Timing marks don't align with a strobe light

richardk · Post by **richardk** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:11 pm

I've got a pinto and megajolt which although haven't had running for long as I haven't got to the point of doing the cooling system yet.

After install started nearly first time, and that was only because I had a numpty moment and connected the ht lead wrong on the coil pack!

Anyway I immediatly checked the timing expecting to see the timing marks line line up but were miles out, but it does change/advance with a change in revs so hopefully this confirms my megajolt is working ok.

Is this normal, it seems to idle not too bad but it's also had a new fast road cam and has a recon carb on which hasn't been setup/rejetted at all yet so I was kind of forgiving it idling a bit lumpy.

As I said hopefully this is normal for the timing marks to no longer line up but the fact it runs kind of ok and does advance is enough.

Please put my mind at rest

Best wishes

Rich

DannyP · Post by **DannyP** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:04 am

Are the marks close when you use the light? Have your oe timing marks been possibly moved? It is possible you're a couple of teeth off with the missing tooth?

richardk · Post by **richardk** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:38 am

The stobe markings are about an 1 inch to the left of the timing marks. Hope that makes sense

As it seems to be running, I think the best thing would be to wait until I have some coolent in then I can play with the toothed wheel position.

Thinking about it, each notch in the wheel equates to 10 degrees and am not sure if it's the peak or the trough that should be aligned with the vr sensor at tdc so could easily be 5 degrees out.

I've put a picture here, it is quite large so to get the detail. Hope it's ok http://www.kilmartin.it/gallery/picture ... timing.jpg

Will check this out soon.

Thanks in advance

Regards

Rich

rbalmford · Post by **rbalmford** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 1:51 pm

Hi richard, a couple of things spring to mind:

1. Does your engine rotate clockwise? If so, the missing tooth will pass the VR sensor at 90 degrees (see 2) AFTER TDC (not before). This will make it approx 180 degrees out and may explain why you had to swap your ignition leads over (1&4 with 2&3). Conventionally the missing tooth should be at 90 degrees BEFORE TDC (see http://www.autosportlabs.net/MJLJ_V3_ve ... tion_guide)

2. You have positioned the gap 8 teeth (80 degrees) from the VR sensor at TDC - should be 9 teeth (90 degrees).

Cheers,
Rich.

richardk · Post by **richardk** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 4:19 pm

The lead thing was purely an accident by me connecting the 1 & 2 hv leads the wrong way round at the coil pack.

My engine is a pinto and does turn clockwise so have I put the gap on toothed wheel 9 teeth to the wrong side?

I have now turned my toothed wheel around so will see how that goes.

The tooth thing is interesting though, so it is the peak of the tooth wheel that needs aligning with the vr sensor and not the trough?

Cheers and thanks for the help.

Rich

richardk · Post by **richardk** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:03 pm

Having moved my toothed wheel round as per the suggstions from Richard (rbalmford
)and as the engine did run before making this change does this mean I now should have to change round the wires to the coil pack?

I have just checked the wires on the coil pack connector and have found that they are the wrong way round so what I have probably done after the initial install and it was not firing up is just to spin the toothed wheel round, she fired up and I forgot about it. Do want it right though so will do the wires again and give it a test when the neighbours aren't in as I haven't got an exhaust silencer on yet!

Wish me luck, but I do feel I'm getting somewhere with the problem now.

Cheers

Rich