newprotest.org: TIMING THE DISTRIBUTOR

TIMING THE DISTRIBUTOR

November 17, 2007
by: jovial_cynic
Oh boy.

For the longest time, I've had trouble getting my engine to start up easily, and just figured that it was a problem with my carburetor settings. I'd spray some carb cleaner into the engine, and the engine would kick over, but it would take forever to get it really going.

I chatted with my brother-in-law (a VW mechanic) he suggested that my ignition timing might be WAY off. He was skeptical of his own answer at first, since I mentioned that I could eventually get the engine running, but he recommended that I take the bolt off the distributor and turn it clockwise past what the housing typically allows you to go. Sure enough, it fired up right away.

After asking some of the folks on the datsun mailing list, that means that the distributor spindle coming up from the oil pump is off, and that I can simply pop off the distributor, grab a hold of the spindle, drop the oil pump, and lower the spindle and rotate it and bring it back up.

Well, it sounds easy. We'll see.
np category: 510
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COMMENTS for TIMING THE DISTRIBUTOR


Joel Bahu said:
Did you think about your timing chain? They get loose with age and you can reset the sprocket to compensate.

Joel

January 14, 2008


jovial_cynic said:
The timing chain affects valve timing, which doesn't seem to be the problem. It's the ignition timing.

Also, I installed a new chain when I assembled the engine, so chain-slop wouldn't be the issue here. Thanks, though.

January 14, 2008


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