Hitchcocks Forum

Hi All, Can anyone point me to where I can obtain a dial gauge for timing my 2008 Bullet that has the right reach etc and fits the standard plug thread. Cost is also a factor.

I too am interested in getting a dial gauge, possibly a good item for Hitchcock's to sell?

The cheapest and as good as anything else is a lolly stick or similar.....Sit it vertically in the plughole with the piston at TDC mark the lolly stick, mark it again 5/8" higher up for the full advance setting.....

There are plenty of used dial guages at jumbles

http://www.hitchcocksmotorcycles.com/pi ... points.pdf ............should been added to last post

Trouble is John, the dial guage will be more accurate than the engine. The engines are pretty crude and the "correct" timing is not necessarily right. All that backlash in the timimg gears makes the "correct" figure just a starting point. If the dial guage was fitted in the plug hole it would need to be a special anyway as it would be reading at an angle. Use a drinking straw (or Mr H's little timing tool that fits in the plug hole) to set the timing. After that, tweak it a few degrees till it runs right. It's best to lock the auto-advance at full advance and static time it there, as that's where the engine spends most of it's time. Mr H sells a little tool to do this too. Always approach the correct setting BTDC by moving the engine forward to take up the backlash. The real way to get the timing spot on is to do it dynamically but that's a bit of a palaver and not really necessary for a "cooking" Bullet.

I have found that when you start getting these engines to a high state of tune they do become more sensitive to ignition timing errors, so although I have that little TDC tool that they sell, I have only ever been able to get the timing approximate with it. I then have to do test runs to tweak it up by feel/ear. My intention is to get it just right by that method, and then use the dial gauge to measure exactly what it is set at. Then I can use that data in the future to do a quick and easy spot-on timing job.

Beezabryan thanks for the tip about jumbles, I'll try and get one at Ardingley next month.

That would work Howard. You'd need your points (if you have them) spot on too.

Hi guys-------I find it easier to change the points by removing the backplate assy.--- complete with points---from the distributor. To this end I have a spare set made up in the workshop...JOHN J---don't waste your money, mate!!...Unless you are into Engineering and will be using the DTI for it's other, normal uses....Ignore the retarded timing figure and get used to setting at full advance---- a small error at idling for a better, full-running performance. As PETE F says, the DTI will be going in at an angle so will not give the linear accuracy you require anyway--- unless you do it when you next have the cyl. head removed. This applies to Mr H's little tool as well. For the non-tech. types the points average out at fifteen "thou" ie ---0.015"---OR 1.5 times the thickness of a steel ruler engraved line !!! (And the plug's at twenty five "thou"---0.025"----OR 2.5 times the ruler line) -------- ie they aren't very big to start with.

ebay is your freind, got a nice one for about £14 from Poland can get the details if you want