250-500cc Static timing help! 1993 WR 360

I've got a 1993 360 that I'm trying to get running. I just put a new piston, rings and crank seals in it. It's got spark and fuel, but when I kick it over all I get is a big fart out of the carb, complete with blue smoke.

So I'm thinking the static timing got screwed up somehow. But I can't find any timing marks at all on the case, and the marks on the stator don't really correspond to the diagram in the owner's manual I have as a reference (which is from a 2000 360, the only one I could find). I have a dial indicator so I can set the piston at 8 degrees BTDC, per the manual, but that still won't tell me where I should mark the case so that I can align the stator.

Or am I completely wrong thinking the timing is the problem at all?

Do you know which ignition you have? How 'bout a photo so we can get started.

Thanks for the reply! I didn't know there was more than one type of ignition. Mine looks like this:

So indeed there are different ing. Heres mine for comparison..



I've seen somewhere, i think it was the 02 manual a procedure to set timing. It involved a fixture from Husky that allowed you to make a mark on the case and line up the stater mark using a dial guage and the distance from TDC. The fixture I assume had the correct advance built into the position it is placed on the shaft. As you can see in my second pic there is a mark on the mounting boss and the stator mark lines up there. It looks like the fixture began to be included in the parts diagrams in 96, its part 10 - 8000-75578

Maybe a long shot or im being a bit thick! but if its blowing smoke back through the carb what sort of condition are your reeds in ??

I think you both have 4-pole Motoplats, they're just slightly different versions. More importantly, though, notice how they are clocked differently. Also, on Scribe's bike there isn't even the same casting boss next to the top screw hole. And these are both 93 WR 360's?

It's not terribly surprising that you guys are clocked differently, because they'd change the position of the crank key slot from time to time, in either the crank or the inside of the flywheel, or both, and that "changes everything" in terms of comparing photos. If it were my own bike I'd be very suspicious of that, until proven otherwise, considering the lack of casting boss with timing marks like timpjr's.

Scribe, do you have any timing marks at all like the ones in timpjr's first pic? How about screw marks on the stator plate? Did you remove the stator to replace the crank seal? Are you sure you got it back on and clocked correctly? If you guys could exchange photos of cranks and flywheel to determine if your keyway slots are similar, perhaps Scribe you can clock yours like timpjr's and give it a go.

The reed idea is very good, too. But I'd have to go after the parts that were involved in the recent work, first.

Yeah, this just confuses me more. Timpjr's looks exactly like the diagram in the owner's manual that I have. Mine looks nothing like it. I happen to have another stator that looks more like Timpjr's, but no flywheel to go with it. Yes, I did remove the stator in question to replace the seal, but I marked it before I took it off so I could get it back in the right orientation. There's no way I could get it that far off anyway.

But the weird thing, as you note, is that I don't even have the screw bosses in the same place.

Good to hear you marked it before removing! You'll have to convince yourself that it's in the right spot, but it's not like we're talking thousandths of an inch - if you've got that plate within 1/8" of where it was it will run. Might not be perfect but shouldn't cause the current problem.

Don't forget the stupid stuff: I'd like to think I do NASA-quality rebuilds, but I'm famous for leaving a rag in the air box. Or exhaust. Or...

How bout a loose wire or bad plug? Dirt in carb from rebuild? Water in carb from washing before rebuild?

Here's my case without the stator. Note the lack of any timing marks:


Here's a scrap case I have, I think also a 93 or 94. Note the lack of timing marks:



And here is yet another scrap case I have, same(ish) year. This one seems to have a timing mark, but in a completely different position from timpjr's case:

Guess I'll bolt it back together and try legging it again. Maybe I screwed something else up. I didn't notice anything horrible about the reeds. What would bad reeds look like?

Frayed tips that don't seal. Or just busted off. They do fatigue and eventually fail.

So I'm looking at your bike with stator in place, mount slot left of the larger winding. Looks like a timing mark on the stator, no? And I'm looking at the 93ish spare case with the timing mark. theyre in the same vicinity. I'll bet your case half has been replaced and never marked with the tool i mentioned before. I think the timings in the ballpark and maybe there is a reed problem. do a low pressure test, like a reverse leakdown test. not sure how much pressure you can apply. Also I looked at all part numbers from 92-02 and only 92 stator (they call it alternator complete) is different, I would look to a 92 owner manual for timing checks.

I eyeballed the reeds and they look good to me. Still no love on starting, though. Just a big ol' backfire. I've pressure tested the case and it was OK, so I don't know how reversing that is going to help, but I'll put some vacuum in the case and see what happens. I'm running out of ideas that don't relate to timing.

Just out of curiosity, anyone know what the compression should be on one of these engines?

PS:
Can anyone identify this mysterious ignition? It came on one of the scrap cases I acquired with the bike. Maybe I'll try it next, though it seems like that flywheel is kind of ridiculously small.

PVL ignition, I believe sold by Penton Imports here. Its aftermarket. I had one on my 93 360 due to the prior ignition failing. My friend has the bike now. That ignition is solid, and yes, that small flywheel is for the 360, it'll spin up quick.

hey got a 1993 wr 360 manual if you need help
robin

not for sale but i will have a look if you still need info
robin