138 timing issues

[ash]

Hey all

Over the weekend I took the dissy off my EJ to give it a clean and check.
I was careful to note its position before removal and planned to make sure that the engine did not rotate...then I lent on the fan.

Now im unsure if it is fitted correctly, I cant get the "steel ball" mark to line up when using the strobe light.
I fitted it as per the manual with the cylinder 1 on the compression stroke, the round mark lined up with the pointer and the rotor pointing at plug 1 terminal.

What I find is that when using the strobe the round timing mark only just appears from the left side of the aperture when the vac advance assembly is hard up against the dipstick tube.
Also, it runs badly when you have the distributer in that position.

Currently the timing mark is nowhere to be seen and the car seems to run fine, the idle may be a bit lumpy but otherwise OK.
It doesn't seem to ping.

Prior to removing the dissy it could be timed correctly using the round mark...

Any thoughts??

Cheers
Ash

[Harv]

Sounds like the dizzy is one tooth out.

Pull the cap and undo the retaining bolt. Lift the dizzy up whilst gently turning the rotor button (don't force it!). As the drive gear disengages, feel it as it slips around a tooth, then drop it back down again. The oil pump drive tang probably won't line up, so the dizzy won't drop all the way. Turn it around by the fan until the dizzy drops. Bolt in, cap on and strobe light time it.

Cheers,
Harv.

[Blacky]

When I put the reco motor in mine I put the bloody flywheel on 90 degrees out so my timing mark is MILES out



Friggin' grey motors

[ash]

Thanks mate, very well explained - ill have a look this arvo.

Haha..nice one Blacky - sounds like one of my efforts!

[ash]

Well its still giving me grief..
I can't get it to time properly with the strobe - mark is still out.

Given the mark is too far off the left of the aperture, which way should I skip a tooth? Anti clockwise?

Definitely wont be removing the dizzy again in a hurry!

[Harv]

Damn... I hate thinking out "which way to turn it" in my head . If the mark is too far left, I think you want to slip the dizzy back one tooth anticlockwise.

Ask a silly question - its not an automatic gearbox is it (vac advance needs to be disconnected on autos when setting timing).

There is one other way to adjust the dizzy, though you really shouldn't need to do it if you just "pulled it out and put it back in" (it is done more often to set timing when everything has been really apart, or when replacing a timing gear that had a lot of slop in it... like mine did recently!). Under the dizzy body is a clamp with a slot-head bolt in it. Put the timing light on, and leave the 1/2" bolt in the main dizzy body tight (like normal operation). Use a screwdriver to slacken the dizzy clamp, then turn the dizzy body until your timing is back to normal. Tighten the clamp, recheck with the timing light then good to go. Again, shouldn't need to do this for a "take out and put back in" dizzy change.

Cheers,
Harv.

[ash]

Thanks again mate.
No mines a manual.

Ive decided to leave it as is for the moment, its actually running pretty nicely.
Yep..im lazy.