How to time a SparkX equipped bike?

[kent_in_kc]

My bike has the SparkX permanent magnet alternator. When I pull the little cover plate I don't see the marks to set the timing according to the manual. I have no documentation for the SparkX. Anyone know how to time the bike?

 

[inxs]

- you may need to find TDC and transfer timing marks to your flywheel with a timing wheel

 

[kent_in_kc]

Thanks man. I'll print it, laminate it and tell my wife I finally got my degree! She'll be so happy. Then she'll smack me.

 

[inxs]

 

[grizld1]

Michael Morse (650 Central) had a bunch of adhesive-backed degree strips made up awhile ago; I'm sure he'd send you one if you asked for it. Just locate TDC, pick one of the two lines cast into your rotor and paint mark it, punch mark the stator in line with the rotor mark, and apply the timing strip.

It's been a feast-or-famine situation with Sparx alternators in the US. They first hit these shores when the UK firm that contracts the alternators sent 100 XS650 kits, unrequested, to Bill Getty of JRC Engineering, minus instructions and hardware. JRC's distribution agreement required that they accept the kits, but JRC's market is vintage British bikes, and marketing was going to be a problem. Bill called MMM and asked him to market the kits--the alternative was to pitch the adapter plates and sell the rotors, stators and reg/recs as spares for British machines. Michael didn't have time to blueprint the installation, so he had Bill send me a kit. I sent back the hardware specs, wiring instructions for bypassing the safety relay (no trigger wire on the Sparx alternator), and a template for indexing ignition timing, and all was good--for awhile. Now the initial 100 kits have sold out, and Sparx has told JRC that they have to order 1,000 XS650 kits(!) to get more, though availability of parts minus adapters is not a problem. 1,000 kits isn't an option, so MMM is having his own adapter plates made.

 

[kent_in_kc]

Griz, I emailed MMM and he said he "doesn't have any". I even offered to pay for one. Thanks anyway for the suggestion. If you have any other ideas, I'm all ears.

I've set the cam chain, valves, points, plugs but she's backfiring through the carbs. Last night when I locked up the shop and turned out the lights I heard a soft voice in the dark "Time me. Please, someone email Griz. He can help me!"

 

[grizld1]

@x%!! thing timed me out after I wrote up the whole drill! Well, here it goes again.

Locating TDC is the only difficult part. The manual method of sticking a wood dowel down the plug hole will get you there +/- 3* or so. I prefer to use a piston locater consisting of a sleeve that threads into a plug hole and a plunger that follows the piston. It's a bit touchy to use on these motors because to the oblique angle to the piston crown; when the piston's on the rise it applies side load to the plunger and will lock it up, so it has to be kept free by hand.

Reducing INXS's fine degree wheel to the diameter of your rotor and lining up the "0" mark with whichever of the cast rotor marks you choose to time with would do, or you can use a clear plastic protractor if it has enough material in the center for you to attach it to the crank.

With the left cylinder rising on compression and valves closed, install the piston locator. If you have a dial indicator, set it up on the top of the plunger, find the point at which the piston drops with rotation in either direction, select which cast line on the rotor to use for timing, paint mark the line, and make a punch mark on the stator in line with it.

If you don't have a dial indicator, use indexing to locate TDC. Find approximate TDC by observing the plunger, and make a temporary paint mark on the stator. Attach the degree wheel to the crank, removing the Sparx rotor nut and clamping the degree wheel between two nuts. Align the degree wheel's "0" mark with the rotor and (temporary) stator mark and clamp down the nuts snugly enough to let you rotate the engine CCW with the inner nut without disturbing the wheel. The locator plunger will be marked with lines. With left piston rising on compression and valves closed, position the piston at the line showing deepest drop. Look at your degree wheel and record the reading. Then do the same ATDC, with the piston dropping to the same level. Repeat 3 times to verify. True TDC (or as close as you'll get to it without putting a dial indicator direct on a piston with the head off) is the location where degrees BTDC and degrees ATDC are the same at the same drop. For example, if you got a reading on the rise of 42* BTDC and a reading on the drop of 36* ATDC, the error in your initial mark is 3*, so you'd correct by moving the mark 3* CW.

One TDC is found, it's a simple matter to scribe retarded and advanced ignition marks--you're already set up to do it.