Where do I start with my Series 3 timing?

Hello,

I have the manuals to tell me the procedure for setting the static timing but before I even get there I need some help!

Where do I actually look to see the timing marks referred to? I apologise for my lack of knowledge but am I looking at the pulley into which the starter handle is inserted at the front? ...Okay, so presuming that's right, what do I need to remove and what way should I be going at it in order to get access and see clearly what I'm doing?

Secondly, I see that which timing marks are used depends on fuel but I only see mention of fuels with octane ratings less than 95 which is what I guess I need to know as I'm using regular unleaded. So what timing mark is the one for me?

Thanks,

Andy.

Does said engine run?

Yep.

Well if its running nicely i should,nt worry about it.
are there any issues with the running?

Unfortunately I have had strange problems with the running. I really need to do the timing even if it's so I can just eliminate it from trouble shooting.

Thanks.

on front pulley there is a mark on edge which should tall up to pointer on case at 1 oclock when looking at front there are several teeth 6 btdc 3 btdc tdc and 6 atdc you want tdc a which point rotor arm should be pointing to number 1 spark plug if not turn engine 1 turn ,only turn engine clockwise if you miss it go round again,with rotor arm at 1 ,loosen dizzy so it will turn with some resistance put test lamp between coil lt wire and earth and twist dizy against direction of running till light lights tighten and turn engine watching mark on crank pulley a light it shoul light at other 3 places but at your after it just coming on when crank puley reaches tdc

jamesmartin said:

on front pulley there is a mark on edge which should tall up to pointer on case at 1 oclock when looking at front there are several teeth 6 btdc 3 btdc tdc and 6 atdc you want tdc a which point rotor arm should be pointing to number 1 spark plug if not turn engine 1 turn ,only turn engine clockwise if you miss it go round again,with rotor arm at 1 ,loosen dizzy so it will turn with some resistance put test lamp between coil lt wire and earth and twist dizy against direction of running till light lights tighten and turn engine watching mark on crank pulley a light it shoul light at other 3 places but at your after it just coming on when crank puley reaches tdc

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Thank you I'll give that a go. I don't have a test lamp so will get one. Do I need to look for anything specific or will a £5 one that penetrates wire insulation be okay? If so do I need to worry about where it's pierced the cable insulation when I use it?

Don't use a circuit tester! by "test lamp" he means a 12v bulb connected to a couple of wires - any spare low wattage bulb in a bulbholder (or just soldered to the wires) will do. Bare wires can be trapped in the spade connector on the coil. Or use an analogue test meter. Or stick a ciggie paper between the points, pull gently and feel when it's released.

Understood. Thanks.

When I'm adjusting the dizzy do I need to worry about where the advance/retard adjuster is? Should it be wound fully in/out or be somewhere in the middle prior to setting the dizzy position?

Water247 said:

Understood. Thanks.

When I'm adjusting the dizzy do I need to worry about where the advance/retard adjuster is? Should it be wound fully in/out or be somewhere in the middle prior to setting the dizzy position?

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You want to check the full advanced timing.
With the distib cap off, so you can see the points, turn the motor in the direction it runs.
When you see the points opening take a look at the pulley to find the timing marks; your looking for notches in the rim of the pulley and a pointer on the timing cover. If you defiantly don't see any marks your 180º out, turn it to the next points opening and check the pulley again. If you go past it don't just slowly come back to it turn it back quite a bit and approach
it again with it rotating the way the motor turns.
I haven't looked at a pulley for timing marks in tens years or so;-) I am not sure what marks your going to find, but it will be enough for fully advanced timing ~38º and probably a static 5º or something.
I would set the crank at full advanced and twist the distrib cam to advance and set the opening at that point.
I haven't static timed a car in 30 years, I just time roughly then use a light.
I time bike magnetos statically with a bit of foil[I gave up smoking so no rizzlas] between the points. If the mag has an auto advance I jamb it fully advanced, if it's manual advance I time it with the timing set to full advanced.
I have always wondered how good foil is as a timing indicator, so I knocked up an electronic open point indicator[a simple light doesn't work with a magneto]. I was pleasantly suprised when I got within half a degree of the point indicated by the electronic indicator with the foil every time I tried it. I tried it loads of times to see how consistent I was and have to say it's good.

I have turned crank until the timing mark is level with 6BTDC (for a 88" 2.25 Petrol running on unleaded with 7:1 compression) - is 6 BTDC right?

So anyway, with it lined up I look at the dizzy (with the top off) and I have twisted it slightly that the points are open. However, it looks like the rotor arm is now in the position to fire what was connected to cylinder 4. Can I simply connect my spark plugs differently when I put the dizzy cap back on so that where the rotor arm is now (with crank at 6BTDC) fires piston 1, then 3, then 4, then 2. Or is it more complicated than that? Or have I completely misunderstood something??

Thanks.

Is the firing order not 1,4,3,2?

It says 1,3,4,2 on the manifold and that's the sequence they've been wired in. Just that it seems that when the timing marks were lined up it was firing 4. I certainly don't fully understand all this. Is it right that the crank only lines up with the timing marks once per revolution of the rotor arm? If so, then how has my engine been running with it starting 4,2,3,1 until now? Does this explain why it runs ropey or am I missing something here?

1.3.4.2. 1 and 4 are both up at the same time so has to be 3 or 2 next , set to tdc static or around 6 degrees btdc running with strobe,do it again using no 1 on compression stroke with both valves shut and make it right but you can call no4 -1 and then what would have been 2 -3 etc

Thanks (again) James. Just set with TDC whilst firing 4 and it seems okay.