The XK numbering starts at the firewall, and that is how they refer to it in all the manuals. They refer to #6 for setting the timing as there you can see the cam at the “rabbit ears” position by looking through the oil filler hole.
Did some PO label your wires bassackwards?
A video for you which will probably not help!
Hi Jim,
Thank you for the YouTube clip, it was helpful. However it contradicts Andrew’s diagram showing the firing order 180 deg out. I’m going to pull off the cam covers as they could probably do with new gaskets anyway. That way I will have my answer. After all this I will write out all I have been through and post it so as to help others with 3.4 MKII’s from the early 1960’s. Got to laugh - yes at me I guess!
Tim 
I can confirm that driving dog can go either way around as rolled pin hole is exactly radial. The dog offset is used to determine alignment with rotor arm.
You can try rewiring HT leads 180 out.
I just tried it with a dizzy I have that has the pin out.
Clive
As per our advice. No need to remove the cam covers.
David
Thank you Clive and David.
The gaskets are old and I have new ones so I’ll fit them and have a look at the same time.
Thank you Clive for confirming that it is in the centre. If it wasn’t, then it would have shaken itself to bits at high rev’s. The offset male dog drive naturally fits into the engine female drive to form one balanced union, just as nature intended!!
Cheers,
Tim
Hello again,
I received a very helpful diagram from Martin Jay at the Distributor Doctor in the UK. He’s such a helpful and knowledgeable person.
Here it is - it helped me and I hope it helps others too.
Cheers,
Tim
Eureka!
Following all the information I have been offered - thank you all very much - I finally got the car running and running beautifully.
Following the Service Manual I lined up number six cylinder position on the engine distributor drive.
I checked the dog drive on the distributor shaft as per Martin’s diagram and mine was correct.
I reset the points to the correct gap and installed the distributor.
I reset the static timing using the damper marks at 7 deg BTDC then moved the distributor until my circuit testing light just lit up as the points were just breaking. Tightened everything up then refitted the cap, plugs and leads. Number one (rear of motor) is just to the right of the lower cap clip on the distributor (where 3 is in Andrew’s diagram??). Firing order checked and rechecked and checked again. I knew I had power and spark, so the moment of truth! It went like a treat off the first push of the starter!
It’s evening here so the test run is tomorrow. Better take a few tools with me.
Thank you all once again and I hope my travails have helped others.
Cheers,
Tim
i have same problem tim fox, i have mk 2 3.8 l 1961 it will pop po a little no start have the same fire spark and good too.
Almost 4 years ago Andrew_Waugh (I mis his voice…actually I miss ALL the voices) said, “The firing order is 153624. Turn the engine over until you’re at TDC compression on #1. Wherever the rotor is pointing is where the wire for #1 must be connected. Connect the other 5 in order”…I did this today to my '70 black 2+2 and it back fired and back fired (did not hurt anything)…So I did what the other voices said, "put 6 in place of 1 then follow the firing order…in a counter clock wise direction so 6 2 4 1 5 3…this changes the dizzy by 180 degrees…and it runs like a charm (with this black 2+2 set the Damper marks at zero according to the pointer mounted on the E sump…then one cam lobe you can see looking thru the oil filler cap on the passenger side in POINTING OUTWARD…and now the unresolved issue the ROTOR IS POINTING away from the block directly at the outer clip this should be #1 NOT SO it is #6 and as the voices said follow thru 24153 counter clock…looking down at the dizzy…
Now my '69 white E 2+2 with the damper set at zero lobe pointed outward…the ROTOR IS POINTED AT # 6 (inward) then 24153…it runs great also
Finally, today 4/1/23 CEDAR IS BEING BORN (our first grand baby)
Mitch
ps…Most of this was written to honor the past voices and to help me remember…great to be alive
There’s plenty written about timing XK engines, but most manuals suggest timing from No 6 ( front), but the orientation of the plugs depends on how the distributor drive gear was aligned to the crank when ( if ) the engine was rebuilt. The drive dog has an offset so the distributor can only be inserted one way, not 180 out. If it’s been assembled incorrectly, the plugs need to be be reallocated as you have done.
Big congrats on the granddaughter, enjoy it while you can. Time speeds up big time once they arrive.
