TR2/3/3A Timing, fuel mixture, complete headache and total misunderstanding of it all

[poolboy]

I'm going to give this a shot.
Remove spark plug #1.
Turn the engine over by hand until you feel air (compression) STOP blowing OUT of the #1 spark plug hole. If you just feel a little 'puff' of air, keep turning...real compression will be at least 100 psi.
Then look at the rotor in the distributor and see if it is pointing to where the contact for spark plug wire #1 was located.

If not, loosen the distributor clamp and rotate the distributor until that contact for the spark plug wire does line up with the front 1/3 of the rotor's blade.

 

[3798j]

 

[pdplot]

Be glad you don't have a v-12 Ferrari or jag.

 

[Lukens]

Bill,
Safety Harbor is in 2 weeks. pm me your number and I'll call you. Lets get that thing up and running by then.
BTW I know this must be frustrating as **** but I salute you for hanging in there. Many of us with more fragile egos would not confess to your woes.

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Here ! Here ! I've been there too ! I'll bet we all have.

 

[TR3driver]

B) from what everyone is saying, at TDC, the first 2 valves over the #1 spark plug should be nice and relaxed. Well, the first one is, but the 2nd one has tension on it that I couldn't move the rocker at all (like I could with the first one). So I guess my clearances are wrong on the valves as well... correct?

What happens if you turn the crankshaft farther and check again? If there is no crank position where the rocker is loose, then you probably have the lash set way too tight. But if it loosens up at some other position, then the camshaft was not positioned at TDC with #1 firing when you checked initially. That could be either because the crankshaft was also not positioned, or because the valve timing is off.

One way to find TDC very accurately is to make up a piston stop from an old spark plug. Break out the ceramic, and tap the shell for a bolt that will stick out by an inch or so. Or you can buy a piston stop from most racer supply houses like Summit and Jegs.

To use it to find TDC, remove the #1 spark plug and insert your tool in it's place. Turn the engine slightly to be sure it isn't already hitting the piston and only thread it in finger-tight.

Turn the engine forward slowly and gently until it stops. Make a mark on the front pulley under the pointer. Now turn it backwards almost a full turn, until it stops again. Make another mark on the pulley under the pointer.

Now, TDC is when the pointer is exactly halfway between the two marks. If you want, you can make a more permanent mark there (maybe file a small notch with a 3 corner file) so you can find TDC easier next time. But of course it would be best to correct the pulley so the factory mark (hole) is in the right place.

 

[CJD]

Bill, I think you installed the distributor one turn off. If one valve is tight, spin the engine once around and try again for tapped looseness.

 

[2billydavies]

well... after almost a month and pulling my hair out, i finally figured it out. i put new points and condenser in and the car is running like it just drove off the showroom floor. I cannot believe that's what it was. after receiving the new parts in the mail and looking at them, the actual points are so much "bigger" than the ones I took out. They are almost double in size. I cannot believe that one simple thing was driving me crazy like that. Thanks to EVERYONE who chimed in, offered advice, offered help.... i learned a TON about timing. Good thing is, I was able to put the rotor back in so that it points to where it is supposed to (it was a few teeth off) and everything looks like the "pictures in the manuals." Thanks a ton everyone... huge, huge help. I cannot believe how well this car runs now. Better than I imagined.

 

[glemon]

Good job on perservering and getting it done, doesn't it feel good when it runs right?

 

[CJD]

I once replaced the points on an old Scout, but not the condenser. The car quit running all of a sudden at 12,000' on the million dollar highway in Colorado, when the old condenser fried the new pints. I think they call it that cause in the '70's they charged a $million for a tow. Points and/or condenser run forever...but they can also shut you down in an instant!

 

[glemon]

One of my most frustrating problems turned out to be a bad condenser on a Sprite. It would give a weak spark and ran ok at idle and light throttle, but would miss terribly under load. After going through as many gyrations as Bill just did I finally replaced the condenser and all was well. I had routinely replaced many over the years with the points in what we called a tune up in the old days, but never had one fail.

 

[SteveBones]

I second this regarding the adjustment for the fuel/air mixture. 1.5 to 2 turns is the starting point to use (meaning opening back after completely tightening the nuts). One item to add. I purchased the SU Carb rebuilt kit. It included in the instructions a recommendation to start at 1.5 turns. I was very fortunate in that my SU carbs on my TR3 did not need further adjustment. It worked well. Good luck. Might be a challenge to learn the first time, but once you do, next time it will be much easier.

Lean is as if you were looking upward at the nut, from under. So it would be ccw if looking Downward "through" the carbs. I'd tighten both nuts fully, and then unscrew 1-1/2 to 2 turns as your starting point.

Oh, almost forgot. Wet is mis-firing. Rich would be black and sooty looking. So either you are so rich that it is missing, or you have an ignition problem. Fix any ignition issues before trying to adjust the carbs.