Kawi2strokes.com Forum

Dave:
I also own a Z1 and forgive me for asking a stupid question but exactly how do you use a dwell meter to check the points? I have an old one that someone gave me and I thought it would be interesting to learn how to use it. Would you mind explaining how to use it?
Thanks,
Kevin

Same as on a car, power it up, sensor wire to the point wire connector, go from there.

In a meeting now, will post more later tonight.

One day, eons ago, I decided that the constant variation in point gap as the timing was being set on all the inline 4 point systems was a pain, so, I set to measure the number of degrees of the point cams on the various ignition systems. The Z1 came out to 192 degrees overall. If you use a 4 cylinder dwell specification, take 192, and divide it by 4, 48 degrees on a 4 cylinder scale, 192 x 8, 24 degres dwell.

I found that with the timing light and dwell meter connected, engine idling, I could go back and forth to end up with both the right dwell and timing, instead of finding the point gap/dwell had changed when I went to set the timing after point adjustment.

I do the 1/4 set first, then 2/3. Once the dwell and timing are correct, it is a very simple matter to confirm/reset the timing easily by 'dwell'ing' the points back to the setting originally done, and that brings the timing right back to dead on, every time.

The dwell and timing by light also work on our point triples as well.

I also use what I call "create a specification", which is, if you don't have a spec, devise/make one. Lets say you do not have a spec for points dwell on an S2, create one. NEW points (NEVER, EVER 'dress' a set of points for any reason), set the gap to the correct spec, connect the dwell meter, fire engine up, read dwell, there's your new dwell spec for that engine series ignition system.

As far as dressing the points, don't do it, they are tungsten coated to help retard contact face erosion/carbon build up, and filing/sanding removes the tungsten, allowing fot faster point face contamination, and point failure.

To use a timing light on the same ignition system, confirm/mark correctly all the timing marks on the rotor to the line on the housing by dial indicating all 3 cylinder's timing marks. Set by light, engine running. Same thing with the dwell, when it changes, simply connect up, reset dwell to your 'create a spec', timing will come right back in where you set it initially.

Then, easy to fire up, connect up, set dwell/timing, done. Always set the point set that is on the base ignition plate, and NOT the ones on the sub plates. This gets the base plate set to work correctly, without readjusting it after the sub plates are set.