DrJ
Over 1,000 Posts
I finally installed a pair of Dyna coils on my CB350 and it's a great improvement over stock. The old coils just weren't sparking very well anymore, plugs were fouling regularly. Most difficult aspect of installing Dynas is the size. They are larger than stock and will not bolt directly to the coil bracket. I made extension pieces that were welded on and ground down other areas.
Originally I was going to mount them with the cable output on the bottom but realized I needed to keep that area clear for my steering damper bracket so the coils were mounted with the output on top.
My other criteria was that the whole unit needed to fit under the tank just like stock. I didn't want anything peeking out. So the coil extensions were fabricated to mount the coils as closely as possible with just enough clearance for the tank.
Condenser bracket was reshaped to fit the new coils and tuck inside the frame. Final result is a very compact unit.
After all my installation and wiring was complete, I test fired the coils with a plug and watched the spark. Bam, new spark was twice as big as the old one. Put gas in the tank and the motor fired on the second kick after 5 month winter sleep. After the carbon cleared it idled strongly and smoothly. I highly recommend everyone with a vintage bike to upgrade the coils. But performance comes at a price and Dyna coils are not cheap. Mine were around $180 Canadian. But I figure any decent new coil will do, probably a pair from a Kawi EX500.
Since my initial installation, I have switched the recommended NGK B8ES spark plugs with a pair NGK Iridium IX BR8EIX and further improved ignition performance. Throttle response is very snappy and crisp and smooth through the rev range.
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/products/spark_plugs/iridiumix.asp#
http://www.dynaonline.com/skins/downloads/Default.aspx
Originally I was going to mount them with the cable output on the bottom but realized I needed to keep that area clear for my steering damper bracket so the coils were mounted with the output on top.
My other criteria was that the whole unit needed to fit under the tank just like stock. I didn't want anything peeking out. So the coil extensions were fabricated to mount the coils as closely as possible with just enough clearance for the tank.
Condenser bracket was reshaped to fit the new coils and tuck inside the frame. Final result is a very compact unit.
After all my installation and wiring was complete, I test fired the coils with a plug and watched the spark. Bam, new spark was twice as big as the old one. Put gas in the tank and the motor fired on the second kick after 5 month winter sleep. After the carbon cleared it idled strongly and smoothly. I highly recommend everyone with a vintage bike to upgrade the coils. But performance comes at a price and Dyna coils are not cheap. Mine were around $180 Canadian. But I figure any decent new coil will do, probably a pair from a Kawi EX500.
Since my initial installation, I have switched the recommended NGK B8ES spark plugs with a pair NGK Iridium IX BR8EIX and further improved ignition performance. Throttle response is very snappy and crisp and smooth through the rev range.
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/products/spark_plugs/iridiumix.asp#
http://www.dynaonline.com/skins/downloads/Default.aspx