Crypt Car Ignites Successfully [kinda]

[Tinster]

Ya telling me the friggin' PO had the spark plug wires
in the wrong positions....or

if the rotor arm rotates counterclockwise
my firing order is 1,5,3,6,2,4

 

[BJones]

Man I am getting antsy waiting to see what is going on here. I feel like it is the last minute of an ebay auction. I keep hitting refresh to see what is said next. Dale I am also having idle issues and need to do alot of troubleshooting and fine tuning. I am gaining a ton of info from everyone here and waiting for your troubles to be solved before I pipe in with any of mine. You have all the moral support up here in Virginia. Not just mine, I even have co-workers asking me daily how your project is going. They can't believe all the support people on this board have and how far they are willing to go to help. Keep after it, you are getting soooo close I can just feel it.

 

[Harry_Ward]

Dale,

I agree it looks like your firing order sequence is wrong. I believe you when you say #1 cylinder is correct but from there I think you deviated from the correct firing order. This may be why you are hearing all the valve train noise because those cylinders not in sequence are sparking at the wrong time. Please post a picture showing where all your current wires lead to from the distributor cap to the spark plugs. Then maybe someone can explain the proper attachment of them for you in the correct sequence on your current set up starting from your #1.

 

[Tinster]

One step forward entitles me to five steps backwards.

Catch 22- Have to drive the car to get the valve tapping problem cleared up. Car not streetable as tuned.

The Crusher is looking better and better.

TRBill- you know how much $$ I already have thrown
at this heap. Is it near time to call it quits,
lick my wounds and crush the beast and maybe buy
new boat?

This Crypt Car is approaching the ridiculous.

 

[Tinster]

Say Good Night, Gracie!!
Good Night Gracie

d

 

[Harry_Ward]

Bill,

Is your #1 at the 9:00 O'clock position on your distributor I can't see that either? If it is Dales #1 is 180 off at the 3:00 O'clock position and he needs to start his firing order sequence from there. I'm getting tired here so anyone feel up to it jump right on in. I have been known to make my greatest blunders when only half awake.

 

[Tinster]

#1 is at 3:00

g'nite

 

[Brosky]

I've been up too late working on too many sales reports. I completely forgot about the counterclockwise rotation so my original post in this spot was incorrect. Big embarassment! Sorry to those who read this before I corrected my error.

I'll check in tomorrow from the road.

But yes Dale, your distributor is turned too far towards the engine compared to mine and Bill's.

Dale, please hang in there. We'll find a way to get you going!

 

[Brosky]

One last thing. Dale, with the cap on and the engine turned off, try moving your distributor to a position similar to mine (and Bill's) where the vacuum retard is running parallel to the block. Then remove the cap and look at where the rotor position is in relation to the number one cylinder wire on MY cap, not yours. Top picture above, about 6:30. If the rotor is close, move all of the wires on your cap to match mine and see what happens. You may have to readjust timing a bit but I bet it will run and you'll be in correct firing order.

 

[Guest]

I gotta go to bed, I'm starting to get "dizzy".

 

[startech47]

Dale,

Your plug wires are in the correct order 153624 with the rotor turning counter clockwise. Great job!

Phil

 

[RomanH]

Dale,
You do have the wires in the correct order. Yes, the rotor direction is counter clockwise. It just appears that the distributor drive gear may have been replaced in the wrong relationship at one time. It should not be a problem to leave it the way it is that is unless you do not have enough room to rotate the dizzy to time it properly.
Set the timing and take it from there. You are almost home! Don't you dare crush it now!

 

[startech47]

Dale,

If you want the vacuum canisters to be parallel to the block you can rotate the distributor one wire clockwise, so the number one wire is where the number four wire is now located, and than more all of the wires one hole counter clockwise. The wires will then look exactly like it does now, but the vacuum canisters will be parallel with the block. It doesn't matter which holes the wires are in as long as they are in the correct order and the number one wire is above the rotor when the engine is at TDC for number one cylinder on the compression stroke.

