Timing And More Timing

[Guest Sean Timney]

Hi guys,

Here's my problem....... I want to set the timing on my 2ltr Pinto and have hit somewhat of a stalemate....... before we start, my set-up is as follows:

Std 2ltr Pinto

ECS 2 unit

Std carb

Leaded head running unleaded......

 

OK, I've looked in the Haynes book of laughs and it says for this combination running unleaded, the timing needs to be 6 degrees....... then in the timing section it says run it at idle (hot) and set it...hmm....easy enough......done that...then it says increase the revs to 2000......and do what?...who the hell knows....

 

Basically, I need a simple answer.....at tickover (900 rpm).....with the strobe light banging away, how many degrees should be showing on the crank pulley against the marker?.....should it be at TDC or at 6 degrees?..... I've tried a number of things....at 6 degrees, the engine 'overuns' by a couple of seconds when the car is turned off........ at one stage i received a nice cloudy hello as it popped out the top of the filter in a plume of smoke...... or should it be 6 degrees at 2000 rpm.....tried that, didn't sound too good

 

Desperate as I want to set it before my first ever drive in it on Saturday morning when I go for MOT.....

 

HELP..... :boohoo:

 

Thanks guys,

Sean.

[Peter Bell]

Sean, can't be of too much help I am afraid as I have the Bosch pointless system but have you disconnected the vacuum advance when you set it at tickover? if not you will get too much advance. The Setting should be about 6° but will probably be fine at 8 or even more. The only reason I can think of running it at 2000 would be to check that the advance system is working. Good luck with the mot!

Peter

[Big Jim]

Peter has it right. Set it at 8º at idle with the vac pipe off (& blocked) with your strobe light still pointing at the marks, increase the revs a bit, and it should advance up with the "bob weights" if it does, everything is fine.

[Guest Battery Bill]

Sean

I know we will not be any help either but we took ours on a trailer to get a professional to do it Money well spent we think.

When we were rebuilding our engine after a total stripdown, the Haynes manual said "Line the Distributor up with the mark you made when you removed it! What mark? " We ended up looking through endless pictures of the donor to see where the dizzy should be "Ish"

We had a go with the strobe light and I could not make head nor tails of it when I set it to the whatever degrees the book said it ran rough so I ended up turning it so it ran as well as possible

Good luck with the MOT

[Guest Sean Timney]

As usual guys, a great help....thanks for the replies...... MOT here I come....

 

Sean.