Engine assembly

[spookefoote1956]

Just two last silly questions. Is the HT cap un-suppressed? You bought the 6v version not the 12? Sorry if that comes across wrong, it's not meant to. I am concerned about the wire burn out, I would have thought the fuse would have gone first.

[Steve]

Hi Chris
Yes HT cap is un-surpressed brought a new one.
To be honest I I'm wondering if the wire burnt out after I bypassed the ignition switch, the original fuse blew and I put in a spare from the original wiring loom not realising it was a higher amp than the one I took out. I think the one I took out was 2 amp and my spare was a 5. All I can think of that could be causing a short is the advance/retard plunger mushroom I noticed that its able to move about but thought at the time it would still miss the pickup plate but thinking about it now I can't think of any other way it could short anywhere else. The issue is the pickup plate screws would be around the area so would be hard to remove enough of it to miss the mushroom. I'm not sure if the mushroom could be filed down as if it can revolve then that wouldn't work as it could slip out of the back plate and then the advance retard wouldn't work.
Sorry I'm waffling now

[Steve]

I cant believe I'm saying this I've started it, the main issue was the pickup plate I'm sure it was shorting out on the advance / retard plunger mushroom.
my options were to cut away the part of the plate that was likely to be fouling or insulate it, so i cut a couple of discs from an ice cream lid, reversed the stepped plastic washers from the back to the front and put the discs behind the plate, 2 slightly longer screws and job done.
I've had no more fuses blowing since this little mod, I fitted a new switch (just a toggle on off type) and all seems well now on that front.
I can now look to tidy up the wiring as it looks very sloppy.

I'm still aways off from being able to ride it however first I need to remove the chain case as the timing needs setting with a strobe light.
however I have a quandary before then, the advance retard enters from the left so by my thinking that means slack cable full advanced
and tight cable pulls up and turns the pickup plate clockwise thus making it spark later so retarded yes?
but when I had it running tightening the cable made it run slightly faster. any idea why this would be?

On a plus side I have oil returning to the tank so the pumps working.

[Groily]

Percy Veering always did get there in the end!

You're correct about the cable.-Left hand entry, anti-clockwise drive 'mag' = slack advance as you rightly say. Pulling the plate clockwise will retard it. Don't know why the revs increase with retard just now, but I bet it'll behave properly when you've sussed the fine tuning - as in a semi-comatose 'blat blat blat' when retarded, and a bit of snap crackle and pop advanced.

[Steve]

Percy Veering always did get there in the end!

You're correct about the cable.-Left hand entry, anti-clockwise drive 'mag' = slack advance as you rightly say. Pulling the plate clockwise will retard it. Don't know why the revs increase with retard just now, but I bet it'll behave properly when you've sussed the fine tuning - as in a semi-comatose 'blat blat blat' when retarded, and a bit of snap crackle and pop advanced.

Oh well at least I'm not going completely doolally just yet.
Just need to borrow my nephew's strobe and see what that does I suppose. Anyway thanks for confirming that the advance retard is at least working correctly even if the engine doesn't think so

[SPRIDDLER]

Well done, Steve. Good bit of diagnostics to suss that out.
Remember to set the h/bar lever to full advance when you retime it and also check that the backplate is returning to the full advance position when the cable is slack. I may have misunderstood your explanation of how you've insulated the A/R cable nipple but have in mind that the insulating plastic that you've fitted just might impede the movement of the backplate.
On the upside, by the time you've finished all this you'll know almost all there is to know about your bike.

[Steve]

Hi Nev
I'm not very good at explaining things I'm afraid, but the backplate is moving fine the issue seems to be that retarding the ignition makes the engine run faster (go figure)
Still the fact that it ran at all is a major relief, whether it will be finished for the 20th we will have to see.

[SPRIDDLER]

the issue seems to be that retarding the ignition makes the engine run faster (go figure)

Can't offer any explanation for that other than if you started it with the bike upright and then put it on the side stand the fuel would flow to the left of the float bowl. That would lower the fuel level, slightly weakening the mixture which can cause the tickover to speed up.
As Groily has suggested, best get the timing sorted first with your strobe. It's a bit inconvenient that with electronic gubbins you can't use the fag paper in the points method to identify the firing point.

[Steve]

the issue seems to be that retarding the ignition makes the engine run faster (go figure)

Can't offer any explanation for that other than if you started it with the bike upright and then put it on the side stand the fuel would flow to the left of the float bowl. That would lower the fuel level, slightly weakening the mixture which can cause the tickover to speed up.
As Groily has suggested, best get the timing sorted first with your strobe. It's a bit inconvenient that with electronic gubbins you can't use the fag paper in the points method to identify the firing point.

Bike was on its centre stand , one gallon of petrol both taps open just incase not enough for the main tap.

[Steve]

timing light help please
I've collected the timing light from my nephew however it is fitted with an advanced dial that I assume somehow allows you to set degrees before tdc
but I've already set the thorspark roughly to 7/16" btc. so how do I use/set the timing do I just put the dial to 0 or something else.
I thought this was going to be easy.