WHICH TIMING MARK????? ( USING STROBE )

H

heapy

Member
Hello i have a 2.2 sc automatic p6 1974 and i am trying to time it with a proper strobe, I pulled out the ever useless haynes manual and it says to time it with the mark on the pully but not which one!!
i have done all the usual,, connect it to cylinder 4 lead, bring the revs to 750 rpm with the taco so as to not engage the weights, and disconnect the diaphragm. On the pully it has one short mark in the middle for top dead centre 4 very short marks either side then a long mark at the end on both sides where it says advance or retard. i set it so the middle mark ( tdc ) is bang on with the marker point. i had to twist the distributor 45 degrease to the left to do this!!. then after reconnecting the diaphragm the mark moved to about the 3rd very small mark on the pully. although it starts and ticks over, under load it had a couple of small back fires so i must have guessed wrong???
so basically could somebody tell me where the mark on the crank should be? whats the best way to burn my haynes manual and any other tips too.
Cheers, Keith.
 
Each mark represents 2 degrees + or -
I find it easier to mark the appropriate timing mark with a bit of tippex so its easier to see with a strobe,but I never use one.
I normally do what they call dial it in,which means set it static then turn dizzy L or R to obtain the fastest point then retard a little.
 
sorry harvey i meant bottom pulley not crank ! have edited it now lol. :O)

thanks pilkie but i know the marks represent degrees what i need to know is which one do i set the pointer too.!.
by doing it by the book and using the correct octane petrol etc i can tick them off one by one towards getting it to run correctly. well thats the plan anyway
Many thanks :O)
 
I've just done this job myself on mine tonight (manual not Auto) There are three big marks on the front pulley, representing 10deg BTDC, TDC, and 10deg ATDC. As pilkie says, the smaller marks represent 2deg intervals. These can be difficult to see with the strobe, so try cleaning the front pulley with some wet & dry or a wire brush to make things more visible.

The timing should be set to 8dec BTDC, so the last small mark before the big 10deg mark. If you're setting it to TDC, that's far too late and the engine won't run right at all. 750rpm sounds a bit quick to me. The car hand book says to set the RPM between 625 and 675 RPM. The tacho isn't that accurate, if possible you should use a meter to measure the RPM. I've borrowed a gunsons auto ranger from a friend for this purpose. I try to aim for the lower end of the rev range to make sure the centrifugal advance isn't doing anything, then up the idle slightly for a smoother tickover when the timing is set.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Car-GUNSONS-autor ... _666wt_704

They also make a new digital version, but that's quite expensive.

Try setting to 8deg BTDC as a start and go for a test run. If you get pinking, retard the timing a little, or run higher octane fuel. The engine was designed to run on 97RON, so super unleaded or regular with an octane booster (with valve additive in both).

Hope that helps, Tom.
 
ah righto! and thanks. i have bought an all singing n dancing stanley strobe with taco built in, so im ok on that side of things. and i run her on tescos 99 octane. one last thing tho. when i set it, thats still with the vacuum advance/retard disconnected then i take it..
cheers. :O)
 
The pointer should be pointing at the 3rd/4th mark,ie 6-8 deg BTDC as the points open,you can wire in a test lamp to determine this as you turn the dizzy when power is on.
if you still have a misfire,or popping,does it seem to come out the exh or out the air cleaner?
Any of these could be the fault!! Your carb mix could be too rich,worn needle,jet,the plugs the wrong type,condenser,rotor,sticky points,minute crack in cap,dizzy cap,dizzy weights,vacuum, loose,broken or faulty wire to dizzy,ballast,ign switch,starter,coil, any 1 or more of the plug leads,Ht lead,ballast resistor,coil,burnt valve,sticking valve,valve-cam gaps,fuel pump not delivering enough fuel,carb air leak.
On my cars,once its started and warmed up,I set the tickover to about 1500 then if it is misfiring when revved,I would turn the dizzy a tad either way,,,one way it will get worse,the other it will smooth out,just fine tuning like this to compensate for wear can sort it!
If doing this didnt make any difference,then I start looking at all the possibles one by one till I find it!
 
Just re-read your first post, I see you have a 2200sc. Mine's a TC, but from memory I think the timing for the SC is same. I don't have my handbook to hand to check.

Tom
 
Tom W said:
Just re-read your first post, I see you have a 2200sc. Mine's a TC, but from memory I think the timing for the SC is same. I don't have my handbook to hand to check.

Tom
Click to expand...


From the Legendary Haynes Book Of Lies and Half-Truths!

