Hi Gar, Good photos! Thank you. They show you still have the original '65 system. This will get complicated.
Your points cam looks like you have ET (energy transfer) ignition on some photos & normal on others. (??)
Now I must ask what your coils look like? A round can like normal coil. Or do they look rather like a rectangular shaped transformer? ET is not very forgiving. The point cam & the timing is different on ET than normal battery/coil system. You must match points cam to normal coils or ET coils.
If you have normal coils, ignore all the ET stuff. Timing procedures are basically the same.
Plus... With ET I clock crank sprocket on crank with peg just above 9 oclock with crank at TDC. You need the special ET rotor. I've only used the S hole. I expect if bike used to run good, this is ok??
Shop manual was written for dealership mechanics with lots of experience. They were aware of setting magneto timing & then learned the iterations of unit motor timing starting with the unit motor in '63. Point is if you look at shop manual it's very confusing to owners. Like it takes you in circles.
To start with it sounds like your cam had peg to locate AAU. So you know the AAU is correctly oriented on exhaust cam. You have a TDC hole & flywheel with TDC slot. So it's easy to locate TDC.
First thing, is make sure the points spring clears the case. Bend spring near the condensers as needed. Looks like you're ok, but double check.
Condenser stud must clear case as well. It looks like you're so close you put tape there. Good you insulated it. I would be better long term to file the studs shorter. The tape will migrate when heat soaked.
Put bike on center stand so you can rotate rear wheel. Remove spark plugs. (Verify visually that pistons are fully up with TDC tool in TDC hole).
On thing I didn't mention is you need a way to know when points open. Shop manual suggests .0015" feeler blade, or the cellophane on cigarette pack. What works best is ohm meter or test light. Test light is the most accurate in my experience as it's true actual current flow. Ohm meter works just fine though.
KEY MUST BE OFF TO USE OHM METER! On ET ignition battery is not hooked to points but keep key off anyway. If battery power accidently gets into ohm meter it will damage it.
Ohm meter depending on meter, points closed will read about 2 ohms points closed. Open I don't know what ohm meter will read with points open on ET. Just close points. Read meter. Open points read motor. Point is seeing when points open. I've always used buzz box with ET. Basically a test box that shows points open or closed. Has light with buzzer that has its own battery built in. Points closed it buzzes & light on, points open no light & silent.
If you use test light you may have to use stand alone battery.
I center slot & set both points to .015" on highest part of cam, meaning points widest open it can get. Using .014 & .016 blades is easy way to verify .015. 014 will feel sloppy, .016 will feel too tight.
Again make sure you have correct threads on tools.
Now using TDC tool set crank to TDC. Remove AAU bolt. Hold the cupped washer (if included in timing disc tool kit). Or, a larger washer like a copper seal ring or loop you made of wire on end of AAU. Then flat washer, then hold the washers just barely snug with disc holder bolt. Insert a small screwdriver (I made special tool from coat hanger wire instead of using screw driver).
While holding washers centered as needed snug the holder bolt just slightly. Then using the slot in AAU cam, reach in with tool & turn AAU cam clockwise until it stops. Verifiy the spacer/washers are still centered. Lock The holder bolt so it holds AAU at full advance. Visually verify it moved to full advance & watch it to make sure it didn't go backwards while tightening holder bolt. Don't crank down holder bolt, but it must be tight enough to not allow anything to slip.
Now loosely install degree wheel. Install pointer wire (Made from coat hanger wire or the like). Install it under screw that seems best. Crank is already locked at TDC. Set degree wheel to TDC. (zero). Lock degree wheel.
Remove TDC tool. Back motor then go slowly forward until TDC tool just drops in. Verify degree wheel is still on zero. Adjust as needed until it reads zero. This verifies you have compensated for back lash of gears. Remove TDC tool.
Look at your degree wheel. Does it say crank shaft degrees? Mine does, it's a Wassell kit. It did not come with cup washer.
I've only used the 37b spec for ET motor.
We start with rear points (right cyl is rear from factory(black/yellow wire).
Using rear wheel, trans in 4th gear. Turn motor until it looks like rear points will soon open. Keep very slowly turning & set degree wheel to 37b. Looking at degree wheel the zero will be behind pointer going direction of rotation, meaning you'd have to go 37 more degrees to get to zero.
If you have normal coils I use 38b for timing. So set degree wheel to 38b.
