There was an article in TSO a few months back about how to use a strobe to
dynamically time a T-type. Basically you disconnect the electical lead to
the fuel pump, and then use just the starter to crank the engine. In a
perfect world, you'd have an adjustable strobe so you can dial it in 4deg
BTDC or so... Haven't tried it yet, but it should work.
-Scott
52TD
>From: BobMGT@aol.com
>To: amoyce@pol.net
>CC: mg-t@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: Pertronix Ignition Installation and Dist Cam and Timing
>Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 16:33:16 EDT
>
>I don't have a Pertronix in my TD, but Andy hit on a couple of issues I
>have.
>According to the shop manual the high-lift cam requires a different dwell
>setting, but darned if I can tell what cam my distributor has! The suffix
>letter on my distributor is illegible, so there's no clue there.
>
>Also, the shop manual has no mention of dynamic (strobe) timing. I've
>learned
>the hard way that you can't trust static timing on an old worn distributor.
>(Who cares what the timing is at zero rpm anyway.) To me static timing is
>just what you do to get the engine started before you do the dynamic. Does
>anyone have a set of timing values at different rpm's? Or better yet a
>curve?
>(Sounds like Andy's satisfied with 5 deg @ 800 rpm, but I'd rather set it
>at
>1500 rpm.)
>
>In a message dated 5/31/00 4:47:59 PM !!!First Boot!!!, amoyce@pol.net
>writes:
>
> > Just thought I would share my experience in installing the Pertronix
> > in my TD. First problem started in selecting the correct unit. I
> > looked at the illustrations in the service manual and compared those
> > to my distributor cam but could not distinguish between asymmetric,
> > high lift and whatever the other one was. I drove the car out to Skip
> > Kelsey's, and we looked at it together and made an educated guess.
> > Finally we decided on the asymmetric. When I got home and tried to
> > slide the magnet over the distributor cam it wouldn't seat. It would
> > slide over the cam but not far enough to allow the rotor to seat
> > properly. I assumed I had the wrong unit. I exchanged it for the
> > other unit (there are only two for the TD) and found that fit was
> > worse.
> >
> > I talked to other members in the club who had installed these things.
> > No one seemed to have experienced a tight fit over the cam. Finally
> > with Skip's pen knife we whittled away at the plastic ridge inside the
> > magnet and got it to slide down over the cam. The car started right
> > up. I had about a three mile drive home before I could set the
> > timing.
> >
> > I remember discussions long-ago about rattling in the gear shift lever
> > being attributed to retarded timing, and I can attest that this was
> > significant. Traveling uphill the gear shift lever sounded like
> > marbles in a coffee can. I first tried to set the timing by the
> > static method, but couldn't start the engine after three different
> > tries. I finally resorted to a timing light, aligning the distributor
> > to its original position, and then rotating it while the engine was
> > running. I was surprised at how far off the timing was . . . actually
> > advanced by about 80 degrees (360 degrees in a circle). With the
> > timing light I set it to about five degrees advanced (rpm at 800)...
> > rotating the distributor 30 or 40 degrees counter clockwise to do so.
> > Now it runs like a dream. I used to think the engine was pretty
> > smooth, but now it buzzes like a contented bee at all speeds. We just
> > completed a 600 mile trip to Yosemite and back and it performed
> > beautifully.
> >
> > So, installation was not smooth and easy, and I have a suspicion that
> > I have the magnet misalignedd a bit on the cam, but the results are
> > wonderful.
> >
> > Andy Moyce
> > 52 TD
>
>
>Bob Donahue (Still stuck in the '50s)
>EMAIL - BOBMGT@AOL.COM
>52 MGTD - under DIY restoration NEMGTR #11470
>71 MGB - AMGBA #96-12029, NAMGBR #7-3336
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