What do these yellow lines mean,if anything
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Someone marked it for timing with a light. Or they point to the mud doppers....
That's actual the alternator rotor, not a cover.
If you take the plug out of the case (some 5" above the shaft) you can rotate the flywheel a prolly see the top-dead-center and advanced timing mark on the wheels. The lines look to be about 30 degrees or so for full advance.
thanks,mine has the same marks. Maybe some factory initial tuning?
Nope Mechanics trick so you don't have to do the messy "try to see the mark through the hole" deal
How would you see that with the cover on ? :scratch:
You remove the chain inspection cover and point the timing light in the hole towards the rotor.
Watch through the hole, but be careful as some Old Shovels have 2 marks on them, at least the 72 I had when it was timed did, don't remember what the story was but a buddy had timed it for me and was telling me about it, can't say I seen it Personally.
I believe that early timing marks are from 1966 thru 1979. Later marks start in 1980. Bill
Thanks billbuilds
Quote from: 72fl on February 15, 2019, 03:58:39 AM
Watch through the hole, but be careful as some Old Shovels have 2 marks on them, at least the 72 I had when it was timed did, don't remember what the story was but a buddy had timed it for me and was telling me about it, can't say I seen it Personally.
There are many different timing mark setups depending on who made the flywheels and what year they might be.
There may be a rear TDC mark that can be confusing (third mark).
And the marks may have different shapes.
Some have a dot, some have a line, some have 2 dots and the marks are used differently.
I prefer to use the marked alternator rotor trick.
I don't have to clean up an oily mess afterwards.
I am rebuilding this bike without rebuilding the engine. I put a high output stater on and didn't give a thought to the stater cover when I disassembled it. I was just curious what the marks were when assembling. She's about ready to roll ,so I will see whats up when I fire it up. Thanks for the info folks.
Though kind of pricy for a bent piece of sheet metal, they work nicely:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Harley-FL-FX-70-85-EZ-time-with-quick-easy-setting-ignition-timing-tool-new-/323398196605
To use this with a chain primary, drain the primary oil, fire the bike up for a few moments to through the oil off the chain, let it drain for a little while, then pull the inspection cover and check timing. Oil mess is minimal.
-JW
just out of curiosity dosent the stator go on crank splines in any position as years ago i had mine off to rewire the alternator and dont remember having to line it up with anything.thanks
SO you have to be nearly as smart as a timing pointer when you install the rotor! :SM:
:SM:
Quote from: Burnout on February 17, 2019, 08:01:23 PM
SO you have to be nearly as smart as a timing pointer when you install the rotor! :SM:
yes rotor
I've never used the timing plug except to find my marks for initial timing. Somewhere over 20 years ago one of my buddies was going to time my bike with a light. A face full of warm oil changed his mind. As caveman as some will insist this is I've usually got it running, advanced it until it pinged and backed it off till it didn't. This has worked for 25 years and two motors on this bike. The first mill was running when I pulled it, I just had an opportunity to fit something else. I also don't use a VOES but might revisit that.
However, with all that said does anybody got a pic of a timing set up using the rotor? When the barn thaws out in a few months I intend to revamp the 76. Since I will have the primary open this interests me.
Thanks
Mark
That technique works for some but if you ride it like you stole it, it really needs to be set right.
Running around the central valley in calif before exhausting nearly a full tank of gas at full throttle it better be set right so you don't kill the motor.
Mark I've used them on my Shovels and on my Evo, they work good as long as you get the timing marks set to a line on the rotor. What I used to do was paint a red line at 35° advance. Align the proper marks on the flywheel in the timing port, then I used Rustoleum enamel, painted the line with a small brush. Let it dry really good for 24 hours. This way next time things are dissembled and moved, you just need to scrap the paint off the rotor, and then paint it again.
FYI, not my pics, I just marked it up to show what I did.
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Thanks Brian :up:
Quote from: Ohio HD on February 18, 2019, 04:34:08 PM
Mark I've used them on my Shovels and on my Evo, they work good as long as you get the timing marks set to a line on the rotor. What I used to do was paint a red line at 35° advance. Align the proper marks on the flywheel in the timing port, then I used Rustoleum enamel, painted the line with a small brush. Let it dry really good for 24 hours. This way next time things are dissembled and moved, you just need to scrap the paint off the rotor, and then paint it again.
FYI, not my pics, I just marked it up to show what I did.
