Just thought i would keep you guys up to date with whats been happening, if anyones still about.

I managed to borrow a timing strobe and a second pair of hands to work it and the ignition timing was MILES out. Like 20degrees retarded of TDC.

Advancing the distributor to its limit bought it back to about 5deg retarded, but still clearly wrong, and something else must have changed because the dizzy wasnt at the end of its limit for sure for sure.

So we did some dancing, and tried a new rotor, although as pointed out at the time, that wouldnt affect the timing just the quality of spark.

Then we got back onto the thought of slipped timing belts.

As pointed out on here, the vernier has been advanced upto the end of its limit, presumably when the engine was setup on a road or something. Who knows.

However the debated stated that although the keyways currently line up about right, bar maybe half a deg retarding. Perhaps they shouldnt?
- Surely with the vernier about in the middle it should line up, then someone advanced it. So its slipped.
- You could hypothetically advance it a tooth, then returning the vernier to its mid position would retard it back to the factory starting position.

So we decided after a while of thought that it had slipped, and hence we should advance it a tooth. And carefully turn it over to make sure there was no valve clash. (we werent that sure!)

Anyone, we did it, and fired it up, and set the ignition time with the strobe to about 20degs advance (1500revs, vacuum pipe off).

And it runs the best it had since it started causing problems. Result?

We've also set the belt tension back to about what i think it should be.



It still doesnt sound maybe dead right. Still running a bit rich i think. And popping and backing a bit. And the forward carb has got a bit of an inlet leak on it. So it all needs some attention yet. But progress seams to have been made.

I dont know what anyone elses thoughts or comments are?

Im still planning, funds allowing, to get it a rolling road asap, but she does run now. And tomorrow i try and drive her as soon as i can get her our of the drive (shes parked in).


Daniel