Reading valve color

[brewsky]

Jensen,
I don't think anyone can make fun of your screwdriver stethoscope. My father taught me that about 40 years ago and it does work. He also taught me to use book matches ( the "close cover before striking" kind) as a point gap gage.
George

And how to set the timing with the celophane cigarette pack cover?

[e3steve]

Jensen,
I don't think anyone can make fun of your screwdriver stethoscope. My father taught me that about 40 years ago and it does work. He also taught me to use book matches ( the "close cover before striking" kind) as a point gap gage.
George

And how to set the timing with the celophane cigarette pack cover?

Christ, I'd forgotten that one! Just an edge between the (refaced) contacts, blow gently whilst tweaking the backplate.

I made my first testlamp from a discarded, all-plastic instrument lampholder -- the type that uses the 4-Watt wedge-based lamps -- whilst playing with my first CB77. My first bike, a Villiers-engined James Captain, had a magneto so a testlamp was useless.

[nander]

Did I miss if ya tried to turn the sprocket on the """"""starter motor""""""""?
Use a punch near the edge of the screw a couple of spots. ...lm

Yes I did. And on both starter motors I have, I was unable to turn that little sprocket by hand -- so I assumed that was the normal condition of them. But, judging by e3steve's experience, it looks as though they should turn.

Now, did the unstaked screw cause the sprocket to wobble, which in turn damaged the starter motor, OR did a bad starter motor induce the screw to come loose?

And, either way, is this the root cause of the motor "seizure" I experienced? And, Jensen, if the starter motor was causing the problem, I can see how I could have interpreted the sound of it's resistance to turn as emanating from the area of the oil spinner!

Thanks everyone, I feel like we're getting somewhere.
nander

[e3steve]

Did I miss if ya tried to turn the sprocket on the """"""starter motor""""""""?
Use a punch near the edge of the screw a couple of spots. ...lm

Yes I did. And on both starter motors I have, I was unable to turn that little sprocket by hand -- so I assumed that was the normal condition of them. But, judging by e3steve's experience, it looks as though they should turn.

Now, did the unstaked screw cause the sprocket to wobble, which in turn damaged the starter motor, OR did a bad starter motor induce the screw to come loose?

And, either way, is this the root cause of the motor "seizure" I experienced? And, Jensen, if the starter motor was causing the problem, I can see how I could have interpreted the sound of it's resistance to turn as emanating from the area of the oil spinner!

Thanks everyone, I feel like we're getting somewhere.
nander

Probably.

Nope.

The starter motor is a piece-o'-piss to disassemble, but take off the sun & planets gearbox (3 screws, sprocket end) first and see if the motor spins with your fingers via the exposed pinion.

[brewsky]

Jensen,
I don't think anyone can make fun of your screwdriver stethoscope. My father taught me that about 40 years ago and it does work. He also taught me to use book matches ( the "close cover before striking" kind) as a point gap gage.
George

And how to set the timing with the celophane cigarette pack cover?

Christ, I'd forgotten that one! Just an edge between the (refaced) contacts, blow gently whilst tweaking the backplate.

I made my first testlamp from a discarded, all-plastic instrument lampholder -- the type that uses the 4-Watt wedge-based lamps -- whilst playing with my first CB77. My first bike, a Villiers-engined James Captain, had a magneto so a testlamp was useless.

Not heard of that procedure!
Mine was ...fully insert paper and gently tug while tweaking the rotor, and when it breaks loose....bingo!

First testlamp was a flashlight with leads connected to the switch. When light goes off...bingo.

Then came the ohm-meter with buzzer (hi tech)!

Then a real timing light!!! (higher tech)!

Ask a modern day mechanic where his timing light is and see what happens!

[e3steve]

Jensen,
I don't think anyone can make fun of your screwdriver stethoscope. My father taught me that about 40 years ago and it does work. He also taught me to use book matches ( the "close cover before striking" kind) as a point gap gage.
George

And how to set the timing with the celophane cigarette pack cover?

Christ, I'd forgotten that one! Just an edge between the (refaced) contacts, blow gently whilst tweaking the backplate.

I made my first testlamp from a discarded, all-plastic instrument lampholder -- the type that uses the 4-Watt wedge-based lamps -- whilst playing with my first CB77. My first bike, a Villiers-engined James Captain, had a magneto so a testlamp was useless.

............... Ask a modern day mechanic where his timing light is and see what happens!

We're all posting on this forum via one, I expect!

[cknight]

And don't forget passing a white business card between the points to clean them, after sanding them with 600 grit paper. Chase