Timing

Fastededdie

Club Member
Set the timing on the chain as it should be per manual and previous experience but still not firing right . Have it full advance and still spluttering all over the place; misfiring . Oil pump lined up as should be . Dizzy as it should be. Maybe the dizzys gone dizzy ? It’s the electronic type . Maybe I’ll move the cam sprocket over ? Any advice will be welcome. Thanks .
 

Robotsan

Club Member
Double check your dizzy postition , I did mine many moons ago and got the dizzy 180 degrees out. Failing that, double check everything.

I need to do my timing soon as the dizzy is out.. I've got the process all sorted in my head, but I still don't get how to know if the dizzy has gone in 180 out of not.. other than there might be a bit of a bang and the car won't start?! Which I'd like to avoid if poss 😂
 

Farmer42

Club Member
What dizzy do you have and are you running carbs or EFI? Timing should be around 10 degrees BTDC. Also check the timing mark as different engines have different positions. For some L28 and those with 3-groove crank pulleys, the pointer is on the RH side and on other blocks with 2 groove pulleys it is on the LH side. That could throw your timing out. Also check the float position if you have carbs.
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
I need to do my timing soon as the dizzy is out.. I've got the process all sorted in my head, but I still don't get how to know if the dizzy has gone in 180 out of not.. other than there might be a bit of a bang and the car won't start?! Which I'd like to avoid if poss 😂
You really shouldn't be able to install it 180 out. The drive tang is offset so it only goes in one way. You can have the adjustment not far off 180 out though.
 

Robotsan

Club Member
You can if the drive shaft has been removed & reinstalled.

Yeah this is what's happened. I removed it to clean it up, but obviously then the shaft has rotated and I while I'll be able to re-fit it onto the slotted bit, I won't know whether its 180 out or not.

Actually, can I just take the cap off and make sure the rotor is pointing at the Cyl 1 marker? As surely 180 out would be in the opposite direction?
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
@Robotsan i think Paul means the oil & dizzy drive spindle. If you have only removed the dizzy and rotated its drive, you can only put it back one way and it will be in the right position.
 

Robotsan

Club Member
@Robotsan i think Paul means the oil & dizzy drive spindle. If you have only removed the dizzy and rotated its drive, you can only put it back one way and it will be in the right position.

Oh right. I was told you could accidentally have it 180° round. Does it not matter then?

To clarify, I'm talking about slotting the spindle of the dizzy onto this flat slot. Is that what you mean?

PXL_20230525_175517445.jpg
 

jonbills

Membership Secretary
Site Administrator
Yes, thats the dizzy end of the oil pump drive spindle. The dizzy can only engage with it one way round. The tang on the spindle and the slot in the dizzy are offset.
The spindle itself can be installed in many orientations, but if you've not removed it or the oil pump, it should be right. (Should be...)
 

Robotsan

Club Member
Yes, thats the dizzy end of the oil pump drive spindle. The dizzy can only engage with it one way round. The tang on the spindle and the slot in the dizzy are offset.
The spindle itself can be installed in many orientations, but if you've not removed it or the oil pump, it should be right. (Should be...)

Jon, that is music to my ears! That makes me feel a lot better.

I'm going to be moving it when I do the timing though - as need cyl 1 at TDC. But now the worry of being 180 out is gone! :)
 

Farmer42

Club Member
I would suggest that you take the spark plugs out and turn the crank until the timing mark shows TDC on no. 1 cylinder then re install the dizzy. As Jon has said, it can only be installed 1 way but the vacuum diaphragm should be pointing to the front of the car. Check that the rotor is pointing at no.1 lead and time it from there. If it is pointing at a different lead, make that no.1, mark it and then rearrange the rest of the leads in the right firing order. That will save you removing the oil pump to reposition the drive spindle. As said before, make sure you use the right timing pointer otherwise you will get the timing in the wrong position.
 

Mark N

Club Member
Jon, that is music to my ears! That makes me feel a lot better.

I'm going to be moving it when I do the timing though - as need cyl 1 at TDC. But now the worry of being 180 out is gone! :)
When your No 1 cylinder is at TDC the drive on your spindle should be in the 11:25hrs position.
The smaller semi-circular face of the spindle should be on the forward side of the engine.
1685040095617.png
 

Robotsan

Club Member
I would suggest that you take the spark plugs out and turn the crank until the timing mark shows TDC on no. 1 cylinder then re install the dizzy. As Jon has said, it can only be installed 1 way but the vacuum diaphragm should be pointing to the front of the car. Check that the rotor is pointing at no.1 lead and time it from there. If it is pointing at a different lead, make that no.1, mark it and then rearrange the rest of the leads in the right firing order. That will save you removing the oil pump to reposition the drive spindle. As said before, make sure you use the right timing pointer otherwise you will get the timing in the wrong position.

When your No 1 cylinder is at TDC the drive on your spindle should be in the 11:25hrs position.
The smaller semi-circular face of the spindle should be on the forward side of the engine.
View attachment 58226

Thanks both, that's really helpful.

I was naively thinking the rotor would be in parallel with the slot on the dizzy spindle, but it's not.

When I come to do this, hopefully in the next week or so I'll get it to TDC and then see what's what from there.

Ps sorry @Fastededdie for taking over your thread.
 

Fastededdie

Club Member
What dizzy do you have and are you running carbs or EFI? Timing should be around 10 degrees BTDC. Also check the timing mark as different engines have different positions. For some L28 and those with 3-groove crank pulleys, the pointer is on the RH side and on other blocks with 2 groove pulleys it is on the LH side. That could throw your timing out. Also check the float position if you have carbs.
Hi I’ve triple Weber’s on so yes will go through it all .
 
Top