A Newbies Adventures in Maintenanceland!

yeah I used the gun and had trouble finding the 2+3 F mark and full advance marks, so I took the coil plate out to clean and possibly highlight the marks, but for the 2+3 side there is only a T mark. This is unusual right? I guess I need a new mechanical advancer! lol

Maybe just the way it was designed for this model.... What's the manual tel ya?

Anyway to accurately measure the distance off the 1/4 markings and scribe your own on the 2/3 side?

You have a picture of this advancer of yours?

I have a pic here from my manual that is exactly like the way I have it. The manual only describes how to check timing of 1 and 4, not 2 and 3, it just skips them. I will likely just keep it as is for now, it runs fine, and will just get a new advancer that has all the hash marks on it. The new motor has electronic advance, and I ditched it, so I need a new advancer anyways.

Well if the same as the manual then good to go as far as replacing due to missing markings...

What's the manual mention for 1/4 off idle (advanced mark) positions at 3500-4000rpm...

I would think there must be some mentioning of what to look for 2/3 verifications but hey, WTF do I know....

Ah well, at 2/3 fire you should see it at least line up at idle and move ~ the same distance in comparing to 1/4 operations with your timing light....

Here it is, it continues for another half page, but mentions nothing about 2 and 3

I was thinking you could put a mark on the engine case on the bottom of the plate and use the 1 and 4 marks on it to simulate 2 and 3 marks on top.

"I was thinking you could put a mark on the engine case on the bottom of the plate and use the 1 and 4 marks on it to simulate 2 and 3 marks on top."

No, not correct.... Meaning no case mark on bottom side...

With strobe light on 2/3 spark conductor.... The light is aimed at the same window/case timing mark but this time for 2/3 operations on the advancer...

Try this using a black magic marker....
Measure 1/4 T mark, double lines and F marking on the advancer... Then mark the same on advancer 2/3 side...

Now connect timing light pick up clamp to 2 or 3 sparky...

Check at idle "F" mark and at 4000 rpm between parallel lines....

If good to go, scribe the markings on the advancer... Good to go...

Just out of curiosity, why would you need a full set of marks on 2-3 if you have them for 1-4? The advance does not advance independently. The only reason for any mark at all on the other side is to set the initial timing. Am I missing something here?

The issue is not the advancer per se, but that the pickups can be adjusted independantly (electronic ignition) so there is a chance that the 2+3 pickup is slightly off. So 1+4 could be perfectly set, but 2+3 might be slightly retarder or advanced and might need some slight adjusting to time it correectly.

Right. Maybe I wasn't clear. 2-3 only needs 1 mark, no? Any thing else is just redundant?

right, BUT there is no mark, just the T mark for finding TDC.

sparkn wrote:

Just out of curiosity, why would you need a full set of marks on 2-3 if you have them for 1-4? The advance does not advance independently. The only reason for any mark at all on the other side is to set the initial timing. Am I missing something here?

X 2

u set the 2 pickups indipendantly , staticly. Done.

then the advancer takes over, so they still fire at the SAME time in relation to tdc. if 1,4 dont time right with the advancer, u turn the whole plate so 2,3 will be adjusted the same amount.
Hope that makes sense.

To set the thing up, first you need both of those pick-up coils set the same in relation to TDC. Both 1-4, and 2-3 have the TDC mark on the advancer. So First set each pick up so that at Idle you have each showing TDC with your light, then advance the whole plate to the 1-4 F mark @ Idle, per manual.
If you have a light with a built in advance feature you can use it to set them the same, Dial or Digital, set to advace of 1-4 @ Idle and make the 2-3 read the same, using only the TDC marks.
Or do like OMR said, measure and scribe, or buy the advancer, as long as it is set correctly the new advancer has maybe a smoother operation because it is new? does it come with any changeable weights/ springs? Is it just the stock curve with a complete set of degree's marked on it? Or be really cool like the Liquid Dampener soaking up crank harmonic's!