Morris Minor Owners Club

I hope someone can help me. I have been putting my 67 minor together over the past few months, but have hit a snag - How do I adjust the timing - It is fitted with a 1275 ital engine. I have never checked or adjusted timing before adn do not have a strobe light. Any help would be appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.

Hi cheeky, If you have a look in the haynes type manual you will find a chapter on how to set the STATIC IGNITION TIMING its fairly straight forward but too long winded to type up, well with my pick'n'peck style ! Lol.

The manual states that on #4 cylinder the inlet valve should be opening and the exhaust valve closing in order to find TDC.....which is the inlet and which is the exhaust?
cheers

if you take all the plugs out, put the car in 4th gear and pull the car towards you. The exhaust valve will close fulley(rocker slack)and the inlet open. if still not sure put a screw driver gentley in the spark plug hole and pull the car towrds you. An inlet will open only when the piston is going down and the exhaust will only open when the pston is going up. In this position the inlet valve should be opening and the exhaust valve closing on no4 cylinder, this is called on the rock, no1 cylinder will be at TDC. Hope this helps

Cheeky, soft as it seems compare the valves over the manifold.... exhaust valves are directly over the exhaust exit etc., Paul had 'the rock' right but as I read your last post you were asking which is which, I'll if you did understand though

It's easier to use the starting handle. To adjust the timing (why do you think it needs adjusting ?) you slacken the dizzy clamo and turn it very slightly. Clockwise advances, anti clock retards. Best way to set it is to advance slightly and check for pinking on a hill - and keep doing this till it pinks, then retard again so it does NOT pink. You have now set the timing perfectly for your engine - static settings are only a guesstimate made many years ago. Your engine is not brand new - and petrol type has changed significantly since then. Pinking - in case of doubt - is light metallic 'pinging' or 'pinking' or light metallic rattle noise heard when engine is asked to pull hard up a hill at say 40 mph in 4th gear. It's not a noise you want to hear - so when you do get it, back off the timing until you perhaps just hear the slightest little rattle just as you accelerate - but it must not go on pinking continuously since this is engine damaging.

How much should the distributor be moved? Do I rotate the distributor 1° for a 1° change in timing?

The rotor arm goes around once in every two revs of the engine, so rotating the distributor by one degree would change the timing by two degrees... I think.

Do I rotate the distributor 1° for a 1° change in timing?

For tiny amounts its easier to use the vernier adjustment.

Has a 1275 ital got a starting handle

It has if you have (wisely) fitted the dog from the old engine !

Many thanks for the replys, in answer to your questions, there is no starting handle on the 1275 ital engine however I have the crank nut from a 1098 - is there any problems changing them?
The car has been in 'bits!' from 1997 (well date of last tax disc) - When I got the car back from welding two years ago it came a couple of boxes of bits which I now discover contain 2 distributors, 2 manifolds, two carbs and two airfilters of various models/conditions, hence need to set the timing form start.
I was afraid of trying to start the engine incase I did any damage without setting the timing first.

cheekytrucker wrote:however I have the crank nut from a 1098 - is there any problems changing them?

Just swop them over

cheers
G.

Put a blob of Loctite on the threads. So - far basic timing setting it's back to basics. Rocker cover off and turn the engine forwards until #1 cylinder is at tdc with the two valves just 'rocking' - both open very slightly. At this point #4 is in the firing position (both valves closed) - so check the rotor arm is now pointing to # 4 plug lead. Then have a look at the points - they should 'just' have opened - turn the dizzy if necessary to get this. It should start set like this - but if you find the engine is 'kicking' against the starter motor - then retard it slightly before it breaks the Bendix on the starter!