Starting...

[c.o.]

My Pan seems to run pretty good but can be a bear to start. An old time Pan owner was watching me get a workout this past weekend and he asked me where the timer was set. I told him that it was just retarded slightly. He mentioned that he had had many Pans over the years and he always retarded the spark fully. I quoted the manual where it states to have the timing fully advanced or nearly so. He said that it had been years since he looked in a book but he couldn't believe that it said that. Anyway I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try and wouldn't you know it. It fired up first kick. I did that for the rest of the weekend and it was first kick every time. It makes sense but I wonder what I'm missing if it's starting backwards to the book?

[T. Cotten]

Cory!

I always considered that passage to be a blatant miss-print.

Kicking at full advance can hurt you.

.....Cotten

[D.Mac]

I've had Pans since the sixties and have always started on a fully retarded timer, that's how I was taught, and it has always worked well.
Doug.

[c.o.]

Thanks for the input fellas!!! I figured something must be amiss with the manual instructions especially after it was pointed out and the ol' girl decided it would fire up on command!!! I'm really starting to gel with this bike and am having a lot of fun on it.

[partshunt]

Cory, I too have always retarded the spark to near full retard on any panhead or JD I ever owned including WLC models. . Normally, if an engine is ready to fire advanced, it will fire so early it kicks back, sometimes it will fire just bringing it up to the compression stroke on start up, like if I forget to retatd it. When my panhead is hot, it sometimes takes a special routine to get it started. Gets cranky but panheads are known for that...Joe

[T. Cotten]

Cory!

I found that strobe-timed H-Ds rarely need full retard.

And Joe!

Holes get bigger when they get hot.
You may have a micro vacuum leak.

....Cotten