Hi Listers
I am beginning to feel like the TR4 problems poster boy. But here is a
basic set of facts I need help with. I don't know the answer to a puzzle.
"Am I doing something basically wrong or is my distributor broken and
feeding in super advance". TRF has a UK rebuilt distributor for $260 and a
$40 core charge. I am willing to go this route to get past this problem but
I am not sure it is the fix and it is an expensive variable to change on
speculation.
I have a TR4/A Workshop Manual, a Clymers Maintenance Handbook and a "How to
Restore British Cars" book. They are all pretty clear about the importance
of static timing. When I use the static timing procedure with the light
bulb trick... start the car.... at 900 RPM the timing light shows the hole
in the pulley at about 1 1/2 inches before the timing mark. According to
the Clymers Handbook every 3/16 of an inch is equal to 4 degrees of advance.
That means I am up around 30 degrees instead of 4 degrees. If I raise the
RPM to 1500 or so.... the pulley hole goes out to about 2 1/2 or more from
the mark. If I retard the timing so that the timing hole is at the 4 degree
level the engine seems to get rough and lose idle speed.
This morning I am going to dismantle my distributor and see if the
centrifugal advance mechanism is assembled correctly and check that the
springs are all there.
Brian Sanborn
62 TR4 CT16260L - Groton, MA
sanborn@net1plus.com
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