steves too busy to be doing that...

steves too busy to be doing that...

Loud pops means its trying to fire and it is getting fuel. The problem is somewhere in the ignition timing and ths is not a hard thing to correct but its very difficult to describe in words.

The car has a firing order just as it has a four stroke design. That is the first stroke is induction of fuel, the second stroke is compression, the third is the power stroke after the spark plug has ingnited the mixture and the fourth stroke is exhaust stroke.

Now its critical that the timing is giving a spark to the right cylinder at the right moment in the compression stroke. This is controlled by the distributor adjustment which is often called the timing. The distributor has ffive leads coming out of it. One comes from the coil and the other four go to a spark plug.

The way a mini motor fires is that piston number one (closest to the radiator) fires first on its compression stroke and then number three on its compression stroke and then number four and then number two. Its important to understand that bit - the firing order.

Now - the distributor runs anticlock wise and the rotor button under the dizzy cap has a little arm that touches a contact for each spark plug lead. Thats how its sends the spark message. The order of the leads must be right.

Sports850 already described how to set the timing but let me go over it again.
Take out each of the spark plugs - it just makes it easier to turn the motor by hand. then take off the rocler cover so you can watch the rockers going up and down. Turn the motor until you see the two rockers for cylinder number four (nearest the clutch) changing position. The two rockers for cylinder number one should be stationary.

Take a small screw driver (or a pencil or biro) and stick in the plug hole for cyinder number one. You should feel the piston at the top of its travel. If you turn the motor (by hand) one way you should feel (via the screw driver) the piston either rising or falling. Play with it until you get it at absolute top. This is then called top dead centre on the compression stroke or commonly TDC.

Now lets go back to the distributor. Take off the cap and you will see the points. The big round thing that has the plastic hose that goes to the carby should be at about 1.00am position.

Put the distributor cap back into position but don't lock it on. Look for the lead from the number one cylinder on the cap and note its position in relation to the arm on the rotor button - it should be just before that contact. The distributor turns anti clockwise - remember.

Now - down where the distributor bolts onto the block - there is a clamp arrangement. Slacken off the that clamp bolt and by hand just turn the distributor until you see the points open with the rotor button roughly pointing at the contact position for the lead to cylinder number one.

The just check mentally that the next contact the rotor will touch will be the the one for the lead to cylinder number three - then the lead for cylinder number four and finally the contact for the lead for cylinder number two.

Fit the dizzy back on, tighten the clamp bolt. Take the screwdriver out of the plug hole and refit all the spark plugs. Put the correct lead onto the correct spark plug. Dont worry about the rocker cover for the moment - start the car - it should start. If it wass popping before it should start now.

Basically , what we're all saying is get it setup so the points open (which is when the spark happens) when cylinder one is at the top of it's compression stroke , this will be close enough to get it started and once it's running you can fine tune it . If you're having trouble (and this can be really frustrating when you're fiddling with ignition timing on written info , much better to have someone show you ) with this it'd be definitely worth getting someone out to spend 5-10 minutes on it and get you going .

IT STARTED !!!

Yep im going to get totally flammed for this but lets just say the plugs dont go 1-4-3-2