Timing adjustment

old boat 54

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
79
Johnson 33 hp motor 1966 MODEL # RXE-14D
Looking thru the OEM manual. To set timing it indicates to install
"timing fixture" ( special tool) I doubt these are available. If I adjust points to .020 as manual shows. Is this all that is needed for timing ?
I did not see any timing marks that a light could be used to shoot. Anyone know where this motor fires i.e. Fires at TDC or 2 degrees BTDC ?

Info on motor:
Points, coils look good . no burn, pitting on points. coils have no cracks. spark looks good. (This is on pull cranking motor) Hig tension leads look good, no burn marks. compression 90 psi both cylinders. Motor did run good last season.

I am checking this, cause when running motor, it appeared to have miss on one cylinder. More light a pre-ignition or early fire on cylinder. It was a power loss for a split second,but almost felt like it was more of a buck. Happens on low and high speed. Checked vacuum cut out switch. Checks ok. So I figured it was points or coild, or a cross fire from pinched high tension leads.
I am also rebuilding carb, however does not seem like a fuel problem.

Thanks for any help
 

bktheking

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 29, 2008
Messages
5,057
Re: Timing adjustment

How old are the wires? Replace if they are suspect.
 

old boat 54

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
79
Re: Timing adjustment

Not sure of age. Wires look to be newer, however I know that it not always the case. I have to pull coils, I am not sure if these wires are part of the coil or have an end termination. where wires only can be replaced.
 

old boat 54

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
79
Re: Timing adjustment

Well, Looking at a new coil, it appears to have a high tension boot on the coil, so looks like ai can replace wires only.
Anyone ever have a cross fire on two cylinder ?
 

lindy46

Captain
Joined
Nov 27, 2008
Messages
3,886
Re: Timing adjustment

Flywheel key ok? Flywheel torqued properly? Plug wires on correct cylinders? (Front-most coil fires top cylinder)
 

old boat 54

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
79
Re: Timing adjustment

Flywheel key ok? Flywheel torqued properly? Plug wires on correct cylinders? (Front-most coil fires top cylinder)

Wires look good. I pull flywheel to replace points condenser, ect. Points look in good shape. Will replace anyway with condensers anyway. Expected to see bad coil (cracked casing) but that was not the case. spark test passed.
Was looking to as why, engine had a miss or almost firing early on cylinder. No pattern, on miss, but happens low or high rpm.
wires on correct cylinder, top is marked with metal tag.

Thanks
 

lindy46

Captain
Joined
Nov 27, 2008
Messages
3,886
Re: Timing adjustment

Make sure coil mounting laminations are flush with the mounting bosses on the armature plate. If they are in a little too far, you can get an occasional miss in the firing. If the top wire has the metal band, it is probably the original wire.
 

old boat 54

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
79
Re: Timing adjustment

Lindy,
Thanks for the reply. I was surprised of how new the coils look. Thats makes sense about the marker tag. I wonder if someone pulled it off of the old wire. The tab would probably break off. I have to do some more checking.
 
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