Anyone use a Dwell meter?

[Detroit Diesel Man]

Curious if anyone here uses a dwell meter for their points...I used to use one years ago on my 400 Kawi Triple...but havent used it in a while and was curious if anyone here does and what the specs for a GS are...any info or help would be great..Thanks


DDM

[sharpy]

12 tho for the gap and for a 1000 its 17deg below 1500rpm and 35 deg above2,500 rpm.
Or try downloading this......

http://www.mtsac.edu/~cliff/storage/gs/GS750_Service_Manual_early8valve.pdf

[Steve]

12 tho for the gap and for a 1000 its 17deg below 1500rpm and 35 deg above2,500 rpm.

That sounds like decent specs for TIMING, but the question was about DWELL.

I have often wondered, too, but since I don't have (or work on) any bikes with points, did not pursue it very hard.

It would be MUCH easier (and quicker) to set the points by dwell, if only the correct number was known.

.

[posplayr]

That sounds like decent specs for TIMING, but the question was about DWELL.

I have often wondered, too, but since I don't have (or work on) any bikes with points, did not pursue it very hard.

It would be MUCH easier (and quicker) to set the points by dwell, if only the correct number was known.

.

if only I had points the answer is eazy; set the points to 17 thou and measure the dwell . There is your answer

[rustybronco]

set the points to 17 thou and measure the dwell . There is your answer

New or used points?

[posplayr]

New or used points?

not sure it matters

[tkent02]

It's not that critical, each set of points only trigger one spark event per revolution, on a car they trigger two or three or maybe four, the dwell of each becomes more important. Anything close will work fine on these engines, so a simple gap measurement is fine.

[Detroit Diesel Man]

Points are relatively new but like any set of points they do pit and a feeler gauge really isnt as accurrate on used points as it is on brand new ones..also Ive found through searches that for the 750B I have Ive seen 3 different point gap specs...014,.016,.018..and its impossible to set gap on the points so they are both exactly the same..thus I wanted to use the dwell meter..."anything close"..just isnt good enough for me I guess...I realize its not a race bike or a top end vintage runner but I like it to be right and right on...I'll keep searching and see if I come up with a spec for dwell....Thanks for the replies..


DDM

[Matchless]

A dwell meter can also be used on a bike with pickups and ignitor. It could be helpful if any modifications to the stock ignition has ever been done.

Unfortunately I have forgotten the exact details, but one of the HEI gurus used a dwell meter to determine whether the pickup pulse width was correct.

He then accordingly adjusted the bias voltage, thus actually lifting the pulse and moving it to get to the best trigger point (voltage & duration) for the HEI modules. This was due to the unavailability of a scope at the time.

With the dwell angle not correct, one could actually see ransom "ghost" sparks with a timing light when pushing up the RPM's.

The figure that I seem to recall was about 80 -100 degrees dwell on the crank at idle, but my memory may be failing me.

This is off the actual topic and question sorry!

[Steve]

if only I had points the answer is eazy; set the points to 17 thou and measure the dwell . There is your answer

If I had a bike with points, I would have already done that and given the answer.

New or used points?

not sure it matters

Yes, it matters.

... but like any set of points they do pit and a feeler gauge really isnt as accurrate on used points as it is on brand new ones.

It is precisely because of those pits that a dwell meter is much more accurate than setting the gap. Using a feeler gauge to measure the gap on pitted points is going to measure the distance between the highest peaks. Those are not not necessarily the areas that will make and break the electrical current flow.

.