Atlas Will Not Start

Are you at 31degrees before t.d.c. or after t.d.c.? Timing mark on stator looks to be in the wrong spot. Stators can be wrongly marked but it might pay to recheck.

I'd look at the idle circuit on the carb/carbs or maybe try kicking it over at larger throttle openings to take the idle circuit out of the equation. Or, spray some easy start in the intake.

Difficult to see accurately from the photo due to parallax, but that rotor looks like it's almost rubbing at the top left whereas the bottom right seems to have a big gap.  The stator looks as though it could be moved upwards on its mounting plate.  Have you tested the gap between stator and rotor all the way round with a feeler gauge?

Even if the timing was incorrectly set up with a good spark you'd get a 'pop' from the engine but indications are that you're not? With a healthy spark in evidence it sounds as if there's no fuel mixture reaching the combustion chamber!

The rotor mark looks to be set-up well after TDC.  Also, as Bob says, the clearance between rotor and stator looks wrong. 

I think your set-up has the engine firing 30* after TDC,

You can test this by removing both plugs and marking the rotor and stator at around 30* before TDC. Then switch the ignition on with one plug earthed to the engine but easily visible from the left side. Turn the rotor with a spanner or socket until you hear or see the plug fire while observing the marks you made.

Jim,  suggest if you just spray a bit of petrol in each cylinder and replace the plugs and give it a kick it should fire at least and run briefly if the timing is close. If not the timing is off and needs to be reset . The rotor stator gap maybe wrong but that is not the reason for not running. Make sure all valves have the correct clearances to ensure compression. Good luck.

Jim I believe your timing marks are incorrect. The mark should be where the TDC mark on the rotor points towards the wire which emerges from the stator. If you reduce a timing disc to a point where it is smaller than the stator you can transfer a mark to the stator using a white marker.

Then you will be able to strobe that mark to get the timing correct. I marked my stator 28,30.32

Given that the Atlas and Commando engines were/are so similar and that the Lucas rotor is marked the same, then the TDC and 28-31 BTDC positions should be at about the one o'clock position (as Andrew says, where the wires exit the stator) - this where the timing inspection hole is located on the Commando primary cover. Worth double checking I would suggest.

Which of your two marks on the stator is tdc?  (Incidentally...the output wire is very close to the chain...)

On the ignition plate for the Boyer there are two holes for timing: one for clockwise, one for anticlockwise.Have you got the right one?

See Fig.2. (THE ATLAS ENGINE HAS THE POINTS HOUSING BEHIND THE CYLINDER HEAD, IT’S SHAFT IS ROTATING IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION. SET TIMING ON THE CLOCKWISE TIMING HOLE.)  

I think its timing ,I would ignore any markings on the alternator and make my own using a tdc finder down the plug hole .   No more than 28 deg BTDC fully advanced  with a strobe .

Jim...picture missing..but as Rob says, marks on the rotor and stator don't mean anything. The stator is common to other machines and as far as I remember it can go on in at least three and perhaps 6 ways. And the visible bit is only resin.

I would not trust the rotor marks  unless they have been checked against a piston stop tool. 

The thoughts about the Commando timing marks being 1-o,clock ish I concur with. Hence the rotor mark would also point 1 oclock at the timing point. Rotors should automatically be marked the same hence they would point 1 oclock. (assuming the crank key way is correct and the rotor hasn't shifted on its centre locating tube-oh yes they can!) Now the stator has been marked BUT it can be fitted in three positions SO in all cases you find TDC and use the rotor mark (or make your own) and mark the stator appropriately. Then you turn the engine forward (or backwards) to arrange for the rotor mark to come UP to the timing mark, in the direction of working. Left or right piston doesn't matter as it is electronic ignition. Ignition timing- std comp 30deg, Commando pistons 28deg

Hello Jim, you say "it runs!" what was the problem/fix?