Powerdynamo brings new ignition & light
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assembly instructions for  System 74 11 599 00

version 20.06.2014

If you can install your stock dynamo/alternator and possess basic mechanical skills, you can install a Powerdynamo!
If you never have worked on your electrical system, better have it done by someone who knows.

Powerdynamo can not monitor the compliance to those instructions, nor the conditions and methods of installation, operation, usage and maintenance of the system. Improper installation may result in damage to property and possibly even bodily injury. Therefore we assume no responsibility for loss, damage or cost which result from, or are in any way related to, incorrect installation, improper operation, or incorrect use and maintenance. We reserve the right to make changes to the product, technical data or assembly and operating instructions without prior notice. 

 


IMPORTANT:

Designated use
This system is designated to replace stock ignition systems in vintage and classic motorcycles whose engine characteristics have not been modified aftermarket. This system is not a tuning system and it will not bring significant increases in engine output. It does however significantly enhance roadworthiness and road safety by offering increased reliability compared with the aging stock systems . As our systems do not tamper with engine characteristics they do not increase emission of gassous pollutants and noise. In most cases emission of pullutants should be even reduced due to better combustion.
If used as designated the system therefore will not normally infringe the existing legal status of the motorcycle (this statement is valid for Germany, as this situation might be different in other countries, please consult your local road licencing regulations). This system is not suitable for use in competition events. If used other than designated warranty is voided and it might well be that you do not obtain the desired results. In worst cases use not in accordance with designated use might entail legal roadunworthiness.
Please read these instructions fully and carefully before starting work on your motorcycle. Please bear in mind that any modification of the material as well as own repair attempts which have not been agreed with Powerdynamo may result in a loss of warranty. Also, please take note of the information provided on the information page for this system. Check that what you have bought really corresponds to the motorcycle you have. Wrong ignition settings may damage your engine and even hurt you during kickstart (violent kickbacks). Be careful during the first test runs. If needed change settings to safer values (less advance).
Please always use shielded spark plug caps (but not more than 5Kohm) with this system as the hall trigger element is very sensible and may catch the emission of a spark which can lead to ignition disturbances, even failure.
Never place converter and advance unit (same housing) back to back, even as this might sound convenient. It can result in ignition failure, even destruction of material due to interference
Our systems are NOT tested for use with other electronic devices (such as GPS, mobile phones, other 3rd party material.) and may cause damage to such parts. Possibly existing  electronic tachometers will not work with the new system. Possibly existing safety switches and electronic valve controls are not supported. It might be that your motorcycle was originally equipped with an ignition that did limit top speed for legal reasons. The new system does not have such a facility, so check your legal situation beforehand
If you have no expertise for the installation have it done by an expert or at a specialist's workshop. Improper installation may damage the new system and your motorcycle.

If you have access to the Internet, best view those instructions online. You get larger and better pictures by clicking onto them and possibly updated information. System list at http://www.powerdynamo.biz
You should got these parts:
  • preassembled plate with hall sensor
  • hall rotor with 2 magnets
  • control unit
  • converter (for power supply)
  • two CDI ignition coils and high tension wire
  • screws
  • Allen key 2mm
  • timing wire

Make sure your Kawasaki rests securely, preferably on an elevated work bench and that you have good access to the engine. 
You do yourself a favour when you first completely read the instructions before you start work.

Disconnect your battery and take it out of the motorcycle for the time of work.


Short overview of work to be done:

You replace the stock points setup by a hall element, consisting of the hall base and a magnetic rotor. This needs to be initially timed with crank in 50° position BTDC (before top dead center, the highest position a piston can reach) of one cylinder.

The function of the centrifugal govenor will be substituted by an electronic advance unit. The CDI ignition needs a charging voltage of about 340 volts which the converter produces from battery voltage (6 or 12 Volts).

The stock alternator will be kept and has to function. You will need a battery. Without battery the ignition will not work.

Einbau:

 Remove the alternator from the engine.

Hint: It may also be possible to perform the following tasks with built-in alternator. Look at the next steps below. If you can unmount the stock points with built-in alternator you can also try to mount the new system likewise.


Loosen the rear cover of the alternator and disassemble the points and the retaining plate.

The housing should look like in the picture on the left.
Remove the woodruff key from the shaft. It is no longer needed and would prevent proper mounting of the new hall rotor.

Loosen the preassembled hall sensor unit and insert it as shown in the picture. Mount the lower adapter plate onto the alternator using the supplied M4x16 screws and washers.

Lead the wire of the hall sensor through the slot at the back of the adapter plate. Be careful not to pinch the wire!

Now mount the hall sensor onto the adapter plate using the supplied M5x10 screws and washers.

You should center the screws in the slotted holes. Then you can twist the sensor later in both directions to finetune the ignition timing.

Put the hall rotor loosely onto the shaft. It should be as deep as its magnets are fully covered by the hall sensor.

Now you have to execute the ignition timing like described below. After that you have to fasten the hall rotor with the two small grub screws and the supplied 2mm allen key.

The wiring instructions described below is also shown in wiring diagram 7452 .

