I got this 1991 LT160E (or perhaps it's an LT-F160E, can't tell what the difference is) for free, and it's in great shape, but it didn't have a CDI. I didn't have one to compare with. I went on ebay and ordered one for the an LT160E, and it has 6 wires coming out of it, but I don't know what they do. The wires that GO to the CDI (from my wiring harness) have EIGHT wires that look like they'd go to the CDI, but from the wiring diagrams, it looks like the OEM Suzuki CDI only uses 6 of them. Now the question is, how to match up the 6 to 6...

The CDI I ordred is a CALTRIC CDI Module, 1991. It has 6 wires:
1. The wire to the ignition coil. Easy to figure out
2+3. A green + blue connector. It matches the one on my wiring harness. Pretty obvious
4. A mainly yellow wire with a black stripe
5. A mainly black wire with a white stripe
6. A brown wire

The wiring harness on my Suzuki is:
1. The wire to the ignition coil.
2+3. The green + blue connector
4. The mainly black wire with a yellow stripe, this is the ignition cutoff.
5. A mainly black wire with a white stripe. Ground.
6. A brown wire from the magneto pickup.

When I hook the CDI up the way that seems obvious, brown to brown, black + white to black + white, and black + yellow to yellow + black, and turn it over, the spark plug fires, but the motorcycle won't run. At this point, I'm not sure if it's because I just finished putting the entire thing together from scratch, all the way down to the crankcase being split, or if it's just the wrong CDI, or if I got the pins connected wrong.

I shone a timing light on it, and great design, Suzuki, but I can't tell where on the magneto that the spark is happening, relative to the T. (I can't see the T in the window, and there is certainly no F, there is nothing, just blank metal, when the light strobes). I have no way I know of to slowly turn the engine over without taking the magneto off. Is there some kind of hand tool I can use to take out the starter motor, stick in the hole, and turn the engine slowly?

Anybody have some advice, here? I'm on the very last step, but the engine doesn't even catch, doesn't give a single putt. I seem to have good compression and a big fat blue spark, and I cleaned out the carb real good. I'm pretty sure it's a CDI issue.

Tell me: Why does the CDI take 3 trigger inputs: green, blue, and brown? What is the point of all 3 of these? I'm assuming it gets power from green + blue, and uses brown as the trigger?

Does anybody have a wiring diagram of a caltric CDI?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281789699441?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
thanks

 

I went back out in the garage. I didn't see this before, but when the timing light strobes, the T mark is JUST barely visible on the right side of the timing mark hole. And right in the center of the timing hole is what at first looked like just some pliers divots in the magneto wheel (flywheel?) but now I think they are punch marks, showing something akin to before top dead center marks. But they're very faint. I haven't thought about it, but I think the flywheel spins counter clockwise, so the divots in the timing mark hole are probably before top dead center, but I don't know exactly how much. In any case, I think it's firing the spark just before top dead center, which means my crummy schematic-less aftermarket CDI is probably doing it's job... Can't figure out why it doesn't catch though - valves are good, gapped right, I'm pretty sure the timing chain is right, and the carb is cleaned out.
Stumped.

 

Still want a diagram for the Caltric (or any aftermarket) CDI. But I did find out why my motor wouldn't catch - the intake valve had partially sheared off. It was making a funny sound, then finally broke off all the way. Lucky I didn't break the top of my piston (although it IS dinged!) I ordered a couple knock-offs from ebay. Hope they're good enough quality. I couldn't stomach paying $70 for a set of OEM ones...