Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,

Hope this is the right place, I have posed before in this one! I am trying to get the timing right with the magneto and engine and I am just wondering - which is cylinder #1 on the sidevalve engine? And... by the crank start mechanism there is a small solid wheel, on the top of which there is a line stamped with a number 1 on one side and number 4 on the other. Does this indicate TDC or other timing mark? There's a picture here... https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iuI8ICjsD_A/ ... 174741.jpg

Thanks!

Nic

PM sent.
If anyone understands magnetos they are welcome to contribute

It certainly sounds like it must be TDC.
Are there any other marks on it?

Hi,

Thanks Mike - PM returned.

Yes I think it's TDC - I am trying to marry up tdc with the spark position on the magneto - it then connects a little pin into the timing chain and one does the nut up on the back of the engine. I have just looked carefully at the magneto and seen that it has a little dot hammered into it just before the half speed gear reaches what I think is #1 firing position, so I'm gonna get the engine to TDC and line the dot up to 12 o'clock. Then I'll hope for the best!

If there is anyone who knows anything about magnetos, please let me know! I'm really just experimenting as there was no real documentation produced!

Also, I have a stuck open valve on #1 cylinder. I has not been stuck for long, but the engine has not been started for 8 months. It turns over well and other valves open and close as they should. Would just rotating the engine potentially free the valve or can I use a little oil down it? Lots of advice on american websites around the flathead fords says to put penetrating oild down the valve and just run the engine to see if it unsticks??

Cheers!

Try removing the spark plug, squirt a drop of oil on the valve and tap the valve head with the pointy end of a screw driver. Or remove the tappet chest cover and check the spring is correctly seated

These people have a manual;
http://www.thamesengines.co.uk/6.html

Thanks for the help!

I have a manual for the engine but it doesn't talk very much about timing, I have found a workshop manual for the automotive version that is more helpful and between them I can hopefully work it out. Sadly it doesn't have much info on timing the magneto either.

The mark on the crank starter is TDC as having opened the valve cover, both tappets on #1 are down. Hopefully, just putting a little oil down the valve stem will release it and it'll run - here's hoping!

Thanks!