AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Hi all have a 350 short stroke amongst others but the 350 is my favourite , I serviced it a few months ago and now it’s hard to start black smoking banging in exhuast and generally running crap

Before service I realised I must have left the ignition on and ran out the battery and the battery wouldn’t then take a charge so replaced it

I can only think it’s the points ,

I have changed condenser and coil in case I cooked them

Any ideas anyone ? Also has anyone got drawing of points and where wires go incase I have messed something up

I won’t to get my favourite ready for the road

Many thanks

Andy

I can't see how black smoke (rich mixture/unburned fuel) would be the result of faulty ignition unless it's misfiring so extremely badly (eight or ten-stroking) that the bike's completely unrideable.
If you have a spark at all there's probably not much wrong with the wiring unless you've had the points out and miss-fitted an insulating washer.
First I'd give the points a clean.
I'd also try a new sparkling plug as a matter of course.
Do you have to seriously flood the carb to get it to start? If so, and since it hasn't been run for a while I'd check the carb jets and in particular that the pilot jet isn't obstructed/gummed up.

You don't say the year of the bike and it's not in your Profile but as it's a short stroke have a look at pages 111 onward and the the wiring diagram in the workshop manual here:

http://archives.jampot.dk/book/Workshop ... .NEILL.pdf

There will probably be more detailed info and illustrations of Lucas ignition wiring in the Archives here:

http://archives.jampot.dk/technical/Electric/Lucas/

Thanks spriddler

I was thinking the same as well

There is a beautiful spark md I have already replaced the plug in an effort to sort it out

I think I will chuck away the fuel ( in case this new fuel is crap ) , take the carb to bits and clean it and try and start it again

Many thanks for replying

Andy

are you sure you remember which way is fully advance ? , choke stuck on perhaps . i had problems on my G15 when the choke outer cable became dislodged from lever and despite lever being in fully open position the check was stuck on . It ran like a piece of shit until i notice out cable . Instant fix

As you have replaced the coil, did you reconnect the wiring correctly? If you reversed the connections it will start but run very poorly. For a positive earth system the -ve or sw terminal should go to the ignition switch supply and the +ve or cb terminal should go to the points. The points wiring and flying condenser leads should fit next to the points spring and all three should be fitted on a plastic “top hat” insulator washer/spacer which insulates them from the stud and nut that they are secured on.

Hi All

No magneto lever as advanced unit on magneto

Thanks Reynard - i will double check but was running rubbish before i repleaced coil but will double check

Andy

Hi all. It was the crap fuel we now buy !!

I have only ever purchased esso e5 which in my area of the country and has no ethanol on it . Tbh I have heard my used the bike this year

But yes changed the fuel and we are back to normal quite running

Thanks

Perhaps E5 / E10 fuel should have a best before date on the pump

It has always struck me as odd that (probably millions) of people don't seem to have any problem when starting up their petrol mowers and leaf blowers in Spring after maybe 5 months in a damp shed.