Mercury KE4 Timing

[goldmember]

How do you set the timing on this motor? The manual isn’t very clear. There are 2 holes in the flywheel that you are supposed to set the timing through, a “T” -(Timing) hole and an “I” -(Ignition) hole. Are you supposed to set the points gap through the “T” hole or the “I”?

[dave-bernard]

which ever one opens the points

[goldmember]

I replaced the original coils with the military surplus coils that I bought on eBay. They have a red wire and a black wire coming out of one side.

Do you know which wire goes to the points and which one to the ground?
Also, does it matter which coils plug wire goes to which cylinder.

[green-thumbs]

Spark should happen in cylinder with piston at top of stroke…if wires are reversed the spark happens in cylinder with piston at bottom of stroke…an easy mistake to make
With Bendix magneto ignition cam is part of flywheel. You must open points up all the
way to clear the cam as flywheel is installed. After flywheel is in place you set and lock
point gap at top of cam ramp by use of feeler gauge thru openings in top of flywheel

If you do not like the Bendix magneto the Repco Phelon system on later KE4/Mark 7 will
swap in without any modifications. Mercury sold a lot of KE4 & Mark 7 so they show up
at meets and are fairly inexpensive to buy…sometimes not so inexpensive to restore.
Very attractive when polished and painted. Tanks often dented and cowls missing.
Louis

[goldmember]

I am not getting this.

I open up both sets of point wide so I can put the flywheel on the shaft with the key in place.

Then I rotate the flywheel so that the “T” is over one set of points (Spark plugs are out so I verify TDC of the piston that those points work with) and set those points to close while up against the cam. Tighten down the points.

Am I correct so far?

Then without rotating the flywheel I set the other points to .018 and tighten down the points.

Do I have this right?

NO as the motor does NOT fire at Top Dead Center (TDC), it fires before TDC.
At what point does it fire before TDC???, well heck it is .235 thousandths before TDC, unless your doing a race motor, they are I think .265 before TDC. They make a tool for this specific purpose.

But this one can be done. Once the first or TOP cylinder is done rotate the crank so that the bottom cylinder is .235 before TDC, then set the corresponding point set to open at that point. Boom you are done..

I should make these tools….

Regards

Richard

• This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by RICHARD A. WHITE.

[dave-bernard]

.018 is the widest it should be at top of cam. then close as you turn the fly wheel.

[The Boat House]

[green-thumbs]

Lets back this train up to the station…TIMING is a concept that confuses the issue here

You set the each set of points at top of cam. You rotate flywheel to line up opening in flywheel with each set at the high point of cam.

That does it

When you move the magneto handle you advance or retard ignition in relation event
thus varing timing..
You will note the front of motor has a Stop, Slow, Start and Fast positions marked
As you move lever from Stop to Fast you are advancing timing as well as opening carburetor shutter.

When you are setting points at high point of cam the position of magneto lever
is irrelevant. It is all about setting the gap against the high point of the cam. If the
point gaps are right for both sets of points you are good to go. as far as ignition
is concerned.
Louis

Louis

[dave-bernard]

agreed , that is what I was saying.

[goldmember]

I get that. But I guess what confuses me are the 2 holes in the flywheel. If I am hearing you right I rotate the flywheel so the “T” hole is over 1 set of points then set them to .018.

Then rotate the flywheel so the same “T” hole is over the next set of points and then set them to.018.

Is that correct?

[Author]

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