Tri-Spark bites the dust two years in

Speaking of Useless Guesses, I had similar symptoms on my Mark III, which nearly drove me and a mechanic to drink, but eventually were traced to a faulty kill switch. You mentioned a rewire, and simplified wiring, but is there a kill switch lurking someplace?
 
nortonmargie said:
Speaking of Useless Guesses, I had similar symptoms on my Mark III, which nearly drove me and a mechanic to drink, but eventually were traced to a faulty kill switch. You mentioned a rewire, and simplified wiring, but is there a kill switch lurking someplace?
Click to expand...
I remember a little about your situation.

No kill switch. It was a magneto flat track bike before I got it in crates. I did have a kill button on it then. I did the simplest wiring possible to get it running originally, and only made minor changes when removing the magneto and initially points, later EI.

This is a done deal for me. It's dead non-functional and parts are ordered.

I'm not the first person this has happened to. I'm lucky it lasted as long as it did, and very fortunate it finally died close to home.

I am getting the newer version Tri-Spark ignition, which is not my normal. I'm usually once bit twice shy and would get something else, but I like the ease of installation and LED timing set up feature.
 
Schwany said:
I remember a little about your situation.

No kill switch. It was a magneto flat track bike before I got it in crates. I did have a kill button on it then. I did the simplest wiring possible to get it running originally, and only made minor changes when removing the magneto and initially points, later EI.

This is a done deal for me. It's dead non-functional and parts are ordered.

I'm not the first person this has happened to. I'm lucky it lasted as long as it did, and very fortunate it finally died close to home.

I am getting the newer version Tri-Spark ignition, which is not my normal. I'm usually once bit twice shy and would get something else, but I like the ease of installation and LED timing set up feature.
Click to expand...
Did you consider "elekronik saches "
Virtually the same spec as trispark
 
baz said:
Did you consider "elekronik saches "
Virtually the same spec as trispark
Click to expand...
I've never heard of them, or millions of other things.

I'd have to make space for the external box and all that wiring.

I think I can get more life out of the TriSpark second time around. Plus installing another one will be a piece of cake. The only work will be making a bracket to mount the larger coil to. I'm getting the same spec coil Matt uses with high success, so I might as well give it another go.
 
Schwany said:
I've never heard of them, or millions of other things.

I'd have to make space for the external box and all that wiring.

I think I can get more life out of the TriSpark second time around. Plus installing another one will be a piece of cake. The only work will be making a bracket to mount the larger coil to. I'm getting the same spec coil Matt uses with high success, so I might as well give it another go.
Click to expand...
https://www.elektronik-sachse.de/sh...tion-zdg-3-12-for-bsa-norton-triumph-229.html
Linked just incase of any interest
 
Tornado said:
So you gonna change the thread title to "I Made My Tri-Spark bite the dust two years in" ?
Click to expand...

Turns out I've had the TriSpark ignition in the bike for 3 years. Purchased in 02-2021. In addition to that error, I misread the troubleshooting note about having the plugs in the boots. Only applies to running the engine, not the test function. I was only using the test function when I had one of the plugs out of the boot, if indeed I ever did.

Bullet 2 in the troubleshooting section below. If you had a TriSpark instruction manual you would have known I made a mistake and you could have belittled me about making the mistake. Seems to be your jam.

Tri-Spark bites the dust two years in


So the subject title should be "Tri_Spark bites the dust 3 years in"
 
Fast Eddie said:
I forgot I’d put this in the media !

Here’s the 3 very high output coils fitted to the Beeza triple, made possible by the single spark Tri Spark firebox. Worked well:
Click to expand...
Very nice arrangement across the board. I really like seeing clean work.

I think I'll have better luck next time with the TriSpark using a 3 ohm coil and avoiding getting stuck in traffic on hot days. I'm thinking I may have cooked the TriSpark, because nothing else related to my installation was out of spec or not functioning as it should.
 
Fast Eddie said:
I know a lot of folk don’t like having the EI brain in the points housing coz of heat etc.

I’m not convinced it’s an issue. Modern electronics are made for it, coils are built into plug caps and buried DEEP in DOHC cylinder heads for example.

Mine has done LOTS of track time, and it’s come back from some sessions VERY hot. I did think about taking the pints cover off to aid cooling, but I basically left it on as a test !
Click to expand...
I was thinking of at least making a bigger drain hole at the bottom of the points cover. 🤣

Discussion based comments below, not arguing for the sake of arguing.

