Never2Old wrote:
Is there any advantage over using a dial indicator vs a timing light? I always thought that a timing light was better because it shows what the actual timing is.
If you want to be accurate you use both. You set the pointer with the dial indicator, then use the timing light to adjust the pickup positions. This can be done for each of the three cylinders separately to make up for things like a crankshaft that's not quite 120 degrees between cylinders.
You can also use a piston stop instead of a dial indicator, setting the pointer for halfway between the two stop points, but when I've done that I've had to mount a degree wheel to find that halfway point accurately.
Quote:
Also, as I understand it, doesn't the H2 timing change at higher revs? Something a like a 2 degree shift above a set point, maybe 4000 rpm. If this is true a timing light should show this.
The H2 system advances a little from idle to 4,000. It's really an artifact of the interaction of the pickup signal and the trigger voltage of the SCR. Timing is set at 4,000 to get into the fixed timing region. Think of the "advance" as a low speed retard that reduces kickback when you're trying to start it.
Not all timing lights do well with a 2-stroke at 4,000 RPM, which is like a 4-stroke running 8,000 rpm. Here's a post I made about that:
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=3619&p=35427 The price has gone up, but otherwise it should be current information.