From:Kelvin e-mail:captk@iinet.net.au
Subject:RE: RE: RE: Cam timing in the Great White North Date:Thu Mar 17 20:27:38 2011
Response to:3395
I have a couple of Deluxe to build in the future so I am really interested in this information.
I think it might be best to have a standard procedure for meauring off the cam timing and recording the numbers. For instance at what clearance do you suggest? I believe 0.004" is common.
I dont suppose the actual cam timing numbers are available?

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Does anyone have any anecdotal evidence of Ignatz Schwinn's personality? My
guess would be he ran his factory with an iron fist. Even the $5 a day beloved
to some Henry Ford in the next decade hired the goons to stave off unionizing
efforts. I would bet at the lower echelons,in Chicago those performing
redundant tasks had a high turnover rate, possibly high injury rate and scanty
remuneration. Maybe evidence of sabotage or cut corners is now surfacing . .
I imagine their inspection department would not have been equipped with
profilometers etc. I know Otis Spiker spoke of Ignatz in reverential terms but
I also know the Henderson brothers had their disagreements. Just idle
speculation.
Thanks for everything Mark. can't wait to hear the drone of another
resurrected Hen.

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Hey,
I wonder if the schmuck who broached the key slots in the crank gears and
the camshaft gears, or for the matter, cut the key slots in the crankshaft and
the camshaft, actually put those where they are supposed to be? Food for
thought.

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I am mailing this tool that I made off to the Great White North tomorrow along
with some final bits of a nice, complete, original Deluxe engine. Anyone who
has ever looked at the camshaft timing procedure for Deluxe or KJ has
probably shaken their head and said, what the hell? Put the E or the X or the
P or whatever in the window and install the idler gear as the number 4
exhaust tappit just closes. Pretty archane. So, if any of you Henderson guys
ever put a wheel on the crank and actually mapped the opening and closing of
the valves... The point to all of this is to drum up some constructive ideas.
We take for granted that whoever stamped the flywheel actually put the marks
in the correct spots. Recently, out of utter frustration, dealing with an issue
of magneto timing, I bolted the flywheel to the crankshaft, indicated in TRUE
top dead center and indexed the flywheel in increments of 5 degrees. That's
right - I actually machined light notches into the flywheel indicating before
and after top dead center to the tune of 40 degrees before and 40 degrees aft.
I will post a pic of this flywheel and crankshaft procedure if people want to
see it. The point is, zero on the flywheel or TDC was a hell of a long ways off
from where it was stamped at the factory. This got me thinking. If TDC is not
stamped where it is supposed to be, I can't take for granted that the exhaust
lobe timing mark is where it is supposed to be. And, by the way, where is it
supposed to be? The Excelsior v-twin bulletins are excellent for providing
accurate cam timing data, as well as most of the Indian data. You guys know
by now I really don't care about Harley Davidson that much. I made this tool
so that true TDC could be indicated in, especially with the Deluxe, as it has
the removeable plug in the top of the cylinder. As a group, we can start
checking when valve opening and closing events take place and share this
data. It's important. i got my butt kicked with a Militaire cam timing. Yes, we
all know that if you don't know the start timing, split the lobe separation
angle (LSA), and work from there. I'm here to tell you the hey diddle diddle
split down the middle didn't work worth a damn on that engine. I went back
to the factory timing marks and the bike ran as if the cam was retarded, and it
was. But it's where it ran the best. When I made the tool, I designed it so that
you could actually slip the idler gear in place and not have to remove the
wheel. If you're building an engine with a fly wheel and crankshaft not from
the same motor, you're crazy if you trust the factory marks. Which brings us
to the infamous henderson timing gear with its half tooth extra broached key
slot. Count the number of teeth on your crank gear. You'll come up with 24.
1 tooth equals 15 degrees. Half a tooth should be 7.5 degrees. That's a lot
to change the cam timing. Yes, I read the bulletin, but it's vague and it
doesn't offer hard core data as to where things should be. If enough of us
get together and map this, I think it would be beneficial to all. Ever wonder
why some bikes just run better than others? Tag, you're it Barry. Tool and the
last bits are on their way to you. Mark