Griff timing

[BlueArsedFly]

Hi

After the garage messed up the timing on my Griff, I've had terrible trouble starting it. I haven't had the time to go back (not sure I want to) so made some guessy timing alterations myself by rotating the distributor anti-clockwise about 3-4 degrees, and the car starts fine now. Now I presume that's advanced it (as the car originally went in for pinking). How can I now be sure if the timing is correctly advanced? Do I need any specialist equipment?

Thanks
BAF

[griffter]

You need a timing strobe. If you can find a friendly local garage with 5 minutes spare they might check it for you - would only take 2 minutes if they have the equipment to hand.

[wedgienauld]

..yep turn clockwise to retard and anti-clockwise to advance. Advance to a point where your engine pinks under load, (fourth gear about thirty miles an hour and foot to the floor) - then retard a touch. Take car out again and try the accleration test again, until no more pinking. A timing light in the hands of a friendly local garage who don,nt know your car may see them set a figure from the book. This would only be a starting point anyway, as adjustments will need to be considered for, age and wear on the engine, state of tune and fueling, etc. Good Luck.

[GreenV8S]

Was it a garage that has any experience of the TVR RV8 engine? It's not at all uncommon on these engines to find that the timing marks are miles out. If the garage took them at face value when they set the timing, that may explain where you went wrong. If that's the case, you're in danger of making the same mistake yourself (plus other mistakes perhaps, since they're used to setting the timing and you aren't?).

[BlueArsedFly]

The garage is (apparently) a reputable TVR independent...

Regarding the timing strobe, doesn't that assume the timing marks are in the right place? From what I've read in other threads this isn't always the case. Isn't there a way to do this with CO emissions or something? Will consult the bible when I get round to looking for it

Thanks all

[BlueArsedFly]

BlueArsedFly said:

doesn't that assume the timing marks are in the right place?

Sorry GreenV8S you already said that!

[griffter]

BlueArsedFly said:

The garage is (apparently) a reputable TVR independent...

Regarding the timing strobe, doesn't that assume the timing marks are in the right place? From what I've read in other threads this isn't always the case. Isn't there a way to do this with CO emissions or something? Will consult the bible when I get round to looking for it

Thanks all

You can get an idea of whether the timing marks are correct by static timing. If you want to get into optimising the timing (and everything else since everything affects everything) using CO, you need a rolling road.

[GreenV8S]

griffter said:

You can get an idea of whether the timing marks are correct by static timing.

The only way I know to verify the timing marks is to find TDC mechanically. What's the 'static timing' method?

[griffter]

GreenV8S said:

griffter said:

You can get an idea of whether the timing marks are correct by static timing.

The only way I know to verify the timing marks is to find TDC mechanically. What's the 'static timing' method?

That's what I meant - as opposed to dynamically ie with the engine running. Turn the engine over by hand until you've got TDC on no.1 or whatever and verify the position of the front pulley.

[GreenV8S]

griffter said:

GreenV8S said:

griffter said:

You can get an idea of whether the timing marks are correct by static timing.

The only way I know to verify the timing marks is to find TDC mechanically. What's the 'static timing' method?

That's what I meant - as opposed to dynamically ie with the engine running. Turn the engine over by hand until you've got TDC on no.1 or whatever and verify the position of the front pulley.

OK, I see what you mean. (To me, the term 'static timing' means the old fashioned method of setting the timing by turning the engine over until the points open, relying on the timing marks to tell you where the crank is. Hence setting the timing and confirming the position of the timing marks are two completely different things.)

[rev-erend]

griffter said:

GreenV8S said:

griffter said:

You can get an idea of whether the timing marks are correct by static timing.

The only way I know to verify the timing marks is to find TDC mechanically. What's the 'static timing' method?

That's what I meant - as opposed to dynamically ie with the engine running. Turn the engine over by hand until you've got TDC on no.1 or whatever and verify the position of the front pulley.

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