exactly that - pop the dizzy cap off to double check the rotor arm corresponds with the #1 notch on the dizzy!
So, timing now set correctly, battery on charge, camcorder on tripod, fingers crossed. When do we start the drumroll? I love a happy ending! I usually cry!
No, because then the rotor arm will point at No.3. Just turn it backwards a bit from ATDC to BTDC... Set the pulley so timing mark is at 7.5 BTDC (left of 0 degs). Static time as before by turning distributor. Now your rotor arm should be slightly before no.1
I'm making sure the now piston is at tdc and since the rotor arm is pointing to where it was when I first put it all together, I'm taking that as being at no1. When I had everything open this is the position where both valves on no1 were closed with piston at top
Tweaked the static timing but still no joy. Started getting popping through the carbs now though. Not loud bangs but little pops
Do you have the old dissy with points you can time statically using a light. you mention you stressed over installing dissy drive. Did it go back one tooth out.
^ doesn't matter if its one tooth out or two..so long as you know that #1 is at tdc and the rotor arm corresponds with the #1 position on the distributor when you install it all, your fine. Once built you can tweak the timing back to 7.5 btdc for #1 and then align the dizzy up accordingly so that gonna fire #1 at the right moment
This is what I thought, so didn't worry too much during the build. I put the drive in with the 2 dots lined up and umm'd and ahh'd for ages over whether the slot was at 12 deg off centre line or not. I tried it a tooth either side and went for the one that looked right the most. I'll take some pics later, but basically I've now turned the engine till No1 is 7.5(ish) BTDC (to the left of the zero on the scale) and at that position the rotor arm is pointing towards the fan centre ish. Then I've undone the clamp and turned the dizzy body until the centre of the rotor arm lines up with the centre of lead No1 and clamped it back up. I've also removed the plugs, checked the gaps (all at 0.65mm) and cleaned them. They all had a little oil on them which I suppose is to be expected during first start up/running in etc. Still won't start though, but pops/coughs a little through the carbs now (or that's where it sounds like anyway). Hard to tell on your own, but I'll have another pair of hands tonight
Hahaha great minds and all that....I'm sure I have, but just in case I actually filled up my jerry can this morning on the way into work, so I can stick another 20 odd quids worth in tonight for peace of mind
You filled up a fuel can this morning, you say.... planning on sticking in some more fuel tonight for peace of mind, you say.... now that is a coincidence I would have been bowled over if you stuck a post up this morning about fault finding on a broken fuel gauge as well....
I sense you don't know how to static time. You can't time it with the rotor arm, you do know that? Static timing involes either a bulb or a meter, not just pointing the rotor arm. Pointing rotor arm is just so you know you're set at number one very roughly. Then you static time with a bulb.