Testing Dyna S statically

[Johnny K]

My sig is my bike. New dyna S, dyna coils and dyna wires. I have no idea on how to connect a test lamp from the white wire to the ground on BassCliff's website. I don't know what to point at to make the 12V light come on. My test light has a one-wire alligator clip at the end. Where do I connect and where to touch it to get a light to come on. I do have the "advance mark" line on the ignition plate lined up with the top of the ignition line. Just confused on how to set up the wires to get a light to make sure 1&4 are lined up.

[azr]

Simple stuff. First make sure you test light is working. Connect the alligator clamp to the negative on your batter and touch the probe to the positive, it should light up, if not fix it. It's basically the same thing to set your timing. You can connect the clamp to any good frame ground and you can test that ground by simply touching the probe to the positive on your battery, if it doesn't light up that ground connection is no good. If the wires are long enough just leave it connected to your negative on the battery (but usually they are not). So find a good ground. Have you new Dyna all connected up. Make sure you have somewhat easy access to both the white and red bullet connections that come from the Dyna ignition and hook into the existing coil wires (bullet connector), this is where you are going to stick the probe from your tester. For testing the timing on 1 and 4 I believe it's the white wire and the red is for 2 & 3. You simply have the clamp grounded, stick the probe into the correct bullet connector (the bullet connector from the ignition IS plugged into the connector from the coil) for the cylinders you are timing and turn the crank clockwise until the light comes on, you adjust your timing plate from there ( I have found that I've had to not only move the timing plate but also the pickups in order to get the timing spot on) . Remember you do both, 1 & 4 and 2 & 3, in that order with the advanced timing marks like you mentioned, not the F mark. Hope that helps.

[Johnny K]

Thanks azr. That definitely made more sense to me. I'm going to try that today. I also bought a timing/work light self powered from Z1. A little confused on that too, but not so much. I will do that once I get the bike up and running.

[Johnny K]

I understand how to make the test light go on for 1-4. When the advance timing mark is lined up with the engine case I move the timing plate slightly left or right and I can get the light to go on. The plate can still move a little more til it stops with the light still on. How do I know when to tighten up the plate if the light comes on at a certain point and then I can move it another say 5 degrees with the light staying on?? When I tighten the plate then go test 2-3 and line up the mark advance mark with the engine case, the light does not light up. But if I loosen the screws and turn the plate the other way, the test light will light up. Then I go back to test 1-4 and I have to go back to where the plate was in the first place. Should I center the plate before rotating the engine to get the advance timing mark? I know it's probably simple, but just having a hard time understanding the timing procedure.

[azr]

I understand how to make the test light go on for 1-4. When the advance timing mark is lined up with the engine case I move the timing plate slightly left or right and I can get the light to go on. The plate can still move a little more til it stops with the light still on. How do I know when to tighten up the plate if the light comes on at a certain point and then I can move it another say 5 degrees with the light staying on?? When I tighten the plate then go test 2-3 and line up the mark advance mark with the engine case, the light does not light up. But if I loosen the screws and turn the plate the other way, the test light will light up. Then I go back to test 1-4 and I have to go back to where the plate was in the first place. Should I center the plate before rotating the engine to get the advance timing mark? I know it's probably simple, but just having a hard time understanding the timing procedure.

The instructions from Dyna are pretty good, try and follow those but I'll see if I can help. So when you are timing what you are trying to do is have the light 'just' come on, like right on the edge of coming on exactly when the advanced mark aligns with engine case mark...and that's it! simple..sort of. It's simple once you've done it a few times. You do 1-4 first. You have the light set up, hold your rotor in the advanced position and as you turn your crank watch for the advanced mark to come round keep turning the crank slowly and once you see the light just come on STOP turning the crank. That is the point you want. Now you move your plate so that the advanced and casing marks perfectly lign up, then tighten your plate. Rotate the crank all the way around to check and see that the light does indeed just come on when the marks align, usually when you tighten up your plate it moves things ever so slightly so you have to loosen it off again and readjust just a bit. Once you've done this a couple of time you'll have the marks bang on and the plate is exactly where it is supposed to be. Now...go to 2-3. For 2-3 you are not moving the plate you are adjusting your 2-3 pickup so that it is directly 180 degrees across from the other pickup, simple eh! So rehook your probe into the other wire, the one for 2-3. Again hold your rotor in the advanced position, slowly turn your crank until the advance mark is nearing the case mark, once the light just comes on, take your allan key and ever so slightly adjust your 2-3 pickup so the light just goes out/just comes on, you get the drift. Again rotate your crank to check. And that's it. You mentioned you had a timing light, it's wayyyyyy easier with the light because you don't have to hold the rotor forward (check your dyna instructions on this, you must advance your advancer to time a dyna ignition properly, pretty simple, just grab the rotor (black round thing in the centre) and turn it all the way to the right, bingo you're advanced) while your turning the crank, looking at the light, adjusting the plate....really you need a third arm. With the timing light you just have to increase the rpms and it does the work for you. Let us know how it works out.

[Johnny K]

Thanks again. Makes sense. I will let you know how I make out.

[Johnny K]

Well I put everything together and went to start it and it wouldn't crank. I jumped it by using my truck (not running) and it started. Idled great revved up and down great. Let it idle for about 5 min. Shut it off and then went to start it and nothing. No clicking, just dead. But the indicator lights were still on. So I ended up jumping it 3 times. On the 3rd jump, the bike started and it sounded absolutely horrible. Like it was running on 3 1/2 cylinders. Every time I would throttle just sounded wicked boggy. Just really bad. It idled like that for about 15 seconds and stalled. Went to start it and won't even click, just dead. I made sure every connection was soldered and crimped very good. Just really down how I put a lot of time into re-wiring my new dyna S ignition, dyna green coils, and dyna 8mm gray wires and now it won't start and if it does then it idles just horrible. I will try back at it on Thursday because I didn't want to keep jumping and cranking resulting to maybe a bad wire or anything like that and rather walk away for a day than get really frustrated and try to "fix" it when I wouldn't know where to start. Please help. Thanks.

[azr]

Probably something simple, I'm guessing the bike ran fine before you tinkered with it, so at least you know what area to look at. Did the timing go alright in the end? You just have to follow all your wiring and make sure everything is connected properly and to the proper thing. All it takes is one wrong connection and she's only running on two cyclinders. Coils are grounded properly? the timing is done correctly? You didn't by chance accidently turn the crank backwards? (a bit to check that the light is just coming on is fine but any more than that can cause problems with your cam chain) just trying to think/type out loud.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

If you have a problem using a light you can just hold the advancer to full advance with your fingers and use the "snap" of the removed sparkplugs to time it. Just as it snaps your marks should line up.

[KEITH KRAUSE]

The bike will run poorly as you described if the battery is weak/dead. Low voltage will result in weak spark and poor combustion. See if the water level is low and maybe you can re-fill with distilled and re-charge?? If even one cell is dried up or exposed too long the battery can be ruined.