Forum

[Adrian]

I don't know about the crankshaft but it is quite likely to be different;

It is. On the TCI bikes, mostly Electra-Xs in the UK, the drive side mainshaft has a thread for a nut to hold the engine sprocket on (rather like the pre-alternator Redditch Bullets), then a tapered end with a 12mm (I think) male thread for the alternator rotor and its securing nut.

The timing on these is fixed, though our hosts sell stepped alternator keys to give you a few degrees variance in either direction.

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[Wheaters]

Yes, the crank in my engine looked like that ( I don't actually know what a points engine crank end look like because I've not had cause to dismantle one and possibly never will ).

Surely wrt ignition timing, only the "base" or static setting point is fixed.... the timing when running is automatically varied by the TCI control box, using an engine rpm input signal derived from the pickup on the flywheel rotor? The TCI unit on my bike says 9-32, which presumably is its advance range; I recall that you said this was the same curve used by the original 350 engines on points.

As a long term "tune up" enthusiast, I have considered trying a stepped Woodruff key....I normally like to experiment with ignition timing but seeing that it involves using a new gasket on this engine each time the cover comes off, at about a tenner each time (rather than the traditional reusable 'O' ring seal) so far I've resisted the temptation to play with it.

[Adrian]

Our hosts' stepped rotor keys were developed in response to concerns that some of the factory keyway machining in the drive shafts was off by a few degrees, with over-advanced ignition and pinking troubles as a result. A corrective rather than a tuning measure.

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[Wheaters]

Yes, but both reasons to the same effect; all engines are slightly different in practice - some might pink at any particular setting, some don't.

I modified and tuned my Reliant 850 engine for my trials / road sports car (which by a combination of errors by the engine shop had a 13.5 to 1 CR). The "book" figure for "static" timing is 10 degrees BTDC on those engines. After a lot of trial and error over a number of years it was found to run best with 17 degrees static.

[Wheaters]

Just got home from the hospital to find that the previously mentioned alternator stator had just arrived in the post from our host. I see that the link now says "no longer in stock", so unless there's been a sudden rush on these I got the only one.

Hopefully that's helped to "future proof" my bike; I already have a spare TCI box and an entire wiring harness. I think the coil is the same as the "standard" bikes so hopefully I'm just about covered for electrical gremlins.......since discovering these bikes are slightly different from most other Bullets and that some critical parts aren't so easily found it has been a bit of a worry, tbh.

[Adrian]

In the event that you ever need to look for a spare again (you probably won't), the Electra-X or Indian carb-fitted UCE Bullet alternator would keep your 350 Electra sparking, though there'd be the business of configuring the AC headlight to run off the DC supply - bit of a hassle, but easily do-able.

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[Wheaters]

Thanks, hopefully even these spares won’t ever be needed and the originals will probably outlast me at this rate.

[jawa-enfield]

Are there folks here riding with a Beck (Dutch) electronic ignition?

[Adrian]

That seems a bit exotic for us! I think the commonest aftermarket TCI electronic ignition conversion for the old Bullet - in the UK at least - would be the Boyer Bransden, either analogue or digital, there are some Eureka (Indian) conversions about, maybe the odd Pazon. We have some CDI kits too, Electrex World and also PVL for competition bikes. A couple of mine have BTH electronic magnetos (CDI, again).

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