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BDriver, You forgot to tell where to point the pointy end of the test light.If I understand it correctly ,the clip on the test light wire is connected to a ground on the engine and the pointed end connects to the small wire terminal on the distributor.Please correct me if this is not correct.
On the engine tin setup, I fully agree to the fact that VW designed the top of the engine to be separated from the lower part by the factory tin.Many kits try to duplicate the VW design in their engine compartment and some are relatively close to the VW design.and need the separation top from bottom.
That being said, London Roadster made no effort at all to follow VW’s plan.On LR’s the sides of the body are about 2” from the valve covers and no provision is made to close the gap. There are no pans at the transaxle end allowing easy access of air to the fan intake. The engine cover and splash pan are molded as one unit and the muffler is visible when the engine cover/splash pan is raised. The LR factory used polished alluminum tin on all the cars I have seen with nothing at all arround the crank pulley. They do not use a therostaticlly controled fan intake restrictor,the opening is always wide open.
I’ve had my LR since 1994 and never had a cooling problem. I once made a 3 hour trip with the outside temperature at 95 degrees and all was well.
I ‘m not trying to contradict anyone but just trying to show that apparently the LR factory had a different approch that worked for them.
Larry,
I have the latest copy of the Muir book. He describes both static and strobe timing techniques with the caveat that air cooled engines have to be timed at idle or statically because they have very tight valve trains. If you time them at speed with a light they tend to be advanced and heat up. Hmm. That sounds familiar. We don’t know anyone whose type one is heating up after being timed with a light at 3400 rpm, do we?
The static technique uses the small wire from the distributor to the coil as the trigger. I always used the alligator clip on the distributor terminal and poked the probe into the crankcase seam. Any ground will do. The light comes on when the rotor points at the #1 plug, indicated by a thin notch in the rim of the distributor, and the proper notch in the flywheel pulley lines up with the seam in the crankcase. It shows you when the points open. It worked best for me when I lined up the pulley notch, backed up the distributor and rotated it forward until the light came on. I tightened the hold down bolt and I was done. Be careful when you do this. The ignition is on and you are turning the engine. It would ruin your day if the wee beastie fired. I always did it with the distributor cap off.
Back in the day I had to paint a line in nail polish on my one notch pulley to indicate the proper advance for my engine. Muir now gives you two pages of pictures of different pulleys by year with an arrow showing the reader which notch to use. Can a cell phone app be far behind?
That having been said, there are a number of variations in later motors. Read Muir’s book for the technique and use his ignition timing chart on pages 110 and 111 for the timing numbers for your engine and the picture of your pulley.
I second what you said about cooling tin having to be in place, especially the little pieces between the cylinders. If they aren’t there, the air whooshes between the cylinders and doesn’t go through the fins.
Peter
Would this continuity tester work? Is says 3 volts, and I don’t want to fry it with my 12 volt system. Where do I attach the clip?
“http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000WU8TQ/ref=asc_df_B0000WU8TQ15 73762?tag=thefind0215939-20&creative=395261&creative ASIN=B0000WU8TQ&linkCode=asn”Thank you,
MarkMGLondonRoadste40701.7596643519
Don’t know. But there are 12-volt circuit testers out there. Why risk it?
In between the $120 tester and the $225 tester are a few “less than $10” testers.
PMOSSBERG40701.6095486111
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
This is an excellent guide to static timing the VW engine:
http://www.aircooledtech.com/timing/static/
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Don’t go overboard on the test light. It’s a circuit tester, not a continuity tester. It’s a bulb in a handle with a probe on one end and a wire on the other. It lights up when voltage passes through it.
A continuity tester has its own battery and will show a complete circuit when power is not present. You don’t want to connect it to a powered circuit. It will fry if it doesn’t have circuit protection.
The cheapest circuit tester at Autozone is the Motormite/Conduct-Tite! for $2.99.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Tools-Garage-an d-Equipment/Circuit-Tester/_/N-26lp?filterByKeyWord=circuit+ tester&fromString=search
There are several others for under $10.
A voltmeter will work just as well. $3.99 at Harbor Freight. Free with a coupon. Such a deal. Set it for 12 volts. When the needle moves, you are timed. It’ll check flashlight batteries too. Directions are in the box. A good tool.
PCKing
You guys are all great with the advice and I appreciate it. I have not been to my Muir book yet, but just got back from errands and grocery shopping, so now that is put away, I’ll grab the book.
When we set the timing yesterday, we tried it at each of the marks on the pulley. The one we set it at seemed to be the best, the others either advanced it or set it too slowly. I haven’t fired her up today. It’s at least 93 right now and if you are not is shade, you need to be inside. This won’t be a car for the Phoenix summer, where it can get to be 115 in July and August.
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