Thanks so much for this video. I've got a Yamaha YB100 (1989) and its been causing me tons of problems getting the timing right with the small contact breaker points. This video is by far the clearest and easiest to understand video or instructions i've found. Thank you from Scotland.

Great video! It will help me with my 1975 DT175!

Wow That thing has two engines? That thing is cool I want one

Great job, thanks for the detailed explanation. Doing a 74 GT380 soon so this helps out loads. Cheers

Great video Steven been a massive help while I am fitting an updated Power Dynamo to my RD250LC.

@stevenmichaelis

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Helpful video, thanks for sharing. Nice bike too!

Excellent video. You'd be a great teacher, my man.

I am using 2 tools: Dial Gauge & Motion Pro dial gauge adapter (w/ 14mm threads). Any dial gauge with +/- 0.001" accuracy will work; I bought mine from Harbor freight for around $1, but it was a DIY project. NOTE: RDs have motor clearance issues -- you need an adapter tall enough to get over the fins, but short enough for it all to fit w/o hitting the frame. This is why my DIY adapter kit has a flexible red straw as its extension.

thanks, great video and explanation!

disregard that. I found the manual for your series and see it's standard. Awesome job!

Thanks steven 👍👍

Very informative, Thank you

yea sorry i was in a bad mood last night. Now that i remember there are some bikes that say the degrees btdc plus or minus so many millimeters then that guage helps out alot im gonna order it myself thanks for the video

I'm a formal motorcycle mechanic by trade and this method was the first style I learned and later down the road I realized that it isn't an accurate method, using a multimeter only tells you when that gap opens in hairline measurements the beep stops in that moment, meaning the spark is not accurately gonna fire when that meter stops beeping, its not 100% usually when its around .25 to .35mm depending on the bike and year usually in the 80% range it will fire at the plug, you need a timing light to be more certain trust me on that, makes all the difference

I appreciate the Kudos. Your kind words made my day. =)

Thanks for the reply steve i,ll give all that a go and see what happens thanks again :)

Thank you sir!

Ya! Good straight forward demo , No bull sh-t

Thanks so much Steve! I've been following your notes on 2strokeworld in hopes to get both 1968 YG5T and 1968 YL2CM going. It's been a battle and your knowledge has really helped. Love how the bike turned out! What's with the toggle? An aftermarket add in the headlight or is that particular to that model?

Your video is great, including the additional description. Thank you so much for your effort. However, im am completely getting lost trying to do the same thing with a mm dial indicator.....trying to find 1.96mm advance and still can't figure it out. Please help!

Daniel, The spark is supposed to happen BTDC, so that is good. Rotating the engine makes the points open and close. Rotating the points plate is how you fine tune EXACTLY when the points do it -- you probably can't visually observe the points moving when you move the points plate; they will basically look closed; The test light will tell you when the points are actually closed. Points' gap (fully opened) should be around 0.022" (0.56mm) -- your 0.033mm is not right. Don't Give up! -Steve

Steve, this video was excellent and taught me how to time my RD400. Don't I need to subtract .0789" from TDC which puts my guage at .0211 to be at 2mm from TDC?

@bugzie706

5 жыл бұрын

no it needs to be at .0789

Nice..

Nice vid. Question, why do you set the timing on 2.0, instead of 1.8 factory?

ing if that was some old school simple trick people did back in the day to make the bike go faster. Its basicly the same bike as yours (1970 Cs3 200). So r the springs needed?? Thanks and again great video im sure it helped alot of people including myself

Daniel, I am excited that you took the plunge, bought the adapter, and are learning how to set your points. First of all, you MUST have the wires disconnected for the light to work correctly. A test light should be connected to your battery's positive terminal on one end, and to your points at the other. When the points close the light should come on. When the points are open, the light will be off. If this is not happening, then something is amiss. Email me through KZread if you're stuck.

Good video man i have a old suzuki ts250 i bought recently and i think the timing is out on it its so confusing to me tho. it gettin gas and a good healthy spark but it still wont start its just kicks and kick then let off a big backfire.

