Let there be light????

[johnnylaw]

Greetings Moriniacs,

I've been working on my lovely '74 3 & 1/2 Sport for a few weeks now trying to put it back on the road after a four-year hiatus.

Its coming together nicely EXCEPT that I've stumbled into some bizarre electrical conundrums for the first time in the last 32 years with this bike.
I need some help here, so please read on, oh wired ones.

1) The horn used to bellow that particularly assertive Fiamm honk that instantly distinguished this machine from the myriad Japanese weenie horns out there. Now, it barely emits a choked-off kind of toot that would never pass inspection, never mind alerting some dozing numbskull to the proximity of another driver. When I wire it hot to the battery terminals, it screams as it should. I've removed and cleaned all spade contacts and the ground, and also cleaned the handlebar switch while on the lookout for any obvious signs of corrosion. Get this: when the horn button is depressed, the tach needle bounces about 500 rpm or so.

2) The flashers ceased to cooperate, so again I traced through the loom cleaning all contacts, etc. It seemed that the relay (CEV 12v 42w Intermitenza) might be the culprit. Unable to conveniently locate a direct replacement, I scored locally a Wagner #537 12 v 3 terminal unit, and, problem solved. That is until one turns on the headlight or activates the brake light, and then the flashers stop. Once the other lights are turned off, the flashers will not re-engage unless I first put the switch back to the center position and again switch them on from there.


3) Happy ending (so far) to this one: When the headlight was turned on, the application of the brake lights dimmed the tail light. I switched the two (non-ground) connectors on the tail light and the operation went back to normal. Cheers.

4) The small switch operated by the front brake lever seems to operate sporadically. (Touching the two leads directly operates the brake light flawlessly.) Perhaps the switch is beat and should be replaced. It IS over thirty years old, and the bike has over 30,000 road miles on it so far.

Any helpful suggestions on how to proceed from here would be most welcome. I a bit of a dunce when it comes to electronics, so please be kind!

Regards,

JohnnyLaw

[hendre]

sounds like a grounding problem..... just go through a inspection of all grounding contacts to the frame cleaning and putting back using acid free petrol jelly. And make a direct contact wire between battery ground and engine if it is not there already. Usually the ground wire is only to the frame and frame to engine contact is a problem area...

[morinisport]

Re. horn - have a look / cut back and re-solder the purple (I think) wire on the switch terminal had this problem myself last month.

[johnnylaw]

Thanks for the ideas. Any other suggestions are welcome too.

I'll get back to the garage briefly tomorrow, then for a decent stretch on Friday.

I'll post results.

Cheers.

JohnnyLaw

[SteveMRC]

Greetings Moriniacs,

I've been working on my lovely '74 3 & 1/2 Sport for a few weeks now trying to put it back on the road after a four-year hiatus.

Snap. Mine's also been off the road for 4 years, but its a 1984 500, and I have been spending the last few weeks sorting it out.
see the blog

My horn did the same thing. I removed it and connected it to a fully charged battery and nearly deafened myself.
Even though the Morini battery had enough juice to power the headlight, the horn just gave a fart.
Charging the battery fully sorted it out. I may have a loose/grounding wire somewhere like you. Let us know what you find.

My bike did 25 miles today

[johnnylaw]

Some good news, though not much opportunity for garage time of late.

Apparently the little "microswitch" activated by the front brake lever was used also on some BMWs of similar vintage. For $11.00 (American) I purchased a replacement which cures the sporadic response and activation of the brake light.

Oh... I forgot to mention that previously this little switch was heating up when the key was turned on. So, no good.

The installation of this new switch has also seemed to allow the flashers to remain activated when I engage other electrical components, though at a considerably slower rate than while operating alone.

We're gettin' closer.

I spoke with Hermy (Herdan Corp.- the U.S. Morini importer) and he said that he had better luck fitting "square" generic flasher relays than the "round" ones. Hmmm.........

Keep 'em shiny side up.

