Topic: Static Timing - Cam High Point

[Bob Wessner]

I just finished static timing my K0. Found that the .012 in. setting got me nothing but slightly retarded timing. Shifting the plates seems to be reserved for really minute adjustments. I finally found that .015 did the trick and they are dead on the "F" mark. I did, and do struggle with the "use the spot where the points are open the widest." It seems I'm never sure of my observation, either seem to be leading up to it, or after it, etc. My question, is there a secret mark somewhere that says you're at the highest point of the points cam? Lacking that, since it is not what you would call a radical cam lift, how many degrees of rotation does it remain at the widest, or is it strictly one spot.. heaven forbid.

[kghost]

Well, I guess you could could remove the cam and advance plate. Just take the points plate off, then undo the nut holding it on. Don't worry about getting it back on as it lines up with pin on the back side.
  Then you could use a micrometer or dial caliper on the cam till you found the high spot. Then scribe a little mark where it is on the cam.

Come to think of it I'm going to do that on the next engine I put together. 

[Bob Wessner]

Well. since it's done now, guress I'll let it ride. Don't think I want to scribe anything right on the cam, but you did give me an idea. Thanks.

[kghost]

I wouldn't scribe on the face just the outside edge. Then I could line un the mark with the point arm.

[Bob Wessner]

When I get a chance, I'll have to take the points cover off and look. Seems to me there is something that covers up the cam edge so I might have to figure a way to carry a mark up and around that. It would be nice to have something easily visible that says "This is the spot, dummy."   

[Philly550K1]

I puzzled over the same issue, Bob, especially since my points were barely opening when i went to check them, (hard to see when they opened).  What helped me was to look at the surface of the cam.  Since the 1-4 and 2-3 points are not directly in line with each other, i could at least see the region where each cam follower is active (faint greasy smears, shiny/less shiny areas), which allowed me to eyeball it into the correct vicinity.  as for stressing over getting it exactly right, the fact that my bike was running as well as it was before i touched it suggests that the exactness of size of the gap isn't mission-critical.  but we're still getting it sorted.

while we're on that, a wee dab of grease on the cam is recommended by the manual...

-jc