nitro.

Are you a fan of Vice Grip Garage, by any chance?

Nerdy wrote:

Are you a fan of Vice Grip Garage, by any chance?

The home of fuelmakeithappeners and lightening whirlers?

That guy has great replacement names for car parts.

TexasKZ wrote:

The home of fuelmakeithappeners and lightening whirlers?
 

Don't want to mix that up with the charging whirler  

Nerdy wrote:

Are you a fan of Vice Grip Garage, by any chance?

Indeed I am!