Boxerworks.com

Duane -

What's the kit...a new camshaft?? I'm not seeing how you can fix one that's been hamfisted off...at least not easily.

Kurt in S.A.

Kurt in S.A. wrote:Duane -

What's the kit...a new camshaft?? I'm not seeing how you can fix one that's been hamfisted off...at least not easily.

Kurt in S.A.

I can easily see how it would be done with the cam removed, but it would be interesting to see how you could center bore the cam without removing it.

On my page http://www.w6rec.com/duane/bmw/advance/index.htm and about 2/3rds down is the info. It has been there for many years now. Here is a copy and paste from it.

The 10 mm nut that holds the advance unit onto the camshaft can be over tightened very easily. The usual result it to strip the threads from the camshaft. You don't want to even think about replacing the camshaft. It only takes one finger on that short wrench to very gently tighten that nut. It is only slightly more than finger tight. I have never seen one fall off from under tightness, or any other reason, except stripped threads.

If your threads are stripped, you still have an easy option. The cam can be drilled out and a screw used to hold the advance. To get the tool to drill it in alignment, contact Paul at repairhead@sbcglobal.net

Paul is the guy who supplies the wonderful points tool.

I am so much not a fan of the Dyna III that I seem to need to bad mouth it every time the subject comes up. I tried not to do it this time too, but my will is weak and the bile is strong.

I put a Dyna III on my '77 R100/7 for the usual presumed benefits of minimal maintenance and dependability. The Dyna stranded me two times, the first being on a hot, humid, bug infested, summer day on the Talimena Drive, but luckily not impossibly far from where I live. The /7 just died, and I was pretty much reduced to doing a couple checks and then just wondering WTF was wrong. A post mortem in my shop revealed that the rotor had slipped on the camshaft. It is a fiddly setup and I might have clocked the rotor slightly of causing the set screws (yes set screws) perhaps not to be oriented square to the surface as they could be. OK, mea culpa. Life goes on and I will now enjoy the benefits of a modern electronic ignition.

Less than a year later the Dyna stranded me again, but this time, luckily, I was stranded in my shop from going somewhere. Another post mortem revealed that the electronic module had gone T.U.

Too much is more than enough so I put the points back in and have lived happily ever after. (Well at least R100/7 wise.)

Another issue I have with the Dyna III, that doesn't seem to bother other people as much as it does me, is that the two sensors must be adjusted independently to get the timing marks 'on top' of each other when using a timing light. The issue is that doing so is pretty fiddly with having to loosen some screws and then move the sensor with your fingers to where you think it should go and then re-tighten the screws. Apparently I'm not as adept as many/most others doing that job and I never could get the timing marks on top of each other. IIRC I ended up about 1 degree off. Now, with the points back in the timing marks are lined up fine and I'm a happy camper.

Thanks for reading. I feel much better having posted my disgruntlement one more time.

Ken, now gruntled in Oklahoma

Major Softie wrote:The only really good reason to go to electronic ignition is if you have dual-sparked your heads - then it's pretty much a necessity. Other than that, a lot of money gets you a minute improvement in running, reduced maintenance, and the slight possibility of an on-road failure that can't be repaired on-road.

I can't agree with this. The improvement in running is significant. On my high mileage bike I had shadows on the timing and pretty constant maintenance, which I think was a pitted cam wearing out the follower. The huge difference came in the 2 to 3 thousand range. Plus the zero maintenance is nice.

On my low mileage bike (40K) the improvement was less significant, but still there. I am looking forward to no maintenance in that area.

I have an Omega on the R90 (high milage) and a Boyer on the R65.

Ken in Oklahoma wrote: Too much is more than enough so I put the points back in and have lived happily ever after.

Ken, now gruntled in Oklahoma

Ken has been know to fraternize with Wood Nymphs, all younger than his motorcycle, and hence has a karma imbalance that causes reliable electronics to go bad. Old fashion points are not so well attuned to this imbalance.

Duane Ausherman wrote: for years now a kit has been available to fix the broken off tip.

You lost me at removing the cam and building a machine shop.

Just send email to repairhead@sbcglobal.net<repairhead@sbcglobal.net>; and order the kit for fixing the stripped point cam tip.

bbelk wrote:

Major Softie wrote:The only really good reason to go to electronic ignition is if you have dual-sparked your heads - then it's pretty much a necessity. Other than that, a lot of money gets you a minute improvement in running, reduced maintenance, and the slight possibility of an on-road failure that can't be repaired on-road.

I can't agree with this. The improvement in running is significant. On my high mileage bike I had shadows on the timing and pretty constant maintenance, which I think was a pitted cam wearing out the follower. The huge difference came in the 2 to 3 thousand range. Plus the zero maintenance is nice.

On my low mileage bike (40K) the improvement was less significant, but still there. I am looking forward to no maintenance in that area.

Fine. I will add that it can serve as an effective bandaid for those not wishing to replace other worn out parts.

Major Softie wrote: I will add that it can serve as an effective bandaid for those not wishing to replace other worn out parts.

Good point. When I bought the Omega from Steven B a few years ago, he strongly recommended changing coils, plug wires and plugs at the same time, which I did on both bikes so I don't honestly know where all the improvement came from.

The fact that the timing marks in the strobe light are rock solid VS blurry I am pretty sure had to do with the IE and I am quite sure the reduced number of burns on my forearms is.

"............reduced number of burns on my forearms is."

Wot? Good thing that you don't work on old BMWs full time. How do you do it?

You should get rock solid marks no matter what type of ignition system is used. I don't know blurry, can't remember seeing it.

Duane Ausherman wrote:"............reduced number of burns on my forearms is."

Wot? Good thing that you don't work on old BMWs full time. How do you do it?

Its a skill - after fooling with points & timing I look like a Gitmo detainee. Either that or the guy in the kitchen at Pizza Hut. I think they put those points right between those scalding hot tail pipes on purpose.