Ignition Points & Timing Plate Allen Head Mounting Screw Set | Honda CT90 / Trail 90

Ignition Points & Timing Plate Allen Head Screw Set | Honda CT90 / Trail 90

The factory screws holding your points and timing plate aren't Phillips — they're JIS, and a Phillips driver strips them on the first hard turn. After decades of tune-ups with the wrong screwdriver, most CT90 timing plates show up with at least one screw rounded over or seized. This stainless steel allen head set replaces every one of those screws with hex-drive bolts you can actually grip. Complete kit with washers. Does not include the plate or the points.

Why You Need This

The CT90 runs a single set of points, and you'll be back in there often — we set CT90 timing with every oil change, about every 1,000 miles. Honda used JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) cross-head screws on the points and timing plate. They look almost identical to Phillips, but the drive angle is different, so a Phillips bit cams out and rounds the head the moment it fights back. Stainless allen bolts give you a positive grip that won't cam out, and they won't rust or seize in place the way the plated originals do.

Specifications

Installation

Difficulty: Beginner

Tools needed: JIS #2 screwdriver (to back out the old factory screws without chewing them up) and an allen key for the new bolts.

1. Remove the points cover from the engine.
2. Back out the factory screws one at a time, replacing each with the matching allen bolt and washer from the kit. Use a properly fitted JIS #2 driver; if a screw is already stripped, you may need an impact driver to start it.
3. Snug the new bolts — do not overtighten. The timing-plate threads strip easily if you crank down on them.

Watch the points-mounting bolt: the bolt that holds the contact points has to seat perfectly straight, with its washers stacked so the head clears the rocker arm. Take your time on that one — if it sits crooked, or the points wire grounds out against the plate, the bike won't fire.

Our CT90 ignition timing video walks through the full points-and-timing job using this allen head conversion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's wrong with the factory screws?

They aren't Phillips — they're JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard), a subtly different cross-head pattern. A Phillips driver sits at a slightly different angle, so it cams out under pressure and rounds the head. Most owners strip at least one before they realize the difference. Converting to allen bolts solves it for good.

Does this fit my CT90's points?

Yes — this set fits the CT90 timing plate and points mounting across the Nippon Denso, Toyo, and Kokusan style points used through CT90 production. It's the mounting screws and washers, not the points themselves.

Does this include the points or the timing plate?

No — this is the screw and washer kit only. For the points, see our Ignition Contact Points, and replace the Ignition Condenser at the same time.

How is this different from the full CT90 Allen Bolt Kit?

This kit covers just the ignition points and timing plate screws. If you want to convert the whole engine — side covers, points cover, and the rest — our CT90 Allen Bolt Kit bundles all the cover hardware together.

You Might Also Need

• Ignition Contact Points — fresh points to go in with your new hardware
• Ignition Condenser — replace it whenever you replace the points
• Ignition Coil — the next suspect if a weak spark survives fresh points and a condenser
• JIS Screwdriver Set — the right driver to back the old factory screws out without rounding them
• CT90 Allen Bolt Kit — convert the rest of the engine covers to allen hardware

For the full procedure, see our How to set the ignition timing on the Honda CT90 / Trail 90 knowledge base article.

Last updated: June 2026