[JAFA]

Fitted up new Ignitech ignition / coils etc today. Short of removing cam covers to see where the valves are, how can I make sure I've got the piston to TDC on the firing stroke?

I turned the engine over until the vertical piston was at the top of it's stroke and the timing marks were in the little window, but I'm not sure it's on the firing stroke. ( Do we even time it off the vertical cylinder? Or should I be using the horizontal cylinder? ) While the engine was in that position, I got the ignition to fire the plug, then tightened everything up, but it won't start. Mucked around with the crank position magnet rotor a bit to try to get the timing right, but so far it's not working for me. Last try it fired 2 feet of flame out both mufflers :surprise: So I'm guessing the timing is retarded, but I'd really like to make sure I have it on the right stroke first.

 

[TheLimey]

Are you installing a FBG Hall Effect kit? I’m assuming you are if you are looking for TDC on the firing stroke.
Refer to your manual for your year and model for belt change instructions, this will show you how to find the position you are looking for.
What I did for my Hall install was to find TDC (firing) then get the flywheel lined up to the 6 degree timing mark, then I rigged up a few 1.5v batteries to make 4.5v supply to the Hall sensor, attached multimeter to Hall signal wire for the correct cylinder, set multimeter to “tone” and slowly rotated magnets on camshaft counterclockwise to set the timing.
Once I had the magnets tightened down, I rotated engine forwards by hand to verify tone sounded when I got to the timing mark, which it did.
If you’re not installing Hall Effect kit the TDC on firing stroke doesn’t matter, it can be TDC for either stroke, the engine will fire at every revolution.

 

[spacey]

Look for a video by Chris at CA Cycleworks (Ducatitech) on Youtube that describes how to change the belts. It will show you how to find TDC on the compression stroke. You remove the plugs and look in the hole to see valve positions. I also put a wood dowel in the the spark plug hole to verify piston movement / position. Be careful not to trap / break the dowel.

 

[Slowdive]

IIRC there is a mark on the layshaft that you should align w/ another mark on the case. When you do this H cylinder is TDC on the firing stroke. If you advance the crankshaft 270 (which will advance the layshaft 135) then V cylinder will be TDC on the firing stroke.

 

[JAFA]

Are you installing a FBG Hall Effect kit?

Yes I am. Was thinking about it last night, and realised that in order to get the belt covers off, you have to remove the whole off the crank pulley so you can get that part of the belt cover off, which means you'll loose the settings and have to re-time it every time. So I took the cover in to work this morning and opened the hole in the belt cover up from the instructed 55mm to 72mm, so that the belt cover can come off without having to remove the acetal ring that holds the magnets and the aluminium piece that locks the acetal in position. Tomorrow I will get it around to TDC on the firing stroke and then it should run.