timing question

[zzbudzz]

i think i seen on here that the 400's timing is retarded from the factory is this true ,if so how do i go about advancing it.if i can advance will it help much?

[VegasEx'r]

I think what you may have read is that the 400 engine is retarded from its original timing. That's because the 400ex engine was taken from the xr400, and Honda "de-tuned" it to put it in a quad. To put it back to its original timing, buy a timing key from Sparks Racing, that will advance it 6 degrees. The key costs about 15 bucks (plus you have to buy a new left side engine gasket for 15 bucks or so), and it takes a little over an hour to install it. For the price & time I say it's worth the money. Just remember that afterwards, the timing mark on your flywheel will be off.