How to: cheap ignition advance

[kilika2]

I just got done trying this, anyone know any reason why it would not change the timing at all. Might just be the timing light I am using but it is a craftsman. Anyway it has a turn dial advance instead of the digital one like RR has. But I moved the pick-up a pretty good ways(had to grind off the side of the pick-up bracket cause it was touching the stator cover) but it advanced MAYBE 1.5 or 2 degrees. I keep taking the allens screws off and grinding more but I think I went as far as possible because the allen head it touching the plastic of the pick-up body. I tightened the allens down more this time cause I though maybe the pick up was moving back but I don't think the p-u is even touching the other spinning part of the stator. Any thoughts?

Chris.

[reelrazor]

Were you seeing ANY base advance? 0° at idle? Since the TCI is programmed to add 5°...and if you were seeing 0 (zero)....I would suspect you have an advance key.........that someone installed backwards (it happens a LOT)....making the base advance 0°

Otherwise.....

Does that Craftsman timing light have a "two stroke" setting?

Our engines...(FZR's and MOST inline four cylinder japanese engines) have 'waste spark' ignitions.

This means that the ignition will fire TWO cylinders (the ones in 180° opposite phase...i.e. #1 and #4 fire together, and #2 and #3 fire together).

The resulting advance you may see with a timing light pulsing everytime...instead of just at #1TDC may well be halved. If it has a two stroke setting, try it and see if it jumps up to double the degrees.

I think that, along with the inherent slop in the dial type timing lights is why you are seeing the 1.5°-2° advance

[kilika2]

When I started the bike and warmed her up the light at 0 showed the timing mark dead center of the hole. I turned it up to where the mark was at the front left of the hole (because that's what you did, and I was just following orders) that put me at about 3 (about because it is a turn dial light) after I was done the 1st.... 2nd..... 5th time of grinding and finally had to grind the bracket, I think the light shows at about 4.5 with mark being left of hole.

I replied in pm too, but this could be used for future help to other people.

Many thanks again,
Chris.

[Emceeq]

Hey guys, hate to dig up an old thread but im having a problem with this mod, I drilled the holes out etc and moved the pickup to the right as the magneto turns anti-clockwise on my bike (FZR400). I checked the timing before and after and it hasn't changed.... any ideas on what I may have done wrong or what i can check to make sure it is working properly? I have attached a pic showing the 5mm gap i gained on the one side....





in advance!!!

[reelrazor]

Hey Emcceeq,

Sorry on the delay, I juts saw this now.

Look a few posts back and check my reply to kilika....does it apply to you? If you have a digital timing light are you sure you are operating it properly?

Otherwise, there is NO reason this won't work.