1986 280i (Federal) Ignition Timing

[MCWEDGE]

MCWEDGE runs great, but I had never checked the timing until today.

Highlighted the crank pulley mark, removed, cleaned, painted the fixed timing plate.

Timing light pickup on #1 plug wire, vacuum advance hose pinched off.

Idle set to 950 rpm with dwell/tach.

Strobe shows timing to be about 100 degrees advanced!

Anyone experience anything like this?

Jim McPhee
New Mexico, USA

[MCWEDGE]

My timing light is at least 40 years old. Inductive pick-up, but no adjustment. Nothing to do wrong with it. Well, except put it on the wrong wire, but no question it was on #1 plug lead.

No interference that I am aware of. I replaced the plug wires with top of the line wires when I first got MCWEDGE, and I think they are well routed.

When I said 100 degrees off, I think I exaggerated a bit. I'd been over at a buddies doing this in the hot sun in his driveway. When we finally got the timing marks cleaned up and visible after taking the bonnet off, and got the light on it, I was practically seeing double! Looking at again in my garage yesterday, it appears to be more like maybe 50 degrees off. A bit more than 1/8 of the pulley circumference.

[MCWEDGE]

It has a Bosch distributor with a brick red cap.

That's a good suggestion about checking rotor orientation at TDC. I have not done it, but will this afternoon and will report back.

[MCWEDGE]

Yes, that is how I would confirm #1 cylinder is at TDC.

MCWEDGE is a June 1986, model with radiator in the nose cone.

[MCWEDGE]

I'd never heard of the 'Wagoneer' blue cap.

I forgot that the alternator and A/C compressor are blocking the #1 spark plug hole. Checking for TDC and rotor orientation will have to wait until the weekend.

[MCWEDGE]

This might sound way to obvious but just in case.

The only thing aligning the pulley on the crankshaft is a single woodruff key. It's possible to assemble the engine without that key, and your timing marks can then be anywhere.....
If bolt is really tight it probably won't slip..... have seen this once on a Triumph engine, but not a Ford...

=====

Never considered that possibility. Do you know if the key is visible from the front of the crankshaft with the pulley in place? Or if the the pulley slot and crankshaft slots are visible? If so, shouldn't be difficult to see if the pulley slipped.

=====

Dizzy - I do know there is a Motorcraft distributor and a Bosch for the 2.8 engine, and they have different caps (and ignition amplifiers/drivers too).
Motorcraft cap is blue, but I thought all 'export' engines had a Bosch dizzy with the red/maroon cap. But then, it's possible that your car was originally a UK one....

=====

MCWEDGE does have the Bosch distributor with the red cap.

========

[MCWEDGE]

Well, the weekend is gone, and I have not been able to check for #1 cylinder TDC. Maybe I can do it during the week, and check/set the valve clearances at the same time. Will have to see how things pan out.

[MCWEDGE]

I like happy ending too. Seems like I have been able to find time to do everything (well, maybe not everything) I need to, except check for TDC on MCWEDGE, and adjust the valves. If he were running badly, I'd have a greater motivation, I guess. As soon I get to it, I will certainly post my findings.