JohnnyLaw

[3potjohn]

I had the original indicator lights as spare when I got the bike, decided to fit little mini indicators as much lighter construction, a rear mounting lug had to be re welded. Bit of a fast flash rate but I had a spare flasher unit which is acceptable.
My horn too only coughs unless the bike is running,though there is never a low battery. I assume there is a poor connection which is improved by vibration. At least with an open face helmet I can shout at hazards.

[johnnylaw]

Greetings,

My focus on the bike lately has been on the rear cylinder rebuild (as garage time allows). After installing new pushrod, exhaust valve and stud for the rocker boss, she was still smoking, and a small drizzle of oil found its way out to the exhaust pipe. I guess I got lucky when I bought the last two valve guides Herm had left at Herdan Corp. in Pennsylvania. Naturally, they are 3 and 4 thousandths of an inch greater in diameter than the originals, so I had to run around to find a perfectionist with a lathe and proper manners. I scored. Mark, at Davis Machine in Concord, came through and took great care of me.

So next I'll reheat the head and press the guide back in and then reassemble the rear jug. If the smoking hasn't significantly diminished, I'll repeat the procedure on the front cylinder. Are we having fun yet?

Now, back to Hornier thoughts.

A few years back I recall a buddy shooting a dose of WD 40 into the horn of a Volvo 240 resulting in its second life. As these Morinis are hardly a dime a dozen, I thought better of leaping that far ahead.

So I carefully dismantled the horn to inspect, clean and analyze the little bugger. Did you know that there is a screw head spotted in place with a small blob of white stuff that changes the pitch of your horn when it is rotated? Yes, we are now having fun.

Everything seemed tidy and in order. So I carefully rebuilt the unit and hot wired it to the battery and now got the same sort of lame squawk I
had previously experienced using the handlebar switch. The optimist in me latches on to the idea that the switch must be in good order.

Putting the battery back on the trickle charge for a spell made all the difference. Hot wired, the horn will now scream like a demon.

Next foray will have me re-installing the horn properly to see if theres any progress to go along with all the fun.

Cheers.

[Onecos]

I have the same Faimm horns on my Laverda and Morini. You can probably get a new one from Wolfgang Haerter at Columbia Car & Cycle in BC Canada.

I'm with you on electrics. I always get my daughter to fix them for me.

[johnnylaw]

More intrigue, Italian style.

OK, get this: The new valve has a real skinny groove carved around the top of the stem to hold the keepers instead of the wider cut on the originals. Luckily, I have the new style keepers that mate properly with this particular valve. Here it thickens: the collar, or keeper retainer, must also be mated to the new style valve and keepers. So, I chase down a new one, or lathe out the old one . (Can't I just freakin' ride?!!!) Apologies for the outburst.

I did re-install the horn. It worked brilliantly for two raucous blasts, and then back to that lame choked-off click/squak thing. Bummer. A buddy has a basket case RD 350, and I think we'll pull that horn to test the circuit (which I've massaged stem to stern a few times now).

Some good news: The same buddy used to race Morinis (flat trackers) several years back, and his sponsor/mentor is rumored to be sitting on a pile of odd bits. What I'd really like to get (besides the right keeper retainer and a horn) would be the kick starter which hinges at the bottom so that I could fit rearsets AND start the bike!

I'm now in the doldrums until the next break. I'll keep you posted. I promise some pictures at the victory dance.

Cheers,

JohnnyLaw

[johnnylaw]

A trip to Pennsylvania resulted in a lathed-out keeper retainer for the rear jug "new style" exhaust valve and keepers. One morning in the garage, and, PRESTO!!

No smoke at all, and she fired right up. I'll have to balance the carbs and change the oil a couple of times, but she's rolling with ski season only six weeks away! :shock:Burrrrr...

I guess I'll spend the winter sorting out rearsets.

I think I will have to replace the horn to pass inspection, but other than that, I'll hit the road running in the spring!

Ciao,

johnnylaw

[3narf]

Nice one!

Do you have any pics of your friend's Morini flat tracker? I'd like to see that.