MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - setting timing?

Car is a 1950 TD negative ground w/ Pertronix EI. (I've now got a point plate as a spare) What are the current recommendations for setting the dynamic timing?

I have a light, meters, etc.

My thinking is to put marks on the crank pulley to correspond to your advice as to degrees of advance at a specific RPM.

Unless there is a better/easier way to do it!

Thanks.
Bruce Haynes

Tons in the archive. Static timing is not enough - using an adjustable timing light set the total advance to 32-35 degrees at 3,000 rpm.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Tnx. Yea, I tried the archives; lots of info, but some conflicting & some old. Trying sort it out for a newby to TD's can get confusing!
Bruce Haynes

Bruce,

Just went through this myself. Carefully marked the crank pulley as you say (10 degree BTDC mark = 0.328 inches, 20 degree BTDC mark = 0.653 inches and 30 degree BTDC mark = 0.973 inches) and static timed the engine.

This worked well to get the engine running, but following this with a timing light made a great improvement as Tom says. Despite what I read (and some is confusing including from John Twist) static timing was not sufficient.

Dynamically timed at 1000 rpm and then at 3000 rpm to verify.

Good luck,

Bill
WHTroyer

The manual shows static timing to be TDC. If I set it to this and run the engine to 3000 revs should the distributer advance to 32 degs? I want to test to see if the bob weights are working properly in the distributer.

Cheers

Jan T
J Targosz

As usual I over thought this timing issue gave up and went to the book. I think the book says to set the points gap to open right at the beginning of the cam lobe. This is about 10 deg BTDC.
I've had no problems.
Peter Dahlquist

Peter - what book is this? It seems to me that setting the points at the beginning of the cam lobe would result in a HUGE points gap...

Tom Lange
t lange

Jan T, Most T type distributors have a total crankshaft advance of 30 degrees, some 32, late TF has 24, also most do not reach 30 degrees until about 4,400 RPM.
Len Fanelli

Tom,
What was MEANT is to set the static timing just when the points are STARTING to open.
Lew3

Be carefull when setting timing if you ever want to use your hand crank. If set to far advanced before TDC and you try to use the hand crank you can get bad kick back. On the old cars that had a manual spark adjustment lever you made sure to retard your spark before trying to start with the hand crank. Could get your arm broke. Forrest TD/C 22679
Forrest Rubenstein

Advanced static timing can also cause the starter drive gear to disengage when cranking, ( A weak battery can also do the same)
Len Fanelli

A quick question, I need a new timing light, what's a good one? PJ
Paul161

Snap on. Used on eBay. Regards, tom
tm peterson

Tom I set the gap on the lobe, then found TDC on # 1 piston, then rotated the distributor so the points were just opening as you began the rise on the cam.

Peter Dahlquist

This thread was discussed between 10/07/2016 and 13/07/2016

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG TD TF 1500 BBS now