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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - ignition's silly question

is the cylinder N°1 the one in front of the car, or the one near the gearbox?

WHY this silly question?

I have troubles with the ignition.
The front cylinder is TDC.
The inlet valve of the rear cylinder is just opening.
The distributor has only one place to be inserted in the casing.
The rotor arm is in front of a slot of the distributor cover. Is this slot must be connected to the front cylinder or the rear cylinder?

At that time it is plug to the front cylinder, and I ask myself if my ignition is at 180°?

laurent
ld derancourt

front cyl in the car is #1

A
Anthony Cutler

nr 1 is the radiator side
Onno Könemann

If the inlet valve is just opening on the rear cylinder (Gearbox end) that should mean that the valves on the front cylinder are fully closed (Radiator no1) then the rotor arm should be pointing to number 1 cylinder ignition lead.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

so everything was good.
thanks a lot
ld derancourt

Not good at all.

So what I have done:

Cyl 1&4 at TDC
valves 1&2 have got play at the rockers
valves 7 just before opening
the rotorarm (metal part) is in front of slot of the N°1 cylinder
distributor turned on the left, and with a 12V lamp, I turn right (clockwise) to have the lamp lights.

When I try to start the car, I have got a big detonation in the exaust silencer.

What is the trouble?

laurent
ld derancourt

I am no expert but are you sure you are setting the timing at TDC after the compression stroke and not the exhaust stroke?
GrahamMV

If you were American, I wouold ask if you have the wires from 2 and 3 switched. Please remember that the rotor turns anti-clockwise. Since you are French, you probably already know this and I am just wasting your time....
David "Chevy rotors turn clockwise" Lieb
David Lieb

Graham,
I didn't have advance but the detonation were after the the compression stroke

Lieb,
I am a french with two left hands. So when I have the two HT leads in each hand, difficult to know wich HT lead is in the good left hand....
ld derancourt

ID...
A simple way to tell which hand is left or right is to sit in your French car and the hand that does the shifting or playing with the ladies knee is the right hand.But the other hand on a ladies knee is also the right hand.
Vive La France
Sandy
Sandy Sanders

How far have had things apart?Is the drive dog that drives the distributor from the camshaft in correctly an not 180 deg out, as dist.will only go in one way.
Noel Copping

Laurent

I'm 100% with David.
From your post above, it looks like you have no 1 and no 4 correct. This being the case, the detonation in the exhaust is usually an indication that no 2 & 3 plug leads are the wrong way round. Been there, done that, yes I should know better but there you go, I did know better but still brain faded.
Try swapping no 2 and no 3 around and see how it goes.

Paul
Paul Walbran

The driveshaft was not in the right position.
I have change this and now the car runs well.
I have driven it for 6 hours today to go the the British Car Show of Nantua (France).
There were 3 frogs ans 5 spridgets (4 roadsters and 1 1275cc).
An early midget MKI still have the flecked carpet, the rubber mat and the cream steering wheel.

The car uns well, but I didn't have time to adjust the carbs. I had to replace the bottom gasket yesterday.
The carbs are too rich.

But ignition is now good.

thanks a lot everybody.




ld derancourt

This thread was discussed between 09/06/2009 and 14/06/2009

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