Tecate....timing *WAS* off.

[DixiePlowboy]

My (new-to-me) '85 Tecate has a Ricky Stator setup, installed by previous owner. The compression is kinda low(150-something #'s), but I'm going to have to wait a few months to freshen it up. Exhaust, carb, pretty much everything is stock.

When cold-starting it, the kickstart lever moves steady. Compression resistance is predictable. It takes a few minutes to fire it off when cold.

When warm, it'll start on the first kick.....if you put enough leg behind it. It kicks like it has a LOT more compression and sometimes kicks back. No backfiring.

It seems to run strong through mid-range, but it doesn't pull in the upper revs as I remember a Tecate should. Seems like more of a(stock) 250R style powerband at the moment.

I'm wondering if the timing is a bit advanced and if the kickback on the lever(when warm), and the flat-seeming high RPM's are tell-tale signs of my problem?

[cr480r]

well its easy to retard the timing and see... It sounds like you are experiencing too much advance.. It seems to be common with ricky stator components

[Tecate250]

I too have the same problem. Except mine has over 200 and kicks back sometimes. Broke my kx kicker.

[2quicktecate]

yes your timing is too advanced... i like to run my tecate advanced about 4-6 degrees, but with my new motor and high compression it does,nt like it. had to run a 330 main to stop dtonation. i retarded it a bit and installed a 310main. just waiting on my ricky stator fly too test her out. you still want the pipe? it's about to go on ebay soon, need cash to replenish my bank account before wife finds out. lol...

[BigGreenMachine]

Sounds like the typical Ricky Stator stator plate giving you grief, I've had the same experience a couple times.

Both cases I removed the stator plate and replaced it with a stock setup while running the RS flywheel and it cured it.

[2quicktecate]

cool, i'm running stock stator ad ricky flywheel when it gets here, so ishould have no problems

[DixiePlowboy]

2quicktecate,,,,check you pm inbox.

Well, I'm no stranger to a timing light but I have no tach to hook up to check for 6000 RPM. I guess I could just retard it a bit at a time till it feels closer to "right", but I also guess I could acquire a stock stator plate and put my coils on it. May have to post a want ad in the classifieds. Stock plate marks are reliable.....right?

Two years ago I had 6-8 stator plates lying around....lol

...and all of this.....

[DixiePlowboy]

.....that I got with this project that I only got this far with....

[Tecate250]

Wow James I never thought of that. So the ricky stator plats is faulty?

[DixiePlowboy]

I never got around to putting a light on mine, but whoever put my RS setup on before I got didn't even line up the plate/case marks.

My stator plate mark was almost a 1/4" to the right(advanced) of the case marks! So....I was definitely too far advanced. I look forward to getting spark back to see if it runs better.

[3or4wheels]

this is my 86 after timed with a light

[fabiodriven]

this is my 86 after timed with a light

How do you time it with a light?

[DixiePlowboy]

this is my 86 after timed with a light


Good pic of just how far off the RS plate marks can be. Just imagine how it would run (if there's ANY consistency in RS's timing marks) if your's were rotated that far to the RIGHT of the case mark as mine has been.

[Tecate250]

Why is there such a big difference in the plates? I just retarded my timming and am still getting detonation. I might put my oem tecate one back on vs the 88 tecate 4 setup. Anyone find a difference in power to ricky and oem?