To enable you to set the static timing you’ll first need access to the flywheel, so
remove any bodywork that’s in the way, followed by the flywheel cowl itself. There
are a series of fixings around the cowl that need to be removed.This is the Buzzwangle kit priced at £89.99; it’s one of those bits of kit that you
didn’t really know you needed until you try it out and then you can’t imagine life
without it! A simple idea done well.When building a Lambretta
engine, carrying out
upgrades or just general
servicing, it's vital that
the ignition timing is set
correctly. This is the point
at which the compressed
fuel/air mixture in the
combustion chamber is
ignited to give optimum
performance and reliability.
T
here are several ways in which timing
can be set and checked, but the basic
way is what’s known as static timing.
In other words, the timing is set and adjusted
without the engine being run to get you to
a base setting; this can then be fine-tuned
using a strobe or timing light with the engine
running at a set rpm.
To set the initial static timing you’ll need to
first determine the TDC (top dead centre) – this
is the exact point that the piston is at its highest
possible position in the cylinder. With this set
you can then adjust the firing point to a before
TDC position as set by your choice of ignition.
All this requires a way of measuring these
points and up until recently it’s been with the
use of a timing disc bolted to the crankshaftin place of the flywheel. It’s a perfectly good
way to do it, but as always things move on and
newer more accurate methods are discovered,
in this case in the form of the Buzzwangle-O-
Meter. This is an extremely accurate digital
inclinometer with a specially designed adapter
to allow it to be securely fitted to the flywheel.
If you’ve ever used a conventional timing
disc, you’ll know how tricky they can be at
times, often slipping round at the most
inopportune moment – which makes this new
gizmo a must-have addition to your Lambretta
tool kit.
The Buzzwangle-O-Meter is easy to
use and is accurate to 0.1°; and with
the billet adapter it will fit most popular
scooter flywheels including Lambretta, LML,Vespatronic, as well as many motorcycles
as well making it very versatile. It can also
be used for checking and tuning the port
timings. Priced at £89.99 it’s not cheap,
but then it should last you a lifetime of
scooter ownership.
For this feature we’ll assume you’re using a
modern electronic ignition set-up rather than
an original points-based ignition. Once set
using the static method it should always be
checked using a strobe/timing light as there’s
no guarantee that the marks on the stator
pickup box are 100% accurate, especially with
the cheaper Indian kits currently available.
Setting the static timing in this way will
allow you to get the engine started and then
fine tune to get the optimum setup.Setting
Lambretta
static
timing
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