My thanks to all for your advice. I think maybe I got the wrong end of the stick with the different figures quoted in Roy Bacon's book, and by yourself Muskrat. My engine is a standard 1959 iron head A7, with auto advance and retard. Everything that was worn I have replaced. I have timed it at 5/16" BTDC on the right hand cylinder, with points gap set to .012, and .002 when just about to open at 5/16 BTDC. Auto advance bolted up in fully advanced position ( the famous wooden-clothes-peg-in-the-arms dodge ) ( and yes, before you ask, I did take the wedges out before putting the timing cover back on !!! , although I do know of someone who didn't ).
I set the valve clearances according to the Haynes manual at 10 inlet and 16 exhaust, set when cold ( .....it's always cold 'cos it doesn't run . ha ha. ), although I will try 008 and 010 Briz, thanks.
The carb is a 376 monobloc, with 210 main, 25 pilot, and 106 needle jet, with new float needle kit, including one of those Viton tipped needles.
When I tried to fire it up, the left hand cylinder ran very sluggishly, the right didn't fire at all, just blew out some white smoke occasionally. Opening and closing the throttle made no difference to the engine speed whatsoever. It ran for about a minute, and then died. Same thing happened on each occasion, with the occasional cough from the right hand cylinder. When the engine died, the left hand exhaust was red hot, the right hand was tepid, so something must have been happening on the right. It sounded as though it had to be timing. That's why when I read the difference in degrees of rotation of the crank for the different camshafts I thought I had solved it. I was forgetting that since the cams have different profiles, valves will naturally be fully open and closed at different degrees of rotation of the crank. I have not tried it with a strobe because it will not run long enough to check it.
My thanks to John and Briz for your wise words. Unfortunately, it looks as though I will have to trailer it in to my local Brit bike garage, Roadstar Cycles at Dover, who are most helpful, and who know a thing or two about old Brit iron.
I don't like to admit defeat, especially when my last project, my 1960 A10, went from scratch without too many problems.
Thank goodness I still have one bike that works !!! I will keep at it, however, and report back in due course.
Thanks once again
Norman