[Mgs] MGA 180 out Distributor Mystery

[Stephen West-Fisher]

You are probably correct in this application, but...
I would not generalize this to all engines. I seem to recall something about
the lobe timing being different on some engines, but I do not recall the
application just now. It may have been high performance air cooled engines
trying to control the heat so different timing per cylinder.

--
Stephen West-Fisher
N4IK
-----Original Message-----
From: mgs-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:mgs-bounces at autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of Clayton Kirkwood
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2012 7:41 PM
To: 'MG List'
Subject: Re: [Mgs] MGA 180 out Distributor Mystery

Correct me if I am wrong please, but it seems the only reason to set the
distributor up "right" with the rotor pointing to the 1st cylinder (1
oclock) is so that everybody does it the same way and nobody gets confused
like this. If the distributor is 180 degrees out, one only need change the
wires around. In fact, you could technically put the distributor in in any
orientation and as long as you get cyl 1 tdc on the compression stroke and
turn the distributor body to line up the rotor with the cyl 1 ignition wire
you would be ok. Of course, you may have problems with the vacuum advance
alignment but that is a different story. I think it basically comes down to
everybody agreeing to one convention like driving on the left side of the
road is wrong:>)

Clayton