FORM 1305 (REV. A) 05/01
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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
UNILITE® CONVERSION FOR
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Part No. 566
APPLICATIONS: 1971-78 Sportster
All 1979-Later Sportster models which have been
converted to mechanical advance and points
NOTES
1) The Mallory UNILITE® Conversion for Harley Davidson is a dual
fire system.
2) Any coil or combination of coils with a total primary resistance of
at least 2.0 ohms may be used. The use of coil with 2.0-3.0 ohms
is recommended for racing applications to obtain maximum spark
energy. A 3.0-4.0 ohm coil is recommended for street use to keep
the UNILITE® Module and the coil cool for maximum life. Coils
from 4.0-5.0 ohms can be used but may reduce performance, even
in street applications.
3) Check that the charging system is producing no more than 16
volts.
4) Do not use solid metal core spark plug wires. Use spiral-core
wires or carbon core. Spiral-core wires are preferable for racing
and performance applications.
INSTALLATION (See Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4)
1) Turn ignition switch to the OFF position. Disconnect the ground
cable from the battery.
2) Disconnect the wire at the coil which runs down to the points.
Remove the point cover plate.
3) Note the position of the slots in the point plate. When the Mallory
UNILITE® plate is installed, use the position of the slots to approximate the timing.
4) Remove the wire to the points. Remove the O.E. standoffs and
washers. Remove the point plate assembly.
5) Remove the O.E. cam sleeve from the advance assembly. Place
a small amount of oil on the advance shaft which supported the
cam sleeve.
6) Slide the Mallory shutter wheel onto the advance shaft. Make sure
the shutter wheel is all the way down into the advance assembly
(it will only go one way due to the roll pin in the advance
assembly).
7) Install the advance and shutter wheel into the nose cone. Make
sure that the pin on the bottom of the advance engages the slot on
the end of the camshaft. Apply Loctite to the threads and install
the advance bolt. Torque to 25 in.lb.
8) Rotate the shutter wheel by hand (counter-clockwise) and release.
It should rotate about 10 degrees and "snap" back when released.
9) Install the two Mallory standoffs. Place Loctite on the threads and
torque to 16 in.lb. Do not use any washers with the standoffs.
10) Start the three wires of the Mallory UNILITE® Module through the
hole in the nose cone housing. (The module goes in towards the
advance assembly with the flat plate outward). Pull on the three
wires to remove any slack and prevent the wires from rubbing on
the shutter wheel.
11) Rotate the UNILITE® plate assembly until the slots in the plate are
in the same position as the point plate was. This should make the
timing close enough to start the engine. Slide the two Mallory 8-32
sleeve nuts (supplied) through the UNILITE® plate and onto the
male threads of the Mallory standoffs. Tighten the sleeve nuts just
enough to prevent the plate from moving.
14) Route the wires from the UNILITE® Module to the ignition coil,
carefully avoiding the exhaust system. Connect the red wire to the
positive (+) terminal (12 volts) on the coil. Connect the green wire
to the negative () terminal on the coil (where the point wire was
connected). Connect the brown wire to ground. The best place for
the brown wire is the negative () post on the battery, however,
any part of the frame or engine which is grounded to the battery
will work.
WARNING!
Before re-connecting the battery cable, recheck all 3 of the wires from
the UNILITE® Module. If the wires are connected incorrectly, the module will be destroyed when the ignition is placed in the ON position.
15) Extend a small screwdriver through the 1/2" hole in the UNILITE
plate and carefully rotate the shutter wheel to make sure that the
advance is not bound up. The wheel should rotate about 10 degrees counter-clockwise and snap back when released. If the advance does not rotate freely, remove the UNILITE® plate and find
the source of the interference before proceeding.
16) Follow a factory shop manual to set the timing for your particular
engine. Loosen the two Mallory 8-32 sleeve nuts to rotate the
UNILITE® plate and adjust the timing. Rotating the UNILITE® plate
clockwise advances the timing, counter-clockwise retards.
17) After the timing is set, tighten the two sleeve nuts to prevent the
UNILITE® plate from rotating. Put the cover plate gasket and cover
plate in place.
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TROUBLESHOOTING
Check the following for possible causes of module failure:
The UNILITE® Module supplied with this kit is the same one supplied in
thousands of Mallory automotive distributors every year. If a replacement module is needed, most mail order and speed shops carry the
module (part number 605).
To determine if the module is damaged, begin by pulling the UNILITE
plate assembly from the nose cone housing. Do not disconnect the
wires to the coil(s). Turn the ignition key to the ON position. Connect
volt meter leads to the negative side of the coil and to ground. The
voltage should read between 10 and 13 volts. Now place a credit card
or driver license in the path of the UNILITE® beam (i.e. place the card
or license in the gap between the bulbs in the UNILITE® Module). With
the UNILITE® blocked, the volt meter reading should drop to about 0-3
volts. If the voltage does not change when the UNILITE® is blocked, the
module is damaged and/or wired incorrectly.
NOTE: If the UNILITE® Module is damaged, find the cause before
installing a new one.
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a) Are the spark plug wires solid core type? If so, replace with
spiral-core or carbon core.
b) What is the primary resistance of the coil? It should be at least
2.0 ohms for racing and at least 3.0 for street use.
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c) Are the 3 wires from the module connected to the correct
locations? Be sure the brown wire is connected to a good
ground.
d) Check the battery voltage with the engine running about 3000
rpm. If the voltage is a greater than 16 volts, a new regulator
may be needed. Excessive voltage may damage the UNILITE
Module.
e) Has the shutter wheel been rubbing on the module? If so the
module may have been overheated. Be sure to correct the
interference before replacing the module.
FIGURE 1
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1.NOSE CONE HOUSING
2.ADVANCE ASSEMBLY
3.O.E. CAM SLEEVE
4.POINT PLATE ASSEMBLY
5.O.E. LOCKWASHERS
6.O.E. WASHERS
7.O.E. STANDOFFS
8.ADVANCE RETAINING BOLT
9.POINT COVER PLATE GASKET
10.POINT COVER PLATE
11.POINT COVER PLATE SCREWS
3
4
5
7
6
8
9
10
11
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