[TR] Timing & Fred

[Paul Dorsey]

List,
My engine ran for a while today.  It gets gas from a funnel contraption that
hangs over the carbs.  Someone told me this is ok to do.

I couldn't find the procedure to static time the TR in either of the Workshop
Manuals I've got.  From my 63 bug days, I think it went like this:  Set
everything at TDC: crank pulley notch should be at pointer and dizzy shows #1
at the firing position).  Hook up 12v lamp between points (coil wire) and
ground. Loosen base clamp of dizzy.  Rotate it clockwise until light goes off
and then counter-clockwise until light first comes on.  Tighten clamp.
QUESTION:  Do I anything backwards like clockwise and counter-clockwise mixed
up!

Now for the reason for my different dizzy than the normal distributor for a 60
TR3:

God rest his soul, but, Fred from this list told me to buy another distributer
for my 60 TR3.  He had done much research and concluded that the 25 D
distributor would do me better.  I think his reasoning was that since I had
upped the cc's from 1991 to 2140 (i think?) that the more recent distributor
would account for the increased chamber.  He had me thinking that need for the
24 D was not widely accepted.  In my own niaveteeee I said, "do you think the
TR3 racer's know about this?".  He reassured me they had their own type
dizzies.  I told him about about a guy from the Mid=states (maybe named Paul)
who offered me a Overdrive Tranny for $800.  I told him that I couldn't afford
it and I think Fred proably tried to scoop it himself.  Boy was I dumb!  But
that's my Fred story, this story sounds kinda humerous and I ought to share it
with the list.

Anyway, that's the reason I've got a 24 D distributor on my car that's up on
stilts!   Fred also had told me not to run my professionally rebuilt motor
until I was able to drive it and properly seat the valves.  Oh well!  It seems
to run ok, although It never has been on the road... something that's my
fault. The 24 D dizzy has a small grove in the outer casing which I recognised
as similar to a 63 VW I once had.  This grove was oriented towards #2
pushrod's casting and so I loosened the base of the distributor and turned it
so that this slit seemed oriented towards the #1 cylinder's L pushrod.
Eureka!  It then started.  Rough...but, it ran!

Thanks, Paul Dorsey  TS 78316