To much advance will make an engine turn hard, and if
you are watching on a failed attempt to start it, it
may rock back or even try to run backwards when you
let off the starter. Had a Buick 231 doing this; ran
like a top, no pinking, until she ate the head gasket
one day.
--- Blake Wylie <blake_wylie@hotmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>
_________________________________________________________________________
>
>
=====
77 MGB
58 Willys CJ-3B
Other newer vehicles of no significant value other than getting from point A to
point B.
__________________________________________________
Yahoo! Photos - 35mm Quality Prints, Now Get 15 Free!
http://photos.yahoo.com/
|