Hi all. I am very familiar, not always through choice, with setting up the ignition timing on my magneto equipped twin with manual advance/retard. But a friend has got an alternator version fitted with a distributor, and wants my help on setting it up. There's no manual advance, so I presume there's an automatic advance on t'other end? Is it necessary to remove the timing cover, lock the adv/ret on full advance and then proceed as normal, or can he set the motor to 11/32 BTD, see where the points open and then back it off a bit as a start point, then moving the distributor as necessary? Empirical timing as it were.
Thanks,
Malcolm
Timing an alternator twin
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- dave16mct
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Re: Timing an alternator twin
The auto advance is in the distributor. No need to touch the timing side cover. The gear is pinned in place, not on a taper.
Look at the manual. http://archives.jampot.dk/book/Owners_m ... models.pdf
Dave
Look at the manual. http://archives.jampot.dk/book/Owners_m ... models.pdf
Dave
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Re: Timing an alternator twin
The manual offers the two methods, on pp 36 and 37, at full retard or with the auto unit wedged open.
If there is no serious wear on the unit, and it advances the right number of °, then the retard method shoud be fine. But I'm guessing most people prefer to be sure things are where they ought to be at full advance, as that's where the engine needs to be at cruising speeds.
So I'd tend to follow the guidelines for setting at full advance, on any ohv engine where you can get at the piston (or better still mark off the crank) relatively easily.
Just my tuppence worth.
If there is no serious wear on the unit, and it advances the right number of °, then the retard method shoud be fine. But I'm guessing most people prefer to be sure things are where they ought to be at full advance, as that's where the engine needs to be at cruising speeds.
So I'd tend to follow the guidelines for setting at full advance, on any ohv engine where you can get at the piston (or better still mark off the crank) relatively easily.
Just my tuppence worth.
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Re: Timing an alternator twin
OK, thanks to you both. Hopefully he can get it sorted this weekend.
Malc
Malc