2000 (SC and Automatic with 9.0:1 Compression Ratio) - 4 deg BTDC

2000 (SC and Automatic with 7.5:1 Compression Ratio) - 6 deg BTDC

2000TC (all variants [with both 9.0:1 and 10.0:1 Compression Ratio]) - 6 deg BTDC

2200SC, 2200 SC Auto, and 2200TC (i.e all 2200 variants) - 8 deg BTDC

These of course assuming the car is running on petrol at or above the recommended octane rating for the particular model. (97 octane super unleaded, Shell V-Power, Tesco 99, etc [with suitable additive to prevent/reduce VSR, of course!!])
 
I've now found my handbook and workshop manual.

Wasted morning spent tidying my room when I should be fitting a Land Rover overdrive gearbox :(

Anyway,

From the 2200 owner's manual:

2200SC and automatic - static and dynamic 625 to 675rpm 8deg BTDC, with vacuum advance disconnected.
2200TC models - static and dynamic 625 to 675rpm 8deg BTDC, with vacuum advance disconnected.

I have no idea why they don't just print 8deg BTDC for all models.

From the Rover 2000-2200 repair operation manual:

2000SC and automatic - 9.0:1 comp ratio 4deg BTDC
- 7.5:1 comp ratio 6deg BTDC
2000TC - 10.0:1 comp ratio 6deg BTDC
- 9.00:1 comp ratio 6deg BTDC
2200 - 9.0:1 comp ratio 8deg BTDC

Earlier on the page the idle speed for all models is listed as 625 to 675rpm

It appears haynes are correct.
 
pilkie said:
The pointer should be pointing at the 3rd/4th mark,ie 6-8 deg BTDC as the points open,you can wire in a test lamp to determine this as you turn the dizzy when power is on.
if you still have a misfire,or popping,does it seem to come out the exh or out the air cleaner?
Any of these could be the fault!! Your carb mix could be too rich,worn needle,jet,the plugs the wrong type,condenser,rotor,sticky points,minute crack in cap,dizzy cap,dizzy weights,vacuum, loose,broken or faulty wire to dizzy,ballast,ign switch,starter,coil, any 1 or more of the plug leads,Ht lead,ballast resistor,coil,burnt valve,sticking valve,valve-cam gaps,fuel pump not delivering enough fuel,carb air leak.
On my cars,once its started and warmed up,I set the tickover to about 1500 then if it is misfiring when revved,I would turn the dizzy a tad either way,,,one way it will get worse,the other it will smooth out,just fine tuning like this to compensate for wear can sort it!
If doing this didnt make any difference,then I start looking at all the possibles one by one till I find it!
Click to expand...


Cheers all thats wrong originally was it had a slight misfire every now and then and on tick over / wasn't particularly smooth. a friend has the same model, year, same mileage even colour lol and his ticks over like a sewing machine!!
so just being fussy some might say. i just want to assure myself that its running at its absolute best and efficient.
however i cant remember off hand what sides the advance or retard writing was on on the pulley but when i first shone the strobe on it, it was a good couple inches past the ten degree long mark on the right side of the pulley. its only after i twisted the dizzy anticlockwise pulling the light mark to the left bang onto TDC that it started the slight backfire. i just hope that 8 deg BTDC is back to the right and a clockwise twist on the dizzy!! (or i may have problems ) iv not been to the car to check as im in the middle of trying to source the seals for the bloody servo too !! :O{
Cheers
 
if you are using basic unleaded fuel,it may not like it.
you may have to adjust the timing a tad to compensate,but even that may not do it!!
try using a high octane unleaded "shell Vmax" for a tankfull and see how that goes!
 
When you're facing the front of the car, looking down on the timing marks, the advance line is on the right. Or to put it another way, the advance line passes the timing mark first when the engine's running.

The rotor arm rotates anti clockwise, rotating the body of the dizzy clockwise will advance the timing. There's a vernier wheel on the distributor, opposite the vacuum module, for fine tuning.
 
Hello all and thanks. luckily btdc was a twist back to the right!! all set now bang on and running beautifully just want to check the mixture now.
Thanks again :O)
 
I've just been flicking through the Rover 2200 supplement to the workshop manual and found some different info on setting the ignition timing. This book recommends setting the timing to 8deg BTDC, but with the engine running at 550-600RPM. I don't know if the advance curve on later engines changed but this seems quite critical on mine. I fiddled with the ignition timing the other week and the fuel consumption went up by nearly 50% :shock: The engine still seemed to run fine, only difference was I'd set the ignition timing with the idle towards the upper end of the recommendation. It's now been reset with the idle as low as is comfortably possible without the engine dying. Fuel consumption seems much improved, though a faulty clutch cyl has prevented me from putting many miles on since the adjustments. Obviously the engine is very sensitive to the correct ignition timing, and at 675rpm the mechanical advance must be kicking in.

Tom
 
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