[TR] Fwd: [Fot] Wayne's TR-6

[Tony Drews]

I think Greg intended to send this to the TR list, not the FOT 
list...  GREAT info.

- Tony

>From: "Greg Solow" <gregmogdoc at surfnetusa.com>
>To: "Friends of Triumph" <FOT at autox.team.net>
>Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 22:18:09 -0700
>Organization: Engine Room
>
>A '73 TR_6 was originally timed at 4 Degree after top Dead Center with the
>vacuum retard connected and working. With the retard disconnected, the "static
>timing", ie. with the engine NOT RUNNING will be at around 12 to 16 degrees
>BTDC. With the engine at an idle speed of around 750 -800 RPM, and the retard
>disconnected, the ignition timing with a light should be about 18 degree BTDC.
>With the engine accelerating up to about 4500 rpm, the timing should advance
>to 34 to 36 degrees BTDC. You MUST run at least 91 octane gas in this engine
>or you are likely to damage internal parts. The higher the octane the better.
>Remember, in 1973 gas was rated differently, It was "Research Octane" and the
>number for a TR-6 was 98 octane. The current rating system uses a number 5
>lower, so the current version of the same performance would be 93 octane. You
>have raised the compression, the engine now wants even higher octane gas!
>     In tuning a car, you always set the valve lash, then the timing, then
>adjust the carburetor idle speed and mixture. The Emission Control Stromberg
>carbs that came on your car cannot be properly tuned by the methods that you
>mentioned. When they are set correctly, raising the air valve will always
>cause the engine to stall. The needles and mixture was set up by the factory
>for passing emissions tests, not for performance. The jets must not be worn,
>the needles must not be worn, the fuel levels must be set to the proper
>height, the idle speed must be correct. The temperature compensators must be
>in good working condition, and the idle "throttle by-pass  valves" must be
>working properly. Then the mixture can be set by raising and lowering the
>mixture needles in the air valves. This should be done on an exhaust analyzer
>following the instructions in the workshop manual. For everything to work
>properly, the vacuum retard must also be working!  This is so because with the
>ignition retarded to 4 Degrees ATDC, the throttle opening screws on the
>carburetors have to be screwed down way more to in effect "speed up the idle"
>.  with everything set properly, if the retard is not working, the timing will
>be around 20 degrees BTDC and the engine will idle at 1500 rpm or so.
>     Sorry, I am sure this is not the answer you wanted to hear!.
>     It is might be possible to make things work without the retard applied,
>but everything else needs to be perfect, and the throttle by-pass valves on
>the carburetors will probably have to be modified to prevent them from opening
>and bleeding air around the throttle plates causing the idle to raise up even
>higher.
>
>                            Regards,
>
>                                Greg Solow
>
>The Engine Room
>Sports Car Specialists
>Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060
>831 429-1800