Miising in top cylinder with simoltaneous loss of any tach reading on my 01 m750

[snowmanZ]

Title says it all. 

Small back story.  I bought my 01 750 with a small upper cylinder oil leak, although I didn't know it at the time, at the head and crank gasket.  I knew is was getting worse so I bought a gasket and was waiting for a down weekend to tear down my first bike engine. 

Well I went out on a ride with my lady friend a week and a half ago, nothing was wrong the whole evening, then a couple days later I went to go for a ride and it was missing in one of my cylinders and my tach wasn't moving but the cluster was powered. 

This weekend I tore it down and changed out the gasket and got it back together and thought, albeit a bit foolishly, that it would be back to normal.  It isn't leaking any more but it is still missing and I have no tach reading.  And yes, the fuses all check good.

I am trying to get a new ignition coil, but I need to know if there is something else that could be causing both these things to go wrong at once.

Regards
Kris

[numbskull]

Can you clarify what "missing" means? - Misfiring?

[wiggy_nz]

If the tach is gone and you are only running one one cylinder then you need to check the connections at the coils.  The tach is fed off the coil.  The plug may have a bit of a dickie connection or may have come off.

[Howie]

Diagnosis by replacing parts can be quite expensive and frustrating..  The tach signal is coming off the ignition module for vertical cylinder, so you know you are loosing primary signal to the vertical coil, so the coil is probably not your problem.  The fault might be the ignition pick up, module or wiring for that coil.  Since the problem is intermittent, when all is well all will test well.  The easiest way to find the problem will be to swap components one by one until the miss changes to the horizontal cylinder.  The only part you can't swap is the pick up.  If the other parts don't do it, the pick up is your problem.  Do check the connector at the module (cheapest fix) first.

[snowmanZ]

The problem is not intermittent. I can't make it go away. I was going to swap outthe coils last night as a friend sugested but I had to finish up some school work. When I tore down my engine I looked over all the parts and I didn't see anything wring with the ignition assembly. It's true that I could have missed something, but really I was expecting a coil to look fried or slightly discolored.

Thank you very much for everyones input.

[Howie]

If the problem is not intermittent, check the connectors to the module and coil, then swap modules.  If swapping modules doesn't help, check the pick up coils with an ohmmeter.  You should get a reading of 95-105 ohms.  If that checks out, disconnect the tach, it's doubtful the tach could be the problem, but rule it out anyway.  Still no answer,start checking the continuity of all relevant wires. 
You can find a wiring diagram here:
http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/service/manuals/2001.jhtml?family=manuals
Look in the back of the manual.

[needtorque]

Cant remember the color for sure but i think the wire is green.  The 750 had issues with one wire on the bottom of a coil that the connection is loose on.  It is on the bottom of the coil if they are mounted in stock configuration.  Just snug up and re-pinch all the blade connectors on the bottom.  My 750 had the same problem.

[snowmanZ]

If the problem is not intermittent, check the connectors to the module and coil, then swap modules.  If swapping modules doesn't help, check the pick up coils with an ohmmeter.  You should get a reading of 95-105 ohms.  If that checks out, disconnect the tach, it's doubtful the tach could be the problem, but rule it out anyway.  Still no answer,start checking the continuity of all relevant wires. 
You can find a wiring diagram here:
http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/service/manuals/2001.jhtml?family=manuals
Look in the back of the manual.

Alright I swapped the coil packs and modules, still a no go.  It is always the horizontal cylinder that fires.

I've been checking for loose wires but none to be found. 

I will add that I took the upper cylinder head off and replaced a gasket, but it was missing before I did that.  I am really at a loss here.

[Howie]

Check the pick up coils.  The two pin connector on each module is from the pick up coils.  As said before, 95-105 ohms.

[snowmanZ]

Check the pick up coils.  The two pin connector on each module is from the pick up coils.  As said before, 95-105 ohms.

where are the pickup coils located at?

[Howie]

Under the left side engine cover, check them at the connectors at the ignition module like I said before.

[snowmanZ]

Under the left side engine cover, check them at the connectors at the ignition module like I said before.

Long story short, the weekend I was going to go out and buy a replacement multimeter, I accidentally let my ATM card in a machine outside a bar, and I had to wait this whole time to get a new one. 

I just checked the ohm's on both pickup coils and I am definitely not getting any continuity on the pick up coil on the throttle side of the bike.  I traced it down to the hole in he case to which it enters.  I didn't see anything wrong with the external wiring so it must be inside.

[snowmanZ]

I got a replacement pickup coil, not from Ducati, it's an aftermarket piece that splices in rather than replacing the entire piece.

Alright, I finally got the pick up coil from Europe.  I need some help with exactly how to install it.  I got the engine cover off and I need to know where I should splice the wiring.  Is it ok to splice the wire inside the engine bay?  Common sense tells me know but I don't know if it matters at all.  Is there a special wire connector that I should be using?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

[ducpainter]

If the wires are long enough I'd snake them through the plastic tube that exits the case.

Otherwise I think I'd solder the connections and use heat shrink and call it good.