Waynebaby
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Posts posted by Waynebaby
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Thanks for that suggestion Pete.
I need to take the rocker box off to sort out a noisy tappet so I'll check the valve timing at the same time using your technique. I won't get around to it for a few days but I'll let you know what I find.
Wayne
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Hi John/Pete,
The mechanical advance works and the check was done with the vacuum advance removed so it's not that I'm afraid.
What would a valve timing check involve? Would it be as simple as making sure both valves were fully shut on cylinder 1 when at TDC?
Wayne
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Hi All,
I've spent a couple of hours fiddling about with the dizzy, two different strobe guns and a test lamp and I still can't see why my ignition needs to be so advanced for the engine to run sweetly.
I checked the orientation of the strobe pick up on the plug lead and get the same result whether or not it is clipped on with the "towards the plug" symbol facing towards or away from the plug, so the 25 degrees isn't a false reading introduced by operator error Pete.
I've cross checked the adjustable strobe gun with a simpler strobe lamp and get the same result showing it's not an anomalous reading caused by an incorrect scale on the advance adjuster knob.
I've set the ignition to 10 degrees statically with the rotor arm pointing at the #1 cylinder lead and confirmed the plug lead orientation in the cap is correct. Just to be sure I shuffled the leads to and fro as Colin suggested but the engine wouldn't start.
So I'm still non the wiser. If I set the ignition timing to the correct specification the engine runs badly, but if I set it up "by ear" if runs well and shows no indication of pre-ignition - it just so happens that the sweet spot is at 25 degrees of advance BTDC! For the time being I'm going to pretend I never checked the timing with the strobe gun and get on with enjoying driving my GT6, which for the first time since I got it actually feels like a sports car!
Wayne
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Adrian,
Snap! I ordered the same thing and no, it isn't long enough. I think that they must come in a range of sizes!. I ended up checking TDC by using the depth probe end of a set of calipers but I still intend to get a piston stop of the right length because I'm sure it'll come in handy.
Wayne
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Thanks for all the replies. I am always impressed by how the people on this forum rally around.
I have an Accuspark strobe gun with an advance control adjustment knob but I'd forgotten about the handedness of the pick up Pete, so that's the first thing I'll try tomorrow.
Wayne
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Hi Colin,
I'll try moving things around as you suggest tomorrow. Since the rotor arm turns anti-clockwise I presume I should move the leads around one terminal in that direction
Cheers
Wayne
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Hi All,
You'll be glad to know that I drew the line at cutting holes in the bell housing (I'd sort of assumed Pete was pulling my leg!) and this afternoon followed John's advice and used a Piston stop. This has resulted in what could be described as a Good News - Bad News - Bad News scenario.
The good news is that the timing marks on my damper ring are exactly where they should be.
The first bit of bad news is that this means John no longer has a failed damper to perform an autopsy on and the second bit of bad news is that I now have the mystery of why my car seems perfectly happy running with 25 degrees ignition advance.
Confused Wayne
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Mike,
Mine are fitted with the cut out at the top. To be honest though I don't think it actually matters because from my recollection the cut out doesn't actually relate to any feature on either the manifold or carbs.
Wayne
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That thought has crossed my mind Pete but against my better judgment I’ve just ordered a piston stop!
Wayne
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Hi Dan,
He hasn't given a price yet (despite three people asking for this via comments) Looking at the pictures I get the impression that the cover wasn't waterproof since the engine looks a bit furry.
Wayne
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Thanks for the reply John and the link for the stops. If the pulley does need to come off it won’t be for a while though.
I’ve not read your paper yet. Are you able to say whether running with a goosed damper is harmful or if it just makes setting your timing reliant on e.s.p. rather than a timing gun?
Wayne
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I'll try that next time I've got the plugs out Pete.
That reminds me of something similar my mate once did back in the day with his CZ175 motorbike (a fine bit of Czechoslovakian engineering at its agricultural best) He was trying to find the top of the stroke using the outside of a BIC ballpoint pen in the plug hole. He kicked(!) over the engine and I watched in horror as the pen casing disappeared out of sight down the spark plug hole only to be smashed to tiny pieces against the head as the piston came back up the barrel. Off came the head. Being a 2-stroke some of the plastic shards had gone through the transfer ports down into the gearbox. Being a CZ the engine didn't seem to mind!
Happy days
Wayne
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Dan,
The TSSC Facebook feed has a post today from Chris Beresford who has a 2500S engine and gearbox he wants to sell. It's been out of the car for three years and stored outside under a cover. Might be worth a look.
Wayne
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Hi All,
I felt a bit guilty about not participating in Johns damper survey but when he asked for views I wasn't sure if I had a degraded damper or not. I think I now know that I do.
I've been trying to trace the source of a "soft misfire" under load for over 12 months and finally resolved it by re-setting my ignition timing. Rather than using the strobe gun (I'd previously used it to set the engine to 7-8 degrees advanced) I thought I'd try the suggested method of finding the distributor position that gives the fastest tick over and then backing it off a gnats. Not only did this get rid of the hesitation but it has transformed the engine response without (as far as I can tell - I'm getting deafer) any pinking. I can't stop grinning when I drive it now.
Out if interest I thought I'd use the strobe to see what the timing marks claimed the timing to be and I found that if I am to believe them my timing is now set at 25 degrees advanced BTDC!
I don't believe the timing marks any more. Can anybody think of a reason why I shouldn't ignore them from now on?
