Ended up heading to Harbor Freight and getting a dial indicator to make sure on the TDC. I took the measurement and reset the pointer. Only needed to move the pointer about 1-2 degrees so I think the method of using cylinder 2/3 will get you close if you did not have a dial indicator or piston stop. I think I will get a piston stop for future checking and when I check my MGC as you can can do it all on your own. With the dial indicator you need a helper, luckily I had a future Jaguar restoration expert to help me out.
Now I will remove the cams and set them up with the cam timing tool. From the Haynes manual it looks like when I put the cams in they will not align with the cam sprocket adjusting plate, so I will need to remove the circlip securing the adjuster plates, push out to disengage to serrations. Then rotate the adjusting plate to line up the holes with the cam bolt holes.
Once both cams are removed, place the tranny in high gear with parking brake on. Now you can use compressed air to “charge” each cylinder to find out if you have any valve seating and/or ring seal problems. We will keep our finger crossed!
as always carefully, thoroughly…check and check and re-check again all steps…always loosen or tighten camp caps evenly across all a little at a time and no more than spec torque…AND BE SURE all cam caps are in the same marked place and orientation they came from…and be absolutely sure that the timing chain chamber “abyss” is blocked off by towell/saran wrap…whatever so nothing can fall down and in.
Nick
All back together again now. No bad noises or feelings when I turned the engine over by hand. I did a compression test with the engine cold and readings are within 10% for all cylinders. The numbers seem a little low but stable and I am assuming these should increase once I get the car running and do the test again with the engine at running temperature.
#6 130
#5 121
#4 122
#3 128
#2 130
#1 130
Now I will move onto static timing before re-checking spark and gas at plugs. Then hopefully the car starts…
I was attempting to perform the static timing setup. I put the crankshaft at 10 degrees before TDC, connected a test light between ground and the coil negative terminal, released the distributor pinch bolt and rotated the distributor. There only seems to be about 5 degrees of rotation on the distributor so I am unable to get the adjustment needed to get the points to open at 10 degrees. Should I be getting more rotation out of the distributor and if so how much ?
As an experiment I adjusted the crankshaft to determine how far I would need to move it to get the points to open for #6 and it was around 20 degrees after. So even if I change plug wire locations by one I will not be able to get it working.
If you really released the pinch bolt you should get a lot more than 5 degrees movement. In fact, the distributor should be free to rotate 360 degrees except for where the vacuum capsule (if fitted) bangs into the engine block. If, however, you only released the bolt that secures the distributor clamping plate to the block, you will only get a few degrees movement, and you will need to release the pinch bolt on the clamping plate to get enough movement. Try to set it up with so that the bolt in the slotted hole is about mid-way in the slot when you have the distributor in the right position. That way, future fine tuning can be done without undoing the pinch bolt again.
Many thanks David, it was the pinch bolt I loosened but I think the clamp has been misshapen over the years so it does not release the force on the distributor shaft well. I levered it apart a little more and gave it a lot more force and was able to get it to move all the way. So I think I will need to move all my spark plug HT leads one post over and then I will have the adjustment I need.
if this was a running engine before you started i think you are chasing your tail. can we establish you have got the engine timing set with #6 at TDC and the cams aligned with the timing plate, with the distributor rota in the 4 o’clock position?
Yes I have the engine timing set with #6 at TDC and the cams are aligned with the cam timing plate. The timing pointer has been moved about 1 degree and now points at zero on the crankshaft markings. The distributor does not have a vacuum advance as its an early 1969. I have checked the HT leads on the distributor cap are connected in 6-2-4-1-5-3 order in anti-clockwise direction with #6 lead in the 4 o’clock position. Then I checked compression and they were within 10% across all cylinders.
Next step is to setup the static timing at 10 degrees before TDC. I started on that today but ran out of time so will continue tomorrow. I had an issue with the pinch bolt on the distributor not releasing the pressure correctly but have fixed that so now have full motion. For the static timing I will set the timing pointer to 10 degrees before TDC#6, release the pinch bolt and with a test light between ground and negative coil terminal, rotate the distributor anti-clockwise until the light comes on. Hope to get that done tomorrow.
Understood. It sounds like you will be back to normal very soon. At the risk of being castigated I don’t bother with the test light. I get someone to press the starter whilst i slowly rotate the dizzy in both directions until it fires
Is this typical to have everything go out of time when removing cams? I thought the two bolts could be removed on each cam and the sprockets slightly moved away to pull the cams, not changing any cam or distributor timing. What happened here, or is this typical?
Tom, No its not typical, somethings is amiss here. Wish I was close to Jay to help out.
Last year I re adjusted all my tappets ,re-installed both cams and it fired right up without touching timing.
