Low Tension Coils - Complete Wank?

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Starwave
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Hello

Rode up to a party at a remote farmhouse in deepest darkest Derbyshire from smelly Brum on Saturday with a mate. Ace ride, top party (until I blew the amp up :oops: ) and the next morning my hungover, feeble and battered body was greeted with a scoot that wouldn't spark. Quick fiddle and strip revealed a boogered LT coil on the stator plate. Seriously cheesed off, especially as I'd only replaced it about 150 miles ago! I had replaced all the wiring when I replaced the LT coil and I'm happy all the soldered connections are still good.
I'm running an Indian stator with an AF lightened flywheel. (Rapido 225 with LTH reed, not a screaming super powered rev monster).
I'd really appreciate any advice on anything I can do to end up with a robust and working stator.

Possible options:

1) Replace the LT coil. What type?
a) BGM?
b) Can a Vespa one be adapted?
c) One from Beedspeed? They look a bit beefier than the one from SR I got.
Would I have a compatibility issue with any of the above as regards pick-up, flywheel or other components?

2) Replace the whole stator? Don't really want the expense and the rewired one I have is pretty new! I do have another Indian stator kicking about with a suspect pick-up. I could use the LT coil from this but pretty sure it's the same Indian type.
a) Get a BGM stator?
b) Another type?

3) Stick a points stator and flywheel back on. Ran a GP like that for years and covered loads of miles. It had weak and fairly unreliable lights of course, but I never suffered with ignition probs....unlike with the 'upgrade' to electronic.

Apologies for any waffling and any help or advice will be appreciated.
Cheers.
Torco225
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Main scooter: Lambretta TS1 225
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I'm sure it's something you have done when fitting the new LT coil but did you alter it when fitting to be adapted for the AF lightened flywheel . have a look on their site I've known a few that have took the top off the LT or Pickup with the AF flywheels . simple to do and works fine when adapted .. http://www.afrayspeed.co.uk/index.php?page=Per_flywheel.

I hope I'm not breaking any rules posting up a link to a dealer on here as I really think this is relevent for the subject.

If you did this slight adaptation then sorry for posting useless information heeee heeee .

Rich
Yanker
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That sounds the most likley Starwave (as Torco225 said). Check the green wire 'tab' on the LT coil for signs of friction on the flywheel. Meter-test the coil (not guaranteed that it is not damaged and arcing despite a good reading of 485-512 Ohms). Lower the tab per the instructions.

Lucky it went anywhere : most just frazzleand dye on the spot. Unlucky it worked then spat the dummy out far from home though: hope it wasn't too much pain and expense recovcering 4 ya.
Starwave
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Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:50 pm
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Thanks for your replies chaps.
Adapting the LT coil for the AF lightened flywheel was NOT something I was aware of. It's a bleedin minefield out there.
I had a quick butcher's at the stator this morning and there are no witness marks or signs of contact. However, after just putting the flywheel and stator together in my hands it looks like the soldered joint of the LT coil and green wire would come very close to the flywheel rivets. This could well be close enough to cause arcing.
The LT coil is defo dead - only reads about 300 ohms. Maybe arcing to the flywheel is why the old one died too? The old one was proper frazzled and burnt and only just got me home from Weston. How I enjoyed popping, mis-firing and farting up the M5 in the rain.
Was lucky this one packed up at the farmhouse - they had Sky Sports, nice warm log burners and unlimited tea n coffee. The route home is lovely but right out in the sticks....and it peed down later. It did misfire and pop a bit for last couple of miles riding there the previous day so that must have been its swansong.
Recovery was ok and free with my insurance. Took a while to reach me though (of course) and I had to push the big fat series one up a steep slope to get to the truck that couldn't reverse down the track. Bad news on a hang over. At least me mate helped push.

Thanks again, your replies may well have helped me and stopped me destroying many more coils.
But what LT coil do I buy to replace the boogered one?! Anyone used the ones from Beedspeed? Cheers.
Starwave
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Posts: 105
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:50 pm
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Had a look at the original stator plate that came with the lightened flywheel (on the shelf with suspect pick-up, misfiring at high revs) and the LT coil is, indeed, much less tall.
I defo dropped a bow-lack by fitting the coil I did, without altering it.
Wonder how many others may of done the same? Or maybe just me? :freak: Perhaps my thread title should have been Low Tension Coil Fitter - Complete W*nker? Although I still think the coils are moderately poo, at best.

Cheers Yanker, Rich & muppet for helping me oot. :)
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