550 ltd timing issues

Guess it'll be ok then. A way to double check would be to use my new timing light I haven't gotten a chance to use, right?

Timing light is for ignition. Has nothing to do with cam timing, really.

Reply to PM here:
There was no conclusion to this thread. It was left open. There was no consensus that you should leave the exhaust cam timing one tooth advanced. You should correct that. Time it so you can see the EX line just above the valve cover mating surface. Time the intake with the correct number of pins. The intake line will line up when you put slack in the chain between the cams.

When did you get the PM?
Steve

I had PM'd Loudhvx in regards to my carb issues, he mentioned cam timing, I referenced this thread I had a few months back. I do in fact the the correct amount of pins between the marks. I guess it's a matter of if I am one tooth advanced or not - but when I did try to retard it one tooth, it seemed to be obviously not timed correctly.

From the photos, does anyone think its advanced and would it cause my hiccup at about 6k when I snap the throttle open hard from partially open throttle? Only does it around 6k, everywhere else it runs great. I can go 0-85 without a hiccup, I can pin it WOT in 6th without hesitation and even pull a wheelie off the line...

I did not mention cam timing. I mentioned advancer timing... which is for the ignition. You may want to make sure the advancer is working smoothly and comes on at the right RPM and is all-in at the right RPM.

But since we are on the subject of cam timing... since we know a chain won't shrink, if the EX mark is below the deck, then either the timing is one tooth advanced, or the head and block gasket stack is way too thick, or the TDC mark is off. Each of these should be checked before going too far into jetting. Since the exhaust and intake are totally stock, it's safe to say stock jetting should work ok.

Regarding the stumble issue... manual slide carbs are not meant to be crocked wide open, they are to be rolled smoothly open, otherwise they produce an overly rich mixture and stumble. But I can't say if your stumble is normal or not since I don't know how extreme your throttle movement is when the stumble happens..

Thanks Lou. I agree the manual slide carbs cannot be slammed open and smooth operation expected but I could get the stumble (more of a pause/hesitation really) even an aggressive roll on. As far as the timing, I messed with it for hours and I either got what appear to be just ever so slightly not parrallel with the deck (like it is now, most recent photo) or obviously retarded a tooth.

As for the advancer - I've oiled it before and such, but never did any online testing of it. I will page through the manual but is there a procedure to ensure its advancing fully and at the proper rpm? As for the TDC mark being off - how could that even happen? I guess I could watch the piston come up and valves move, but does the timing mark that we set the cams to actually correspond to the highest position of the piston, or is there some play as the crank rotates some to drop the piston back down?

Put a feeler to feel the piston, and confirm when the pointer is on the T mark, the piston is at TDC. When the piston is at TDC, you can move the crank a tiny bit in each direction and there should be almost no, or no movement of the piston. At the center of the "tiny bit" of crank movement is the true TDC position. See that the T mark lines up with it.

Thanks Lou. Will try this.

How do you check the advancer? I do have a timing light...