Misc: Everything Else how easy is it time the mag on shadow

greg brillus

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VOC Member
Are you sure you have timed it per the rear cylinder on the compression stroke and the points in the mag with the foot or rubbing block of the points at the lower ramp on the cam ring at @ the 6 to 7 o'clock position, remember the points rotate anti clockwise at the points end. If your not sure about setting up the rear cylinder, remove the two tappet inspection caps to see what the valves are doing when you turn the engine over. Remove the spark plugs to make turning the engine easier. Good luck............Greg.
 

timetraveller

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VOC Member
Roslyn. I'm sorry that I am too far away to help but are you sure that whoever helped you is competent and experienced with Vincents? If not then you need to find someone else who is. If they are truly competent then they should be able to give you some ideas as to what might be wrong, just from the symptoms. The information that the 'bike does not go' is not sufficient. Is there a decent blue spark on both plugs when the engine is spun over reasonably rapidly. Are there any bangs in the exhaust pipe when kicking the bike over when there is plenty of petrol in the carbs? Do the plugs get wet? Is the petrol new or old? And so on. A competent helper should be able to go down this list, and possibly add their own favourite tests, and point you in a likely direction. There is nothing magic about Vincents. If you are used to other old motorcycles then you should be able to extrapolate from experience with those. Good luck with it.
 

Roslyn

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Non-VOC Member
Thank you all I done checked every thing good blue spark 18 thou as the mag has been reconditioned and timed it on the rear cylinder with a degree disc and piston stop to make sure nothing moves and triple checked that I had TDC on the compression firing stoke both valves closed and all HT leads checked it set it at 34 degree BTC double checked every thing before tightning the ATD nut and nothing so back the drawboard this time but have VOC meet this week end so looks like I will be going on a triumph and ask around about timing when I am there.
 

Roslyn

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Non-VOC Member
I have rain some of the fuel out of the tank and used it in another bike without any problems and yes I taken the carbs apart and cleaned them both.
 

nkt267

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VOC Member
Thank you all I done checked every thing good blue spark 18 thou as the mag has been reconditioned and timed it on the rear cylinder with a degree disc and piston stop to make sure nothing moves and triple checked that I had TDC on the compression firing stoke both valves closed and all HT leads checked it set it at 34 degree BTC double checked every thing before tightning the ATD nut and nothing so back the drawboard this time but have VOC meet this week end so looks like I will be going on a triumph and ask around about timing when I am there.
You may need to check that the repairer of your mag put the cam end on the wrong way up, a friend of mine had that problem and turning the mag end 180 deg cured the problem. Double check Greggs post above to make sure the cam ramp and points line up as he describes. I would have thought that you would get some sign of life as time traveller has said..Tried pouring a very little petrol staight into the intake with the slide up? I've done that before to see if there is any reaction..
 

Bill Thomas

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I have really given some real time and had help to time the shadow still no go
To make sure, Once you have timed it on one cylinder, Then get the other cylinder to tdc on the compresssion stroke with both vales closed and pushrods free to turn and make sure the points are about to open.
Good Luck, Bill.
 

greg brillus

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
A couple of small points...........Make sure the HT lead from the rear pickup closest to the engine is going to the rear number one cylinder, very easy to have the leads going to the wrong cylinder. And second.........If you have one of the end caps with the magneto kill wire running up to the handle bars, just leave the cap off and try to start the engine............I have seen faults here which can short out the magneto, and it will run with the cap off. Good luck..............
 

Roslyn

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Non-VOC Member
I have done every thing in the book and tried evry thing you guys have suggested and more yet I cannot get the bike to start so it is sitting there doing nothing and the options are breaking it up for spares, selling as it is, scarping it or just let it rot away in a damp shed as it is no use to me as a none runner I like to ride the bike and not polish it as a investment so is there any one local to me willing to help me get the bike going please? if not then there is a 1951 black shadow sold as none runner for around 50k that needs some tlc
 

b'knighted

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
I have done every thing in the book and tried evry thing you guys have suggested and more yet I cannot get the bike to start so it is sitting there doing nothing and the options are breaking it up for spares, selling as it is, scarping it or just let it rot away in a damp shed as it is no use to me as a none runner I like to ride the bike and not polish it as a investment so is there any one local to me willing to help me get the bike going please? if not then there is a 1951 black shadow sold as none runner for around 50k that needs some tlc
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