Says a LOT more than that...  LOL.. 74-76 Manual goes though setting max point gap on generator model...  locking advance open...  rotating engine backwards and then forwards and points should just open 1.8mm BTDC.

What they don't say is points are on a slotted plate...  you slightly loosen mounting screws and slide plate to set timing..  notches in edge of plate and pin  on stator so you can twist flat blade screwdriver in notch and against pin to move plate until points just open. 

i.ebayimg.com/images/g/NWoAAOSwbe5aYQm-/s-l1600.jpg

Do a search on the forum there is information on the AT’s basically the same on one of the posts I put up a page with instructions 

ok that plate is what I've been messing with. It does say more than that but as to adjusting it just didn't see any instructions given on how to necessarily. 

My points are opening wayyyy off and adjusting the little slotted plate does nothing. They are opening half way before the piston reaches TDC, which led me to wondering if that plate I was messing with was actually the thing used to adjust them. Have I assembled anything incorrectly? I put the armature on with my new woodruff key. I don't know how it got this far off

I guess check out Dale Sweger setting timing Yamaha AT1 on YouTube if you don’t have a dial indicator you can set the point gap and it should be close to start your bike.  PS I didn’t watch the whole video 

God bless Dale, yall along with him are the only reason I've got this far... still after watching the whole video his advice and know how doesn't help. My timing is just impossibly off. At 1.8mm BTDC the points are already all the way open and have been for a bit. Heres a video showing  www.youtube.com/shorts/AV8rVGZXvOI

Dont really know where to go from here

This thread is the only other one i can find that somewhat explains whats going on I think...  yamaha-enduros.com/index.php/forum/74-76...dt125-timing-problem

maybe the crank is still bent or not totally true. take a look at this video, I don't know if this is too much of a gap or not, and in the right spot or not  www.youtube.com/shorts/lGxd97yfW3A

Timing should be close if its the original armature & crank half so key should be in the right place. Advancer is located. So unless the weights have been off & cam turned 180 [if that's possible] its hard to imagine how it can be wrong. Advancer held open of course. Advancer closed would be close to tdc for cracking open.

Yea I'm pretty stumped it is the original armature and crank half. I have the advance all the way open with some rags shoved in. Dont know what you mean by the cam turned 180 but I haven't messed with anything on all of this.

I see you are moving the points plate you can also move just the points it’s the single screw by the contacts between that adjustment and the points plate hopefully that will help 

Ive moved everything in all sorts of different combinations at this point. None of it seems to have any effect, that I can see, to my timing adjustment. It is just starting off impossibly far off to make the adjustments have any noticeable difference as a whole :(