high elevation dying

[d_m_plum]

I recently bought a 1991 KLR650, and had ridden it on a couple of very rugged trails, up to about 10,00 feet near Bishop, CA. On a third outing, the bike stopped cold near the top. Had to coast all the way down, including crossing a stream 8 times! Anyway, when I got the bike home, I found there was no spark. I got out the Clymers, and made some measurements. According to Clymers, the measurements for the CDI were bad, so I ordered one from Babbitt's. Took FOREVER to get here. When it arrived, I plugged it in, and STILL no spark. I checked the NEW one according to Clymers, and it had the SAME readings as the old one. Has anyone else had this experience????? Obviously, something else was wrong. I had already checked the coil resistances, and all three were apparently O.K. But, I had failed to do the checks for coils shorted to ground - I guess I stopped reading when the coils read correct. I found the exciter coil WAS shorted to ground. I looked over the wiring harness for the short, but couldn't find anything obvious. To further isolate the problem, I then took off the generator cover. SURPRISE - Clymer's failed to include "drain the oil" in the directions for doing this!!!! Lap full of oil, fortunately cold. As I pulled the cover, I also heard a distinct "clank" sound. Looking around, I found a part magnetically held to the rotor. I put a photo of this part in the "Files" section, named PartInKLRMagneto.jpg. The part looks like a hex nut, maybe 8mm threads, with a cylindrical extension. The part shows some major damage, like it was caught in the gears at one time. I suspect it finally got bounced to just the right place and shorted the exciter coil to ground, because after putting the generator case back together, the exciter coil is no longer shorted to ground, AND I GET SPARK!!!! I haven't tried to actually start the engine yet, because I still don't know what this "extra" part is. I couldn't see any obvious place the part could have fallen off of. Also, the part is painted or anodized BLACK, which would seem to be unnecessary/undesirable for aa part which is intended to be immersed in oil all it's life. Does anyone know what this part is???

[Hedrek]

I had something similar happen, but only at about 6,000 feet. I still haven't figured it out. It just died. I parked, took a break and it would start up again, then do the same thing a way up the road. Nothing on the way down after cresting about 8,000 feet. It would just die, and not start. Heat from going up hill? Haven't been up that high again. Just took a 500 mile trip south and up some, with no problems, except a leaking gas tank from a mechanical cause. --- d_m_plum wrote:

> I recently bought a 1991 KLR650, and had ridden it > on a couple of > very rugged trails, up to about 10,00 feet near > Bishop, CA. On a > third outing, the bike stopped cold near the top. > Had to coast all > the way down, including crossing a stream 8 times! > > Anyway, when I got the bike home, I found there was > no spark. I got > out the Clymers, and made some measurements. > According to Clymers, > the measurements for the CDI were bad, so I ordered > one from > Babbitt's. Took FOREVER to get here. When it > arrived, I plugged it > in, and STILL no spark. I checked the NEW one > according to Clymers, > and it had the SAME readings as the old one. Has > anyone else had > this experience????? > > Obviously, something else was wrong. I had already > checked the coil > resistances, and all three were apparently O.K. > But, I had failed to > do the checks for coils shorted to ground - I guess > I stopped reading > when the coils read correct. I found the exciter > coil WAS shorted to > ground. I looked over the wiring harness for the > short, but couldn't > find anything obvious. To further isolate the > problem, I then took > off the generator cover. SURPRISE - Clymer's failed > to > include "drain the oil" in the directions for doing > this!!!! Lap > full of oil, fortunately cold. > > As I pulled the cover, I also heard a distinct > "clank" sound. > Looking around, I found a part magnetically held to > the rotor. I put > a photo of this part in the "Files" section, named > PartInKLRMagneto.jpg. The part looks like a hex > nut, maybe 8mm > threads, with a cylindrical extension. > > The part shows some major damage, like it was caught > in the gears at > one time. I suspect it finally got bounced to just > the right place > and shorted the exciter coil to ground, because > after putting the > generator case back together, the exciter coil is no > longer shorted > to ground, AND I GET SPARK!!!! > > I haven't tried to actually start the engine yet, > because I still > don't know what this "extra" part is. I couldn't > see any obvious > place the part could have fallen off of. Also, the > part is painted > or anodized BLACK, which would seem to be > unnecessary/undesirable for > aa part which is intended to be immersed in oil all > it's life. > Does anyone know what this part is??? > >

Robert Hedrick Albuquerque, NM ____________________________________________________________________________________ Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us. http://surveylink.yahoo.com/gmrs/yahoo_panel_invite.asp?a=7