1975 115 Evinrude Timing Procedure Joe Reeves?

[jammer777]

Ok i hate to post this, but I going to try and set the timing on my old girl here, and i have searched and searched and searched and have seen a lot of people pointing to the top secret files to the Joe Reeves procedure, which I have reviewed and plan to follow this process but I find it a little lacking in details and seems to make some assumptions of knowledge that someone like myself doesn't have. The factory manual I have found to be less than helpful as well, haha

Im fairly mechanically inclined but haven't spent much time in the world of timing old carbed engines

So my question
does anyone have a broken down step by step process to actually set the timing, even a video?Im having some issues with the short Joe Reeves procedure listed in the secret files

for the interested of straightening this out for myself and hopefully others, ill post the process here in blue with my comments and questions in red inline and maybe we can expand the Joe Reeves process to include the extra steps and include the actual timing process? it seems like there are a lot of questions about this and i get that this post in the secret files isnt about the actual timing but a different way to do it rather than at WOT, but maybe we can put this whole process together in one place and help others out


The full spark advance can be adjusted without have the engine running at near full throttle as follows.

To set the timing on that engine, have the s/plugs out, and have the throttle at full, set that timer base under the flywheel tight against the rubber stop on the end of the full spark timer advance stop screw (wire it against that stop if necessary).

Rig a spark tester and have the gap set to 7/16". Hook up the timing light to the #1 plug wire. Crank the engine over and set the spark advance to 4? less than what the engine calls for.
Rig a spark tester to what? where does this get attached? to the #1 plug wire inline with the timing light that is supposed to be hooked up as well?
Crank the engine over and set the spark advance to 4 degrees less than what the engine calls for? how does one do that?
What are you doing with the timing light? obviously it is used to check the timing but can that process actually be inserted here?

I don't know the full spark advance setting your engine calls for, but to pick a figure, say your engine calls for 28?, set the timing at 24?. The reasoning for the 4? difference is that when the engine is actually running, due to the nature of the solid state ignition componets, the engine gains the extra 4?.
How does one set the timing at 24 deg?

If you set the engine to its true setting at cranking speed, when running it will advance beyond its limit by 4? which will set up pre-ignition causing guaranteed piston damage! You don't want that to take place.

No need to be concerned about the idle timing as that will take care of itself. The main concern is the full advance setting

 

[racerone]

About the only thing that can knock the timing out is a sheared flywheel key.----Timing on these motors simply does not go out of adjustment.----Well a careless owner could mess with it I suppose.

 

[jdaghir]

The Joe Reeves procedure is for setting the WOT (wide open throttle) timing, A.K.A. full advance timing. As recerone said above, this doesn't normally need adjustment unless someone has monkeyed with the full advance stop screw. Do you really need to check/set this, or are you looking to set the pickup timing, one part of a complete link & sync, which does need to be done periodically?

 

[Bosunsmate]

well you cant ask joe as he got snotty over something on this website and took off:flock:

 

[jammer777]

hey thanks for the replies guys i guess im looking for the lync and sync pickup timing

 

[Bosunsmate]

hey thanks for the replies guys i guess im looking for the lync and sync pickup timing

This is how i do it.
With throttle at neutral check that your carb butterflys are closed. Now warm the engine up and run the engine in a barrel or at the sea/lake/river and reduce the timing idle screw or even the cable adjustment until the engine just keeps running and doesnt die. If the timing gets too retarded it will stall out, fuel isnt an issue at this stage, the idle jets are providing the right amount of fuel.
Now you cant do that on muffs, the engine needs back pressure.

Next check that when you hit full throttle with the control that the butterflys finally reach to fully horizontal.
That whole opening carb thing with the mark on the cam lob in my experience then takes care of itself.

Next take all the plugs out and ground the HT wires to bolts on the head( this reduces stress on the ignition system.
Next check that when you turn the number one cylinder to top dead centre that TDC on the flywheel matches up with the pointer on the engine (this checks that the flywheel key isnt broken).
Hook up a timing light to Number 1 cylinder and then use the starter to spin the motor (either have a mate at the control or use a jumper wire at the solenoid.) Check that the timing light is flashing a few degrees before what your engine manual says it needs.

Do you know what your engine needs, its normally about 27degs but some have some real odd ones like 17

 

[jdaghir]

Here's the Link & Sync procedure I wrote for my 1974 85 HP. The procedure for yours should be similar, although some of the numeric values may be different. I wrote this for myself, so it's not a fully fleshed out step by step. But if something isn't clear, let me know and I will try and explain it better.