Have a look at the wires and plugs of the control unit (labled with "74 00 52").
 as there are:
  • plug 1: red, white and yellow/black to connect ignition coil 1
  • plug 2: red, white and red/black and pink to connect ignition coil 2 (and - for timing - the provided timing wire)
  • plug 3: red, white, blue/white and green/red to connect the converter (labled with "70 51")
  • plug 4 yellow/black, red/black, white, red/blue to connect the hall sensor
    (you can enlarge the pictures by clicking)
Please start connecting the hall pick up to the advance unit.
First lead the wire harness of the hall sensor through small holes at the engine housing. Then put the plug sleeve onto the wire in a way that the colours of the wires are equal to the plug from the control unit.
Both plugs have a line-shaped protuberance for better orientation (traced green at the picture). Please double check that all colours are matching, otherwise the hall sensor will not work!
Identify the wire from the control unit which contains a pink wire. To this wire you have to connect the timing wire:
  • pink to red of the timing wire
  • white to white of the timing wire

To adjust the ignition timing please connect a 9V monobloc battery to the timing wire. You can also use any battery 6-12V, positive pole has to be connected to the red wire, negative to the white one. Attention: Reverse voltage will destroy the control unit!

(The hall sensor and rotor are shown in the picture would be mounted at your engine now!)

When you twist the (not fastened to the shaft) rotor the diodes should switch on and off (at 180 degrees).

The yellow diode is related to the ignition coil connected to plug 1 (see picture above) and contains a yellow/black wire. The red diode is related to the coil connected to plug 2 and contains a red/black and also the pink wire.

Now you have to finish the basic adjustment. Therfore the crankshaft has to be in a position 50 degrees before top death centre ("BTDC" of the one of the two pistons which is connected to plug 1).

Therefore you should use a suitable degree wheel at the crank shaft.

(These 50 degree BTDC are not related to the advance curve - it's just a constant for the basic adjustment of the parts.)

Once you have the 50 degree BTDC position of the piston you twist the lose rotor in the direction of rotation of the shaft (as it would rotate when the engine is running). You stop exactly in the moment when the yellow diode switches on. Then twist bachwards slowly until the diode switches off.
In this position you fasten the rotor to the shaft. Now the ignition has its basic adjustment.
At the control unit are 4 little DIP switches. With them you can choose the correct advance curves.
The recommended curves for the Kawasaki Samurai are shown below.
recommended curve:  2° at start up to 28° advanve at 1300 revs
this curve has 20° advance at all revs
Finally remove the timing wire and connect the ignition coils 1 and 2. Also connect the control unit with the converter unit. The white wire of the converter is ground (negative pole) and the red one has to be connected to the positive mains switch.

 

Important safety and operating information

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Safety first! Please observe the general health and safety regulations motor vehicle repair (MVR) as well as the safety information and obligations indicated by the manufacturer of your motorcycle.

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Ignition systems generate high tension! With our material right up to 40,000 Volts! This may, if handled carelessly, not only be painful, but outrightly dangerous. Please do keep a safe distance to the electrode of your spark plug and open high tension cables. Should you need to test spark firing, hold the spark plug socket securely with some well insulating material and push it firmly to solid ground of the engine block.

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After installation, please check tightness of all screws, even those preinstalled. If parts get loose during run, there will be inevitably damage to the material. We pre-assemble screws only loosely.

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Give the newly installed system a chance to work, before you start to check and test values, or what is worse is to apply changes to customize the firing point before running the system.
Our parts have been checked before delivery to you. You will not be able to check much anyway. At any rate do refrain from measuring the electronic components (such as ignition coil, regulator and advance unit). You risk severe damage to the inner electronics there. You will not get any tangible results from the operation anyway. Bear in mind that also your carburetor, your spark plugs and spark plug sockets (even if completely new) might be the reason for malfunction. The general experience with our systems is that the carburetor will have to be re-adjusted to lower settings. Should the system not start after assembly, first disconnect the blue cut-off wire directly at the ignition coil (or in some cases advance unit) to eliminate any malfunction in the cut-off circuitry. Check ground connections carefully.

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The spark of classic, points based ignition systems has with about 10,000 Volts with little energy and looks therefore yellow and fat (hence it's visible). The spark from our system is a high energy spark with up to 40,000 Volts and therefore very sharp (needle thin focused) in form, and blue in colour, which makes it not so visible. Furthermore you get spark only at kickstart operated speeds and not by pushing the kick-lever down slowly with your hand (as you might get with battery based ignitions).

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Systems using a twin outlet ignition coils have a few peculiarities. Please observe that during tests on one side, the other has either to be connected to an fitted spark plug or securely earthed/grounded. Otherwise there will be no spark on either side.

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Never do electric arc welding on the bike without completely disconnecting all parts containing semiconductors (ignition coil, regulator, advance) stator and rotor need not be taken off. Never use copper putty on spark plugs.

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Electronics are very sensitive to wrong polarity. After work on the system, do check correct polarity of the battery and the regulator. Wrong polarity creates short circuits and will destroy the regulator, the ignition coil and the advance unit. As a rule, wiring will always be colour to colour. Instances, where colour differs between wires it is expressly mentioned in our instructions.

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Do not use spark plug sockets with a resistance of more than 5kOhm. Better use 1 or 2kOhm ones. Bear in mind that spark plug sockets do age and thereby increase their internal resistance. Should an engine start up only when cold, a defective spark plug socket and/or spark plug is very probably the cause. In case of problems check high tension cables too. Never use carbon fibre HT-cables, never use so called "hot wires" which promise to increase spark.

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Should the motorcycle not be in use for some longer period, please disconnect the battery (so existing) to prevent current bleeding through the material. Though, even a disconnected battery will empty itself after a while.

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Please do observe these remarks, but at the same time, don't be afraid of the installation process. Remember, that before you, thousands of other customers have successfully installed the system.
Enjoy driving your bike with its new electric heart!