1976 XS500 ingition timing

[corlon]

wondering if anyone (jim) can tell me what the timing should be at on my 1976 XS500?

[JimR]

Originally Posted by corlon

wondering if anyone (jim) can tell me what the timing should be at on my 1976 XS500?

I sure can
if you have a dwell meter set the dwell angle to 22½, if you don't, gap the points to 12 thou at tdc on the compression stroke (marks LT & RT with the valves closed) this will be easy to work out as the points should be at their widest opening. dress the points with a mag file after you have sprayed the contacts with WD40.
attach a strobe to (if I remember correctly) the l/h ht lead. start the engine, point the strobe at the timing marks you should see the mark LF lined up with the static pointer with the engine running at about 1000 rpm. if it does not slacken the contact breaker plate and move the plate until it does, rev the engine to ensure the advance works LF will be replaced with | | the static poiter should be between the 2 | | marks.When the engine returns to idle double check the timing mark is still in alignment, if not do the procedure again until it does. Swap over to the right and do the same ... the only difference is you will be moving the smaller plate that the points are attached to (I may have right & left the wrong round here, 1976 was a long time ago but you will work it out by looking at the plate). Let me know if you don't have access to a strobe & I will run you through another method but tbh the strobe is the way to go.
Regards Jim

[mbvanhorn]

Originally Posted by JimR

I sure can
if you have a dwell meter set the dwell angle to 22½, if you don't, gap the points to 12 thou at tdc on the compression stroke (marks LT & RT with the valves closed) this will be easy to work out as the points should be at their widest opening. dress the points with a mag file after you have sprayed the contacts with WD40.
attach a strobe to (if I remember correctly) the l/h ht lead. start the engine, point the strobe at the timing marks you should see the mark LF lined up with the static pointer with the engine running at about 1000 rpm. if it does not slacken the contact breaker plate and move the plate until it does, rev the engine to ensure the advance works LF will be replaced with | | the static poiter should be between the 2 | | marks.When the engine returns to idle double check the timing mark is still in alignment, if not do the procedure again until it does. Swap over to the right and do the same ... the only difference is you will be moving the smaller plate that the points are attached to (I may have right & left the wrong round here, 1976 was a long time ago but you will work it out by looking at the plate). Let me know if you don't have access to a strobe & I will run you through another method but tbh the strobe is the way to go.
Regards Jim

I am about to pull my eyes out of my head... I am trying to set the timing on my newly acquired xs 500 but the "static pointer" is movable/adjustable and it has defiantly been moved before i got it. It tries to fire, or maybe my imagination, but i'm not sure what to do next. I was thinking of removing the spark plug and sticking a screwdriver in the left cylinder and slowly turn the crank until the most screwdriver is showing. That would be the left TDC right? Also should I go ahead and remove the heads to check that valves are closed at TDC? Is there something that I am missing?