[attach=0,msg1282846]
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now i know where that timing gadget goes.its a wonder no one has made a clear plug that replaces the one in the crankcase for timing purposes
Quote from: david lee on February 19, 2019, 12:18:09 PM
Quote from: Ohio HD on February 18, 2019, 04:34:08 PM
Mark I've used them on my Shovels and on my Evo, they work good as long as you get the timing marks set to a line on the rotor. What I used to do was paint a red line at 35° advance. Align the proper marks on the flywheel in the timing port, then I used Rustoleum enamel, painted the line with a small brush. Let it dry really good for 24 hours. This way next time things are dissembled and moved, you just need to scrap the paint off the rotor, and then paint it again.
FYI, not my pics, I just marked it up to show what I did.
[attach=0,msg1282846]
[attach=1,msg1282846]
now i know where that timing gadget goes.its a wonder no one has made a clear plug that replaces the one in the crankcase for timing purposes
There is one available. It's kind of hard to see thru, some have used Jewelers rouge to polish it up to see better thru it.
Here it is :
https://www.amazon.com/Clear-Timing-Plug-Sight-Window/dp/B06XWG2VCY
Just thinking about this, another item that would suit its purpose would be a sight window, there are various styles in Brass,Aluminum,Stainless, and infinite sizes and threads.
This is the tried and try clear plug. These only stay in while timing the bike.
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https://goo.gl/HwELvs
The clear plugs indeed do work, but they are kind of a pain. The flash of the strobe reflects off the plug itself, but mosly off the oil on the flywheel, making it hard to see the timing mark. What helps is to paint the timing mark a bright color (I use red), and spin the plug in until it "just" touches the flywheel, then back off like a 12th of a turn. The idea being to get the plug end as close as possible to flywheel without touching, to squeegie the oil away.
The other thing I've found is that single fire ignition works a lot better to strobe time than dual fire, since with dual it will fire at the correct time, and at the wrong time.
-JW
Quote from: JW113 on February 20, 2019, 08:21:05 AM
The clear plugs indeed do work, but they are kind of a pain. The flash of the strobe reflects off the plug itself, but mosly off the oil on the flywheel, making it hard to see the timing mark. What helps is to paint the timing mark a bright color (I use red), and spin the plug in until it "just" touches the flywheel, then back off like a 12th of a turn. The idea being to get the plug end as close as possible to flywheel without touching, to squeegie the oil away.
The other thing I've found is that single fire ignition works a lot better to strobe time than dual fire, since with dual it will fire at the correct time, and at the wrong time.
-JW
JW, a Few Years Back Now, Maybe Quite a Few, as I Had my old 83 FLHT at The Time, There was a Company that was Selling a Clear Plug WITH a Squeegee looking thing already on it. SUPPOSED to "Wipe" the Oil off While being Timed. I Almost Bought one, but I HATE Pissing $$$$ away Needlessly, as I Had TWO Already, A Normal one, and One that was Quite a Bit Slimmer and Longer, so I Just Stayed with them.
The "Wiper" ones, I Don't Know If they are Still available or Not anymore.
Good Post for those UN-Familiar with these things!
ME
And to step into the wayback machine...
Any guesses what they did before somebody invented a clear plastic timing hole plug? Pretty clever actually, I've been tempted to give it a try just to see.
-JW
To Be Honest JW, The ONLY Other way *I* Personally have seen it Done, (and WELL Over 40 Years Ago!!!) was by a MUCH Older and Proverbial "Old School" Mechanic, was He Layed the Bike Over on its Side, and Timed it through the Plug Hole. Nothing in the Hole, (Running of Course!) Oil Spray was Surprisingly Minimal too! I Have Never Tried That Myself, Only because I KNOW the Sort of Luck *I* Have! LOLOL
Love to hear of other ways too, If You know them JW.........
ME
Well, the other way is to take a piece of thin wall rubber or plastic hose, that's just slightly larger OD than the timing hole threads. You have to cut the end of it off as square as possible, a piece about 1" long. You then spin it in the timing hole until it touches the flywheel. The idea is that it seals off the hole to the flywheel, and squeegies the oil off so you have a clear shot of the timing mark.
Interesting, clever, never done it myself. But might. Might want to wear a face shield though!
-JW
Quote from: JW113 on March 06, 2019, 07:55:19 AM
Well, the other way is to take a piece of thin wall rubber or plastic hose, that's just slightly larger OD than the timing hole threads. You have to cut the end of it off as square as possible, a piece about 1" long. You then spin it in the timing hole until it touches the flywheel. The idea is that it seals off the hole to the flywheel, and squeegies the oil off so you have a clear shot of the timing mark.
Interesting, clever, never done it myself. But might. Might want to wear a face shield though!
LOLOLOLOL
-JW
WOW! Interesting JW. I Have to Admit, I've NEVER Heard it done That Way!
THANKS for Posting that. I
MIGHT Try it LATER on this Year, when I Will Want to be Checking mine upon Re-Assembly.......
Thanks Again Sir!
ME