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MG MGB Technical - Easy way to time mgb 72

Help can anyone out there explain to me in the easiest way to properly time my engine?
RP Padilla

Yes, the easiest way is to time it carefully till it runs it's best. Sorry, I couldn't pass that one up. Assuming you have a D-25 dizzy with vernier, attach a (borrowed) dial back timing light, after marking the balancer timing mark with "White Out" or the like. Loosen the dizzy clamp just enuf to force move it-not loose. Remove and plug the vac advance line. Get your best run, quickest start up around 14-16* BTDC. Use the dial back to read the exact advance. This assumes the dizzy and carbs are sorted before you start. The car should not lug ( usually too much advance), but jump to a start in 1 or 2 cranks. Max best run advance is with ( I recommend) 91 RON, and no pinking throughout the entire range. You can pull over roadside and click back the vernier ( retard) till you run without pinking. When you get back, hookup the dial back light and record your best run advance # with the date. Next makeover, you will be time saved. Cheers, Vem
vem myers

What engine? What distributor? There were dozens of combinations for North America, mostly with different timing values.

Vem is really describing the way to get the best timing, certainly not the easiest.

The easiest is to simply set it to the book figure for your engine and distributor.

The best for a high-compression engine and the petrol that is available these days - and the grade can make a big difference - is to do more-or-less what Vem says and run it with the highest advance you can without pinking on any combination of throttle opening, revs or load. But a low-compression engine may not pink and you could advance it so much it would stall the starter, and North America mostly got low-compression.

If you don't have a timing light then just static time it, which only needs a test light or voltmeter. A timing light and dynamic timing is better and not that much more difficult.
PaulH Solihull

This thread was discussed between 06/01/2013 and 07/01/2013

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