What type of gauge you got there? I'm starting to restore a vintage bike. And will need to find and measure degrees from top dead center

Super

what are the adjustable plates underneath the point for. i adjusted mine recently on my 72 suzuki t500 and holed my piston. i wonder what the proper way to adjust them is? thanks

I really need help I have a 1972 yamaha lt2 100cc 2stroke enduro it's my first vintage bike I have it running fine but all of a sudden it started back fireing horribly can you help me out?

Hello Steve: Thanks for your info. The shop manual I have left out a few salient points that you had. Why do you use 2 mm instead of the factory 1.8 mm? I have a 1971 CS3 200cc. This bike seems very similar to your 185. Also do you have any information on synching up the carbs.

@bugzie706

5 жыл бұрын

use popsicle sticks under your cut-away

@stevenmichaelis

2 жыл бұрын

I set my timing at 2.0 as a performance modification. 2.0mm is slightly advanced timing compared to 1.8mm. Other mods included ceramic coating the piston tops and cylinder head combustion chamber, adding an anti-friction coating to the piston skirts, milling a little metal off the heads to increase compression, and slightly modifying the piston porting. Thanks for asking!

Is it possible that your left and right spark plug wires are crossed? If you follow the video you will get the timing correct. You also will want to verify that the points gap is correct -- this would be done before doing the timing. I should do a video outlining this too. Thank you for watching my video, and good luck with your Suzuki ts250; those are super cool little old machines.

Can you write out in detail how you put together your dial gauge? I looked at earlier posts that suggested Harbor Freight has the parts. My Harbor Freight definitely does not have those parts, the best they have are tire gauges. I think what I may do is just take one of those red straws off a spray can, use it to determine TDC, and then look at pics of what the timing marks on my flywheel should look like, and set the points with the buzzer off my voltmeter. Cheap, but works.

Hey Steven, I could really use some advice in regards to this dynamo/Yoke assembly. Restoring a 1970 Yamaha CS3, very similar to your bike. If you have some time to shoot some emails or something to give me a hand I would really appreciate it sir!

Steve what was your top speed on that ycsc1 180 Yamaha ?mine will only do 56mph Thank-you

I use a sleeve and calibrated rod type timing guage. I bought mine but they can be made from an old spark plug. The exception to the rule with 2 stroke points timing is the Suzuki GT380 where the points are on a geared shaft seperate and driven by the crank. They also rotate backwards to the crank and one has to take up the slack when measuring the timing. Not a favourite of mine to do the timing on. This method would not work so well on European 2 strokes as the points gap has to also be set for TDC as well as the firing point. Advance / Retardation is performed by the contact breaker arm spring.

Great video can you pleases help me set the timing on my Rd350

the points need to be right too dwell angle and all that good vid and nice old bike

Hello Steven, good video. i'm trying to set the timing on my 1975 yamaha rd350. after i have tdc on my dial meter could you please describe how many full revolutions my meter should take and what number it should stop at in order to be at 2mm btdc? i've recently had a stroke and it has impaired my cognitive thought process. so, please be very literal. i'm getting close on my RD . it's been a long process. thank you very much. David

