I will soon need a padded cell if this goes on. Here's the facts of the case m'Lud.

I replaced a head gasket on my AAU Mk3. Afterwards - it didn't start (you might have seen the vid I put on here with all smoke and stuff coming out the carb!)

I got it started by advancing the distributor all the way. It ran but as you might expect it pinked a lot and idled like lumpy custard.

After a few days I put the dizzy back where it used to be. The car ran sweet for couple of days,but then a serious misfire and lack of power (only when cold and only at the bottom end) appeared when pulling away.

This morning it wouldn't start at all, so as an experiment I advanced the dizzy again. Now it runs but of course it's pinking again and idling like my wife's gravy (lumpy).

What's a po' boy to do?

Take it to a garage and get the to time it..?

That's what I'm doing with my newly built engine.

Take it to a garage and get the to time it..?

What, pay money? Hmmm. hadn't thought of that! Do you think I've messed up the basic engine timing when I reassembled the lump?

I did. Mine now sounds like a transit van, and the rev's don't drop straight away when you come off the throttle. Its got a little better with some 'spirited' driving, but i wouldn't reccomend that if you're wanting to keep the engine. Get it to a garage, or get a home tuning company out if you can't drive it. I've lost both camshaft and ignition timing, so mines fucked.

Just glad I'm getting a new engine!

Sounds to me like the cam timing is out a tooth. Check it again. Have you done ignition timing with a strobe or by eye and guess work?

Sounds to me like the cam timing is out a tooth. Check it again. Have you done ignition timing with a strobe or by eye and guess work?

Eyes and guesses, mate! Did buy a strobe but I couldnt make it fit in the HT circuit anywhere!

Was wondering whether to fiddle with the cam timing - I guess I will after all!!!

Cheers all!!!

Sounds like the camshaft timing is out by a darn sight more than a notch - you're surely lucky to have not bent valves. What you going to do with a strobe? Nothing to do with cam timing. Double check the marks on the crank wheel and camshaft wheel line up properly. It sounds like about two-three notches of retard,which would open the inlet valves too early. The cam timing isnt adjustable. Its either right or its not. Make sure ve crankshaft alternator pulley is on properly (there's a notch between two of the four bolts),then line the mark on its inner rim with the O pointer,then make sure the dot on the cam sprocket is lined up with that pointer. Only other thing I'm thinking of is HT leads;

cylinder from front - dizzy from front:

1 - top front

2 - top rear

3 - bottom front

4 - bottom rear

Sounds like the camshaft timing is out by a darn sight more than a notch - you're surely lucky to have not bent valves. What you going to do with a strobe? Nothing to do with cam timing. Double check the marks on the crank wheel and camshaft wheel line up properly. It sounds like about two-three notches of retard,which would open the inlet valves too early. The cam timing isnt adjustable. Its either right or its not. Make sure ve crankshaft alternator pulley is on properly (there's a notch between two of the four bolts),then line the mark on its inner rim with the O pointer,then make sure the dot on the cam sprocket is lined up with that pointer. Only other thing I'm thinking of is HT leads;

cylinder from front - dizzy from front:

1 - top front

2 - top rear

3 - bottom front

4 - bottom rear

No no, mate. The cam timings not that bad! I've been zipping the fucker up and down the M11 all week! Just needs a little bit of adjustment I reckon.. The leads are deffo on right, cos I checked the bastards many times!! I definitely will be checking the timing marks, but the same thought occurred to me about the crank pulley, and I was pretty careful to make sure it was on right.

Though I certainly appreciate your input, Mikey - ta!!

Edited 14 July, 200719 yr by Chuck Yoghurt

Ah,well if the dizzy is in its original place,it shouldnt feel any different - any dizzy timing would be fractional. But it'd run fine with the belt a notch out,so thats main suspect. A notch of advance will have it sounding a bit more aggressive,but it'd have no top end (you'd struggle to hit the rev limiter,i should think) whilst a notch of retard would have it feeling lethargic in comparison.

If you get to know a friendly local garage it's not too much to get it done...

Got timing and tracking done on Friday, cost me £15 :)