R65 timing marks

[ukzknos]

Hi Guys

I'm new to R65's and this forum!
I just set the points and connected my strobe light to check the timing; how the hell are you meant to see the timing marks? I can only just see the flywheel!
Any advice welcomed.

Good health,

[Ed Miller]

Pull the spark plugs, put the bike in gear (third or higher is best) and use the rear wheel to bump the motor around until you do see the marks.  OT (top dead center) is the main one for setting valve clearances, and on mine the "z" is the timing mark for full advance.  Use some white out (will they keep making that stuff when nobody types any more on typewriters?) on the mark, then wipe off the excess so that only the indented mark is white.  That makes it easy to see with a timing strobe light.

Is that what you meant?

[nhmaf]

And you can do the same thing with maybe red paint on the "S" mark, which should be what is centered in the timing window @ idle (~1,000 RPM).  The Full advance "Z" mark should be centered in the window up around 3,500-4000 RPM.

[ukzknos]

Yeah, thanks guys, but I think what I meant is that the marks are 'hidden' that deep inside the window of the housing that the strobe almost misses them!
Is there not some secret hint that I'm missing out on?

[montmil]

A good zenon bulb in the timing light is all but mandatory to see way down in the outhouse hole. I did mine in the dark with just a wee bit of garage door lift to keep me kinda healthy. Hack, cough wheeze...

BTW, I believe it's near impossible to set static timing on the 81> electronic ignitions unless you have access to the BMW unobtanium tool.

Monte

[nhmaf]

Yup, get a good bright bulb up right next to the hole.
Don't look at bulb directly, don't wear sunglasses, and do perform the procedure in the shadiest area possible - turn off overhead lights, etc. and give your eyeballs a chance to get used to less ambient light before doing it.

[ukzknos]

Guys

I kid you not, I've just checked the flywheel by shining a pencil torch through the window while turning the engine over by hand, and there are no 'S' or 'F' marks!
All I can see is the TDC 'OT' mark and a 'Z' mark!

Any views or ideas?

[Lucky_Lou]

What year it this one?/ must admit i had a bit of a mare setting mine up i could only see the "Z" mark (1980 R65)
Lou

[ukzknos]

Hi Lou

Yes, mine is also a 1980: chassis number 6343666

So what happened in the end...did you have a S and F mark?

Cheers

Steve

[Lucky_Lou]

Yup but i had to borrow a monster Snapon strobe and buy some new glasses with night vision
Lou
(c *6346898)

[nhmaf]

Well, your '80 bike has the older version flywheel and clutch, but as far as I knew they did have an "S" mark too, but I could be wrong.   On my bike ('82) the "S" Mark is actually on the same little steel protrusion that the "OT" mark is on, it is just a little bit below the OT mark.   With the bike in 2nd gear, plugs removed, I can roll the bike and see the "Z" (full advance mark) and then roll it ~1 inch further on the garage floor and the metal tab with the "S", and just above that, the "OT" marks are.   The "S" and "OT" marks  are only about 1/4" apart.   The timing of the bikes stayed at 6 degrees BTDC on all these years.

To set the basic timing @ idle to have your ignition points timing correct you'll have to find the "S", though if it seems to be running pretty smoothly at idle maybe you're OK leaving that alone for now and just check that the "F" or "Z" mark at full advance is centered in the hole when you hit 3500-4000 RPM.

I tried to just take pics of the marks on mine but it is a bugger trying to get a camera lens in there and to focus on the hole and not obstruct the flash.  Just when I thought I finally had it, the #$%^ battery died inthe camera

[ukzknos]

Anybody else had this experience?
And have a solution?

[ukzknos]

Thanks NHMAF, i'll take another look after work tomorrow!

[nhmaf]

So FWIW, here is my "Z" timing mark for full advance:



And with the bike in 2nd gear, spark plugs out, I roll the bike ahead
about 1 inch and I see the "S" mark.



You notice the "S" is at the "bottom" of a metal tab, or protrusion, on the starter ring on the flywheel.  Just above the "S" in the shadow of the hold is the "OT" mark on that same metal tab, about 1/4" above the "S".  I don't have a good pic of it as my batteries died trying to get a decent pic of it.   IF would say that if you find your "OT" mark, look carefully below it to see if you don't see a faint "S" in the rust..

[Justin B.]

The most important setting is the full advance timing which is at 3500 RPM and the "Z" in the window.