@stevenmichaelis

2 жыл бұрын

David, congrats on getting close to finishing your RD project. You have a good question, and I will try to help. Please forgive me if I am too wordy or overly simple in the little steps. For my answer I will assume you have a SAE dial gauge in inches, as opposed to a metric one in millimeters. First of all lets discuss the spinning full revolutions of the needle. We'll assume the dial gauge is secured in the spark plug adaptor, and the adaptor is securely threaded into the spark plug hole so there is no wiggling, etc. Any wiggle movement of these pieces will prevent accurate measurements. The number of times that the dial goes round and round is ultimately irrelevant to your measurement -- the number of times that it spins is 100% dependent on how deep the dial gauge happens to be sitting in the adaptor tool, and this will vary every time you remove or install the tool. For instance, my adaptor tool has two set screws that hold the stem of the dial gauge in place when it is inserted in the adaptor. Every time I insert my dial gauge into the adaptor the stem of the gauge housing will enter the adaptor to a slightly different depth before I tighten the set screws and hold it in place. In fact it would be all but impossible to insert the gauge into the adaptor the exact same way and depth every time I use it. Exactly how deep the shaft of the gauge housing sits inside the adaptor determines how many times the gauge's needle rotates as the engine rotates to TDC. On a standard non-metric "0-100" dial gauge, like the one I used in my video, each full rotation of the needle represents 1/10th of an inch of the gauge's plunger's vertical travel. If the dial gauge is sitting more deeply in the adaptor, then the gauge's plunger will come in contact with the piston earlier, causing more needle rotations. If the gauge is sitting more shallowly in the adaptor, then the plunger will encounter the piston later and the needle will have less rotations. The depth the gauge sits in the adaptor can be adjusted to reduce needle rotations -- exactly 1/10" of depth for each rotation of the needle. The number of needle rotations is ultimately irrelevant to the measurement of the piston once the tool is calibrated for the job with the gauge set to zero at TDC. However I see how the extraneous rotations are definitely distracting and confusing. I personally find extra needle rotations distracting, but have adjusted my skill to overcome the inconvenience. My adaptor tool is a bit too tall for my motorcycle. It was made for a RD350 and I am using it on a smaller YCS1c 180 -- because it just barely fits, I have my dial gauged forced as far into the adaptor as it can go, and only then does it just barely fit. If I had more clearance with a slightly shorter adaptor I would prefer to insert my dial gage not quite so deep into my adaptor so that there are less full rotations of the needle. One of these days I may machine my tool so its about 1/2" shorter and fits better for my little motorcycle. An additional important thought is that it is important to remember these old Yamaha's engines rotate COUNTER CLOCKWISE while running. The dial gauge does not indicate whether you are BEFORE or AFTER TDC -- it only shows the distance that piston has traveled up or down away from DTC -- it is important to measure to the point that is 2mm BEFORE top dead center, as the engine is rotating counter clockwise. The gauge can be potentially very confusing because it's needle rotates as then engine is rotating, but the gauge does not indicate direction of engine rotation! The gauge only shows the vertical travel of the piston! Assuming you want your timing set to 2mm/ 0.0789" and you have the dial gauge correctly installed and set so that TDC is indicated at zero. You want the points to be closed as the engine is rotating counterclockwise toward top dead center, and then for the points to open exactly at 2mm/ 0.0789" before top dead center. Again, the engine will be rotating counterclockwise, but the gauge will be rotating clockwise as it approaches 0.0789", 'counting up' toward your zero. If the gauge's needle has to make several rotations as it approaches TDC, make mental note of how many rotations it makes. Or you can adjust the height of your dial gauge in the adaptor so that there is a total of less than 1/10 of an inch of plunger travel so there are no extraneous rotations. Be sure to re-zero the gauge after adjusting it in the adaptor. Hope this helps. -Steve

@davidsizemore9906

2 жыл бұрын

@@stevenmichaelis i’m so thankful for your help! i’ll try again tomorrow. bless you😇

Hello can you advise me please. On the regulator there are 2 tags at the bottom to attach wires. 1 takes the thicker light green wire from the generator. What attaches to the other one please ? Any ideas Thank you N

@garonburwell9008

5 жыл бұрын

what does the wiring diagram say?

if so then the timing points on a dual carb 2 stroke on a single crankshaft wouldn't they need to fire at separate times for each piston ? since they feed off each others power and use mechanical rotational timing ?

@bugzie706

5 жыл бұрын

yes

are those 2 mm distance before top dead center in relation to the lag from the stator firing the spark to the coil ? like for instance 2mm is the distance and time it takes for the points to open and close produce spark to the coil at the precise moment the piston is at top dead center spark hits and drives the piston back down at the right time ?

