Re: [T3] Distributor misalignment?

[Simon Glen <simonglen@bigpond.com>]

Daniel,

I once had the same sort of problem with a 1969 Type36.
In fact, somebody had put several marks on the distributor
rim and I didn't know which one to believe.

To find TDC for cylinder number one, I took the spark
plug out of number one, put a screw driver in the hole
and watched the screw driver move in and out as I turned
the engine via the generator/fan.  At the same time, I watched
the four cams on the distributor shaft inside the distributor.
When the screw driver was pushed out furthest through the
plug hole I knew it was top dead centre but when this occured
when the distrubutor cam opened the contact breaker points
then I knew it was at the top dead centre of the compression
stroke and not the exhaust stroke.

Then I set about setting the tappets in the normal way.

Simon Glen
Toowoomba,  Australia.

Daniel Baum wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I set out to adjust my valves today, and as usual I was stopped dead by
> something before I even got started. It's time somebody wrote a book called
> "How to keep your 30 year old Type 3 that stone-age hacks have been messing
> about with for the last 25 years alive"
>
> Anyway, to the point. I searched for TDC of cylinder one., and there is
> never a situation where the timing marks are at the top and the distributor
> rotor lines up with the line in the side of the distributor. The line points
> towards the rear right of the car at about 45 degrees. I can line up where I
> expected the line to be (pointing to the front right of the car at about 45
> degrees) with the timing marks. There is (I think) a situation where the
> bottom of the pulley (the center of the three bridged teeth) lines up with
> the notch.
>
> I conclude from this that the distributor is misaligned somehow. Can anyone
> tell me whether I have misunderstood something or what I need to do about
> it? The amazing thing is that the car runs and idles really well, and
> frankly, I am tempted to leave well enough alone. How would I adjust the
> valves in this situation, without messing with the distrbutor?
>
> BTW, I did connect up a digital tach-dwell meter (several days ago, the
> engine is stone cold now) and it read 47.8, which I understand is well
> within spec.
>
> Regards,
>
> Daniel

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