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Re: '70 Midget Distributor Question

To: Marcus Tooze <tooze@vinny.cecer.army.mil>
Subject: Re: '70 Midget Distributor Question
From: Matt Liggett <mliggett@seven.ucs.indiana.edu>
Date: Thu, 05 Oct 1995 11:22:35 -0400
After receiving Marcus' letter, it is clear that I did not explain the 
problem well enough.  Firstly, this is a car which I just bought, and I 
decided to adjust everything because it was running very poorly.  First 
was timing (then valve lash, then carbs).  Upon shining my timing light 
down below, it looked like the timing was set waaaaaaaay ATDC.  Something 
like maybe 30-deg?  I turned the dist clockwise (I think.. whichever way 
retards the timing) and got it much closer to TDC.  The idle improved 
noticeably at this point, but the best I could get was about 5- or 10-deg 
ATDC, even with the dist pushed to the extreme.  It runs much better than 
it did before now, but the timing is still way off and I still have 
dieseling and light pinging even with 93 octane gas.

Is it possible that the camshaft chain has skipped a tooth?  Would this be 
a symptom of that, or is something wrong with my dist?  User error?

At Thu, 5 Oct 1995 10:57:11 -0500, Marcus Tooze writes:
> > Whilst tuning up my Midget this past weekend, I adjusted the timing using 
> > my stroboscopic timing light.  Timing (as I recall) is 10-deg BTDC @ 
> > 1000RPM.  The engine was wavering a bit, but at close to 1000RPM, I could 
> > not even get it to 0-deg BTDC.
> 
> Why would you want to? I used to run  all my midgets around the 12BTDC degree
> mark at 800rpm....
> 
> >  I turned the dist as far clockwise as it 
> > would go and the best i could do looked like 5 or 10-deg ATDC.
> 
> NO NO NO....not on a Midget wih a 1275cc...there is no reason whatsoever
> to run it ATDC!
> 
>   It was 
> > MUCH worse before I got started.  It does run a lot better now, although 
> > it still diesels sometimes on shutoff.  I've been running it w/ 93 octane 
> > Shell just to avoid any unwanted pre-ignition.  Ohh.. and yes, I did have 
> > the vacuum advance removed.
> > 
> > What does this all mean?  Is my dist bad?  The mechanical advance?  Thanks 
> > in advance.
> 
> Can you give me some more info....what is the main problem you are trying to 
> cure by setting the ign. ATDC?
> 
> Marcus
--
|                Matt Liggett <mliggett@indiana.edu>                 |
|              http://seven.ucs.indiana.edu/~mliggett/               |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  1974 Ford Bronco Ranger   1970 MG Midget   1978 Honda Civic 1200  |


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