@bugzie706

5 жыл бұрын

Also take into consideration the time to light the fire

Oh and by any chance do you have the contact point specs for my bike? 1970 Cs3 200?

Hello from Minnesota. So I recently bought a 1972 yamaha ds7 and have been tinkering with it. I noticed the point gaps were way off (not opening enough) and I set those to the manual specs. The bike runs amazing now, but I have not checked the ignition timing at all. Am I going to destroy my engine if I don't check the timing? Also this video makes sense but where do I get a dial indicator that will fit my bike?

@bugzie706

5 жыл бұрын

yes anytime you adjust the points that changes the timing

I'm trying to get my head around the 0.0789. the way I'm reading this, your setting the dial indicator 0.021 BTDC. can you explain how that is 0.0789? I just don't want to screw this up.

@caseykittel

7 жыл бұрын

once TDC is found and the dial is set to 0, 0 is the same as 100. 100 - 21 is 79. his measurement was for his particular engine which was a measurement in mm. he converted his number from mm to inches. you can use google to "convert mm to inches." what is the measurement for your particular engine?

I'm sorry, but you cannot just stick a screwdriver in the cylinder to find TDC. This is because you need the points to open at precisely 2.0 mm before top dead center. This is a super precision measurement, and it cannot be done with a screwdriver. Best wishes. -- Steve

What is this bike worth? I ask because I considering buying one similar to this but not nearly as good shape but really dont know what one in the shape of your condition is even worth.

Can anyone tell me any more about the rubber cushions on the clutch pack ? I placed them all correctly as in the diagram with new clutch pads . And have the clutch adjusted right . But when trying to ride of the start in first . I hear some noise and have some on and off hesitation while moving . Bikes not moving with ease and freely ? Can’t get out of first or go more then 20 ft . My only other thought then the clutch is gears have sat for years and maybe some rust or bad bearings ???? Was trying to find a video on KZread for these type of clutches with the rubber cushions to no luck .

@stevenmichaelis

14 күн бұрын

Are you talking about the large grooved O-ring ones? It was about 15 years ago, So my memory is a little foggy, but I remember having this exact same conversation on the forums, and the collective opinion was that it was okay to remove those. I believe they were designed to help dampen the clutch, but our modern motorcycle appetites don't really want to have a dampened clutch. We want a clutch that grabs and sticks well. Good luck!

@coolbreezez71

14 күн бұрын

@@stevenmichaelis yes ! I don’t understand the purpose and how they are supposed to work ? Are they supposed to slide with the friction plates ? Because they slide on tight and don’t move on the basket . Also is the cushion groove supposed to fit on the friction plate ? And are mine old and shrunk ? Hope I can explain that correctly and make it understandable .

Anyone know how to buy the dial gauge connector to the spark plug port?

@stevenmichaelis

2 жыл бұрын

A search on eBay for "dial gauge timing" usually will list several. The threads are 14mm for the adaptor you will need. My adaptor was one I used on my RD350s and is a bit too long to easily use on my YCS1c unless I remove the tank, which is a bit of a hassle.... If I were to buy another I would get a slightly shorter one... Here is a nice set on amazon: www.amazon.com/Fowler-warranty-Adapters-Diameter-52-520-747/dp/B00B5HQ38U Good luck Mark!

Hi how to take of or out the generator?

@stevenmichaelis

2 жыл бұрын

Oh goodness! This is a buggar for these bikes. The generator's armature frequently rust sticks to the crankshaft, and it is very very difficult -- almost impossible -- to remove without damaging it. It has to come off to split the engine cases to replace engine seals, etc.... AND to make matters worse there are two types of generators and armatures: Hitachi and Mitsubishi. AND AND AND the armatures are almost impossible to find. When I accidentally damaged my own armature during the engine rebuild it took me years of active searching to find a correct replacement. I ended up paying silly money for one when it popped up on eBay Japan, but now the bike is up and running reliably.