Can't Time it right.

[Peter Lund, MD]

Good afternoon all here is my delema. My TC 5288 idles irregularly and backfires. It gets better when it warms up, but still can't get a nice smooth idle. I can scream down the freeway at 70 without a problem. I checked the distrubitor. It seems free of play. I replaced the admance springs. I static timed it and still had problems. Then I bought a Color tume. Wow was that neat. Acheved a nice blue flame but still irregular idle and back fires especaily when cold, and starting off from a stop . . I then bought a timming light. What a surprise! My timming is all over the map. Varies about 10 - 15 degrees at idle. It seems to jump back and forth. Yes, of course the engine varies it revs spontaneously wiith the tilmming variations. My question to the group is.... Is it more likely a loose or stretched timming chain, non working tensioner, backlash in distributor gears or what??!! Statistics indicate that groups collective reasoning is correct more oftten and individuals. Pete L. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Peter Roberts]

My vote would be for the distributor. Check for looseness. _Peter

----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Lund, MD" Pgl@prodigy.net> To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 4:53 PM Subject: [mg-tabc] Can't Time it right. > > Good afternoon all here is my delema. My TC 5288 idles irregularly and > backfires. It gets better when it warms up, but still can't get a nice > smooth idle. I can scream down the freeway at 70 without a problem. I > checked the distrubitor. It seems free of play. I replaced the admance > springs. I static timed it and still had problems. Then I bought a Color > tume. Wow was that neat. Acheved a nice blue flame but still irregular > idle and back fires especaily when cold, and starting off from a stop . . > I then bought a timming light. What a surprise! My timming is all over > the map. Varies about 10 - 15 degrees at idle. It seems to jump back and > forth. Yes, of course the engine varies it revs spontaneously wiith the > tilmming variations. My question to the group is.... Is it more likely a > loose or stretched timming chain, non working tensioner, backlash in > distributor gears or what??!! > > Statistics indicate that groups collective reasoning is correct more > oftten and individuals. > > > Pete L. > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > Make Yahoo! your home page > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >

[Liz Harris]

Hi Peter, I had an MGB that had a similar problem to the one you describe and it turned out to be the dissy cap breaking down and tracking to earth !! My buisiness partner at the time suggested I lift the bonnet with the engine running in the dark, and it was like a light show. A new cap, rotor arm, leads and a set of plugs for good measure, cured it. No doubt everybody has got `electrical` stories to tell and how they fixed them so let`s hope the statitics are right and one of them comes up trumps... Good luck... Tweed. ( Got a feeling this one`s got legs...) "Peter Lund, MD" Pgl@prodigy.net> wrote: Good afternoon all here is my delema. My TC 5288 idles irregularly and backfires. It gets better when it warms up, but still can't get a nice smooth idle. I can scream down the freeway at 70 without a problem. I checked the distrubitor. It seems free of play. I replaced the admance springs. I static timed it and still had problems. Then I bought a Color tume. Wow was that neat. Acheved a nice blue flame but still irregular idle and back fires especaily when cold, and starting off from a stop . . I then bought a timming light. What a surprise! My timming is all over the map. Varies about 10 - 15 degrees at idle. It seems to jump back and forth. Yes, of course the engine varies it revs spontaneously wiith the tilmming variations. My question to the group is.... Is it more likely a loose or stretched timming chain, non working tensioner, backlash in distributor gears or what??!! Statistics indicate that groups collective reasoning is correct more oftten and individuals. Pete L. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Terry Sanders]

I'd bet on Dizzy bushes being worn out....either replace them or put in a Pertronix unit so you have nothing bearing against the dizzy rotor. Terry in Oakland "Peter Lund, MD" Pgl@prodigy.net> wrote: Good afternoon all here is my delema. My TC 5288 idles irregularly and backfires. It gets better when it warms up, but still can't get a nice smooth idle. I can scream down the freeway at 70 without a problem. I checked the distrubitor. It seems free of play. I replaced the admance springs. I static timed it and still had problems. Then I bought a Color tume. Wow was that neat. Acheved a nice blue flame but still irregular idle and back fires especaily when cold, and starting off from a stop . . I then bought a timming light. What a surprise! My timming is all over the map. Varies about 10 - 15 degrees at idle. It seems to jump back and forth. Yes, of course the engine varies it revs spontaneously wiith the tilmming variations. My question to the group is.... Is it more likely a loose or stretched timming chain, non working tensioner, backlash in distributor gears or what??!! Statistics indicate that groups collective reasoning is correct more oftten and individuals. Pete L. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Peter Lund, MD]

