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Re: Ignition timing

To: <g.mcmicken@shaw.ca>
Subject: Re: Ignition timing
From: "John Macartney" <jonmac@ndirect.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 12:08:41 +0100
Cc: "Triumph List" <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Hi, Graham
Sorry to see you're having probs but both Randall Young and Michael
Porter (plus others?) are pointing you in the right direction. With
due respect to Randall, a Triumph six pot will run with the timing 180
out - at least, the injection version will (after a fashion) as a
number of factory publications and my own experience can testify.
In my case on the PI, I was plagued with a permanent misfire that had
me stumped. I had many grounds for thinking it was the fuel metering
unit - and it wasn't. My car had had the original engine rebuilt
before I acquired it and it took too long to diagnose and rectify the
problem. Turned out to be a blinding flash of the obvious that I'd
been too arrogant to even contemplate!
I removed the valve cover and watched the valve gear until number one
inlet was closing. I then set the static timing to 8 BTDC - as per the
book, and re-fitted the rotor to see where it was pointing in the
dizzy. It was to #6! Removal of the dizzy indicated the drive dog
offset was correctly positioned and I surmised that in the rebuild,
the camshaft had been wrongly installed. Being reluctant at that stage
to haul out the radiator and change things around in situ, I refitted
the plug leads in the correct firing order 1-5-3-6-2-4 from the
original arrangement of 6-2-4-1-5-3 (!!!!!!) and things were *way
better.* However, there was still an erratic and periodic misfire I
eventually traced to a defective lumenition pack. Chucked that out and
returned to points and a condenser. My reasoning was that over the
years, I've had more defective aftermarket electronic ignition set-ups
than reliable ones and this was another duff one caused by I don't
know what. Anyway, after resorting to the older technology and fine
tuning the timing, I haven't had any further problems. It's also worth
checking you've got the correct dizzy cap and rotor in place. Many
parts suppliers are supplying ones that 'look OK' but aren't and this
may also be part of your problem. Cost me quite a lot of money to get
the right permutation.
Finally, is your car fitted with electronic ignition? As already
stated, my PI had it and then, when I bought the 2000, I discovered
that had Lumenition as well - together with the periodic and erratic
misfire as on the PI. So I also slung that lot in a ditch and reverted
to points and condenser again, plus old style copper cored plug leads
on both. Six thousand miles later on both cars, still no misfires or
anything else untoward

Jonmac
1950 Ferguson TED20 152318
1970 Triumph 2.5PI MG4305DL(O)
1974 Triumph 2000 ML2294DLO

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