Regards
Wayne
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11 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:
It may not be Accusparks fault, as if they supply an item for a standard setup, if you cause damage by using it with something else, it falls back on you.
I use the red SimonBBC units, they're good and most importantly stay on!
Hi Colin,
You make a good point but I'll call Accuspark anyway just so that they are aware of the issue.
Wayne
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Hi All,
If like me you have a Delco dizzy with a Lumenition Optronic set up, DO NOT try fitting the red rotor arm from Accuspark. The red rotor arm has a slightly different moulding profile on the underside, and when it sweeps round this extra bit of material clouts the photo-sensor assembly with predictable results.
Guess how I know! I will be calling Accuspark tomorrow.
Wayne
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Just goes to show that you can learn something new every day (especially when looking at this forum!)
Dave,
Thanks for that advice. I'll know what to do next time.
Regards
Wayne
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Hi All,
I've always considered auto-electrics to be some form of black magic, but this weekend I realised it was Voodoo, when my battery turned zombie.
The car started perfectly on it's hi-torque starter on Sunday morning before I took it for a quick drive of 15 minutes, after which I parked up on the drive. An hour later I went to start it and was rewarded with silence when I turned the key, punctuated with intermittent clicking from the solenoid. The first thing I checked was the battery, which was showing ~13V across the terminals, but to be certain I hooked up the trickle charger and this showed "full" after about 10 minutes. Not the battery then. Next I checked all the earths and the continuity looked good. Not wanting to believe it might be the starter, I decided the problem was the solenoid and duly ordered a new one. Needless to say the new solenoid didn't fix it.
I was resigned to having to get the hi-torque starter off when I decided to test the old Lucas starter motor using jump leads directly from the battery - nothing doing. Now, I knew the old starter motor was good when I put it away and so I re-checked the battery. It was still showing ~13V and was still happily taking a charge, but I was starting to have my suspicions. A quick trip for a new battery and normal starting service was resumed.
I can't figure out the old battery, which seems to have turned into a galvanic version of the living dead over the course of an hour on Sunday morning. To all intents and purposes it looks alive, but in reality it can hardly produce enough power to properly energise the starter solenoid, let alone turn the starter motor. All my previous batteries have either faded away slowly over weeks or died quickly and completely overnight. Has anybody else had a battery turn zombie? Is there another test I could have done with a multi-meter which would have revealed the problem sooner?
Wayne
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Adrian,
I agree with Pete (I would never presume to do otherwise!) that this should work, but having done it myself a couple of weeks ago I have to say that the difference in output shaft speed and revs is for some reason very hard to perceive under these circumstances. I ended up having to do a test drive to convince myself that the rebuilt o/d was working.
Wayne
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Bilt Hamber labs do a variety of waxes that can be squirted into chassis box sections or painted on. I find their Dynax UB (under body) to be good brushed onto the chassis. It dries to a semi-set state and apart from smelling of sheep (I think it may contain lanolin) it has a lot to recommend it. I'm sure that other forum members will have their favourites too.
Wayne
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Whilst we're being picky, did anybody else notice that the prop shaft was fitted back to front?
Wayne
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4 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:
Nooo! If it's not been done for a while there may not be any oil! As Dave says, but I don't fancy sucking, leaves a nasty taste, so piston out and invert. I have Strombergs and they seem to need topping up monthly!
Doug
Topping up monthly? I dream of topping up my dash-pots as infrequently as that, and that's after changing the o-rings! I wonder if Redex is 20 weight? I could use that to calm down the carb piston whilst dosing the engine with upper cylinder lubricant (or whatever Redex claims to do)
Wayne
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Thanks for that Paul. I'll give it a few more miles to give it chance to settle in and then try your suggestion if there is no improvement.
Wayne
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Hi Folks,
I've changed the rear brake cylinders and shoes on my Mk3 GT6 and find that the near-side drum is getting hot compared to the off-side. I've looked inside the drum to check the pull off springs are still located correctly and that the "self"-adjuster is doing it's thing (which amazingly, it is). The drum doesn't bind excessively and the car pushes around freely with the handbrake off. The top of the leading shoe is showing the most signs of use and so I'm assuming this is where the heat is being generated.
I've only done about 10 miles since the brake change and wonder if anybody thinks this might just be the shoes bedding in on that particular side. I've never changed brake shoes before (or at least I can't remember doing so, which doesn't mean much) and so I don't really know what to expect.
Wayne
Unreliable timing marks
in Electrical System
Posted
Hi All,
I followed Uncle Pete's advice and have spent an hour or so in the garage playing with a dial gauge and a 0.040" feeler gauge. I'm very relieved to report that whatever it is that is causing my engine to seemingly prefer such a high degree of static ignition advance, it hasn't anything to do with the cam-shaft being out of time with the crankshaft. Set up as Pete suggests, the gaps at valves 1 and 2 were within a 001" of each other at TDC, which is equal in my book. I have to confess that Doug's story of a timing chain chewing up the cam wheel had me worried. I have noted however that the official workshop manual recommends changing the timing chain every 30,000 miles and since mines probably done almost twice that I've got something new to add to next winters list of jobs.
I think I've almost run out of possible causes of the weird ignition advance figures but will try looking at the vacuum level as Pete suggests to get another line of evidence (I just need to find a vacuum gauge) Picking up on the comment from Mad4Classics, I am starting to wonder if a dizzy rebuild/replacement is on the cards. I'd be more keen on spending money on getting to the bottom of the odd figures if it wasn't for the fact that the car is running better than it ever has before under my ownership!
Wayne