doing the timing requires taking the head off, and holding everything still while using your fourth hand to tighten up the crank bolt, not particularly hard but time consiming. I hae found most times where there is no spark the points are just dirty and they can usually be accsessed by removing the little cover, then they can be found under a round cover in a little tin shaped thing.
More just trying to save time by avoiding removing the flywheel than anything, but from memory there are two marks on the flywheel that can line up with two marks on the crankcase, then the piston has to be around 1/4" before TDC (well I used that before I got my manual many times and it worked with those settings).
