I only have experience of MGBs but would doubt that timing advanced/retarded
and problems with cranking have anything to do with each other.
Pinging/pinking usually means the timing is too advanced, but rather than
just retarding it a little you need to check the centrifugal and vacuum
advance mechanisms - an adjustable timing light makes this a doddle - bad
springs in the former can cause too much advance at too low an rpm even
though the normal static and dynamic figures seem correct.
Cranking speed is usually affected by voltage (assuming that you are not
altering the compression at all), so measure the voltage at the starter
while cranking with each method and work back towards the battery till you
find a point where the voltages are the same. The fault should lie just
forward of that point.
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
From: Blake Wylie <blake_wylie@hotmail.com>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2000 10:58 PM
Subject: Hard Start...MGA 1800 Engine (and a timing question)
> Finalizing some things on my MGA. I have an 1800 3-man engine in it, and
> when I go to crank it, it just seems to have a hard time turning the
engine
> over. When I have the ignition off, it turns over fine, but when I turn
the
> key off, it just has a very hard time turning the engine over to start
(and
> probably causing the starter some bad wear). It starts and runs fine
> (although the timing seems to be off a little...I get a little ping when
> going up a hill, and it doesn't have as much power...would that be a case
of
> needint to retard or advance the timing? I can't remember). Any ideas as
> to what could be causing this? I do have a couple of modifications...it
> could be a compression issue as I have a 73-74 head on it and a
performance
> cam (last time I checked the compression, it was around 160 on each
> cylinder). Perhaps the hard start is just the side effect of the higher
> compression...but why wouldn't it do it when the ignition is off? I just
> don't want to have to replace my starter that often if it can be helped.
:)
>
> Any suggestions? Also, as an aside, I retarded the timing a bit (in
> thinking that I needed to retard the timing because of the pinging and
lack
> of power on hills...I may have it backwards). I wasn't able to crank it
at
> all when I retarded it though.
>
> Anyway, thanks in advance. :)
>
> -Blake Wylie
> 1960 MGA
> 1963 MGB basket case
> _________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
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