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Had a good "work on the bike" day today.....


OoPEZoO

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Since my little HES failure at the Mayhem, I have been meaning to get back under the alternator cover to double check the belt and properly torque the crank pully nut.......not to mention a few other things I've been neglecting.

 

Anyway.......woke up this morning and decided today was the day. I managed to......

 

-Cleaned all the tupperware inside and out (I think some of Spike's dirt was still in there grin.gif)

-Reziptied (is that a word) my HES repair

-Cleaned up some random wiring and wire routing

-Replaced my weeping oil sight glass

-Checked and properly lubed my choke and throttle cables

-Adjusted the valves

-Retorqued the crank pully nut

-Adjusted the alternator belt

-Attempted to check my timing (I think I'm running about 2 degrees advanced)

-Replaced the sparkplugs (used good old Autolites)

-Synced the throttle bodies (which was MUCH easier than I thought it would be)

-Managed to put everything back together with no leftover parts clap.gif

 

I think I still want a better answer about the timing thing. I checked out a timing article on Adventure Rider but it was written for a R1150 and didn't quite turn out as I was expecting. I haven't adjusted the timing since we installed the new HES and the bike is running great (its actually pinging MUCH less than before). Actually, it only pings now when I want it to, so I might be concerned over nothing, but I guess I'm just curious. I did see another article about a guy building his own little test box to check the timing. I have the capability and the know-how to make one, but I keep thinking there is an easier way. Oh well, I'll think about it some more and wait for another Saturday when I'm bored.

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Sure.....I'm always up for working on other peoples bikes......(they are usually cleaner than my own lmao.gif)

 

If you're serious, let me know what you want to do and I'll get everything set out ahead of time. That and make sure that I have at least one of my random vehicles removed from the garage so we have room to work grin.gif

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Bill_Walker
...Actually, it only pings now when I want it to...

And that would be when, exactly? eek.gif

 

I've never thought of pinging as something I would ever want an engine to do (unless it was a diesel).

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...Actually, it only pings now when I want it to...

And that would be when, exactly? eek.gif

 

I've never thought of pinging as something I would ever want an engine to do (unless it was a diesel).

 

LOL......I guess I should rephrase that. Before I replaced the HES, my bike would ping in just about any gear when I would crack the throttle wide open from a moderate speed (even up at 4-5K RPM). Since installing the new one, that doesn't happen any more. Now, the only way I can get it to ping is to put it in a higher gear.......let the RPMs drop to down around 2500RPM, and then crack it wide open. I tend to keep a pretty strict policy about keeping my bike over 4k RPM when I'm riding, so it looks like my pinging issues are a thing of the past. Which is why I got curious about where my timing is set. I want to make sure its not retarded by 4-5 degrees or something crazy (which I don't think it actually is). I used to have to run 93 octane to help adress the pinging. Anything else would result in a noticable difference in the amount of ping. Since the new HES and the overall smoother running, I have now dropped to 91 octane gas with no adverse effects.

 

If I can verify that the timing is set properly, I might even try to drop down to 89 octane if it doesn't effect the rideability or gas mileage.

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"pinging" occurs when timing is too far advanced, and or too low octane fuel is being burned.

 

Loss of power and overheating are the result of retarded timing. wave.gif

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"pinging" occurs when timing is too far advanced, and or too low octane fuel is being burned.

 

Loss of power and overheating are the result of retarded timing. wave.gif

 

Yup, I know all about timing and what it does to motors......what I don't know, is how to properly check where it is at on my RT without going out and buying anything special.

 

According to everything I have read......The rotation available on the HES allows for +/- 5 degrees of timing. My bike pinged pretty often (unless I made a concentrated effort for it not to happen) before we installed the new sensor. With the new sensor installed at exactly the same location the pinging has pretty much completely gone away no matter how I ride the bike. So either it was caused by a my old sensor getting flakey (which everyone claims is "impossible"), or we accidently changed the timing when we installed the new one. Either way, something has changed, and I won't be content until I figure out what it is.

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Has your hot engine idle changed? I replaced the Hall on my 96 RT a few weeks ago. My bike has never had spark knock. I advanced the timing just a tickle. My hot engine idle speed has gone from roughly 1100rpm to 1300 rpm. Gas mileage is up a bit also.

