timing No 4

[sidsmith]

Hi all , here's a good one , I had problems with the splitscreen breaking down and then starting again after 10 mins every time I went out, so I thought I would investigate. I put a new dizzy cap on, new plug leads that went to the correct plugs and swapped the coil for a different one. Now this is the problem , I took No 1 plug out and turned the starting handle until I got TDC on No 1, I looked at the dizzy and the rotor arm was in the position for firing at No 4 plug, and the car won't even start now , even though there is a good spark at the points and the timing didn't need doing Anybody got any ideas, apart from the possibility that whoever had the car before me did some work on the engine and inadvertently put the dizzy in back to front.
The car has been changed to neg' earth and everything is as it should be .
answers / possibilitys would be of a great help.
mungo

[PSL184]

Its quite easy to get the dizzy in the wrong place and if your rotor arm is pointing to number 4 then you are 180 deg out ?? Just swop the leads assuming that number 1 is actually number 4 on your dizzy and mark them up for future reference. My Traveller is the same. If I follow the dizzy round it fires 4 3 1 2
Alternatively take out dizzy and turn it round.....

[bmcecosse]

Did you note the position of the #1 plug lead BEFORE you changed the cap - and now is it exactly the same ? If so - that's not the problem!! You say #1 at TDC - but is it on the compression stroke - with both valves closed ?? When 'sorting problems' you should only ever change ONE thing at a time ! You changed 3 things - and now the car doesn't go! Try refitting all the old parts exactly as they were before - does it go now ?
Look at the new dizzy cap - does it have a little carbon brush (spring loaded) in the centre - and is it the SAME type of cap as the old one - make sure the rotor arm (and I would change that !) is the correct one for the new dizzy cap.

[GeoffC]

Have you got a spark at the plugs?

[sidsmith]

yes I have got a spark at the plugs, that's what makes me think that the firing order is wrong. when I turn it over the plug sparks and there is a good spark on the points, I think because it is getting to the plugs it's getting there at the wrong time to start the car, so I think I will try as PSL says first and re do the leads. ( when it stops raining ) wish me luck.

[PAULJ]

When you say you turned the engine untill No1 was at TDC no 4 will also be at TDC you need to make sure NO1 is at TDC on compressiom. If the car ran then stoped as you say it wont be leads the wrong way round. I would consider a fuel blockage. Do you have an in line filter

[sidsmith]

cracked it, I had a word with my cousin who used to race cars for the austin when it was the austin many years ago and he said move the dizzy back to the proper position by stripping it out and taking the clamp off and taking the spindle drive out and through trial and error get the spindle drive back in and inserting the dizzy until the rotor was at No 1. it took a few attempts by taking the dizzy in and out and moving the spindle drive a notch at a time. whilst doing this No 1 was at TDC on the compression stroke, and with a little tweaking of the dizzy to get the spark at the right time I started it and it purred into life. It only took 3hrs and numerous cups of tea and now i'm ready for the dreaded MOT. thanks all for your input, it was a real help to be pointed in the right direction.
cheers mungo

[Kevin]

It only took 3hrs and numerous cups of tea

Well done, I often find the cups of tea help and are of course compulsory

[bmcecosse]

But if the dizzy was not removed before - you shouldn't have had to do this! All you had to do was move the leads round until you reached the same result! However - well done, and top marks for perseverence!

[sidsmith]

yes I think the dizzy was removed before, in fact whoever had the car before me has done quite a bit of codges on it, I'm finding something new each time I play with it. the latest is the rocker arms , their off the later car although it won't do any harm I shall just use it as it is until I can replenish the old monetary kitty to replace them. my personal opinion is that because there's not a lot of history with the car only MOT'S going back to 1993 I think that somebody had bought it as a write off and done extensive welding and the like to get it back on the road and consequentially took short cuts with some of the jobs. once again thanks for the input.
cheers mungo

[bmcecosse]

Later rocker arms are fine on a standard engine - don't worry. They are only a potential problem with high lift cams and heavy valve springs.

[linearaudio]

Its not every car that has a full history with it. Doesn't mean anything untoward. Someone may have looked at the rocker arms the other way, heard tales of the pressed steel ones splaying under (extreme)provocation, and decided the later ones were a safer bet. You don't know what ideas previous owners had!Don't worry about them- you will be wasting money and time changing them on a standard engine!