Next issue, need to turn the dizzy one tooth

[AnkerB-S]

With both horn and flashers working as they should I need to turn the dizzy one tooth so I can dial in enough advance to prevent slight spitting out the carbs.

It doesn't look like there is room to move the dizzy a tooth without removing the carbs. Is that correct? The dizzy is the Lucas electronic ignition one with the huge rotor that I can't pull off. Is that the design, or did I just not pull hard enough? Without the rotor, there should be enough room. If that doesn't give me enough room, I'll have to remove the carbs again. I would like to do that this time by removing the manifold with the carbs. The manifold to head bolts are much easier to access and torque than the manifold to carb nuts. Because my car has the useless heater, I'll have to drain some coolant because the return hose from the heater goes to an outlet on the manifold.

I'd prefer to just lift the dizzy out a bit, move a tooth and reinsert it without going to all that trouble.

[Roger King]

Whoa................have you checked the ignition timing? Ideally on a Supersprint you should have around 12 degrees at idle and 35 degrees at full advance (from around 4500rpm).

The usual cure for light throttle spitting on a Supersprint is to change the 45F9 slow run jets to 50F9. You will appreciate all the usual caveats about my not knowing your individual engine, but this cures the problem 95% of the time assuming that you don't have other issues.

[AnkerB-S]

OK, since I wasn't getting an answer here, nor could I find anything in my search, I decided to take the carbs out and move the distributor the way I that I know doesn't break it.

This time I decided to remove it by taking the manifold off the head. 5 easily accessible bolts and nuts must be easier than the 8 that hold the carb to the manifold.

Oops, I have to drain the coolant before taking the manifold off. Why they don't have a petcock on the lowest place beats me, so I removed the lowest radiator hose and spilled a bunch of coolant on the garage floor because I wasn't prepared for the rush of coolant once the hose came off the radiator. And, yes, 4 of the 5 bolts and nut were a piece of cake. The 5th under the return for the cabin heater wasn't. Tolerances are too small for a socket and accessibility sucks. With an open-ended wrench I could turn it 1/12th of a turn before turning the wrench, giving it another 1/12th of a turn, etc, etc. Fortunately it loosened quickly and I could get it out with two fingers turning the nut. I ordered a special nut that is tall enough to allow a socket when I put it back on. The manifold did not want to come off with the bolts and nut off, but a plastic dead hammer loosened it, but not without breaking the gasket.

The distributor job took 5 minutes with the manifold out of the way, I have gasket material so I cut a new manifold gasket and when the new nuts (I always order an extra) arrives I will get it together again.

In conclusion, yes, it is easier to get the carbs off by separating the manifold from the head, but not a lot!

I actually enjoy the above. Getting to know the car by taking it apart and putting it back together again is something I enjoy.

[SLR No.77]

 

"OK, since I wasn't getting an answer here ..."

Did you check your ignition timing to answer Roger's question? If Roger interjects over a cross-flow query the rest of us wait, watch and learn!!

Stu.

[AnkerB-S]

Hmmm. I swore I had replied to Roger. And my comment was in no way judgment. I appreciate that we all have lots of things to worry about.

The answer is that the timing was just over 10 degrees when the cap touched the manifold. I had 12 degrees of advance before I pulled the carburetors the previous time and with that the car was happy with a smooth idle and no spitting out the carbs. So I knew the timing was off and could only be corrected by pulling the distributor and moving it a tooth so I could put enough advance on it. I have a really nice timing light that allows me to dial the advance I want and when the mark on the pulley lines up with the TDC mark on the case I know I have exactly what I want.

For everybody's information, the nut I bought is called a coupling nut and it is 1 inch long. Enough to allow a socket to go on when the nut screwed completely in. That will make the next removal a ton easier. It won't be long, because I plan to replace my home cut gasket with the stock one as soon as it makes it over here to Trumpland from Caterham.

Thanks/Anker

[SLR No.77]

I've just had to Google coupling nut! I hadn't realised that was the name for them, a few added to a toolkit could be very useful 

Stu.