 

Since I'm an old fart, let me relate a tale to illustrate. Back when cars has distributors, points, rotors, and stuff like that, we used to do what we called a "power tune". We'd loosen the distributor, and advance it to the point of maximum idle speed. Then we'd take it out and hammer it. If we didn't get spark knock, we were good to go. If it knocked, we'd back off the timing little by little until it went away. I realize that method is an impossible PITA on an RT, but the theory is the same. It sounds to me like your timing was too far advanced to begin with. Maybe the sensors themselves were slightly mislocated on the mounting plate. The bottom line: It sounds like it's running better. Yes?

 

Best Wishes, Mark Shuell.

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Eckhard Grohe

Go to this Oilhead Timing Box and down load the instructions to build it. Build the TDC mandrel from the same URL. Now you have the tools to do the timing. Down load this article"BMW Oilhead Hall Effect Ignition Impulse Sending Unit" and read the last section on how to set the timing.

 

Have fun and let me know how it turns out.

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Has your hot engine idle changed? I replaced the Hall on my 96 RT a few weeks ago. My bike has never had spark knock. I advanced the timing just a tickle. My hot engine idle speed has gone from roughly 1100rpm to 1300 rpm. Gas mileage is up a bit also.

 

Since I'm an old fart, let me relate a tale to illustrate. Back when cars has distributors, points, rotors, and stuff like that, we used to do what we called a "power tune". We'd loosen the distributor, and advance it to the point of maximum idle speed. Then we'd take it out and hammer it. If we didn't get spark knock, we were good to go. If it knocked, we'd back off the timing little by little until it went away. I realize that method is an impossible PITA on an RT, but the theory is the same. It sounds to me like your timing was too far advanced to begin with. Maybe the sensors themselves were slightly mislocated on the mounting plate. The bottom line: It sounds like it's running better. Yes?

 

Best Wishes, Mark Shuell.

 

Yes, the bike has been running MUCH better since I installed the new HES. And my thoughts are the same as yours. I also think the timing was advanced before, and is possibly a little less now. The other possibility is like you said........just the location of the pickups on the new versus old sensors adjusted the timing enough to make it happy now.

 

I have not noticed a different idle speed, but then again......my bike rarely ever idles for much more than a stop sign. If it is idling at all, it is usually with the choke on while I'm waiting at the stop light to leave work.

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Go to this Oilhead Timing Box and down load the instructions to build it. Build the TDC mandrel from the same URL. Now you have the tools to do the timing. Down load this article"BMW Oilhead Hall Effect Ignition Impulse Sending Unit" and read the last section on how to set the timing.

 

Have fun and let me know how it turns out.

 

Excellent! thats what I was looking for. I knew it was out there somewhere

 

Thank you clap.gif

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We used to time stuff that way also,especially anything with an automatic trans. put her in gear,punch the throttle and if it pinged once and then quit (pinging) that was the best timing you could achieve. Usually had to use this method on vehicles that had worn timing chains.

thumbsup.gif

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Looking forward to wrenchin on my bike in your garage next saturday! Should be a fun day, and hopefully no extra parts again! thumbsup.gif We just have to remember the rules: take it apart..fix it..put it back together..drink beer! Sometimes if the last process starts to soon the extra parts appear tongue.gif

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Eckhard Grohe

I have some drawings of a machined TDC tool if you have access to a lathe or know someone who can dot it for you. PM me if you are interested.

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Looking forward to wrenchin on my bike in your garage next saturday! Should be a fun day, and hopefully no extra parts again! thumbsup.gif We just have to remember the rules: take it apart..fix it..put it back together..drink beer! Sometimes if the last process starts to soon the extra parts appear tongue.gif

 

 

You guys getting together Saturday? If so, shoot me a PM with the addy if you don't mind me swinging by. I can probably round up a few more BMW guys if you want to make it a mini Techdaze. What kinda beer should I bring grin.gif

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You guys getting together Saturday? If so, shoot me a PM with the addy if you don't mind me swinging by. I can probably round up a few more BMW guys if you want to make it a mini Techdaze. What kinda beer should I bring grin.gif

 

PM sent. Bring anyone you want, I have plenty of room. The more, the merrier. And for the record, I'll drink just about anything grin.gif

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