Modern DOHC engines designed with coil on plug are water cooled and don't run as hot as a 1968 air cooled engine. Just saying

I'm not convinced track days would make the engine any hotter than sitting in 90 degree weather idling and doing yo yo starts and stops in heavy traffic for an hour. At least a motorcycle engine has plenty of air running over the engine when on track even when run WOT.

Matt told me when I asked about it that TriSpark ignitions he has installed have failed for one reason or another. Not many but a few.

Modern electronics have limits, and I may have gotten a unit from Greg that was on the edge of being binned but shipped out from TriSpark. I have no clue why it failed, but it did after 3 years not 2. I'm using different vendors this time around.
 
Fast Eddie said:
I’ve never measured either, but I don’t believe a Norton points housing gets hotter than the spark plug area of a modern cylinder head. But I’m only guessing.
Click to expand...
There is one deviation of Schwany's bike to most other Nortons: His is an all-alloy engine. The aluminum barrel is an excellent heat conductor, and I expect the bottom end to become hotter because of this. Additionally, running a prolonged time at low speed will necessarily channel even more heat into the crankcase and timing chest.
A few steps may be taken to avoid this likely problem. Schwany probably knows which, so I won't make any suggestions.

- Knut
 
mdt-son said:
There is one deviation of Schwany's bike to most other Nortons: His is an all-alloy engine. The aluminum barrel is an excellent heat conductor, and I expect the bottom end to become hotter because of this. Additionally, running a prolonged time at low speed will necessarily channel even more heat into the crankcase and timing chest.
A few steps may be taken to avoid this likely problem. Schwany probably knows which, so I won't make any suggestions.

- Knut
Click to expand...
Stay at home is my first thought on avoiding engine heat. ;)

Now that the engine is broken in (run in) it runs at a normal temp when moving. Also not overly hot with standard stop lights and such. I had 2 of those stuck in traffic episodes though. One I was able to lane split and keep the engine cooler. The other one there was no place to go but in my lane. It was hell on an old motorcycle for me. You died in wool Norton guys would probably cherish the experience.

The black face on the TriSpark is a little wavy now. I'm fairly certain it was flat when I installed it. I did try taking the backing plate off, but the smarts are probably epoxied filled and epoxied to the backing plate. Plus whoever tightened up the little screws on the backing plate messed up the screw heads. I gave up on that idea.
 
I might get another points cover and modify the older one with some shade tree engineered cooling cutouts, but I also don't think it will help that much. I think I got a lemon if heat is not supposed to be an issue. It happens
 
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I think your first assessment was probably right... you cooked the module on your hot "stop and go" day, just like you cooked your clutch adjuster nut which would have lasted a lifetime were it not for the combination of not being comfortable finding neutral, a long stop and go nightmare and a 90 degree day. I think you just cooked your tri spark that day and it was living on borrowed time.

The job that I am doing at the moment is for a tech guy who has a degree is micro chip design... On Tuesday I'll ask him about their heat tolerance... It should be interesting to hear his opinion...
 
robs ss said:
I bought Matt's but a bit of careful drilling (3mm) fore & aft would suffice admirably
Click to expand...
How about putting a washer on each of the screws between the cover and the case? No permanent change made then.

I seem to remember it being suggested to run an additional ground wire to the Tri-Spark.
 
cliffa said:
How about putting a washer on each of the screws between the cover and the case? No permanent change made then.

I seem to remember it being suggested to run an additional ground wire to the Tri-Spark.
Click to expand...
I don't mind grinding some slots into the cover and putting fine mesh stainless screen on the inside to keep the small bugs and sand out. I don't ride in the wet. I'll add another cover to my AN cart.

I added an additional ground and attached it under the lower cover post. I mentioned it in one of the TriSpark discussions. Greg read it and ridiculed the idea and me. He also got some dogpile backup from members here. Curious lot. The additional ground works, but is probably not necessary on a bike with and electrical system that shows continuity to ground under the points cover.
 
Boyer MK1, look at the spacer ring which lifts the points cover and creates a gap for cooling air for the electronics. They gave up and moved to the remote mounted black box on later versions.

Tri-Spark bites the dust two years in
 
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