Timing.....again.

[bluegrass]

I'm messing around with the timing on my 1098. I have fitted a powerspark ignition kit and a reconditioned vacuum advance, and am setting the timing. I understand the advance till pinking method, but cant seem to get it to pink, or at least i dont hear it.

My questions are:

1) If checking timing with a strobe light, should the vacuum advance be connected or not, and if not do i need to block the vacuum pipe in some way or not?

2) Best tick-over (Or at least faster tickover) seems to be 10btc or higher....I'm assuming that's too high?

Thanks for any advice.

[GBond]

As you I can't hear pinking ever. What I did was start at around 6 btc and leave it there; before every drive I'm advancing about 5 clicks until the car performs as I want it to. I'm guessing it's going to be around 7-9 btdc and yes, leave everything connected when using the strobe light and check that the idle is slow enough.

[bmcecosse]

Miracle engines that don't pink !

[MarkyB]

I recently had a very similar experience to Bluegrass, fitted a new electronic dizzy then couldn't provoke it to pink, managed to provoke a leak from the head gasket in the attempt

Maybe they are sneakily adding knock sensors these days?

[bmcecosse]

My engine rattles like marbles in a can if I move it even slightly towards advance.......

[Trickydicky]

My engine rattles like marbles in a can if I move it even slightly towards advance.......

Could that be down to the 018" thou valve gaps Roy?

[les]

----small ends I reckon.

[chesney]

Or those overly large 'bin lid' Wolseley drums vibrating against the backplate

[chickenjohn]

Hi Ivor,
drive down to me and I'll set the timing for you! No charge.

Pinking is easy to recognise once you get used to the sound.

cheers

John

[alexandermclaren]

S

Or those overly large 'bin lid' Wolseley drums vibrating against the backplate

[bluegrass]

Thanks for the posts, and thanks for the offer John, I'll be in touch..

My lack of pinking recognition 'experience' gave me an idea: This may be a good opportunity to produce the Cd "Worrying Sounds of the Morris Minor"
that contains classic Morris problems and the tell-tale sounds associated with them? It could be a winner

[kennatt]

or a loose coil

[bmcecosse]

Very poor compression can mean 'no pinking'.......

[MarkyB]

Interesting point, it has this head fitted;[frame][/frame]

It can pink, but that may only be when running on French petrol.
Other than that it pulls like a train

[bmcecosse]

That's a standard 998 Mini 'unleaded' head (pssst..it's not really unleaded - but it does have better quality exhaust valves...still set 15 thou gap!) - with the small inlet valves - same as the 948 head. If it's on a 1098 engine it will have raised the CR slightly.....which should promote pinking!! However the downside is that the smaller valves and poor flow through the ports will more than wash out any power gained from the raised CR...