[TR] weird distributor "out of phase" problem--Arrgh!

[terryrs at comcast.net]

Hi, Tim.  You wouldn't happen to have a clogged fuel filter in there somewhere, would you?  Or maybe a defective fuel pump?

Terry Smith, '59 TR3A  TS 58667
New Hampshire

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Gaines" <mtgaines at presby.edu>
To: triumphs at autox.team.net
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2015 11:14:31 AM
Subject: Re: [TR] weird distributor "out of phase" problem--Arrgh!

Jeez, I hate it when I say I'm sure of something and then have to take it back.  When I do it with the wife, I never hear the end of it.  But then, she does it as often as I do, I'm SURE.

I just looked closely at the valve rockers, and sure enough, the ones at cylinder #1 are set for exhaust.  I'd been seeing them all afternoon, convinced they were both closed.  Ah well, I learned that distributors are made to be inserted into the slot only one way.  Now I'm faced with the original problem of getting the old girl started.  The spark looks good and strong at all 4 plugs, so I guess I'm getting into the carb again.

Thanks for the good advice and explanations, and here is one more question.  How do I get an approximate static timing setting with the Lucas electronic ignition.  Do I align the little pick-up arm in the distributor with something when I have the crank set where I want it (probably at 10 degrees btdc)?  On my TR6 (with points), I know how to do it with a test light.  Can you do that with this electronic setup?

Thanks again,
Tim


>I need help with a weird situation that arose as I tried to bring my 1980 
>Spitfire back to life after 3 years in the garage.  The last time it ran, 
>the engine would cycle between excessive rpms and then a near stall under 
>no load.  Under load, it almost always stalled.  I had a lot going on at 
>the time and devoted whatever free time I had to my TR6 (Herman van den 
>Akker's transmission conversion).  So, this past week I put time in with 
>the Spit.  I took off the Stromberg carb and the manifolds, cleaned 
>everything up, replaced gaskets (including the manifold gasket), checked 
>all the vacuum lines, and even repaired the vacuum retard unit.  I drained 
>out the old oil and replaced it with new and put on a new filter.  I pulled 
>the old spark plugs and squirted some light oil into the cylinders.  Over 
>the next few days I was able to rotate the engine by hand a few degrees and 
>then completely with the starter.  I checked compression, and though it 
>wasn't great, it seemed good enough to get i
> t started (120, 105, 110, 110).  The carb is one with the auto choke.  It 
> actually seemed very clean inside, but I did find that the auto choke body 
> was a little loose.  I figured that must be my problem, and I made sure it 
> was tight after replacing the gasket there.  I put everything back on 
> (with some gas in the float chamber), drained the little bit of old gas 
> out of the tank and replaced with new and a new fuel filter, got new spark 
> plugs and checked the ignition for sparks (fine).
>
> On my first attempt at a start, I really thought I had it.  I got a good 
> sputter.  But after that, I never came close.  Today, in total 
> exasperation, I checked the distributor (with cylinder 1 at tdc for sure) 
> and found it to be 180 degrees out of phase.  That surprised me because I 
> don't ever remember taking it out before.  But, my memory isn't what it 
> used to be, and I figured I must have looked at it 3 years ago.  Now, 
> absolutely sure that I was close to getting it started, I tried to put the 
> distributor back in the right way.  After 90 minutes of not being able to 
> seat it, I was near crazy.  At that point I rotated it 180 degrees to the 
> WRONG orientation, and it went right in, no trouble at all!  So, I removed 
> the outer channel that the distributor shaft slides into, and that allowed 
> me to clearly see the slot I was trying to hit.  I could see that the 
> distributor dog was NEVER going to fit the slot the right way; it was 
> nearly 1/8" off.  That means that it NEVER was in the slot
> in that orientation!
>
> So, I've reached two conclusions, one that I'm sure of but very surprised 
> at.  There is only one way to put in my distributor, a Lucas electronic 
> ignition model.  Was it made to go in only one way?!  The other conclusion 
> is that somehow the timing chain must have slipped, maybe on my first 
> attempt to start the engine, to where it ended up just about 180 degrees 
> out of phase.  That would account for my problem, right?
>
> So, am I thinking straight here?  If so, I need to go after the timing 
> chain next.
>
> Thanks for listening,
>
> Tim Gaines
> Clinton, SC
> 1974 TR6
> 1980 Spitfire
>

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