tiiming 2000 honda 400ex

[ironman022]

I downloaded the manual and the only thing i found on timing is with the stobe light. I have read a little bit on lining up a circle with a mark when the t mark is alighned. I have done timing before but on engines with points. my bike is hard to start and cuts out a little unless it is flored. Can someone explain the timing a little better for me. mabee a walk through or direct me where to go. I dont have a timing light. i do have a tester light. thanks you

[mud99]

First: after you have all the plastic and basic bs out of the way. take the spark plug out and find top dead center with the T on the flywheel, dosent matter about what stroke the motor is on right now because your basically going to be resetting the timeing anyway, so just get the piston to the top of the cyclinder, if you need to take a screwdriver and stick it in the plug hole and feel if it is there.

Second: take the valve cover off making sure the pistion stays at TDC (top dead center). Once you have the valve cover off check out the position of you cam looves/loobs (yeah whatever) they should be facing straight down and the indicator lines on the cam sprocket should be horizontal with respect to your engines head, if not (probly your case) undo you cam chain tensioner, you can either remove the whole tensioner or have someone twist it out with a little screw driver and hold it there while you reset the cam, ( a little bro comes in handy when ya dont wanna take the whole tensioner out...lol).

Third: with the tensioner loose or out and making sure the pistion is still at TDC there should be enough play in the cam chain for you to rotate your cam until the indicator lines on the cam sprocket are horizontal with respect to the cylinder head and that the cam loobs/looves are pointing straight down also with respect to the cylinder head.

Fourth: once you have the cam sprocket lines perfectly horizontal and the lobs pointing down. if you opted to leave the tensioner in release it slowly keeping an eye on the cam making sure you settings don't move. likewise for replacing the whole tensioner if you chose to remove the whole thing.

Fifth: if everything is cool once your tensioner is replaced, then clean up your gasket surface and replace your valve cover. your going to want to leave your setting for TDC because once you have the valve cover back on your going to need to adjust the valves to there proper tolerance.

Sixth: once your done with the valve adjustment, its all a matter of puttin the bike back together

that was my crack at it

[400exrider#919]

this needs stickied

[Here 2 help]

This is too simple and somewhat wrong. First, the spark timing is set by the crankshaft. The plug fires a few degrees before TDC on both the compression and exhaust stroke. There is no adjustment for the spark timing therefore the manual only describes how to check it! Spark advance is controlled by the CDI box.

The cam timing is critical, but should not change during operation, except for slight retarding caused by cam chain wear.

When checking cam timing, always have the engine at TDC of the compression stroke (the cam lobes will be pointing down). Refer to the service manual to do it right.

Hard starting might be a compression problem (check valve adjustment), an ignition problem or a carb problem. Most hard starting is compression or fuel related. With the throttle held wide open, the compression should be about 120 to 150psi. If the compression is good, how is the fuel? Is it fresh? A month old is severely degraded. Use 92 to 95 octane. With all this OK, check the spark. Use a new plug and close the gap down to about 15 thousandths. If it starts better, you might have a spark plug cap, coil or stator problem.

Cutting out unless floored? Sounds like it might be rich at idle. When floored it leans out. Check to see that the idle jet is the correct size and that the fuel mixture hasn't been screwed with. Simply setting the fuel mixture screw could solve all your problems.

Good luck