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MG TD TF 1500 - Static Timing Electronic Ignition

I bought an electronic ignition kit at the Silverstone event last year and now can't find the instructions. Everything has fitted beautifully and if I connect my strobe to any of the plugs and turn the motor over on the starter I get strong flashes. However if I turn the distributer body round by hand, as you would do with conventional points to set the distributer at "just firing", there are no flashes. Turn the distributer quickly and there are flashes but it is impossible to stop turning the dammed thing at exactly the firng point! I suspect the electronics need the rotor on the distributer shaft to be turning at a speed before things will work. So how do I set the distributer position so it is firing just before TDC on No 1. This would allow the engine to start and I could then set the timing with the strobe.


Jan T
J Targosz

Jan, what system is it? Bud
Bud Krueger

IMHO:
First thing I would do is see if maker has a website. They should be able to supply the manual.
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

Why can't you set static timing as always? TDC is TDC whether electronic ignition or points, isn't it?
Gene Gillam

Try setting the peak of a lobe at the pickup to get started.
JRN JIM

I suspect the problem is that the engine has to be running to adjust the timing. It has to do with the fact that the magnetic field at the sensor has to be moving for the sensor to respond to it. Many electronic ignitions, especially the ones with magnetic sensors that replace the points, work this way and cannot be static timed.

I had a Crane ignition, at one point (XR700, I think), which used an optical sensor. It could be static timed easily. But the magnetic ones, usually not. Just time it with the engine running. If you have a stroboscopic timing light, you shouldn't need to static-time it.
S Maas

I found that the positive ground pertronix works in reverse of what you would normally expect. To set it statically you set it when the test light goes out.
MG LaVerne

This thread was discussed between 21/09/2014 and 27/09/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

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