Phil

 

[startech47]

Dale,

Now that you have practice adjusting the valves and some run time on the engine, You should re-adjust the valves again to reduce the tapping. Remember that this is a Triumph with solid lifters and will never be as quiet as a modern car with hydraulic lifters.

Phil

 

[DNK]

I still don't see it as fixed. If he is at top dead center. His roter is pointing more or less to 9:00 but #1 is at 3:00 more or less. I still think the cap is messed up, or have I been away from a running TR that long?

 

[Harry_Ward]

Dale,

I think Startech is looking at Pauls distributor set up. Is the distributor (rotor) position in this picture you posted installed with #1 cylinder at TDC? Or is the distributor rotor pointing at the three O'clock position with the #1 cylinder at TDC. If the picture below is correct with #1 clyinder at TDC than you have your #1 wire in the wrong position in the cap. If the rotor is pointing to the 3 O'Clock position with #1 TDC we can fix that too. I woke up at 2:00 A.M. and thought I had this all figured out but then I remembered this rotor position and I'm back to wondering where the rotor points with cylinder 1 at TDC on your car. I thought you put the voodoo drum in my ear but not to worry We are gaining on it and are very close it's just a matter of putting the wires in the correct order and that all depends on where that rotor points when the #1 cylinder is at TDC. The miswiring of the ignition wires also explains why the car would not shut off.


[ QUOTE ]
I am 1,4,2,6,3,5

Started with #1 verified TDC.

Remember, I tagged everything including the
engine block before I removed the dizzy.

Every spark wire double tagged, the dizzy cap
tagged and the engine tagged. Plus photos.

I was able to confirm the firing and wire order
when I adjusted the valves. For me, #1 cylinder is one
closest to the radiator, up front. #6 is closest to the
firewall.

My dizzy cap will only fit on in one position.

The distributor will only slip into it's slot in one position. Cannot install it 180* off. Won't fit in the slot.

I just visually traced and verified 1,4,2,6,3,5
as my firing order.


d

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[JeffS]

I second Paul's recommendations. I know Your dizzy is assembled the exact same way as Paul's, so if its 180 degrees out, its because the drive was installed in the block improperly. A timing light would be a great thing right now! How much is that last minute airline ticket again?

 

[Harry_Ward]

Jeff,

I agree if the rotor in the picture is pointing correctly to Cylinder #1 at TDC then Pauls and Bills wire setup would be the way to go!

 

[startech47]

Dale,

The position of the rotor when the number one cylinder of the engine is on compression does not matter. The factory had to have a procedure to assemble all cars identically, well sorta, and the spindle assembly (Moss # 110, internal engine parts)received a standard clocking. Where you are at in working out the bugs I would not re-clock the spindle at this time. When you have everything perfect I would than attempt this as you will only be changing one variable and can always go back to the original set up through pictures. Take one of the spindle clocking before you attempt this. The relationship that matters is the rotor position to the sparkplug wires. The distributor does not know which contact in the cap goes to which wire. It just puts a spark out of each contact in counter clockwise sequence. You are set up correctly and close in timing. Work out the other problems first. We want to have you take two or three steps forward to five steps back, instead of your touted one step forward. As long as you know where number 1 spark plug wire is located on the cap you are fine. Tis true your wiring will look different than other cars, but yours will run the same as other TRs. What is important now is to adjust the valves and the carbs. When you are happy with the way the car runs and sounds than you can make it look like everyone elses car.

Phil

 

[Tinster]

Ok, One final shot at getting this electrical system
correct. I had everything tagged so I could not screw up.

The spark plug wires connected into the dizzy cap are
exactly positioned as they were when Wendy purchased
the car from the #@!$#!## PO.. (My new wires and plugs
of course.)

Here is a composite photo of exactly what I have
installed. If things are so screwed up I must
dismantle the frigging engire to correct a dizzy FU
by the PO.... well that would be the end of it for me.

I am restoring this car is a rather limited time frame available to me.