Thanks I would think that any rattle in the rotor be it elctronic or mechanical would cause the same result. Perhaps I will try that as a fix and get back to you. Pete L Terry Sanders taterry@pacbell.net> wrote: I'd bet on Dizzy bushes being worn out....either replace them or put in a Pertronix unit so you have nothing bearing against the dizzy rotor. Terry in Oakland "Peter Lund, MD" wrote: Good afternoon all here is my delema. My TC 5288 idles irregularly and backfires. It gets better when it warms up, but still can't get a nice smooth idle. I can scream down the freeway at 70 without a problem. I checked the distrubitor. It seems free of play. I replaced the admance springs. I static timed it and still had problems. Then I bought a Color tume. Wow was that neat. Acheved a nice blue flame but still irregular idle and back fires especaily when cold, and starting off from a stop . . I then bought a timming light. What a surprise! My timming is all over the map. Varies about 10 - 15 degrees at idle. It seems to jump back and forth. Yes, of course the engine varies it revs spontaneously wiith the tilmming variations. My question to the group is.... Is it more likely a loose or stretched timming chain, non working tensioner, backlash in distributor gears or what??!! Statistics indicate that groups collective reasoning is correct more oftten and individuals. Pete L. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Peter Lund, MD]

Thanks I'll look for a light show and let you know. I do have a spare cap.....somewhere. Pete L Liz Harris lizandtweed@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: Hi Peter, I had an MGB that had a similar problem to the one you describe and it turned out to be the dissy cap breaking down and tracking to earth !! My buisiness partner at the time suggested I lift the bonnet with the engine running in the dark, and it was like a light show. A new cap, rotor arm, leads and a set of plugs for good measure, cured it. No doubt everybody has got `electrical` stories to tell and how they fixed them so let`s hope the statitics are right and one of them comes up trumps... Good luck... Tweed. ( Got a feeling this one`s got legs...) "Peter Lund, MD" Pgl@prodigy.net> wrote: Good afternoon all here is my delema. My TC 5288 idles irregularly and backfires. It gets better when it warms up, but still can't get a nice smooth idle. I can scream down the freeway at 70 without a problem. I checked the distrubitor. It seems free of play. I replaced the admance springs. I static timed it and still had problems. Then I bought a Color tume. Wow was that neat. Acheved a nice blue flame but still irregular idle and back fires especaily when cold, and starting off from a stop . . I then bought a timming light. What a surprise! My timming is all over the map. Varies about 10 - 15 degrees at idle. It seems to jump back and forth. Yes, of course the engine varies it revs spontaneously wiith the tilmming variations. My question to the group is.... Is it more likely a loose or stretched timming chain, non working tensioner, backlash in distributor gears or what! ??!! Statistics indicate that groups collective reasoning is correct more oftten and individuals. Pete L. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Make Yahoo! your home page [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[FIGSMG@cs.com]

Could be a loose distributer plate, I'd check that. Cheers Fig [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[David Lodge]

Hello Peter, Liz, I well remember the first time someone told me about the old lifting-the-bonnet-in-a-dark-garage trick in my callow youth. Truly psychedelic; if I'd known what that meant back then! Regards, David Lodge ----- ORIGINAL MESSAGE ----- From: "Peter Lund, MD" Pgl@prodigy.net> To: "Liz Harris" lizandtweed@yahoo.co.uk>,"Peter Lund, MD" Pgl@prodigy.net> Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] Can't Time it right. Date: 15.3.2005 - 2:36:07

> > Thanks I'll look for a light show and let you know. I > do have a spare cap.....somewhere. > Pete L > > Liz Harris lizandtweed@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > Hi Peter, I had an MGB that had a similar problem to > the one you describe and it turned out to be the dissy > cap breaking down and tracking to earth !! My > buisiness partner at the time suggested I lift the > bonnet with the engine running in the dark, and it was > like a light show. A new cap, rotor arm, leads and a > set of plugs for good measure, cured it. No doubt > everybody has got `electrical` stories to tell and how > they fixed them so let`s hope the statitics are right > and one of them comes up trumps... Good luck... > Tweed. ( Got a feeling this one`s got legs...) > > "Peter Lund, MD" Pgl@prodigy.net> wrote: > Good afternoon all here is my delema. My TC 5288 idles > irregularly and backfires. It gets better when it > warms up, but still can't get a nice smooth idle. I > can scream down the freeway at 70 without a problem. I > checked the distrubitor. It seems free of play. I > replaced the admance springs. I static timed it and > still had problems. Then I bought a Color tume. Wow > was that neat. Acheved a nice blue flame but still > irregular idle and back fires especaily when cold, and > starting off from a stop . . I then bought a timming > light. What a surprise! My timming is all over the > map. Varies about 10 - 15 degrees at idle. It seems to > jump back and forth. Yes, of course the engine varies > it revs spontaneously wiith the tilmming variations. > My question to the group is.... Is it more likely a > loose or stretched timming chain, non working > tensioner, backlash in distributor gears or what! ??!! > > > Statistics indicate that groups collective reasoning is > correct more oftten and individuals. > > > Pete L. > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > Make Yahoo! your home page > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > Send instant messages to your online friends > http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > >

-- Akcni unorova nabidka "3 za cenu 1"! Ziskejte VOLNY ADSL 512/128 3GB za cenu 1GB! http://adsl.volny.cz