Distributor and Timing Help

[kungfuyou]

Been getting constant misfires at idle so I though I'd check the timing and its way out. I would need to rotate the dizzy past the furthest point that the bolt will allow to set it correctly.

Taken the dizzy out, but need some pointers in how to set the timing (I'm a noob). I had a look at some threads on here but i think i'm mis-understanding some part of the process.

http://www.u-ukhbc.co.uk/vbb/showthr...ht=distributor

http://www.u-ukhbc.co.uk/vbb/showthr...on-Timing-Help

1) Engine to TDC#1 - could someone talk me through how to rotate the flywheel to the white mark? I can't see how to access the flywheel.

2) Remove dizzy cap? Is that necessary

3) Align the dot to the notch on the shaft of the dizzy.

4) Insert dizzy - which way should I be putting the dizzy in? The dot/notch pointing towards the front of the car?

5) Put cap back on

5) Bridge service connection and start

6) Use timing light to fine tune by rotating dizzy.

Am i missing anything?

Thanks, Alex

[stu g]

For moving the flywheel, jack one rear wheel only of the car off the ground, put it in gear, and then move the lifted wheel around.

[kungfuyou]

Thanks Stu....I had tried putting it in gear and rotating a wheel but its up on axel stands. Seems obvious now. I'll drop one side

[kungfuyou]

Okay, managed to find TDC by dropping one wheel and rotating the other...my arms weren't long enough to look through the hole to the flywheel and turn the wheel at the same time so it took a while.

Set the notch and dot on the dizzy and my Beat starts up again :-)

However, when i set the timing to the red line on the flywheel using a fixed strobe, i have to turn the dizzy past the bolt hole.



Can i just remove the dizzy, rotate it clockwise and drop it back in without setting TDC again?

[Seventynine]

yeah. i had to do that on mine. just pull the dizzy out, turn it back/forward one cog and put it back in, repeat until the red dot is in an adjustable range

take it you have a static timing light?

[kungfuyou]

yeah. i had to do that on mine. just pull the dizzy out, turn it back/forward one cog and put it back in, repeat until the red dot is in an adjustable range

take it you have a static timing light?

Yeah, its a static light. I tried pulling it out and rotating the whole thing, but its either too far clockwise or too far anticlockwise.

I also tried offsetting the cog on the bottom of the dizzy with no luck either. Im wondering whether the idle needs to be reset. Its idling at 1500....pretty sure it should be 1200?

[Seventynine]

do you get a noticeable change in engine tone when you bridge the service light?

[kungfuyou]

I did initially, yes. Now that i have tweaked the timing much closer to where it should be, it's less noticeable.

[Seventynine]

shouldn't make a difference for static timing. there should be more than enough cogs to choose from to get the bolt in the hole?

[kungfuyou]

So do I need to remove and rotate the whole dizzy (tried several times unsuccessfully) or move the gear on the bottom of the dizzy one notch?

[kungfuyou]

Update... After setting the timing correctly I took the dizzy cap off and marked the position of the rotor. I lifted the dizzy out and rotated the whole thing anti clockwise and reinserted, then rotated it to line up my mark with the rotor. It either goes back to the same position (where the dizzy is rotated past the bolt hole) or too far the other way.

I then tried removing the dizzy, moving the the rotor round one tooth and reinserting with the same result.

After over 2 hours I have set is as close as I can, but the timing is advanced and it's looking like it's not going to be possible to set it correctly.

My only option is to do what another member has done and file out the bolt hole to allow me to reach the correct timing. There must be something else causing this that I am missing...?

[Seventynine]

Red line right?

you could move the leads round by 1 and see if you can find a cog that gives you the right timing (or move them round by 2)