Link & Sync 1974 Evinrude 85 HP:

SYNC THROTTLE & CHOKE VALVES:

1. Remove the throttle cable from the throttle lever.
2. Loosen the cam roller screw and move the cam roller away from the cam.
3. Loosen the carb throttle link fastener screws, allowing the throttle valves to completely close via spring pressure.
4. Tighten the throttle link fastener screws to synchronize the throttle valves.
5. Repeat 3 & 4 for choke link.

CHOKE POSITION

1. Twist choke spring on to choke plunger 2.5 to 3.5 turns. Adjust choke solenoid position in the solenoid clamp so that 5/16? of the base of the solenoid plunger is exposed.

WOT STOP

1. Adjust the throttle stop screw so that the throttle valves are horizontal and fully open at WOT. A thin strip of paper (0.003?) inserted between the throttle shaft roll pin and the roll pin stop should pull out with just a slight drag.

TIMING POINTER ZERO (normally doesn't need adjustment)

1. Confirm that the timing pointer is aligned with the 0 degree mark on the flywheel with #1 cylinder at TDC.

PICKUP TIMING

1. Loosen throttle arm cam follower screw allowing cam follower to fall away from the cam and ensure throttle valves are fully closed.
2. Attach a timing light to the #1 cylinder and adjust the idle speed adjustment screw so that the spark timing is at 5 degrees while in neutral and running in the water and fully warmed up.
3. Stop engine. Rotate cam follower back into contact with the throttle cam and tighten screw. Top scribe mark on the throttle arm cam should be approximately aligned with the center of the cam follower roller.
4. If necessary, adjust the throttle cam yoke position so that the upper mark on the cam lines up exactly with the center of the roller. After mark is exactly aligned, if necessary rotate cam follower back into contact with the cam and tighten cam follower screw.
5. Confirm that the throttle valves just start to open when the center of the cam roller is aligned with the upper mark on the cam and that the roller is in contact with the cam.

Note: The point of the this is to have the spark timing at 5 degrees and to have the throttle valves just start to open when the roller is aligned with the mark. This synchronizes the spark timing and throttle pickup (opening). The mark on the cam indicates when the throttle valves should start to open as the control lever is advanced. The profile of the cam controls the relationship between spark timing advance and throttle valve opening. The cam opens the throttle valves more slowly than the spark timing is advanced. I think this is to prevent the motor from loading up with fuel and running poorly. The spark timing will reach full advance before the throttle valves are completely open. The point at which the spark timing just reaches full advance is your most fuel efficient "cruise speed". Advancing the control lever further will fully open the throttle valves, increasing power and speed a small amount, but at the expense of your fuel efficiency becoming craptacular.​

FULL ADVANCE TIMING (normally doesn't need adjustment)

1. Confirm full advance timing of 28 degrees at 4300 to 4600 rpm (or use Joe Reeves WOT Timing procedure). Initial (normal) position of the full advance timing stop screw is ⅜ to ? of screw threads showing at the bottom of the screw.

IDLE SPEED

1. Readjust the idle speed adjustment screw so that the motor runs at about 650 rpm while in gear, idling in the water and fully warmed up. (May result in a gap between the roller & cam)

THROTTLE CABLE

1. With the remote control lever in neutral and the warm up lever down (run position), adjust the throttle cable trunnion nut so that the throttle cable applies light pressure to the throttle lever to ensure that it fully returns to the idle speed adjustment screw and reattach the throttle cable to the throttle lever.

WARM UP LEVER

1. Raise the remote control warm up lever up (start position) and adjust the warm up lever stop screw in the remote control so that the cam roller aligns with the start mark on the cam.

I wrote this myself based on the procedures in the factory manual that were spread across several sections and varies bits and pieces I found by searching through old posts. If a made a mistake, or if anyone has some suggestions, I would really like to hear them.

Thanks!

 

[jdaghir]

For what it's worth, here's what Joe Reeves had to say about Link & Sync on 1977 140 HP from an old post:

JOE REEVES 1977 evinrude 140 engine synchronization and linkage adj.
1 - Make sure that the throttle butterfly linkage between the two carburetors is adjusted so that the butterflies open and close at the same time. You DO NOT want the linkage adjusted so that at a dead idle, one butterfly is close and one is slightly open.
2 - Set the throttle butterfly cam roller so that the cam scribe mark touches the cam roller dead center, not before or after. The throttle butterflies should just start to open when the cam scribe mark hits the center of that roller.
3 - Set the idle timing with a timing light to whatever it states in your manual (probably between 3 to 5 degrees but check it). whatever the idle timing is, it should be set to that degree when the cam scribe mark is dead center with the cam roller. Adjust the linkage between the cam and the vertical throttle arm as needed.
That's it.