how to check proper spark plug wire placement?

[shadowmagic]

I read somewhere crossing two plug wires can cause the issues I'm having. I cant find a diagram or anyting useful in my manual or online. Anybody know how I can check this?

[Jess from VA]

Is this any help?  (understanding that these parts diagrams aren't always entirely truthful accurate)  Notice how the wires/cylinders are paired to the three coils.

https://www.procaliber.com/oem-parts?aribrand=HOM&arian=MOTORCYCLE#/Honda_Powersports/GL1500CAC_(99)_VALKYRIE%2c_USA%2c_VIN%23_1HFSC341-XA200001/IGNITION_COIL/f0d1c279-e09a-4932-82f4-ec0857a11a33/461bc4c4-2193-4e87-bbb1-b5db8b251523/y

[yrunvs]

what issues are you having?

[shadowmagic]

backfiring in cylinder 1. Does anyone know if I can just remove the plug, put into the wire and crank the bike to see if its sparking? Yes, i looked at that diagram and my wires seem to be in the right place. I couldnt find where 1 and 2 terminate.

[yrunvs]

1 and 2 run up to a coil under the front left side of the gas tank. How can you tell its #1 causing backfire?

[John Schmidt]

Don't run it with the plug out, use a spare spark plug and hook it up to the #1 wire then lay it on the block.

[shadowmagic]

I turned up the idle and it kept backfiring. You could feel it at the rear exhaust.

[shadowmagic]

So i would screw in a spare plug, put the other plug into the plug wire and ground it to the block to see if there is a spark? is that correct?

[gordonv]

yes

[shadowmagic]

ok, i'll do that. Thank you

[Chrisj CMA]

The wires are numbered. Right next to the boot it says ENG1,ENG2 and so forth. The cylinders are front to back1,3,5 on the right and 2,4,6 on the left. That should settle it

[wirral_biker]

The wires are numbered. Right next to the boot it says ENG1,ENG2 and so forth. The cylinders are front to back1,3,5 on the right and 2,4,6 on the left. That should settle it

Thought it was 1,3,5 on the left as you sit on the bike !

[shadowmagic]

Thank you everyone, wires seem to be in order then. Time to take a sledge hammer to it lol

[yrunvs]

The wires are numbered. Right next to the boot it says ENG1,ENG2 and so forth. The cylinders are front to back1,3,5 on the right and 2,4,6 on the left. That should settle it

Thought it was 1,3,5 on the left as you sit on the bike !

No. As you sit on the bike 1,3,5 is on your right. Just as Chris said.

[Madmike]

Backfire or miss??



Added explanation if you want it, I use this to help remember how the cylinders are identified.

When you are sitting on the bike you will see that the right side cylinders are more forward than the left side cylinders.  This is because the rods need to be offset to connect to the crank throws.  The right side most forward cylinder is #1 - the most forward cylinder on this engine, the left side forward cylinder rod bolts up to the crank on the same throw as the #1 rod does but behind it and so that cylinder is slightly behind the #1 cylinder - this numbering strategy is quite common on multibank engines.

Each of the three coils serves a pair of "running mates", this is a waste spark configuration firing both cylinders at the same time, one of the pair is TDC on compression the running mate is TDC on Exhaust and so the spark to that cylinder is wasted.

The coil positions on my bike match the cylinder positions, the forward most coil beside the tank is for cyls. #1&2, the middle coil (in front of battery box) is for cyls. #3&4, the rear most coil is for cyls. #5&6. 

The color coded primary power wire pairs for the rear coils can be easily confused because they are situated so close together, if they are mixed up it will affect 4 of the 6 cylinders, I THINK (based on schematic) that the grounds are not dedicated to a particular coil as they connect straight to frame not through through the ECM and so can be switched with out causing an issue but have not verified this with a meter.