calamari
ArboristSite Operative
I'm 77 and have used multiple timing lights which as you may recall requires a distributor that you can rotate as you describe. There is no easily adjustable timing advance/retard mechanism on any saw I've seen. It always requires the saw to be partially disassembled to adjust when the timing fires. If what you say is disassembling the saw, marking a line at 5 degrees and 10 degrees (which seems way more than you'd want to increase the timing to) moving the coil in an advance direction some fraction of those marks, assembling the saw, run it, feel it rattle, disassemble the saw, adjust the timing, and do that until it doesn't rattle when up to full operating temp and you'll have a process only slightly shorter than this sentence. Do that so it works at high altitude and you run the risk of detonation and seizing at lower altitudes.Have you never used a timing light. I live at fairly high altitude so I plan on at least a few degrees advanced. If you have TDC then take a degree wheel and scribe five and ten degrees which is pretty much all you need. Go too far and you should feel a rattle or vibration. Back off and it should smooth right out. Thanks
If what you meant was to advance the timing and then adjust the mixture to a setting that's smooth, it may make more sense but I still don't think you'd know how much advance you have. How does a timing light come into play?