• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!

    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

timing ?

mtlman8

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
OK, Hope I'M not missing somthing so as not to sound stupid, but with tr4's not having a timing mark, after putting in a pertronix distributer how do you set the timing? I adjusted the valves...she fires right up... vaccum gauge holds steady at 12lbs...RPM'S at 650... does that mean i'm done?
 
If the cam is stock, sounds like you need a little more advance if it's only reading 12 in-Hg.
The engine might tend to run hot like it is.
17 to 18 in-Hg would be more like it and your engine will be more peppy beside.
But you can deduct 1 in-Hg for every thousand feet above sea level.
https://automotivemileposts.com/garage/v2n8.html
 
I think there should be a timing mark -- its a hole in the back lip of the pulley on the crank and is supposed to be TDC.

That said -- if your timing seems pretty good then perhaps you're ready for the next step which is dialing in the exact timing by driving the car and seeing under what circumstances you can induce pinging/knocking. Should get a slight ping if you're driving around 30 mph in 4th gear and the accelerate (not good driving, just trying to see what the engine does under an extreme load).

Others may have different techniques for final adjustment.

Once you're happy with it, it is worthwhile to go back to the timing mark so you know where you ended up (and then write it down on a 3x5 card that you can later wonder what you did with).
 
Back
Top