E: Engine A Washer Fell Out of My NEW ATD & How To Use My Light To Time The Mag

[oexing]

Even so, if it was my bike I´d widen the mag mounting holes for external fine timing adjustments without fiddling with the ATD. So then you could easily advance the lot just short of pinking, depending on what sort of fuel you get. The E-Type 3.8 distributor had a knurled nut for roadside timing corrections without need for any tool. So then you´d go for minimal pinking on acceleration depending on what you just got at the filling station - one star, two star, five star - great olden times then.

Vic

 

[CarlHungness]

I've never taken this centre bolt out of the points holder, I thought you'd only need to do that if you are taking the holder off. The holder only goes on the magneto in one place (if I have this correct) there is a tag to locate it. So if it can turn freely that is not good (unless by turning it you are turning the whole shaft which will be possible if the ATD is loosened).

Then how do you time it? One can use cigarette paper between the points to know when they open,
but I've found the light is so specific it's perfect. I don't have a magneto 'buzzer box' yet so have been
removing the center bolt so I can get a point to make the light work-on and off. It's on when I connect
to the hole in the center, goes off the moment the points open. Will consider any other method.

 

[CarlHungness]

Even so, if it was my bike I´d widen the mag mounting holes for external fine timing adjustments without fiddling with the ATD. So then you could easily advance the lot just short of pinking, depending on what sort of fuel you get. The E-Type 3.8 distributor had a knurled nut for roadside timing corrections without need for any tool. So then you´d go for minimal pinking on acceleration depending on what you just got at the filling station - one star, two star, five star - great olden times then.

Vic

The 'old' recommendation of course is to advance the ATD and that requires blocking the ears open with a
wedge, bolt, Needle Nose Vise Grips (Mole grips) or Ty-Wrap. The mag is first set at proper advance, 35 degrees in my case. hold the armature in place using a bolt in the earth brush hole, set the points to 'just open' and tighten the plot. Have never worried about fine tuning, didn't consider turning the mag. And as you know for now I am failing to get the Beast to start, much less fine tune. And I am now really out of options. Will try to check cam timing again to see
if something has slipped internally.

 

[lee_812d]

Then how do you time it? One can use cigarette paper between the points to know when they open,
but I've found the light is so specific it's perfect. I don't have a magneto 'buzzer box' yet so have been
removing the center bolt so I can get a point to make the light work-on and off. It's on when I connect
to the hole in the center, goes off the moment the points open. Will consider any other method

I didn't know about the bulb method so didn't know about removing the bolt. I use an inductance meter (LCR) which is similar mechanism to those buzzer/light boxes where you can leave the bolt in. Advantage of light bulb is it's small and can fit in your tool tray. It won't make any difference changing tool because it sounds like you are doing it right.

I did have another thought and that is if the bike starts and runs for 60 secs then the issue has to be something that changes over that time. If the magneto has been rebuilt ok, new ATD, valve timing ok, ignition timing ok, compression ok, push rods adjusted ok, then the only thing that can change is the fuel mixture (?). You've cleaned the carb and replaced needles/jets I think, so what's left, how about loose slides?

 

[vibrac]

work?
snip of a piece of shink wrap tube from the electrickery box, slip it on the taper of the centre screw, perhaps a wiff of heat ( a match will do), screw it home, do your timing thing, undo, cut off tube. job done

 

[CarlHungness]

I didn't know about the bulb method so didn't know about removing the bolt. I use an inductance meter (LCR) which is similar mechanism to those buzzer/light boxes where you can leave the bolt in. Advantage of light bulb is it's small and can fit in your tool tray. It won't make any difference changing tool because it sounds like you are doing it right.

I did have another thought and that is if the bike starts and runs for 60 secs then the issue has to be something that changes over that time. If the magneto has been rebuilt ok, new ATD, valve timing ok, ignition timing ok, compression ok, push rods adjusted ok, then the only thing that can change is the fuel mixture (?). You've cleaned the carb and replaced needles/jets I think, so what's left, how about loose slides?

It was running at very high idle, on purpose, to keep it running when it seemed like it ran out of fuel and
or lost spark? Thus I thought the ATD had slipped on its shaft, and after trying it again, the ATD had slipped, the old
ATD. Replaced the ATD, tried it once..then noticed a washer had fallen out on my bench when unpackog the ATD
and I found where it goes, so I sent the new one back. Put the old one in, ears closed at 6 BTDC and cannot start.
Slides sure seem OK. My friend Glen Bewley is now so angry with me he won't talk to me, so don't know where to turn.

 

[Alyson]

Just thinking out loud here, Carl, are your fuel filters on the petcocks clean ?

 

[CarlHungness]

Just thinking out loud here, Carl, are your fuel filters on the petcocks clean ?

Never have run a fuel filter. Wish I had. Wish they were full of gunk.

 

[CarlHungness]

Had about three seconds of progress today. Removed all the gubbins to re-set the mag/ATD. Set it at 35 degrees,
finally got the bike to fire for about three seconds and it died. Then, my kickstarter spring snapped at one of its
ends and jammed itself into the cover, so when it rains it pours. Will soldier on, can't find my replacement spring
so have to wait for a new one.