Advancing too far? 83 heritage special

section8joe

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I want to get my timing set properly before I install the PMA. The 83 has no max advance marks and from what I read people use the drain hole on the left side cover and max advance. I'm setting the timing on the pamco and I think I'm a little to far advanced. Please watch this video and see what you think. at idle I'm a hair retarded it seems to be a little too advanced at 3000rpms.
 
I don't know about the drain hole, but I found this. Maybe this will help you get it straightened out.

Written by, pa23driver.

Full advance happens 38 degrees before top-dead-center (TDC), so if you wanted to scribe a new one you could place a protractor on the "T" mark (which is the TDC mark) make sure the center of the protractor is at the center of the rotar retaining bolt. Go clock-wise on on your alternator cover 38 degrees and scribe a mark directly on the alternator cover. that's your new mark. in Jayel's picture its the mark that's furthest left on the on the alternator cover.
 
The video is not easy to see, but yes it does appear to go to far advanced.

Return ATU (advancer) to correct range

Since I've had the bike, I realized the timing range of the ATU was too large. When set at the F for idle, the timing would go well past the fully advanced mark. This was not safe for engine longevity, so I would compromise by moving the idle timing towards the TDC mark. Not the best solution!

grizld1 had mentioned a few years back that you can adjust the advancer weights to bring it back into range by peening. I thought I need to try that, but never got around to doing it. Well, finally this spring I took the weights out and peened the little tangs on the weights. grizld1 was right as usual.

I found my tangs at 0.156". At first I only peened mine to about 0.161", but the timing range was still too expanded. OK, so I removed the weights again, and I decided that the answer is to keep peening the weights until there was a very tight fit in the slot in the "slotted disk". Yamaha made the slot in the slotted disk a specific size for a reason................it gives the correct timing range of 25 degrees (15 to 40 degrees).

So, I just peened some more and did trial fits until the tang fit in the slot was a very close fit but not too tight that it would bind. It ended up at 0.168". That's a 0.012" increase in width of the tang. Your bike may be different. Just peen and trial fit until you get that "tight" fit in the slot. My timing light now revealed I had correct timing at both idle and at 4000 rpm!!
 

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What do you mean by "peened"? Do you mean you just bent them a little? It looks like you bent them a little bit toward the actual weight right? What did you use to peen the tang? I don't want to break it off. Thanks for the help once again..
 
Maybe I'm confused here. This bike is an 83? It doesn't have an ATU does it? I see the ignition trigger there in the video. No ATU to get out of spec? How would be advancing too far if it's crank triggered?
 
I put a pamco ingnition on. I have to install the advance rod and unit. I also sent the video to Pete and he seems to think it's not too advanced. I just wanted to make sure the timing was right before I do the PMA>
 
What do you mean by "peened"? Do you mean you just bent them a little? It looks like you bent them a little bit toward the actual weight right? What did you use to peen the tang? I don't want to break it off. Thanks for the help once again..

There's no bending. Peening just means hitting the little ears with a hammer. As you hit them, the ears widen. I lay mine on a hard metal surface (drill press base plate), with the flat side up, and hit with a hammer.
 
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