Your points may have just opened or are about to open. Verify degrees on degree wheel is still ok. Loosen pillar bolts just enough to rotate back plate. Hook up ohm meter or test light/buzz box. Rotate back plate clockwise as/if needed until points are closed. Then very slowly clockwise until points just open per your meter. Lock pillar bolts. Now, back motor a little, point cam will have moved counter clockwise visibly & you see points are closed for sure. Now go forwards with motor very slowly until meter shows points just opened again. Read degree wheel. Points should open just as degree wheel reads spec. 37 or 38 depending on system. If needed loosen pillar bolts & move back plate a little. If wheel reads too high move the back plate clockwise. Too low counter clockwise.
Work at this until points just open at the degrees you want. Takes practice. Lock pillar bolts firmly but don't strip or damage them. Tip: round side of flat washer against points plates allows easier adjustment.
Now move to front points.
Hook meter to front points spring.
Rotate motor direction of rotation 1/2 rotation of degree wheel & really slow down near spec. of degrees. Again you'll see the cam is now going to open front points. Go slowly & watch the meter. Stop just as the meter shows points open. Read degree wheel. We want it be on spec of 37 or 38 depending on system.
This time you MUST NOT move points plate!! You will modify points gap as needed. on front points. Change point gap larger or smaller than .015. If degree wheel reads too high close point gap smaller. If degree wheel reads too low, open point gap wider. So... making gap smaller retards timing, wider advances timing. Not exactly one to one, but close enough to say .001" point gap change, changes timing about 1 degree. So change point gap. Then retest as before, back motor, then come forward & stop when points just open per meter. Read degree wheel.
I will modify gap as much as .003" & call it good. If more. I change gap as needed on rear points. Then go back & retime rear points. Then move to back to front points. So now we've modified gap on both points.
Tip: when replacing AAU into cam. Line it up very carefully into taper of cam shaft. If not centered well or burred in any way it will wobble & make setting timing harder. Plus rubbing block won't sit flat on AAU cam.
This job takes practice! It can take all day! Once practiced it's not all that hard, but still takes a bit of time.
The starting in 1968 Triumph introduced a system to allow separate adjustment of timing on points. 1969 they introduced a more improved system. Now you could adjust back plate & each set of points independently. This later system had various versions as time moved all, but the same concept applied to all the later versions. Still... They have a basic static setting. Following makes life much simpler, yet it takes practice also.
There is a lot to points. They are simple yet must be set up perfectly. They are key component to reliability!!
In USA Lubricam point cam grease works very well. In UK I don't know. Bosch was best in world, but very hard to find in USA. Wheel bearing grease is better than nothing, but get real point cam grease. 1/2 drop of oil on point pivot shaft.
Before starting clean points face with copy paper & carb spray or gas. Cut paper into narrow strips. Put cleaner on paper & pull it through closed points, holding points just so with finger nail or screw driver. Then dry with new paper. Repeat until paper comes out perfectly clean. Don't slop cleaner on rubbing block or points grease. Put very, very thin smear of points grease on cam to prevent corrosion. If rough. smooth cam with very fine emery cloth.
Not wanting to deal with points is why so many go to electronic ignition. Plus timing advance curve works better with modern fuels. But points allows starting with dead & I mean 100% dead battery. But battery must still be good when fully charged. Failed battery can suck so much current during kicking starter pedal you can't start motor. The starting with dead battery is why I keep using points.
Photos: spacer washer or wire to lock cam at full advance. You won't have special cup washer in kit.
Turning cam clockwise, then lock it. I'm using normal bolt. You'll use the degree wheel kit bolt so you can mount degree wheel. Later bikes have timing marks on rotor & pointer in primary cover. Much easier. No degree wheel needed.
Next 2 photos shows good application of points. Grease. This is Mallory brand point grease. It's green. Color doesn't matter. No moly greases. Use real point cam grease. Lubricam & Bosch are light brown. Place grease like photos. Rotation of cam will pull grease in, yet not throw it on point faces.
Last photo shows me placing the copper spacer washer & flat washer over end off AAU to lock it. Again, you can bend hoop of wire if you don't have appropriate diameter washer.
Photos are from 1973 Tiger 750. You can see the sub plates for setting timing easily. Condensers moved to coil area. Triumph did make improvements, but only slowly... Points plate looks much more complicated, but sure makes setting timing much easier.
I don't know if you got the AAU removal tool. I have them both threads. Very simple. Just screw the tool into AAU. It will bottom out in cam & stop. Give it a good hard turn with wrench & pop! It's off. I don't do it any other way. So easy. Zero damage to anything. No chance of bending parts. Just off it comes with a pop.
Again, AAU going on, be like a safe cracker. Feel the pin & line up the slot. Hold it into taper nice & straight, then tighten bolt.
Don
) the auto-advance unit's male taper loose from the camshaft's corresponding female taper but ime a reasonably-long 5/16" bolt will do.
